Apparatus for thawing frozen culverts

Abstract

The invention is an apparatus for thawing frozen culverts that are blocked with ice and snow. It consists of three parts A pipe or tube that is attached to the inner length of the culvert by clamps or a clamp/bolt assembly and water tight end caps for the pipe. The pipe must me set slightly higher at the inlet end of the culvert than at the outlet end of the culvert. When the culvert becomes blocked with ice or snow and the water at the inlet end of the culvert is as high as the pipe. The end caps of the pipe are removed. Water flows through the pipe and creates friction. This causes the pipe to heat up and melts the ice around the pipe. Once enough ice and snow has melted around the pipe a channel will form around the pipe through which water can flow. At this point the inlet end of the pipe should be capped and the water inside the pipe allowed to drain out. Then the outlet end of the pipe should be capped. The water flowing around the pipe will eventually melt out the rest of the ice and snow in the culvert thus clearing it.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for thawing frozen culverts comprising: 
 a hollow tube extending substantially from an intake end of a culvert to an output end of the culvert;    a removable cap sealing each end of the hollow tube; and    means for mounting the hollow tube inside the culvert such that the hollow tube is higher at the intake end than at the output end of the culvert.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of claiml wherein said hollow tube comprises protrusions on the inner surface thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of    claim 2    wherein said hollow tube is a corrugated tube.  
     
     
         4 . A method for thawing frozen culverts comprising the steps of: 
 providing a sealed hollow tube extending substantially from an intake end of a culvert to an output end of the culvert wherein the hollow tube is higher at the intake end of the culvert than at the output end thereof;    when water on the input side of the culvert rises above the hollow tube at the intake end of the culvert as a result of the culvert being frozen shut, unsealing the hollow tube so that water flows through same, the flowing water thereby causing the frozen material in the culvert surrounding the hollow tube to melt, forming a channel for water to flow through the culvert on the outside of the hollow tube.    
     
     
         5 . The method of    claim 4    further comprising the steps, after the channel has been formed, of: 
 resealing the hollow tube at the intake end of the culvert;  
 allowing water to drain out of the hollow tube; and  
 resealing the hollow tube at the output end of the culvert.