US3866340A

US3866340A - Snow remover with slurry disposal

Info

Publication number: US3866340A
Application number: US406019A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eli G Krickovich
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-03-02
Filing date: 1973-10-12
Publication date: 1975-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 1992-02-18

Abstract

A fluid containing insulated reservoir or tank is mounted on a vehicle chassis having an engine thereon, a hydraulic pressure means and a control cab. A roadway cleaning apparatus, comprising a forwardly open horizontally disposed substantially cylindrical screw conveyor surrounding housing, is pivotally mounted transversely of the forward end portion of the vehicle chassis for vertical pivoting movement about a horizontal axis. A discharge tube connects the central portion of the conveyor housing to the tank. Heat transfer means supported by the chassis extends into the tank for heating contained slurry and melting snow. An agitator within the tank forms a slurry of the materials contained by the tank.

Description

United States Patent 1 Krickovich [451 Feb. 18, 1975 1 1 SNOW REMOVER WITH SLURRY DISPOSAL [76] Inventor: Eli G. Krickovich, PO. Box 106 Clinton, Iowa 52732 [22] Filed: Oct. 12, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 406,019

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 231,292, March 2, 1972, Patv [52] U.S. C1. 37/12, 126/3435 R. [51] Int. Cl E0lh 5/10 [58] Field of Search 37/12, 24; 15/83; 126/3435 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I 969,716 9/1910 Weishaar et a1. 37/12 980,564 l/19ll Riordan 1. 37/12 1,242,433 9/1917 Friedman 37/12 1,598,508 8/1926 Saunders 37/12 3,036,391 5/1962 Kemp 37/12 3,106,792 10/1963 Park 37/12 3,241,253 3/1966 McKee 37/12 3,304,632 2/1967 Kotlar et a1 37/12 3,353,286 11/1967 Marks 1. 37/12 3,456,368 7/1969 Jacques 3,464,128 9/1969 Krickovich 37/12 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 874,722 7/1971 Canada 37/12 Primary E.raminerRobert E. Bagwill Assistant Examiner-E. H. Eickholt [57] ABSTRACT A fluid containing insulated reservoir or tank is mounted on a vehicle chassis having an engine thereon, a hydraulic pressure means and a control cab. A roadway cleaning apparatus, comprising a forwardly open horizontally disposed substantially cylindrical screw conveyor surrounding housing, is pivotally mounted transversely of the forward end portion of the vehicle chassis for vertical pivoting movement about a horizontal axis. A discharge tube connects the central portion of the conveyor housing to the tank.

- Heat transfer means supported by the chassis extends into the tank for heating contained slurry and melting snow. An agitator within the tank forms a slurry of the materials contained by the tank.

6 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEBIBIQTS V I I 1 866 340 SHEET 10F 5 J mama E 8W5 j 3. see 340 sum 3 OF 5 was I Pmimenrw w 3.866.340

- SHEET 50F 5 FIG.9

1 SNOW REMOVER WITH SLURRY DISPOSAL CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a division of an application filed by me in the US. Pat. Office on Mar. 2, 1972, Ser. No.

231,292, for Snow Remover And Sweeper With Slurry Disposal now U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,586.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the removal of snow from streets and roadways as a result of snow storms it is present practice, generally, to employ a snowplow or in some instances graders which move the snow off the street into piles or rows which later must be picked up by a loader and disposed of by dump trucks. This type of operation is time consuming and expensive in man hours and necessary equipment and, furthermore, is a comparatively slow process of snow removal.

It is desirable from an environmental viewpoint to provide a self contained machine for removing and disposing of snow such as by melting it by mixing it with water to form a slurry to be discharged into a storm sewer drain which is usually connected with a filtration plant.

Conventional street sweepers have a relatively small storage capacity and, therefore, similarly require the service of pickup and disposal units.

This invention simplifies the above steps of removing and disposing of snow by providing a single mobile machine which picks up the snow and melts it in a relatively large thirty-five dump truck load capacity insulated tank which is periodically drained into a storm sewer, or the like, thus eliminating the use of a loader and dump trucks as well as saving time and wear of such equipment by converting the snow to water as it is removed from the roadway.

