US3870352A

US3870352A - Track grit spreader apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3870352A
Application number: US375768A
Authority: US
Inventors: John R Engler; Ronald F Dompke
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-07-02
Filing date: 1973-07-02
Publication date: 1975-03-11
Anticipated expiration: 1992-03-11

Abstract

Vehicle traction spreader apparatus including supply means for supplying salt predominantly in the form of granules having a size of at least 3/32 inches and feed means for feeding the salt downwardly to drop on icy surface portions directly in front of drive wheels. In one type of apparatus, the supply means is in an automobile trunk and the salt is fed by electric motor driven screw conveyor or auger means and through wheel well members to the upper ends of a pair of chutes extending downwardly and forwardly to lower ends to impinge on deflector plates and to be deflected outwardly and downwardly to fall in front of the rear drive wheels. In another type of apparatus, the salt is supplied through electric motor driven star wheel means to drop through chute means in front of the drive wheels. An important feature is in the control from switch means operated from a brake pedal.

Description

United States Patent [191 Engler et al.

[ TRACK GRIT SPREADER APPARATUS [76] Inventors: John R. Engler, 4842' Crescent Ave.; Ronald F. Dompke, 4223 Ottawa Ave., both of Norridge, 111. 60634 [22] Filed: July 2, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 375,768

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,626,285 4/1927 Karl 291/1 1,877,475 9/1932 Cowan 291/39 X 2,033,322 3/1936 Boyer et a1. l 291/3 2,099,315 11/1937 Prochazka 291/32 X 2,487,157 ll/l949 Mason 291/19 2,672,361 3/1954 Werbe 291/3 2,681,242 6/1954 Wandroik 291/33 2,763,502 9/1956 Kellncr 291/25 3,034,816 5/1962 Thompson 291/15 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Product Preview; Brooks, Dorothea M., Car Device 1 1 Mar. 11, 1975 Spreads Grit on lcy Road, Feb. 1 l, 1961, The Washington Post.

Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examinerl-loward Beltran Atz y a mtqtfi m Br in !s d [57] 1 ABSTRACT Vehicle traction spreader apparatus including supply means for supplying salt predominantly in the form of granules having a size of at least 3/32 inches and feed means for feeding the salt downwardly to drop on icy surface portions directly in front of drive wheels. In one type of apparatus, the supply means is in an automobile trunk and the salt is fed by electric motor driven screw conveyor or auger means and through wheel well members to the upper ends of a pair of chutes extending downwardly and forwardly to lower ends to impinge on deflector plates and to be deflected outwardly and downwardly to fall in front of the rear drive wheels. In another type of apparatus, the salt is supplied through electric motor driven star wheel means to drop through chute means in front of the drive wheels. An important feature is in the control from switch means operated from a brake pedal.

13 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures TRACK GRIT SPREADER APPARATUS This invention relates to vehicle traction apparatus and more particularly to vehicle traction apparatus for obtaining greatly improved starting and stopping on icy surfaces and a corresponding increase in the degree of safety of operation of a vehicle. The traction apparatus of the invention is economically manufacturable and readily installed or incorporated in a vehicle and, at the same time, is highly reliable and effective.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION lcy conditions of streets and highways has been the cause of many serious and oftentimes fatal accidents. In large urban areas in the northern part of the United States, it is common practice to apply salt to major highways and through streets but it is not always possible to apply the salt until sometime after an icy condition is established, especially with respect to streets where traffic is not heavy, usually left until the last. Side streets are usually not salted down at all. In country roads, icy conditions become rapidly established in low or other areas so situated that snow is rapidly accumulated and such areas are particularly dangerous in that a driver may be travelling at a relatively high speed, suddenly come upon such an area and apply his brakes too fast and throw his automobile out of control. Despite such dangers, it is usually not feasible to attempt to salt them down, because of the large capital investment in equipment which would be required.

Various proposals have been made for increasing the traction of-vehicles on icy surfaces. For example, studded tires have been used but have not been found to be very effective and they cause serious damage to pavement surfaces with the result that they are illegal in at least some states. Arrangements have also been proposed for applying sand, anti-freeze liquids and other traction materials and for attempting to heat with exhaust gases. Such proposed arrangements have not been adopted and apparently have either been ineffective or too expensive to be practical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention was evolved with the general object of overcoming the disadvantages of prior art proposals and of providing vehicle traction apparatus which is highly effective and reliable while being inexpensive to manufacture and readily installed and incorporated in an automobile or other vehicle.

