Snow making method and apparatus
First Claim
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1. A method for manufacturing snow, including:
- driving at least one impeller, having at least one blade, rotatably mounted within a snow-making chamber of a snow-making apparatus;
feeding ice from a supply to at least one inlet of the snow-making chamber;
impacting the ice with the at least one blade to convert the ice to snow; and
discharging the snow from at least one outlet from the snow-making chamber.
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Abstract
A system for producing snow incorporates a snow-making machine with ice supplied externally or manufactured on-site. The snow-making machine has one or more multi-bladed impellers fitted blades which impact ice blocks, pieces or tubes fed to the inlet of a snow-making chamber. The impact of the blades with the ice in a velocity range 150-300 Km/h produces artificial snow, with characteristics very similar to natural snow, suitable for ski-fields or other applications for snow. The blades may incorporate serrated or jagged cutter portions the break the latter ice pieces to sizes suitable for conversion to snow.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for manufacturing snow, including:
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driving at least one impeller, having at least one blade, rotatably mounted within a snow-making chamber of a snow-making apparatus; feeding ice from a supply to at least one inlet of the snow-making chamber; impacting the ice with the at least one blade to convert the ice to snow; and discharging the snow from at least one outlet from the snow-making chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A snow-making apparatus, including:
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a snow-making chamber having at least one inlet to receive ice from a supply and at least one outlet for the discharge of snow; at least one impeller, having at least one blade, to impact the ice, rotatably mounted in the snow-making chamber; and a driving mechanism operably connected to the impeller to drive the, or each, blade to impact the ice and convert the ice into snow and discharge the snow from the at least one outlet. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification