Apparatus and system for clearing a roadway surface

Abstract

Longitudinally extending nozzles are formed along a leading edge of the scraper blade of snow removal equipment to direct planar jets of air at a road surface to lift snow and ice from the surface of a roadway. A plate, in which pockets have been machined, is mounted on the ground engagement tool of the scraper blade to create the nozzles. The nozzles are connected to a source of compressed air mounted on the snow removal equipment.

1 . Apparatus for directing air at a surface for clearing the surface comprising: 
 a first longitudinally extending substantially planar member;    a longitudinally extending plate for mounting on the first planar member;    one or more longitudinally extending nozzles formed between the first planar member and the longitudinally extending plate; and    one or more inlets formed in one of either the first planar member or the plate and adapted for connection to a source of pressurized air,    wherein the one or more inlets are fluidly connected to the one or more nozzles for flowing the pressurized air through the one or more nozzles for forming one or more substantially planar jets of air directed at the surface.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 one or more pockets formed along the longitudinally extending plate, each of the one or more pockets extending into the plate adjacent a leading edge of the plate, the one or more being fluidly connected to the one or more inlets; and    a shim positioned between the first planar member and the longitudinally extending plate, wherein the shim further comprises: 
 one or more recesses formed in the shim and extending from a leading edge of the shim, the one or more recesses being open at the leading edge of the shim,  
   wherein the shim spaces the first planar member from the plate, the recesses overlying the one or more pockets and the open leading edge of the shim recesses being positioned at the leading edge of the longitudinally extending plate for forming the one or more longitudinally extending nozzles.    
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the one or more pockets are generally parabolic in shape; and 
 wherein each of the one or more air inlets are formed at about an apex of each of the one or more pockets and the one or more longitudinally extending nozzles are formed by an open broadest extent of each of the one or more pockets at the leading edge of the shim.    
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 one or more pockets formed in the plate along the plate, each of the one or more pockets extending into the plate from a leading edge of the plate, the one or more pockets being open at the leading edge and each of the one or more pockets being fluidly connected to the one or more inlets,    wherein the open leading edge of each of the one or more pockets forms the one or more longitudinally extending nozzles.    
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the one or more pockets are generally parabolic in shape; and 
 wherein each of the one or more air inlets are formed at about an apex of each of the one or more pockets and the one or more longitudinally extending nozzles are formed by an open broadest extent of each of the one or more pockets at the leading edge of the plate.    
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein each of the one or more nozzles is fluidly connected to one of the one or more inlets.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein each of the one or more pockets is fluidly connected to one of the one or more inlets.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the apparatus further comprises: 
 a manifold adapted for fluidly connecting the one or more inlets to the source of compressed air.    
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first planar member is a ground engagement tool adapted for connection to a scraper blade for clearing a ground surface.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the one or more substantially planar jets of air are directed transverse to a direction of travel of the scraper blade.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein a leading edge of the plate is mounted above and lagging a leading edge of the ground engagement tool.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the leading edge of the plate is mounted from about a 1 inch to about a 1.5 inch lag from the leading edge of the ground engagement tool.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 one or more seals positioned between the first planar member and the plate for retaining air therebetween for passage only to the one or more longitudinally extending nozzles.    
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the substantially planar jet of air exiting each of the one or more nozzles is at a pressure of about 30 psi.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein each of the one or more longitudinally extending nozzles comprises a nozzle gap from about 0.02 inches to about 0.06 inches.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the nozzle gap is about 0.02 inches.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the longitudinally extending plate is formed of one or more portions, further comprising: 
 a longitudinally extending center plate for mounting to a center portion of the first planar member, the center plate having profiled first and second ends; and    one or more longitudinally extending end plates, each end plate having a profiled first end and an outwardly angled second end,    wherein the profiled first end of the end plates engages the profiled first or second end of the center plate for forming the longitudinally extending plate.    
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the end plates further comprise: 
 end pockets having end walls shaped to extend outwards toward the first and second ends.    
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the shaped end wall of the end pocket at the angled second end forms an extended outermost nozzle.  
   
   
       20 . A system for clearing a roadway surface comprising: 
 a plow having a scraper blade for engaging the roadway surface; and    the apparatus of  claim 1  mounted to the scraper blade for forming one or more longitudinally extending nozzles thereon for directing one or more substantially planar jets of air at the roadway surface;    wherein,    a source of pressurized air is mounted to the plow for fluidly connecting to the one or more longitudinally extending nozzles.    
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 20  wherein the scraper blade is fit with a ground engagement tool, the apparatus of  claim 1  being mounted to the ground engagement tool.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 20  wherein the source of pressurized air is a compressor.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 20  wherein the substantially planar jet of air exiting each of the one or more nozzles is at a pressure of about 30 psi.  
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 23  wherein each of the one or more longitudinally extending nozzles comprises a nozzle gap from about 0.02 inches to about 0.06 inches.  
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the nozzle gap is about 0.02 inches.