Snow transportation system

Abstract

A method for collecting and transporting snow includes the steps of providing a snow blower mounted to an inclined alpine mountain-side and a pipe cooperating with the snow blower to remove snow from the snow blower to a downhill location remote from the snow blower, urging snow into the snow blower and propelling snow from the snow blower into the pipe via a diffuser, transporting the snow downhill in the pipe, and delivering the snow from the pipe at a downhill location below the elevation of the snow blower.

1 . A method for transporting snow comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a blower positioned on an inclined alpine mountain-side wherein said blower had an inlet which is delivered snow and an outlet from which the delivered snow is propelled, and wherein an intermediary and a main pipe are provided, the intermediary pipe mounted to the outlet at one end and mounted at its other end to the upper end of the main pipe, the main pipe positioned to extend downhill from the blower, wherein the intermediary pipe is of smaller diameter than said main pipe, and where the pipes cooperate with said blower to transport snow as a snow mass in the pipes to a downhill location at the lower end of the main pipe remote from said blower,   b) feeding snow in to said blower and propelling snow from said snow blower into said pipes,   c) transporting the snow mass downhill through said pipes,   d) spraying the snow mass from said lower end of said main pipe at said downhill location.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said pipes are adapted to provide an auxiliary airflow into the snow mass in the pipes. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said intermediary pipe is adapted to allow said auxiliary airflow into said intermediary pipe. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said pipe are sized so that the snow mass delivered from said intermediary pipe to said main pipe fills substantially between 40 and 60 of the volume of said main pipe. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said main pipe is filled substantially 40 percent by said snow mass. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a nozzle is mounted at said lower end of said main pipe and oriented to spray said snow mass as an airborne spray. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said nozzle is rotatable relative to said main pipe, so that said spray is selectively oriented. 
     
     
         8 . A system for transporting snow comprising:
 a blower adapted to be positioned on an inclined alpine mountain-side, wherein said blower has an inlet to which is delivered snow and an outlet from which the delivered snow is propelled, and wherein an intermediary and a main pipe are mounted sequentially in a linear, cooperating array to said outlet, said intermediary pipe mounted to said outlet at one end and mounted at its other end to an upper end of said main pipe, wherein said main pipe is positionable to extend in a downhill direction from said blower, wherein said intermediary pipe is of smaller diameter than said main pipe and connected in fluid communication to each other by a diffuser, whereby said pipes cooperate with said blower to transport snow as a snow mass through said pipes to a downhill location at a lower end of said main pipe remote from said blower,   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein said pipes are adapted to provide an auxiliary airflow into the snow mass in said pipes. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein said intermediary pipe is adapted to allow said auxiliary airflow into said intermediary pipe. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8  wherein said pipes are sized so that the snow mass delivered from said intermediary pipe to said main pipe fills substantially between 40 and 60 percent of the volume of said main pipe. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said main pipe is filled substantially 40 percent by said snow mass. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein a nozzle is mounted at said lower end of said main pipe and oriented to spray said snow mass as an airborne spray. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein said nozzle is rotatable relative to said main pipe, so that said spray is selectively oriented relative to said main pipe.