In accordance with an important feature of the invention, apparatus is provided which can be readily-installed or incorporated in a vehicle and which is operative to feed coarse salt downwardly from supply means to drop directly in front of the vehicle drive wheels. The coarse salt is predominantly in the form ofgranules having a size, i.e. average diametral dimension, of at least 3/32 inches and preferably 3/16 inches or greater. Such coarse salt, when dropped directly in front of the wheels, greatly improves traction in icy conditions. Apparently the large granules are pressed between the icy surface and the surfaces of the tires of the vehicle wheels, digging into such surfaces to produce the improved traction. Unlike sand, gravel and similar materials, salt does not present any problem with respect to cleaning of the surfaces of pavement.

A very important feature of the invention relates to the provision of means for automatic operation of the traction arrangement in response to operation of the is noted that the salt not only improves the traction of the vehicle in which the traction arrangement of the invention is installed but remains on the icy surfaces to improve traction for other vehicles. Icy conditions are usually most severe at intersections where snow is packed down and formed into ice by starting and stopping of vehicles and with the traction arrangement of this invention, the salt is deposited at such locations.

Additional important features relate to the construction of feed means operative for feeding the salt in a manner such that it is moved freely and rapidly to be dropped in front of the drive wheels when needed, the feed means being accurately controllable and also being readily installed or incorporated in vehicles of conventional design. In one type of arrangement, the salt supply means is located in the trunk of an automobile and is fed through openings in the walls of wheel well members into the upper ends of a pair of'chutes extending downwardly and forwardly. Important features reside in the provision of deflector plates mounted at an angle such as to direct salt outwardly and downwardly from the lower ends of the chutes to drop directly in front of the wheels and in the provision of screw conveyors or augers mounted in tubes to feed the salt to the upper ends of the chutes.

In another type of arrangement, especially advantageous in trucks, station wagons and the like, the salt is supplied through electric motor driven star wheel means to drop through chute means directly in front of the vehicle wheels.

This invention contemplates other objects, features and advantages which will become fully apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a rear portion of an automobile incorporating a traction arrangement according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line IV-lV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged elevational view of one supply and feed unit;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram including electrical circuitry for energizing the traction means of the invention;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of a modified form of supply and feed structure;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of another modified form of supply and feed structure;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along line X-X of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an elevational view of another modified form of supply and feed structure; and

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken substantially along line XII-XII of FIG. 11.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS ward floor portion 16, there being a generally vertical wall portion 17 extending downwardly from the rearward side of the forward elevated floor portion to the forward edge of the rearward floor portion 16.

Units

13 and 14 include

hoppers

19 and 20 which may be filled with a suitable granular traction material, pref erably a coarse salt, and further includes feed screws or augers which feed the traction material through tubes 21 and 22 extending through generally vertical wall portions of

wheel well members

23 and 24 positioned over the .

rear wheels

11 and 12.

Flow direction means are provided for directing the traction material from the ends of the tubes 21 and 22 downwardly and forwardly to drop in front of the

wheels

11 and 12. In particular, as shown in FIG. 3, a chute 25, preferably tubular is provided which is secured against a generally vertical wall portion of the wheel well member 23 and also against an outer generally vertical surface of a main frame member 26 of the automobile, there being a clearance space between the member 25 and the frame member 26 and the inner side of the wheel 11. Chute 25 has an upper end portion coupled to the end of the tube 21 to receive the traction material therefrom and extends downwardly and forwardly from a point spaced above the axis of the

wheels

11 and 12 to a point spaced forwardly from the forward end of the wheel and in approximate horizontal alignment with the wheel axis. A deflector plate 28 is secured to the wheel well member 25 in front of the wheel 11 and is positioned at an angle such as to deflect the traction material flowing from the lower end of the chute 25 outwardly and downwardly to flow directly in front of the wheel 11. A similar arrangement of a chute and a deflector plate is provided for directing flow from the end of the tube 22 of unit 14 downwardly and forwardly and thence outwardly to drop in front of the wheel 12.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the unit 13 comprises an L-shaped member 30 having a horizontal leg 31 and a vertical leg 32 and a second L-shaped member 34 having a short horizontal leg 35 welded or otherwise secured to the leg 31 of member 30 and having a vertical leg 36 in spaced parallel relation to the vertical leg 32 of member 30. The horizontal leg 31 of member 30 is secured to the lower portion 15, preferably by means of thumb screws 37 and nuts 38, with key slots being cut in the floor portion 15 to permit ready installation and removal. The unit may be removed in warmer weather when icy conditions are not likely to be encountered.

