A snow blower or snowblower or snow thrower is a machine for removing snow from an area where it is problematic, such as a driveway, sidewalk, roadway, railroad track, ice rink, or runway. The commonly used term "snow blower" is a misnomer, as the snow is moved using an auger or impeller instead of being blown (by air). It can use either electric power (line power or battery), or a gasoline or diesel engine to throw snow to another location or into a truck to be hauled away. This is in contrast with the action of snow plows, which push snow to the front or side. Typically, the snow is discharged to one side.
A heavy-duty walk-behind two-stage snow blower.A snow blower at work in Upper Bavaria, Germany, 2005A tractor with a snow blower in Kuopio, FinlandA Swiss railway snow thrower at Erstfeld railway station, 2016Snow thrower on Simplon Pass
Snow blowers range from the very small, capable of removing only a few inches (a few more cm) of light snow in an 18 to 20 in (457 to 508 mm) path, to the very large, mounted onto heavy-duty winter service vehicles and capable of moving 20-foot (6.10 m) wide, or wider, swaths of heavy snow up to 6 feet (1.83 m) deep.
Snow blowers can generally be divided into two classes: single-stage and two-stage. On a single-stage snow blower, the auger (the paddle mechanism visible from the front) pulls snow into the machine and directs it out of a discharge chute. The auger contacts the ground, making single-stage snow blowers unsuitable for use on unpaved surfaces. On a two-stage snow blower, the auger pulls snow into the machine and feeds it into a high-speed impeller, which in turn directs it out of a discharge chute. Two-stage snow blowers can generally handle deeper snow depths than single-stage ones, and because their augers don't touch the ground, they can be used on unpaved surfaces.
Depending on the design, snowblowers can be pressed into service throwing other things, such as water.[1]
Robert Carr Harris of Maple Green, New Brunswick patented a "Railway Screw Snow Excavator" in 1870.[2] In 1923, Robert E. Cole patented a snowplow that operated by using cutters and a fan to blow snow from a surface.[3] Various other innovations also occurred.[4] However, it is Arthur Sicard [fr] (1876–1946) who is generally credited as the inventor of the first practical snow blower. In 1925 Sicard completed his first prototype, based on a concept he described in 1894.[5] He founded Sicard Industries in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec and by 1927 his vehicles were in use removing snow from the roadways of the town of Outremont, now a borough of Montreal. His company is now a division of SMI-Snowblast, Inc. of Watertown, New York.[6]
Safety issuesEdit
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that each year there are approximately 5,740 snowblower related injuries in the United States which require medical attention.[7] One problem with the design of the snow blower is that snow can build up in the auger, jamming it and stalling the motor. This is complicated by the fact that the auger could deform before applying enough resistance to the motor to turn it off. If the jam is cleared by hand, it is possible for the auger to return to its natural shape suddenly and with great force, possibly injuring the operator. Snow blowers are a leading cause of traumatic hand and finger amputations.[8] The correct procedure is to turn off the engine, disengage the clutch and then clear the jam with a broom handle or other long object.[8] In an effort to improve safety, many manufacturers now include a plastic tool to be used to clear jams, often mounted directly to the snow blower.
Most modern machines mitigate this problem by including a safety system known as the "Dead man's switch" to prevent the mechanism from rotating when the operator is not at the controls; these may be mandatory in some jurisdictions.
Jet-engine snow blowersEdit
A jet-engine snow blower clearing a railway track at Coney Island Yard, New York, 2014
Jet engines and other gas turbines are used for large scale propelling and melting of snow over rails and roads. These blowers first were used in Russia and Canada in the 1960s, and were later introduced into the U.S. by the Boston Transportation Authority.
