Which division are you and your team entering?JR Division
Idea NameGrater than Ice
Team Member Name(s)Jeffrey Goddard
Xander Dahle
Idea SummaryA new innovation, Ice Barrel, solves the problem traditional plows have where the continuous flat blade doesn’t break the ice, it just removes the top layer of snow ice that is already broken.
The Ice Barrel has dozens of smaller blades around a sheet metal cylinder. The blades are punched out somewhat like a round cheese grater. The whole gadget is located under a short trailer that houses a motor.
The barrel spins on an axle that can be lowered and lifted. Due to the angular mounting, the snow/ice that the blades scrape into the cylinder is pushed to the side of the road. Often with standard plow blades, replacement, and sharpening are a necessity. Rather than needing to replace a 10-foot blade with a small section of damage, each individual tooth can be replaced on the Ice Barrel. Due to the small size, recycling old damaged teeth is also convenient.
The whole design is powered by a short wide trailer above the blade. This box houses the hydraulics to move the barrel up and down and the motor that spins it via two belts. This product could be pulled by a plow truck or hitched to a regular vehicle with sufficient power, making the Ice Barrel available to civilians who want to take ice removal into their own hands.