Fluid shovel apparatus and method

A fluid shovel apparatus comprising:

• a blade attached to a railroad car wherein the blade includes a concave curving surface including a lower surface of the blade and a leading scraper edge adjacent to the lower surface of the blade;
• a flat entrance surface adjacent to the leading scraper edge of the blade;
• a rear face and a front face of the blade;
• at least one fluid exhaust port extending through the blade from the rear face of the blade to the front face of the blade;
• and
• a conduit system for transporting the pressurized air to the at least one fluid exhaust port extending through the blade, wherein the conduit system comprises at least one separate straight jet duct protruding from the rear face of the blade for each fluid exhaust port, wherein the pressurized air is ejected through each fluid exhaust port extending through the blade from the rear face of the blade to the front face of the blade wherein each straight jet duct is angled such that at least a portion of the pressurized air is propelled in a forward direction away from the front face of the blade and in a downward direction sweeping across the flat entrance surface and over the leading scraper edge of the blade to impinge upon loose material.

A method for pushing and lifting loose material from train rails, comprising the steps of:

• providing a blade with a concave curving surface including a lower surface of the blade and a leading scraper edge adjacent to the lower surface of the blade;
• providing a flat entrance surface adjacent to the leading scraper edge of the blade;
• attaching the blade to a railroad train car;
• providing a rear face and a front face of the blade;
• providing at least one fluid exhaust port extending through the blade from the rear face of the blade to the front face of the blade;
• providing a conduit system for transporting pressurized air to the at least one fluid exhaust port extending through the blade, wherein the conduit system comprises at least one separate straight jet duct protruding from the rear face of the blade for each fluid exhaust port;
• wherein the pressurized air is ejecting through at least one fluid exhaust port in a downward direction sweeping across the flat entrance surface and over the leading scraper edge of the blade towards a first train rail and wherein pressurized air is ejecting through extending through the blade from the rear face of the blade to the front face of the blade, wherein at least a portion of the pressurized air is propelled in a forward direction away from the front face of the blade and at least one fluid exhaust port directed in a downward direction sweeping across the flat entrance surface and over the leading scraper edge of the blade towards a second train rail;
• and
• wherein the railroad train car pushes the blade towards a pile of loose material.