The tube 21 has one end welded or otherwise secured in an opening through the vertical leg 32 of member 30 and extends through an opening in the vertical leg 36 of member 34 to an opposite end portion which extends through an opening in the wheel well member 23 and thence through an opening in the wall of the chute 25 adjacent the upper end thereof. Tube 21 has an opening 40 in the upper side thereof between the

vertical legs

32 and 36 of

members

30 and 34 and a pair of

plates

41 and 42 are secured between

legs

32 and 36 and extend outwardly and upwardly to corner portions of the

legs

32 and 36. The hopper 19 includes

side wall portions

43 and 44 having lower end portions fitted against the

plates

41 and 42, the

side wall portions

43 and 44 being angled outwardly and upwardly. Hopper 19 further includes

end walls

45 and 46 having lower portions fitted tightly against the

legs

32 and 36 and upper portions angled outwardly and upwardly.

A conveyor screw or auger 50 is disposed in the tube 21 and is driven by a drive unit 51 mounted on the leg 32. Auger 50 extends for substantially the full length of the tube 21; when rotated carries salt or other traction material from under the hopper 19 to the end of the tube 21 to drop into the upper end of the chute 25.

The unit 14 is of similar construction and includes a drive unit 52 which drives an auger in the tube 22.

Drive units

51 and 52 are preferably of the type used in automatic window adjusting mechanisms, including reduction mechanisms driven by electric motors 53 and 54 shown diagrammatically in the schematic diagram of FIG. 7.

Motors 53 and 54 have grounded terminals with the other terminals thereof being connected together and to a first contact 55 of a selector switch 56, contact 55 being engageable by a movable contact 57 which is connected through a fuse 58 to the ungrounded terminal of a battery 59. A second fixed contact 60 is connected to the contact 55 through a switch 61. Switch 61, as diagrammatically illustrated, is operable from a brake pedal 62 of the automobile 10 to be closed when the brake pedal is depressed. Switch 61 may for example be of the type used for energizing the brake lights of an automobile.

In operation, the switch contact 57 may be moved manually to engage contact 55 and to energize the mo tors 53 and 54 to effect the movement of the salt or other traction material into a region ahead of the

wheels

11 and 12. This mode of operation may be used, for example, in providing traction for accelerating the automobile on an icy surface. Alternatively the contact 57 may be moved into engagement with contact 60 and the motors 53 and 54 are then energized upon actuation of the brake pedal 62, this mode of operation being used for stopping as rapidly as possible on an icy surface. This arrangement is highly advantageous in icy conditions, the traction material is automatically supplied whenever the brake pedal is depressed, no separate control being necessary. It is especially important in emergency situations in which it would be difficult for the driven to react in time to apply the brake and also operate a switch at the same time.

An important feature of the invention relates to the use of coarse salt as the traction material. It is of course well known that salt decreases the melting temperature and it might be expected that it might create a layer of water on the surface of ice thereby making the condition more slippery and reducing traction. It is found, however, that such an effect does not occur with coarse salt being dropped directly in front of the wheels. There is little time for developing a layer of water or for dissolving the large salt granules, and in addition, the large salt granules when pressed between a tire and the ice,

digs into the surface of the ice and to some extent into the surface of the tire to produce excellent traction. Preferably, the salt is such that it is predominantly in the form of granules having a size of at least 3/32 inches, larger granules on the order of 3/16 inches or larger being even better. It is noted that salt is highly advantageous as a traction material in that, unlike sand, gravel and similar materials, it does not create any problem with respect to cleaning of the surface of pavement, salt being readily dissolved in water.

The traction means of the invention can, of course, be used with other traction materials, but it is particularly advantageous for feeding coarse salt at a relatively high rate and with a high degree of reliability. The auger S0 breaks up any large caked formations of salt which may exist in the hopper 19 but feeds relatively large granules, without breaking them up, horizontally to the upper end of the chute 25 where they fall downwardly and forwardly through the action of gravity thereon, being accelerated to impinge on the deflector plate 28 and to be directed outwardly and downwardly ahead of the wheel 11.

The use of the closed tubular chute 25 as illustrated is very important in that the surface on which the salt moves downwardly is protected from water and slush thrown from the wheel 11. With a chute in the form of an' open trough, it is found that there is apt to be a build-up of material preventing free and proper flow of the salt. The generally oval cross-sectional shape of the chute 25 is advantageous in providing a large enough cross-sectional area for rapid free flow of salt while the dimension in a direction parallel to the wheel axis is minimized, permitting installation in conventional automobiles in which there is a relatively small clearance space.

