Airport runway cleaning method and apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus to remove a first material from an underlying substrate surface of a substrate without significant damage to said substrate surface, where the substrate surface is characterized in that it is susceptible to damage by impingement of a high pressure water jet thereon, and said first material is characterized in that is it susceptible to removal from an underlying surface by impingement of a high pressure water jet therein, said apparatus comprising:
- a. a housing structure adapted to move over said substrate;
b. manifold arm means mounted to said structure in a manner to be positioned above said substrate, and to be rotatable about a generally vertical axis of rotation;
c. water jet nozzle means mounted to said manifold arm means at a predetermined distance from said axis of rotation and arranged to discharge at least one water jet toward said substrate as said manifold arm means rotates about said axis of rotation;
d. fluid pressure supply means adapted to supply water to said manifold arm means at a pressure greater than twenty thousand pounds per square inch for discharge through said water jet nozzle means; and
e. power transmission means adapted to rotate said manifold arm means at a rotational rate of speed so that said water jet travels linearly in a generally circular path at a speed at least as great as twenty miles an hour.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus to remove rubber from airplane tires from an airport runway surface. there is a manifold arm which rotates at as high as two thousand five hundred rpms over the runway surface, with a plurality of water jets being discharged downwardly at a relatively high pressure (e.g. thirty five thousand P.S.I.) against the runway surface. Even though the water pressure is at a level several times higher than that at which damage to the runway surface can occur, at the relatively high linear speed of the water jets (e.g. ninety to one hundred eighty miles per hour), there is no noticeable damage to the runway surface, but yet there is quite effective removal of the accumulated rubber. Also disclosed is a particular shaft and seal assembly which is capable of operating at relatively high rotational speeds and delivering the high pressure to the manifold arm.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. An apparatus to remove a first material from an underlying substrate surface of a substrate without significant damage to said substrate surface, where the substrate surface is characterized in that it is susceptible to damage by impingement of a high pressure water jet thereon, and said first material is characterized in that is it susceptible to removal from an underlying surface by impingement of a high pressure water jet therein, said apparatus comprising:
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a. a housing structure adapted to move over said substrate; b. manifold arm means mounted to said structure in a manner to be positioned above said substrate, and to be rotatable about a generally vertical axis of rotation; c. water jet nozzle means mounted to said manifold arm means at a predetermined distance from said axis of rotation and arranged to discharge at least one water jet toward said substrate as said manifold arm means rotates about said axis of rotation; d. fluid pressure supply means adapted to supply water to said manifold arm means at a pressure greater than twenty thousand pounds per square inch for discharge through said water jet nozzle means; and e. power transmission means adapted to rotate said manifold arm means at a rotational rate of speed so that said water jet travels linearly in a generally circular path at a speed at least as great as twenty miles an hour. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A shaft and seal assembly particularly adapted to rotate at relatively high speeds and to transmit a high pressure fluid therethrough, said assembly comprising:
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a. a first shaft which has a first center axis of rotation and a through opening for passage of high pressure fluid therethrough, and an end surface that is precisely formed perpendicular to said first axis of rotation; b. a second shaft which has a second center axis of rotation and a second centrally located through opening to receive high pressure fluid from the first opening of the first shaft, and a second end surface that is formed to be precisely perpendicular to said second axis of rotation, said second end surface abutting against said first end surface at an abutment plane; c. a seal sleeve having first and second portions positioned in said first and second shafts around said first and second openings to provide a seal at said abutment plane; d. first and second O-ring means positioned in said first and second shafts, respectively, and extending around said first and second seal sleeve portions, respectively, in sealing relationship therewith. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification