Snow removal vehicle

Abstract

A snow removal vehicle is described and it has an enclosed snow melting chamber provided with a plurality of high pressure steam jets which are connected to one or more steam generators. The enclosed snow melting chamber has a water collecting reservoir in a lower portion thereof below a bottom wall of the snow melting chamber. The bottom wall has passages to channel water from the snow melting chamber to the water collecting reservoir. The vehicle body has a front entry opening communicating with the snow melting chamber and an auger screw is mounted in the front entry opening to eject snow inside a forward end of the snow melting chamber. Snow propelling wheels are secured along at least a front end portion of the snow melting chamber to propel snow ejected from the auger along the snow melting chamber for contact by the high pressure steam to melt the snow. An outlet evacuating valve is provided to evacuate water collected in the water collecting reservoir. The vehicle may also be equipped with a hopper shute for use in a stationary mode to melt snow dumped in the shute.

1 . A snow removal vehicle comprising a vehicle body having an enclosed snow melting chamber, said body being supported on traction means, an operator station in said vehicle, said vehicle body having a frontal entry opening communicating with said snow melting chamber, snow removal means in said entry opening to eject snow inside a forward end of said snow melting chamber, said snow melting chamber having a water collecting reservoir in a lower portion thereof below a bottom wall of said snow melting chamber, passage means in said bottom wall to channel water from said snow melting chamber to said water collecting reservoir, a plurality of high pressure steam snow melting jets disposed along said snow melting chamber to eject hot steam therealong, snow propelling means along at least a front end portion of said snow melting chamber to propel snow ejected from said snow removal means in said entry opening along said snow melting chamber for contact by said steam to melt the snow, and water evacuating means to evacuate water collected in said water collecting reservoir. 
     
     
         2 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said entry opening is a front entry opening provided with adjustable snow collecting means, said adjustable snow collecting means adjusting the width of a surface on which snow is collected and directed into said entry opening. 
     
     
         3 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said adjustable snow collecting means is constituted by hinged plow side panels secured to opposed side edges of said front entry opening, and controllable pistons secured to said hinged plow side panels to independently position each said hinged plow panels with respect to said front entry opening. 
     
     
         4 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said hinged plow side panels have a telescopic frontal section to adjust the length of said side panels. 
     
     
         5 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 1  wherein there is further provided one or more monitoring cameras inside said snow melting chamber to monitor the operation of said snow melting jets. 
     
     
         6 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said snow melting jets are secured to one or more steam generators by conduits, at least some of said conduits having control valves therein. 
     
     
         7 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said snow removal means is an auger screw. 
     
     
         8 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said conduits are provided with control valves controlled by switches provided on an operator control panel. 
     
     
         9 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 8  wherein water level sensors are secured in said water collecting reservoir, said operator control panel having indicator means electrically connected to said level sensors to monitor the water level in said water collecting reservoir. 
     
     
         10 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said propelling means is constituted by two or more elongated snow propelling wheels, each said elongated snow propelling wheels having a driven axle supported across opposed side walls of said enclosed snow melting chamber and spaced above said bottom wall, said axle having at least two elongated curved flat blades secured along opposed sides of said axle and extending outwardly therefrom and oriented to project snow received from said snow propelling means rearwardly into said snow melting chamber. 
     
     
         11 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said axles have a driven end secured to drive means for rotating said axles in unison in a clockwise direction, said curved flat blades sloping in the direction of displacement of said blade to project snow disposed on a collection surface thereof upwardly and in a rearward direction in said snow melting chamber. 
     
     
         12 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said entry opening is a front entry opening provided with a snow guiding ramp rearwardly of said snow removal means to guide snow in an upward direction in said forward end of said snow melting chamber. 
     
     
         13 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 11  wherein said snow removal means is a driven auger screw supported across said entry opening. 
     
     
         14 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said snow melting jets are connected in two or more groups along said snow melting chamber, each group of snow melting jets being secured to one or more steam generators associated with each said group, the operation of said steam generators of each said groups being controlled by a control panel operated by an operator person. 
     
     
         15 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 14  wherein said snow melting jets have a connecting end secured to a steam pressure conduit, a pressure build-up formation in said snow melting jets to increase the pressure of said steam to a desired output pressure to rapidly melt said snow, and a pressure nozzle at a free end of said jets. 
     
     
         16 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said pressure build-up formation is constituted by a progressively diminishing passage between said connecting end and said nozzle. 
     
     
         17 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 16  wherein said nozzle is a small circular opening at said free end of said jets providing a beam of hot high pressure steam. 
     
     
         18 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 16  wherein said nozzle is an outwardly flared narrow passage providing a wide flat beam of hot high pressure steam. 
     
     
         19 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said desired output pressure is in the range of from about 20,000 psi to 30,000 psi. 
     
     
         20 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 1  wherein there is further provided a vacuum suction articulated conduit to suck snow into a vacuum chamber inside said vehicle at said forward end of said snow melting chamber and transfer means to discharge said snow on said snow propelling means. 
     
     
         21 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 20  wherein said vacuum chamber is constituted by an impeller chamber communicating with a rear end of said articulated conduit, a high speed impeller wheel in close fit with a curved inner wall portion of said impeller chamber to create a suction air flow in said articulated conduit and to propel snow sucked thereon through an outlet port of said impeller chamber and onto said snow propelling means. 
     
     
         22 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 1  wherein there is further provided a metal detector secured at a front end of said vehicle body and projecting forwardly thereof to detect metal objects in said snow in the path of said vehicle, said metal detector providing a signal at said operator station for remedial action by an operator person to prevent damage to said vehicle. 
     
     
         23 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 1  wherein there is further provided actuable ice abrading and removal means rearwardly of said snow removal means to abrade and brake ice formed on a road surface where snow is being removed and to propel said broken ice onto said snow propelling means. 
     
     
         24 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 23  wherein said ice abrading and removal means is reconstituted by a steel brush actuated by an operator person in said operator station. 
     
     
         25 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 24  wherein said broken ice is propelled onto said snow propelling means through a trap door and protective passage to prevent water from melted snow and ice from leaking out of said snow melting chamber. 
     
     
         26 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said traction means comprises three sets of traction wheels, a front and rear set and an intermediate set, said intermediate set being supported elevated from said front and rear set and having a disconnectable drive coupling, said front and rear set being secured to a displaceable axle assembly wherein said front and rear set can be lifted to permit said intermediate set to engage a ground surface and be connected to a drive shaft by said drive coupling to permit independent operation of the wheels of said intermediate set to cause said vehicle to maneuver around abrupt street intersections. 
     
     
         27 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 1  wherein a hopper shute is secured to said frontal entry opening and having circumferential side walls, an open top end and a slide wall for guiding snow introduced from said opening top end to said snow removal means in said entry opening. 
     
     
         28 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 27  wherein said slide wall is angulated from a front side wall of said circumferential side walls to said snow removal means. 
     
     
         29 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 28  wherein snow removal means is an auger screw. 
     
     
         30 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 27  wherein there is further provided hinged plow side panels secured to opposed side edges of said entry opening, displaceable means secured to said hinged plow side panels to independently position each said hinged plow panels with respect to said front entry opening, said hopper shute being securable to said hinged plow panels by detachable connector means. 
     
     
         31 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 30  wherein said detachable connector means are clamps interconnecting said hopper shute to said hinged plow panels with said panels disposed substantially parallel to one another and on a respective side of said entry opening. 
     
     
         32 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 31  wherein said hopper shute circumferential side walls is comprised of said front side wall, a rear side wall, and parallel transverse side walls extending between said front side wall and rear side wall and forming said circumferential side walls rectangular in shape, said side wall extending between and secured to said parallel transverse side walls and projecting downwards from a lower edge of said circumferential side walls and in close fit between said hinge plow side panels. 
     
     
         33 . A snow removal vehicle as claimed in  claim 30  wherein said connector means are latch connectors.