Method and Means of Melting Frozen Material on Terrain or Water Surfaces

Snow and ice removal is a problem on highways, canals and rivers, airport runways, and even in open waterways such as lakes and oceans insofar as vessels travelling therein are concerned. Various means have been devised to combat the ice and frozen snow that are present in the aforementioned environments. Land or water vehicles have been equipped with heat ray emission devices, including laser ray beam guns, to effect the melting of the frozen material. Typical of these devices are the units disclosed in British Pat. No. 1,119,948, published July 17, 1968. These devices lack the maneurverability and the speed to effectively melt the frozen material on land and waterways.

This invention combines a heat ray emitting means, preferably a laser beam transmitter, with a conventional helicopter whereby the heat rays may be emitted from the helicopter hovering in mid-air to melt the frozen material on the terrain below the helicopter. The heat ray emitting means can be comprised of one or more emitters which are mounted so as to emit one or more beams on a nonvertical axis. Rotation of the emitter means permits a substantial area of the surface below the helicopter to come in contact with the beams.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an ice and snow melting method and means which is highly maneuverable and which has great speed of operation.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a helicopter utilizing a turret with several heat ray emitting means thereon, and illustrating how the beams can be focused on a surface below the hovering helicopter to effect the melting of the frozen material; and

FIG. 2 is a partial elevational view at an enlarged scale of the turret shown in FIG. 1.

The numeral 10 generally designates a conventional helicopter having a body or chassis 12, a horizontal rotor means 14; a vertical rotor means 16; a control compartment 18; and a wheel assembly 20.

A turret 22 is secured to the undercarriage 24 of the helicopter. A plurality of gears 26 are rotatably mounted on a suitable shaft (not shown) to turret 22. The longitudinal axes of the shafts and the longitudinal axis passing through the center of the gears 26 are inclined with respect to a vertical position.

A plurality of heat ray emitting devices 28, 30 and 32 are mounted on the shafts of gears 26 and are adapted to rotate with the gears. Drive gears 34 are in mesh with gears 36 and are adapted to rotate the gears 26 as well as the heat ray emitting devices 28, 30 and 32.

The heat ray emitting devices 28, 30 and 32 are of conventional design and are preferably of the same type of typical laser ray beam gun construction disclosed in the previously mentioned British Pat. No. 1,119,948. The devices 28, 30 and 32 can emit either a single or a plurality of beams generally designated by the numerals 28A, 30A and 32A.

When it is desired to melt frozen material on a given surface, the helicopter becomes airborne in conventional manner, and then hovers over the area to be treated. The heat ray emitting devices 28, 30 and 32 are actuated in conventional manner to direct the beams 28A, 30A and 32A to the surface below as generally depicted in FIG. 1. The melting process is quickened by causing a conventional power source (not shown) to rotate the gears 34 to cause the rotation of gears 36 and each of the devices 28, 30 and 32. The helicopter normally would hover over the area until the melting of the frozen material directly below the helicopter was effected. The helicopter would then slowly be moved along the desired route of travel to continue the melting function.

From the foregoing, it is seen that this invention provides both a method and means of melting frozen material on either land or water bodies which is highly maneuverable and which rapidly achieves the thawing or melting function as compared to conventional apparatus and methods. Accordingly, this invention will achieve its stated objectives.