Below are two innovations honored in the National LTAP Build a Better Mousetrap competition.
Steel guard keeps spreader out of harm’s way
When hitched to the back of a utility vehicle, Swatara Township’s tailgate salt spreader seemed like nearly the perfect tool to distribute ice melt throughout the community. Tight spaces near sidewalks and walkways, however, often accidentally damaged the unit. One bumped or scraped spinner could cost $400 to replace; more extensive damage could require replacing the entire spreader, doubling the expense.
To protect the Pennsylvania township’s investment, employees designed and built a guard that bolts to the tow hitch on the utility vehicle. The guard was fabricated by welding together scrap rolled steel. The cost was only $200, including labor, and the guard shields the spreader from accidental damage. With this simple solution, the township continues to serve the community during winter weather without interruption and potentially saves hundreds of dollars each year in spreader replacements.
Contact: Todd Webb, highway superintendent, 717-564-2551, twebb@swataratwp.com
LED signal scraper provides bright way to remove snow and ice
LED signal scraper. Photo: Papillion, Nebraska, Public Works
Each winter, the City of Papillion (Nebraska) Public Works encounters heavy, wet snow that sticks to LED traffic signals during storms. The snow blocks out the signal because, unlike older incandescent versions, LED lights do not produce enough heat to melt snow. Public Works wanted to find a way to remove this snow and ice without forcing road crews to spend long periods of time in harsh winter weather.
Staff mated an ice scraper to a paint roller and mounted both atop an adjustable extension pole. This allowed crews to reach the tool into a hooded light to clear the lens, either from the ground or from inside a pick-up cab. Completing the entire project in-house using basic hand tools cost only $50 per scraper. Armed with this low-cost solution, Papillion crews effectively cleared traffic signals throughout the winter, ensuring signal visibility for the driving public while also exposing crews to less snow, ice, and cold during their workday.
Contact: Jeff Thompsen, director/city engineer, 402-597-2043, jefft@papillion.org