Ice breaker with ice weakening plough - mounted ahead of bows with series of forward facing plane irons to crack ice

摘要

A special plough is mounted ahead of the bows and rides over the ice. A series of forward inclined plough irons are arranged above each other to scrape off successive layers of ice. The ploughs are mounted on a support table whose front end is shaped to push aside obstructions, and rides on the ice to set the cutting depth of the ploughs. The ploughs can be provided with heaters, and/or hot water jets to clear the ice shavings. They can also be inclined backwards to push the ice to either side. One or several plough assemblies can be used depending on the size of the ship.