Referring to FIG. 8, reference numeral 64 generally designates a modified arrangement including a single hopper 65 and a single drive unit 66. Drive unit 66 drives a bevel gear 68 meshed with bevel gears 69 and 70 which drive two

augers

71 and 72 which are disposed in two tubes 73 and 74 having ends extending through the

wheel well members

23 and 24 to feed the salt into the upper ends of chute 25 and a chute 76 on the opposite side. The operation is similar to that of the two unit arrangement of FIGS. 1-6.

Referring to FIG. 9, reference numeral 78 generally designates another modified arrangement, in which a hopper 79 is supported through a generally U-shaped support member 80 secured by screws 81 to the lower rearward floor portion 16. A tube 82 is supported by the support member 80 and extends forwardly and upwardly to a forward end above the upper forward floor portion and approximately in vertical alignment with the wheel axis. A short tube 83 extends transversely from the forward end of tube 82 and through the walls of the wheel well member 23 and the chute 25. An auger 84 is disposed in the tube 82 and is driven at its rearward end by a drive unit 85 similar to the

drive units

51 and 52 to move the salt from the hopper 79 forwardly and upwardly. A blade 86 is secured to the forward end of the auger 84 and functions to move the traction material transversely through the short tube 83 into the upper end of the chute 27. Thus, the modified arrangement may be substituted for the unit 13 and a similar arrangement may be substituted for unit 14 on the opposite side. The modified arrangement of FIG. 9 has the important advantage that the hopper is more accessible for ready filling. It does, however, occupy more trunk space and with the tube 82 and auger 84 being inclined upwardly to a certain extent and being longer than the tube 21 and auger 50, more power is required and the possibility of jamming is somewhat greater.

FIGS. 1 l and 12 illustrate another modification, generally designated by reference numeral 88, which is especially designed for use in large trucks or in vehicles in which there is an accessible floor portion 89 directly in front of and above rear wheel 90, as illustrated diagrammatically. In this arrangement, a hopper 91 is disposed above a star wheel 92 in a chamber 93 supported from the floor portion 89, with a chute 94 being provided extending downwardly from the floor portion 89 in front of the rear wheel 90. Star wheel 92 is driven by drive unit 95 similar to the

drive units

51 and 52. A similar arrangement is provided for the other rear wheel and the drive units of both arrangements are energized by circuitry like that shown in FIG. 7.

It is noted that the modification of FIGS. 11 and 12 might be used in at least some types of station wagons or panel trucks and the arrangement of FIGS. 1-6 is also usable in such vehicles.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of this invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. In apparatus for increasing traction between the drive wheels of a vehicle and an icy surface, supply means adapted to contain a supply of coarse salt. and feed means for feeding said coarse salt downwardly from said supply means to drop on icy surface portions directly in front of said drive wheels, said vehicle being an automoble having a trunk space defined in part by wheel well members over said drive wheels, said wheel well members including wall portions in generally vertical planes spaced inwardly from the vertical planes of the inside surfaces of said drive wheels to define clearance spaces, said wall portions having openings located approximately in a vertical plane through the drive wheel axis and in spaced relation above said axis, said supply means being disposed in said trunk space and said feed means defining passages for flow of salt from said supply means through said openings and thence downwardly, forwardly and outwardly to drop in front of said drive wheels, said feed means comprising a pair of substantially straight chute means defining portions of said passages and mounted against said wall portions in said clearance spaces, said chute means having upper ends for receiving salt flowing out through said openings in said wall portions and being inclined downwardly and forwardly to lower open ends approximately in horizontal alignment with said drive wheel axis and approximately in a vertical plane ahead of the forward circumferential portions of said drive wheels, the cross-sectional size of said chute means being large enough for free flow of coarse salt fed into said upper ends of said chute means to be propelled by gravity and to be directed forwardly from the said lower open ends of said chute means.

2. In apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said vehicle includes a brake pedal, electrically energizable means for controlling operation of said feed means, and switch means operated in response to operation of said brake pedal for operating in said electrically energizable means.

3. In apparatus as defined in claim 1, a pair of deflector plate means arranged to direct salt from said lower end portions of said chute means rearwardly and outwardly to fall directly in front of said drive wheels, said deflector plate means being secured to said wheel well members in the path of movement of salt moving forwardly from the lower ends of said chute means and being located in generally vertical planes extending angularly forwardly and outwardly from said vertical planes of said wall portions.