The jet engine both melts and blows the snow, clearing the tracks faster than other methods. While offering considerably greater power in a relatively lightweight machine, this method is much more expensive than traditional snow removing methods. In Russia, the high cost is partially offset by utilizing retired military jet engines, such as the Klimov VK-1.[9][10][11]
^Relic of a Klimov VK1 engine used to clear Russian runways
October 15, 2023
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A snow blower or snowblower or snow thrower is a machine for removing snow from an area where it is problematic such as a driveway sidewalk roadway railroad track ice rink or runway The commonly used term snow blower is a misnomer as the snow is moved using an auger or impeller instead of being blown by air It can use either electric power line power or battery or a gasoline or diesel engine to throw snow to another location or into a truck to be hauled away This is in contrast with the action of snow plows which push snow to the front or side Typically the snow is discharged to one side A heavy duty walk behind two stage snow blower A snow blower at work in Upper Bavaria Germany 2005A tractor with a snow blower in Kuopio FinlandA Swiss railway snow thrower at Erstfeld railway station 2016Snow thrower on Simplon PassSnow blowers range from the very small capable of removing only a few inches a few more cm of light snow in an 18 to 20 in 457 to 508 mm path to the very large mounted onto heavy duty winter service vehicles and capable of moving 20 foot 6 10 m wide or wider swaths of heavy snow up to 6 feet 1 83 m deep Snow blowers can generally be divided into two classes single stage and two stage On a single stage snow blower the auger the paddle mechanism visible from the front pulls snow into the machine and directs it out of a discharge chute The auger contacts the ground making single stage snow blowers unsuitable for use on unpaved surfaces On a two stage snow blower the auger pulls snow into the machine and feeds it into a high speed impeller which in turn directs it out of a discharge chute Two stage snow blowers can generally handle deeper snow depths than single stage ones and because their augers don t touch the ground they can be used on unpaved surfaces Depending on the design snowblowers can be pressed into service throwing other things such as water 1 Contents 1 History 2 Safety issues 3 Jet engine snow blowers 4 See also 5 ReferencesHistory Edit nbsp Snow blower in Rocky Mountain National Park 1933Robert Carr Harris of Maple Green New Brunswick patented a Railway Screw Snow Excavator in 1870 2 In 1923 Robert E Cole patented a snowplow that operated by using cutters and a fan to blow snow from a surface 3 Various other innovations also occurred 4 However it is Arthur Sicard fr 1876 1946 who is generally credited as the inventor of the first practical snow blower In 1925 Sicard completed his first prototype based on a concept he described in 1894 5 He founded Sicard Industries in Sainte Therese Quebec and by 1927 his vehicles were in use removing snow from the roadways of the town of Outremont now a borough of Montreal His company is now a division of SMI Snowblast Inc of Watertown New York 6 Safety issues EditThe U S Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that each year there are approximately 5 740 snowblower related injuries in the United States which require medical attention 7 One problem with the design of the snow blower is that snow can build up in the auger jamming it and stalling the motor This is complicated by the fact that the auger could deform before applying enough resistance to the motor to turn it off If the jam is cleared by hand it is possible for the auger to return to its natural shape suddenly and with great force possibly injuring the operator Snow blowers are a leading cause of traumatic hand and finger amputations 8 The correct procedure is to turn off the engine disengage the clutch and then clear the jam with a broom handle or other long object 8 In an effort to improve safety many manufacturers now include a plastic tool to be used to clear jams often mounted directly to the snow blower Most modern machines mitigate this problem by including a safety system known as the Dead man s switch to prevent the mechanism from rotating when the operator is not at the controls these may be mandatory in some jurisdictions Jet engine snow blowers Edit nbsp A jet engine snow blower clearing a railway track at Coney Island Yard New York 2014Jet engines and other gas turbines are used for large scale propelling and melting of snow over rails and roads These blowers first were used in Russia and Canada in the 1960s and were later introduced into the U S by the Boston Transportation Authority The jet engine both melts and blows the snow clearing the tracks faster than other methods While offering considerably greater power in a relatively lightweight machine this method is much more expensive than traditional snow removing methods In Russia the high cost is partially offset by utilizing retired military jet engines such as the Klimov VK 1 9 10 11 See also EditSmall engine Snowplow Power shovelReferences Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Snow blowers Springtime flooding in Canada What you need to know The Globe and Mail 25 April 2019 Retrieved 25 April 2019 Harris R C September 20 1870 US Patent and Trademark Office US107485 Retrieved 18 February 2014 Cole Robert April 21 1923 US Patent and Trademark Office US001545235 Retrieved 17 February 2014 Mario Theriault Great Maritime Inventions 1833 1950 Goose Lane Editions 2001 p 61 The Gilson SNOW BLOWER Shop Snowblower History Gilsonsnowblowers com 2007 01 27 Retrieved 2014 01 22 About Sicard Industries Snow Thrower Safety PDF Consumer Product Safety Commission Retrieved 2014 01 22 a b Steward Angela November 16 2017 13 Tips for Snow Thrower Safety Facility Management Grounds Management Quick Read Facilitiesnet Retrieved 2018 02 21 5 Absurd Solutions to Huge Problems That Actually Worked Cracked com 8 January 2012 CSX jet powered snow removal unit Relic of a Klimov VK1 engine used to clear Russian runways Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Snow blower amp oldid 1159459649, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