2. Description Of The Prior Art The most pertinent prior patent is my US. Pat. No. 3,464,128 which discloses a screw conveyor snowplow communicating with a snow receiving tank heated by burner means and including rotating agitators for mixing snow and water contained by the tank.

The principal distinction of this invention over my prior patent and copending application is that this screw conveyor comprises opposite cooperating screw conveyors having their outer edge curved toward the direction of rotation for moving snow toward impeller blades aligned with a discharge tube connected, at one end, medially the length of the conveyors and communicating, at its other end, with a relatively large snow receiving tank disposed rearwardly of the conveyors.

Heat transfer means, including a helical coil is placed within the snow and trash receiving tank, which liquifies snow received by the tank.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An insulated relatively large capacity tank is supported by a truck chassis rearwardly of an engine and control cab. A roadway cleaning apparatus, including longitudinally aligned oppositely disposed screw conveyors connected with impeller blades and supported by a cylindrical housing, is transversely mounted across the lower front end portion of the truck chassis for vertical pivoting movement toward and away from the surface of the earth. The housing is provided with a discharge tube extending upwardly and rearwardly toward the tank top. A heat transfer means supported by the truck chassis includes an antifreeze fluid containing coil extending into the tank in spaced relation with respect to its inner wall surface. Agitator blades within the tank churns snow and water contained by the tank to form a slurry. Most of the water is periodically drained from the tank by a drain valve located within the tank. The tank includes a sump portion similarly having a drain valve therein for draining the sump when the apparatus is idle.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a snow removing and melting apparatus having an improved conveyor blade configuration which is mounted on a vehicle chassis for removing snow from streets, or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view, to a larger scale, taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken sub stantially along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view taken stantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 7-7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 1 of another embodiment of the apparatus;

FIG. 9 is a top view of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a front .view of FIGS. 8 and 9;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view, to an enlarged scale, taken substantially along the line 11-11 of FIG. 2; and,

'FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view, to an en larged scale, of the drain connector.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 7, the reference numeral 10 indicates a substantially conventional truck chassis having an engine 12, a hydraulic pump and other conventional controls, not shown, and a control cab 14, mounted on and supported by the forward end portion of longtudinally extending vehicle frame members 16, in turn supported by wheels 18. Conveyor means 20 is mounted on the forward end of the chassis and connected with tank means 22, mounted on the chassis rearwardly of the cab, by tube means 24. The conveyor means 20 comprises a substantially cylindrical horizontal housing 26 having end closing members 28 and 29 (FIG. 3) and having a portion of its forwardly and downward arcuate wall removed to form a snow admitting opening 30. A shaft 32 extends horizontally between and beyond the

housing ends

28 and 29 and is journalled at its respective end portions by the respective end portion of a pair of arms 34. The other end portions of the arms 34 are respectively pivotally connected to the respective outwardly disposed end portion of a pair of horizontally aligned

support shafts

36 and 37 transversely supported by the chassis so that the housing 26 may be vertically pivoted about the horizontal axis of the

shafts

36 and 37 as presently explained.

A pair of hydraulic cylinders 38 are connected, respectively, to a pair of parallel braces 40 which project forwardly and upwardly from the forward limit of the tank 22 inrearward spaced relation with respect to the housing 26. The piston end of the cylinders 38 are respectively pivotally connected to a pair of spaced-apart ears 42 cooperatively secured to the upper surfaces of the housing 26 for raising and lowering the housing. Valve and tubing means, not shown, connected with the hydraulic system of the truck and the cylinders 38, are actuated by the operator in the control cab 14 for operating the cylinders 38 and raising and lowering the conveyor means 20. Oppositely acting screw conveyors 44, secured to the shaft 32, are each connected with impeller blades 46 radially connected to the shaft 32 medially the length of the housing. The conveyor blades are characterized by having the free edge portion of the blade thereof arcuately curved toward the direction of rotation to enhance the snow pickup function. The free end edge portion of the impeller blades 46 are similarly cooperatively curved. A shoe 48 extends longitudinally of the housing 26 and is connected to the lower limit of the housing wall by bolts 50. The

shoe 48 is transversely curved on a radius complemental with the curvature of the wall 26 of the housing for the purposes of increasing the cylindrical wall area of the housing around the conveyors 44 and prevents contact between the conveyors 44 and a roadway surface 52.

