Removing Snow from Roads and Footpaths.
Year: 1887

page_text: Removing Snow from Roads and Footpaths.
I, JAMES WILLIAM MARTIN, of Ferndale House, Clacton-on-Sea, in the county
of Essex, Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for clearing away
or removing snow from roads and footpaths.
In carrying out my invention I employ a waggon body, which is preferably con-
structed of iron, and underneath the said waggon body I provide a furnace which is
advantageously divided into two, the said furnaces communicating with suitably placed
chimnies or flues, the lower part of such chimnies within the waggon body being
enlarged so as to obtain an increased heating surface. The waggon is mounted on
wheels so that the furnace shall be as near the surface of the ground as possible.
The waggon body is provided with suitable cocks to which hot water hose can be
attached for the purpose hereinafter described. The waggon body is provided with
inoveable covers so that when the same are closed the waggon body forms a kind of
hot water boiler.
To make use of my improved apparatus the furnace or furnaces is or are lighted
and the machine is filled with snow from the roadway, which snow in a short time
will be melted by the heat from the furnaces, and the hot water thus formed can then
be discharged through the said cocks and by means of the hose onto the roadway at
each side of the machine and onto the footpaths thereby melting the snow thereon the
water passing down the gullies.
By this means it will be obvious that if the machine be continually filled with snow
as it is moved along, snow from roads and footpaths will be cleared away in a speedy

page_text: and economical manner as in practice the furnace will melt the snow immediately
under and around it while the snow near the sides of the machine will be thrown by
the men in attendance into the waggon and as it is converted into hot water the said
hot water will be used for melting the remainder of the snow on the road and on the
footpaths as above described.
When my improved machine is not required for clearing away snow, the projecting
flues can be unshipped, and the machine can bo used as a slop waggon or for
other purposes and the furnace bars can be so adapted to the machine as to be
removeable.
1. 1012
T
1007
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Removing Snow from Roads and Footpaths.
I, JAMES WILLIAM MARTIN, of Ferndale House, Clacton-on-Sea, in the County
of Essex, Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statemont :—
This invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for clearing away
or removing snow from roads and footpaths.
In carrying out my invention I employ a waggon body, which is preferably
constructed of iron, and underneath the said waggon body I provide a furnace com
municating with a suitably-placed chimney or chimnies and flues, the lower part of
such flues within the waggon body being enlarged so as to obtain an increased
heating surface. The waggon is mounted on wheels so that the furnace shall be as
near the surface of the ground as possible. The waggon body is provided with
suitable cocks to which hot water hose can be attached for the purpose hereinafter
described. The waggon body is provided with moveable covers so that when the
same are closed the waggon body forms a kind of hot water boiler.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
how it can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings in
which figure 1 represents a side elevation, figure 2 a longitudinal section and figure 3
a transverse section of a suitable apparatus for clearing away or removing snow from
roads and footpathis according to my invention. Similar letters in all the figures
represent similar parts.
a represents the waggon body adapted to receive and melt the snow which
thrown into it from the roads and footpaths as hereinafter described, and b is the furnace
provided underneath the waggon body for heating it; the bars cc of the said furnace
advantageously consist, as shewn clearly in figures 2 and 3, of tubes through which
water from the waggon body a is caused to circulate by means of pipes d d therein,
as hereinafter explained.
e is the chimney of the apparatus and fff represent the flues the lower parts of
which are enlarged so as to obtain a large amount of heating surface; the flues fff
communicate with one another by means of smaller flues or tubes g g, and with an
outer flue by similar tubes ii; the flue h extends completely round the sides of the
body a of the waggon, as shown, and obviously greatly contributes to the rapid
heating of the contents thereof.
jj are the travelling wheels on which the waggon a is mounted in such a manner
that the furnace b shall be near the surface of the ground.
kk are the cocks and the hose which serve for discharging a portion of the hot
water from the waggon a onto the snow-covered roads and footpaths.

page_text: m m are the movable covers on the top of the waggon a to allow of the snow being
thrown into the waggon.
nn are the fire-doors of the furnace band o is a box for containing a supply
of fuel.
To make use of my improved apparatus the furnace (or furnaces) is lighted, the
doors m m are opened, and the waggon a is filled with snow from the roadway which
snow in a short time will be melted by the heat from the furnace passing through
the flues f, g, h, and i, the heat from the furnace also melting the snow underneath
and in immediate proximity. to the waggon a; the water which results from the
melting of the snow in the waggon gradually becomes hot and can then be discharged
through the cocks kk and, by means of the hose 1, onto those parts of the roadway
at each side of the machine where the snow may still remain uncleared or unmelted,
and onto the footpaths thereby melting the snow thereon, the water passing down the
gullies. The water from the waggon a will circulate through the pipes d d and
tubular bars c of the furnace and will thereby cause the water to become further
heated and at the same time keep the furnace bars cool.
'
By this means it will be obvious that if the machine he continually filled with snow
as it is moved along, snow from roads and footpaths will be cleared away in a speedy
and economical manner as in practice the furnace will melt the snow immediately
under and around it while the snow near the sides of the machine will be thrown by
the men in attendance into the waggon and as it is converted into hot water the said
hot water will be used for melting the remainder of the snow on the road and
on the footpaths as above described.
When my improved machine is not required for clearing away snow, the projecting
chimney e and the flues fff can be unshipped (if they be removably fitted) and the
machine can be used as a slop waggon or for other purposes and the furnace bars can
be so adapted to the machine as to be removable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The method of clearing away or removing snow from roads and footpaths by
placing a portion of the snow in a suitable travelling melting and heating receptacle,
and utilizing the hot-water thereby produced for melting the remaindor of the snow,
substantially as herein before described.
2. The combination of parts forming the improved apparatus for clearing away or
removing snow from roads and footpaths substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 10th dove of Outahan 1007
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.