4. In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said feed means comprising a pair of tube means defining additional portions of said passages, said tube means having first end portions communicating through said side wall openings with said upper ends of said chute means and having opposite end portions communicating with said supply means, and a pair of auger means in said pair of tube means for feeding salt from said supply means to said upper ends of said chute means.

5. In apparatus as defined in claim 4, said pair of tube means being on a common axis parallel to said wheel axis with said first end portions projecting through said side wall openings into said upper ends of said chute means.

6. ln apparatus as defined in claim 5, a pair of drive units for driving said auger means, each of said drive units including an electric motor.

7. ln apparatus as defined in claim 5, a single drive unit including an electric motor, and bevel gear means for driving said pair of auger means from said single drive unit.

8. In apparatus as defined in claim 4, said pair of tube means being on parallel generally horizontal axes in spaced vertical planes transverse to said wheel axis with said opposite end portions thereof being positioned rearwardly from said front end portions thereof.

9. In apparatus as defined in claim 8, a pair of short tube means for flow of salt from said first end portions of said tube means through said side wall openings and into said upper ends of said chute means.

10. In apparatus as defined in claim 9, blade means on said auger means within said first end portion of said tube means for pushing salt transversely from first end portions of said tube means and through said short tube means into said upper ends of said chute means.

11. In apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said trunk space is defined in part by a rearward lower floor portion and a forward elevated floor portion, said first end portions of said tube means being over said forward elevated floor portion and said opposite end portions of said tube means being over said rearward lower floor portion, said tube means being inclined upwardly and forwardly.

12. In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said pair of chute means comprising a pair of tubular members.

13. In apparatus'as defined in claim 12, said tubular members having generally oval cross-shapes with dimensions in a plane parallel to said wheel axis substantially less than the dimensions thereof in a plane transverse to the wheel axis.

Claims

1. In apparatus for increasing traction between the drive wheels of a vehicle and an icy surface, supply means adapted to contain a supply of coarse salt, and feed means for feeding said coarse salt downwardly from said supply means to drop on icy surface portions directly in front of said drive wheels, said vehicle being an automoble having a trunk space defined in part by wheel well members over said drive wheels, said wheel well members including wall portions in generally vertical planes spaced inwardly from the vertical planes of the inside surfaces of said drive wheels to define clearance spaces, said wall portions having openings located approximately in a vertical plane through the drive wheel axis and in spaced relation above said axis, said supply means being disposed in said trunk space and said feed means defining passages for flow of salt from said supply means through said openings and thence downwardly, forwardly and outwardly to drop in front of said drive wheels, said feed means comprising a pair of substantially straight chute means defining portions of said passages and mounted against said wall portions in said clearance spaces, said chute means having upper ends for receiving salt flowing out through said openings in said wall portions and being inclined downwardly and forwardly to lower open ends approximately in horizontal alignment with said drive wheel axis and approximately in a vertical plane ahead of the forward circumferential portions of said drive wheels, the crosssectional size of said chute means being large enough for free flow of coarse salt fed into said upper ends of said chute means to be propelled by gravity and to be directed forwardly from the said lower open ends of said chute means.

1. In apparatus for increasing traction between the drive wheels of a vehicle and an icy surface, supply means adapted to contain a supply of coarse salt, and feed means for feeding said coarse salt downwardly from said supply means to drop on icy surface portions directly in front of said drive wheels, said vehicle being an automoble having a trunk space defined in part by wheel well members over said drive wheels, said wheel well members including wall portions in generally vertical planes spaced inwardly from the vertical planes of the inside surfaces of said drive wheels to define clearance spaces, said wall portions having openings located approximately in a vertical plane through the drive wheel axis and in spaced relation above said axis, said supply means being disposed in said trunk space and said feed means defining passages for flow of salt from said supply means through said openings and thence downwardly, forwardly and outwardly to drop in front of said drive wheels, said feed means comprising a pair of substantially straight chute means defining portions of said passages and mounted against said wall portions in said clearance spaces, said chute means having upper ends for receiving salt flowing out through said openings in said wall portions and being inclined downwardly and forwardly to lower open ends approximately in horizontal alignment with said drive wheel axis and approximately in a vertical plane ahead of the forward circumferential portions of said drive wheels, the cross-sectional size of said chute means being large enough for free flow of coarse salt fed into said upper ends of said chute means to be propelled by gravity and to be directed forwardly from the said lower open ends of said chute means.

6. In apparatus as defined in claim 5, a pair of drive units for driving said auger means, each of said drive units including an electric motor.

7. In apparatus as defined in claim 5, a single drive unit including an electric motor, and bevel gear means for driving said pair of auger means from said single drive unit.