The tube means 24 comprises a lower tubular section 54 connected with the housing 26 around an opening 56 (FIG. 7) therein. The upwardly directed end portion of the lower tube 56 is provided with a flange cooperatively receiving the lower flanged end portion of an inclined intermediate flexible tube 58 which is in turn provided with a flange at its upper end and connected to the flanged end of an elbow 60 connected to a fitting 62 communicating with an opening 61 in the tank.

The housing supporting shaft 37 forms a drive shaft for rotating the conveyors 44. The shaft 37 is drivably connected, at one end, to the engine 12 and is conventionally connected, at its other end, to one end of the conveyor shaft 32 such as by belt and pulley means, indicated by the dotted lines 64 (FIG. 1), and shielded by a guard 66. Obviously chain and sprocket means may be used in place of the belt and pulley means, ifdesired. Alternatively, a hydraulic motor 68 (FIGS. 8 and 9), supported by one arm 34 and connected with the conveyor shaft 32, may be used as a conveyor drive.

The tank means 22 includes a substantially rectangular tank 70 having a bottom wall characterized by a rearward horizontal surface 72 merging with the rethe tank 70 to form a double walled tank having a space between the outer limits of the tank 70 and inner wall surfaces of the wall panels 84 which is preferably filled with heat and cold insulating material 86. A drain pipe or hose 88 extends through the rear wall 82 of the tank and is connected with a conventional drain valve 90, which may be a ball valve or wedge disk valve, for draining fluid out of the tank down to the level of the horizontal bottom portion 72. The drain opening of the valve 90, preferably positioned slightly above the inner surface of the tank bottom, insures that a sufficient quantity of water remains in the tank for dissolving snow added thereto when again placed in operation for dissolving such snow and preventing a piling up of the snow within the tank. The valve 90 may be manually opened by a control wheel 92 disposed rearwardly of the tank means 22 and connected with the valve 90 by

vertical control rods

94 and 96 operated through right angle gears 98,and 100 mounted on the top of the tank means by a shaft 101. Alternatively, a reversible hy draulic motor 99, controlled from the cab 14, may be connected with the valve shaft 96 for opening and closing the valve 90 (FIGS. 8 and 9). The sump 74 has a drain valve 102 therein connected with a drain tube section 103 terminating inwardly of the tank means outer wall to prevent freezing. Access to the control of the sump valve 102 and drain tube 103 is gained through an access door 104 (FIGS. 1 and 8) formed in an overlying outer wall panel of the tank means. A vent opening 105 (FIG. 11) is formed in the top of the tank and a manhole 106 (FIG. 4), similarly formed in the top of the tank, is closed by a lid or cover 107.

A heater H, mounted on the truck chassis forwardly of the tank means 22, is connected with one end portion of piping 108 which extends into the tank 70 along its walls, in spaced relation with respect to its horizontal bottom portion 72 and inner wall surface, and is wound in a helical fashion for approximately one-half the vertical height of the tank. The other end portion 109 of the piping extends through the forward wall 80 of the tank and is connected with the heater. The piping is filled with a liquid, not shown, preferably containing an antifreeze solution. The purpose of the heater is tothermally circulate the liquid, however, the heater may be provided with a hydraulic motor driven pump P (FIG. 5), for increasing the liquid flow rate through the piping. The piping is supported in its helically wound fashion by standards 110 connected with the inner surface of the opposing walls 78 of the tank and including U-shaped bolts 111 secured to the standards and loosely surrounding a peripheral portion of successive runs of the piping. The piping is preferably provided with unions, not shown, for ease in assembly and for servicing or replacing the piping.

