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US 5,235,762 AGranted
Snow melting apparatus
OwnerBrian D. Bradyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A snow melting apparatus (1) including a reduction chamber (4) into which heated air is forced by a burner (14). Heated air is distributed within the reduction chamber (4) by using a central conduit (13) to which are rigidly affixed heat exchanger pipes (15, 16, 17, 18) having open ends and being perforated by a plurality of downwardly facing slits (32, 33, 34). Heated water (26) is also distributed within the reduction chamber (4) by using a pump (28) and a perforated pipe (30).
Claims19
A unitary snow melting apparatus, comprising:
- a. heat producing means including a fuel burner producing effluent gases;
- b. a reduction chamber having a bottom, a top inwardly sloping peripheral inlet chute and an interior region with a predetermined fill line;
- c. a fan being adapted to provide combustion air to the burner and to force the effluent gases from the heat producing means into the reduction chamber above the fill line;
- d. heat distribution means for distributing the heated effluent gases throughout the interior region of the reduction chamber so as to elevate the temperature of material residing on the heat distribution means and within the interior of the reduction chamber;
- and wherein the heat distribution means includes an outlet positioned above said water line and extending underneath a lower portion of the inlet chute, whereby said effluent gases are received by said lower portion of said inlet chute;
- e. water distribution means having water outlet means positioned adjacent said inlet chute periphery and for circulating water thereto from below said chamber fill line.
3 more elements
A method of melting snow, comprising the steps of:
- a. depositing snow into a sloped top inlet chute of a reduction chamber having a predetermined water fill line;
- b. melting the snow by heating an interior region of the reduction chamber and undersides of the sloped inlet chute with effluent gases expelled from heat exchanging conduits having an outlet above the fill line and extending below the sloped inlet chute, said conduits being in communication with a fuel burner, such that the snow melts;
- c. collecting at least a portion of the melted snow in a lower region below the fill line of the reduction chamber;
- d. pumping the melted snow from the interior region below the fill line of the reduction chamber;
- and
- e. spraying the pumped water from the periphery of the inlet chute into an interior region of the reduction chamber so as to promote further melting of snow within the interior of the reduction chamber.
3 more elements
A snow melting apparatus, comprising:
- a. a reduction chamber having a bottom, opposing sides, an open top and an interior space having a predetermined fill line, said open top having sloping plates defining a peripherally sloped inlet chute;
- b. a fuel burner communicating with a fluid distribution system positioned at the bottom of said reduction chamber, said fluid distribution system having a plurality of heat exchanging conduits angularly disposed in said chamber interior space below said inlet chute and below said fill line and terminating above said fill line and below said sloping plates such that effluent gases are received by at least a portion of a lower side of said sloping plates;
- and
- c. a water distribution system having pump means and conduits to distribute water from below said chamber fill line to the periphery of said inlet chute.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.