Apparatus and method for melting ice on roofs

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention is intended to provide a method of removing snow or ice from an inclined roof of a building which includes throwing or otherwise placing one or more melting discs (or other shaped melting members) of substantial size onto the snow or ice on the roof, whereby the melting discs melt a substantial amount of snow or ice along the inclined surface of the roof before the discs dissolve.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a method of removing snow or ice from an inclined roof of an building comprises providing at least one melting member which is adapted to melt snow and ice which comes in contact with the melting member.
The melting member is soluble such that the melting member dissolves as it melts the snow or ice.
The melting member is a tablet of sufficient size for melting a substantial amount of ice or snow before completely dissolving.
The method further includes placing the melting member or members onto the snow or ice formed on the inclined roof of the building.
The snow or ice is melted beneath and around the melting member while the melting member moves through the snow or ice generally downward toward the roof of the building.
The melting member melts the snow or ice as it moves through the snow or ice generally downwardly along the incline of the roof, thereby forming at least one channel through the snow or ice along the incline of the roof.
The water from the melted snow and ice is then drained through the at least one channel formed by the melting member or members to remove the water from the roof and thus prevent damage to the roof.
Preferably, the melting member comprises calcium chloride which is pressed into a tablet form.
Preferably, the tablet form is a disc shaped form having a diameter of at least approximately two to two and a half inches or more and a thickness of at least approximately one inch or more.
Preferably, the size of the tablet is selected to be of sufficient size to ease throwing of the tablet up onto a roof of a building, and may vary depending on the application