Agitator means 112 is mounted within the tank 70 for v mixing fluid 113 (FIG. 4) with snow, not shown, deposmainder of the bottom surface which is inclined down ited in the tank. The agitator means comprises four vertical radially spaced blades 114 each twisted l80 about its longitudinal axis and extending from near the tank bottom to near the tank top and are secured by arms 115 to a shaft 116 in turn secured to the top and bottom wall of the tank by bearings 118. The upper end of the shaft 116 projects through the top wall of the tank and is drivably connected to a hydraulic motor 120 operated by the truck hydraulic system for rotating the agitator means. The agitator means 112 is shown centrally disposed within the tank but may be disposed adjacent one of the tank side walls 78, if desired.

When in use, wherein snow drifts of considerable depth are encountered, a deflector or guide means 122 is connected with the conveyor housing 26. The guide means 122 comprises a sheet metal panel 124 (FIG. 7) which longitudinally contacts the upper surface of the housing wall and is inclined upwardly and forwardly therefrom being reinforced by beads or ribs 126. The respective ends of the panel 124 are connected by substantially triangular shaped end members 128 to the respective

housing end walls

28 and 29. When the apparatus is moved forwardly the guide means 122 thus deflects drifted snow downwardly and rearwardly toward the housing opening 30.

The snow pickup area of the conveyor portion may be increased laterally by a pair of wing panels 129 connected with the opposite ends 28 and 29 of the conveyor. Each of the panels 129 comprise an angle iron reinforced rectangular plate 130 removably connected pivotally at one end by pins extending through cooperating apertured lugs secured, respectively, to the respective wing panel 129 and conveyor ends 28 and 29 in vertically aligned relation. The wings 129 are held in a desired angular position by braces 131 connected at one end with the respective wing 129 intermediate its length and height, and connected, at their other ends, to the rearward limit of the arms 34.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 8 and 9, a modification of the apparatus is illustrated for throwing snow laterally of the vehicle rather than depositing it in the tank means 22. This is accomplished by removing the intermediate tubular section 58 and replacing it with an elongated flexible preferably arcuately curved tube 137 having one flanged end connected to the flange of the housing tube portion 54 and its other end portion supported near the upper lateral limit'of the tank means by a clamp 132, or the like, so that snow collected by the conveyors is discharged by the thrower blades 46 through the open end of the elongated tube 137 to the left of the apparatus, as viewed in FIG. 10.

The tank vent 105 is provided with a flanged end vent pipe 140 (FIG. 11). A vent cap 142 is secured to the upwardly disposed end of the vent pipe. A suitable filter 144, having one or more screens 146, is removably supported by the tank vent pipe by a flanged edge 148 overlying the upper flanged end of the vent pipe 140 downwardly of the cap 142.

FIG. 12 illustrates an end portion of a drain tube extension 150 having a flange 152, at one end, provided with wing nuts and bolts I54 cooperatingly received by slots formed in flanged end portions of the

tank drain tubes

88 and 103.

OPERATION In operation the shoe 48 is in place on the housing 26 and the deflector 122 and wing panels 129 are attached, ifdesired. The apparatus is moved forwardly by tion a desired quantity of the water 113 is placed in the tank 74. The heater H is similarly in operation circulating heated fluid by thermal action or the pump P through the piping coils which melts snow recieved by the tank with the snow mixing and melting action enhanced by the agitator means 112. The agitator lI2 achieves a mixing and melting of the snow with very little or no heat and at a temperature at or near 32 F. as a result of the churning action. Further, since no chemicals are used in the tank stream pollution is eliminated. The level of water accumulating in the tank is preferably visually indicated, by a fluid level indicator. not shown, in the control cab so that the operator may periodically drain the tank by opening the valve means 90.

In removing snow piled near aircraft runways, aircraft hangers or roads, one of the valves or 102 may be partially opened to drain off water accumulating in the tank while the row or pile of snow is being picked up and melted. Obviously the drain hose must be arranged to direct the released water laterally off the traffic area.

