Snow making apparatus

Abstract

In a snow making apparatus, a metal snow gun housing is provided with independent air and water chambers therein for supplying air and water under pressure. Nucleating nozzles are provided in the housing which have a mixing chamber therein with side wall apertures for access of air under pressure to the mixing chambers. Water is injected into the mixing chamber from a small water nozzle aperture which is axially aligned with an air-water nozzle aperture at the opposite end of the mixing chamber so that the water jet ejects through the air-water nozzle aperture thereby intimately mixing the air and water together to finely nucleate the water spray exiting the snow gun. The water supplying the water spray is filtered and the gun is provide with a removable access for the filter.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A snow making apparatus utilizing water and air to artificially produce snow and comprising: 
 a metal snow gun housing having independent air and water chambers therein for supplying air and water under pressure to at least one nozzle in said housing for spraying air and water externally of said housing to produce snow in sub-freezing ambient atmosphere;    at least one nucleating nozzle including a nozzle housing having a mixing chamber therein, said nozzle housing disposed in said snow gun housing and having at least one aperture through side walls thereof whereby said at least one aperture registers with said air chamber for access of air under pressure therethrough into said mixing chamber, said mixing chamber having an external end and an internal end, a water nozzle on said internal end with a forward end thereof axially exposed to the interior of said mixing chamber and having a rearward end thereof exposed to said snow gun housing water chamber for spraying water under pressure through a spray aperture in said water nozzle into said mixing chamber, and a combination air-water nozzle on said nozzle housing at the external end of said mixing chamber and having a nozzle aperture therethrough which is axially aligned with said water nozzle aperture and exists from said snow gun housing to ambient atmosphere;    a removable filter closing off the rearward end of said water nozzle for filtering water supplied from said water chamber; and    an access plug in said snow gun housing and positioned for access to and removal of said filter.    
     
     
         2 . The snow making apparatus of  claim 1  including at least one primary water nozzle in said snow gun housing and positioned for spraying water from said water chamber to ambient atmosphere for interaction with spray from said combination air-water nozzle.  
     
     
         3 . The snow making apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said nozzle housing is a metal block including a plurality of said nucleating nozzles therein with the rearward ends of said water nozzles exiting to a common single rearward end cavity closed off by said filter.  
     
     
         4 . The snow making apparatus of  claim 3  wherein said combination air-water nozzles are removable.  
     
     
         5 . The snow making apparatus of  claim 3  wherein said filter is comprised of a metallic mesh having filter apertures of no more than 0.015 inches.  
     
     
         6 . The snow making apparatus of  claim 5  wherein said filter is threadably secured to said nozzle housing.  
     
     
         7 . The snow making apparatus of  claim 6  wherein said water nozzle spray aperture is approximately 0.015 inches in diameter and said combination air-water nozzle spray aperture is approximately 0.067 inches in diameter.  
     
     
         8 . The snow making apparatus of  claim 3  including passages through said block and engaged with said water chamber for circulating water therethrough.  
     
     
         9 . The snow making apparatus of  claim 3  wherein said snow gun housing comprises the upper end of a snow making tower.  
     
     
         10 . The snow making apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said plug is positioned in a top end of said tower.