Continuous sediment removal apparatus and method

摘要

A snow melting vehicle includes a receptacle for receiving a snow load to be melted inside the receptacle into meltwater and a debris collecting system for moving the debris fallen to the bottom of the receptacle into a collecting chamber disposed adjacent the receptacle. A debris lifting system is also provided for raising the debris from the collecting chamber to a position above the meltwater filling the collecting chamber, whereby the meltwater is substantially drained before the debris is gravity discharged outside the snow melting vehicle.

主权项

1. A sediment removal method for removing debris from a snow receptacle of a snow melting vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a snow melting vehicle having a sediment removal apparatus that includes a debris collecting system having a separate collecting chamber adjacent to and in fluid communication with the snow receptacle and a mechanism for displacing the debris from a bottom of the snow receptacle into the collecting chamber, and a debris lifting and discharging system that includes a rotatable circular frame having a plurality of paddles or blades extending radially outwardly from said frame and rotatable therewith, the frame and paddles being rotatably located inside the collecting chamber and movable both above and below a water line in said collecting chamber; displacing debris from the bottom of the snow receptacle into the collecting chamber; rotating the circular frame so that the paddles lift the debris in the collecting chamber to a position above the water line; and discharging the debris outside the collecting chamber.