The use of hydraulic motors for driving various components, as described hereinabove, reduces the noise of operation of the apparatus to a minimum.

When it is desired to move the apparatus along a highway, or the like, when the snow pickup function is not being used, the braces 131 are disconnected from their bracing relation with respect to the panels 129 and the panels are pivoted about their connection with the conveyor housing ends to be vertically disposed edgewise at the respective ends of the conveyor means 20. The hydraulic cylinders 38 are actuated to lift the conveyor means 20 upwardly above the surface of the earth.

obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations without defeating its practicability, therefore, I do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein.

I claim:

1. A roadway cleaning apparatus in combination with a prime mover comprising a vehicle chassis having an engine control means thereon including a control cab and having a hydraulic fluid pump, the improvement comprising:

conveyor means transversely connected to the forward end of said chassis,

said conveyor means including a substantially cylindrical housing disposed horizontally adjacent the surface of the earth,

said housing having closed ends and having a coextensive downwardly and forward directed intake opening,

said housing having a rearward and upwardly directed discharge opening medially its ends,

a pair of cooperating coaxially aligned screw conveyors extending between and journalled by said housing ends, and impeller blades interposed between and connected, respectively, with adjacent ends of said screw conveyors medially the ends of said housing, the length of each said impeller blade being equal with the radius of said screw conveyors,

said screw conveyors being characterized by a helical edge portion generating a cylindrical plane coinciding with a circular plane generated by the outwardly directed limit of said thrower blades as the conveyors are rotated about their axis,

said helical edge portions and said impeller blades being arcuately curved toward the'direction of rotation; guide means'including a planar panel coextensive with a longitudinally connected by one marginal edge to the upper limit of said housing rearwardly of its intake opening-in forwardly and upwardly inclined relation; t a triangular shaped end member connecting the respective ends of said panel with the respective closed end of said housing; drive means including belt and pulley drive means ex tending between and respectively connected with said prime mover and one end portion of one said screw conveyors for rotating said screw conveyors; rectangular fluid containing closed tank having a material receiving opening in its top wall and having inner and outer spaced-apart walls having heat and cold insulation therebetween mounted on said vehicle chassis rearwardly of and projecting above the horizontal plane defining the upper limit of said control cab; Y

aligned relation by the forward end portion of said chassis; a pair of arms pivotally connected at one end portion, respectively, to the respective outwardly disposed end portion of the respective said shaft, the other end portion of said arms being pivotally connected, respectively, with opposing end portions of said housing;

pair of braces projecting forwardly of said tank in laterally spaced relation above said housing;

a pair of pressure operated cylinders extending between and connected, respectively, with the forward end portion of said braces'and opposing end portions of said housing for vertical pivoting move ment of said housing about the horizontal axis of said shafts;

a discharge tube connected, at one end, with said housing around its discharge opening and extending rearwardly and upward, at its other end, and connected with said tank top wall around the receiving opening;

a heater mounted on said chassis;

pair of shafts transversely journalled in coaxial piping connected with said heater and extending, in-

termediate its ends into said tank in spaced relation above the plane of the lowermost inner wall and being helically wound upwardly adjacent the inner periphery of said tank; and,

an antifreeze liquid filling said heater and said piping.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 and further including: an agitator within said tank,

said agitator comprising a shaft extending vertically between and journalled, respectively, by the top and bottom walls of said tank, a plurality of vertically disposed blades connected with said shaft in radially spaced-apart relation, each said blade being twisted about its longitudinal axis substan tially and a hydraulic motor operatively connected with said shaft for rotating the latter about its vertical axis.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 and further including: means including drain valves and drain tubing for draining said tank.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 and further including:

a pair of wing panels pivotally secured by one end portion to the forward limit of the respective ends of said housing in vertical edgewise laterally and forwardly diverging relation; and,

brace means extending between said panels and said vehicle chassis for preventing rearward movement of said panels with respect to said housing.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 in which said drain valves and drain tubing means includes:

a drain valve disposed within said tank;

a drain tube communicating with said drain valve and projecting outwardly through one wall of said tank; and,

a control rod extending into said tank and connected with said drain valve for opening and closing said drain valve.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 in which said tank is provided with a vent opening in its top wall and further including a vent pipe extending into said tank through the vent opening; an air flow filter element within said vent pipe; and, a vent cover secured to said

Claims

1. A roadway cleaning apparatus in combination with a prime mover comprising a vehicle chassis having an engine control means thereon including a control cab and having a hydraulic fluid pump, the improvement comprising: conveyor means transversely connected to the forward end of said chassis, said conveyor means including a substantially cylindrical housing disposed horizontally adjacent the surface of the earth, said housing having closed ends and having a coextensive downwardly and forward directed intake opening, said housing having a rearward and upwardly directed discharge opening medially its ends, a pair of cooperating coaxially aligned screw conveyors extending between and journalled by said housing ends, and impeller blades interposed between and connected, respectively, with adjacent ends of said screw conveyors medially the ends of said housing, the length of each said impeller blade being equal with the radius of said screw conveyors, said screw conveyors being characterized by a helical edge portion generating a cylindrical plane coinciding with a circular plane generated by the outwardly directed limit of said thrower blades as the conveyors are rotated about their axis, said helical edge portions and said impeller blades being arcuately curved toward the direction of rotation; guide means including a planar panel coextensive with a longitudinally connected by one marginal edge to the upper limit of said housing rearwardly of its intake opening in forwardly and upwardly inclined relation; a triangular shaped end member connecting the respective ends of said panel with the respective closed end of said housing; drive means including belt and pulley drive means extending between and respectively connected with said prime mover and one end portion of one said screw conveyors for rotating said screw conveyors; a rectangular fluid containing closed tank having a material receiving opening in its top wall and having inner and outer spaced-apart walls having heat and cold insulation therebetween mounted on said vehicle chassis rearwardly of and projecting above the horizontal plane defining the upper limit of said control cab; a pair of shafts transversely journalled in coaxial aligned relation by the forward end portion of said chassis; a pair of arms pivotally connected at one end portion, respectively, to the respective outwardly disposed end portion of the respective said shaft, the other end portion of said arms being pivotally connected, respectively, with opposing end portions of said housing; a pair of braces projecting forwardly of said tank in laterally spaced relation above said housing; a pair of pressure operated cylinders extending between and connected, respectively, with the forward end portion of said braces and opposing end portions of said housing for vertical pivoting movement of said housing about the horizontal axis of said shafts; a discharge tube connected, at one end, with said housing around its discharge opening and extending rearwardly and upward, at its other end, and connected with said tank top wall around the receiving opening; a heater mounted on said chassis; piping connected with said heater and extending, intermediate its ends into said tank in spaced relation above the plane of the lowermost inner wall and being helically wound upwardly adjacent the inner periphery of said tank; and, an antifreeze liquid filling said heater and said piping.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 and further including: an agitator within said tank, said agitator Comprising a shaft extending vertically between and journalled, respectively, by the top and bottom walls of said tank, a plurality of vertically disposed blades connected with said shaft in radially spaced-apart relation, each said blade being twisted about its longitudinal axis substantially 180*, and a hydraulic motor operatively connected with said shaft for rotating the latter about its vertical axis.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 and further including: a pair of wing panels pivotally secured by one end portion to the forward limit of the respective ends of said housing in vertical edgewise laterally and forwardly diverging relation; and, brace means extending between said panels and said vehicle chassis for preventing rearward movement of said panels with respect to said housing.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 in which said drain valves and drain tubing means includes: a drain valve disposed within said tank; a drain tube communicating with said drain valve and projecting outwardly through one wall of said tank; and, a control rod extending into said tank and connected with said drain valve for opening and closing said drain valve.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 in which said tank is provided with a vent opening in its top wall and further including a vent pipe extending into said tank through the vent opening; an air flow filter element within said vent pipe; and, a vent cover secured to said vent pipe.