Apparatus for handling snow and ice

Abstract

The present invention relates to a novel kind of machine for handling snow and ice, comprising a rotation shaft (4) and screw thread (5) surrounding the rotation shaft (4) at least partly as well as a transmission coupling (6) for rotating the rotation shaft (4) and screw thread (5). The rotation shaft (4) and the screw thread (5) are surrounded by an outer tube (1) and the assembly usually includes an ice blade (7), a snow blade (8) and a connection means fitted at the end of the centre shaft for interchangeable attachment of the ice blade (7) and snow blade (8).

Description

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SNOW AND ICETECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to handling and processing of snow and ice. In particular, the invention relates to a tool for making holes in ice and moving snow. In more detail, the invention relates to an apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1 for handling snow and ice.BACKGROUND

[0002] Moving and handling snow and ice is necessary continuously during the winter season and in snowy areas. For handling snow, the most typical task is removing snow and to some extent sculpting snow walls, snow castles and snow sculptures. For handling ice, typical tasks are removing ice from certain areas and making holes in the ice cover of water bodies. There are a number of tools available for these tasks and many of the tools are electrically powered. There are many products suitable for moving snow, drilling ice and throwing snow, all these features have previously not been combined in one device. In particular, ice augers are special tools that are only used for making holes in ice. Snow throwers, on the other hand, are not suitable for anything other than moving snow.

[0003] Thus, there is a need for a combined tool for handling snow and ice.SUMMARY

[0004] The present invention utilizes the basic structure of an ice auger with its auger bits and lifting threads. This is combined with suitable additional structures for operating the apparatus and for handling, moving and directing snow and ice.

[0005] The invention is characterized by what is disclosed in the characterizing part of the independent claim.

[0006] The various embodiments of the invention comprise at least the features listed below. These features can be combined into different alternative assemblies for implementing the apparatuses defined in the claims.The apparatus is provided with a rotation shaft having a screw thread attached thereto and an outer tube around the screw thread, extending at least partially along the length of the rotation shaft,- the apparatus is provided with a transmission coupling for rotating the rotation shaft and screw thread,- the apparatus assembly comprises an interchangeable ice blade and a snow blade and a joint means at the end of the rotation shaft for interchangeably attaching them,- the apparatus assembly comprises a battery-powered drill disconnectable from the transmission coupling,- the apparatus assembly comprises at least one permanently installed electric motor,- the apparatus assembly comprises at least one of the following: battery, mains connector or internal combustion engine.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] In the following, some embodiments of the invention are disclosed in more detail by means of reference to the appended drawings, in which:FIGURE 1 shows one embodiment of the apparatus for handling ice and snow.FIGURE 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an assembly of the apparatus for handling snow and ice as a partial diagram,FIGURE 3 shows a cross-sectional image of a second assembly of the apparatus for handling snow and ice as a partial diagram,FIGURE 4 shows one structure of the snow dome of the apparatus for handling ice and snow,FIGURES 5-7 show alternative upper frame implementation possibilities,FIGURE 8 shows a snow dome and a snow blade,FIGURE 9 shows an ice auger arrangement, andFIGURE 10 shows alternative embodiments of the ice auger arrangement.

[0008] There are many products suitable for moving snow, removing and drilling ice and throwing snow, but all of these features have previously not been combined in one product. The apparatus disclosed herein is provided with a rotation shaft 4, around which a screw thread 3 is arranged and the screw thread 5 is surrounded by an outer tube 1. One end of the rotation shaft 4 is provided with a connection means for attaching to the ice blade 7 and the snow blade 8, and the opposite end of the rotation shaft is provided with a transmission coupling 6 for rotating the rotation shaft and the screw thread. With such an apparatus, holes can be drilled into the ice by means of an ice blade and snow can be moved by means of a snow blade. Using a suitable snow blade, it is even possible to shape snow to form wall surfaces or snow sculptures.

[0009] FIG. 1 shows one apparatus for handling snow and ice. Figure 1 shows the outer tube 1 of the apparatus as well as the snow dome 3 at one end thereof and the upper frame 3 at the opposite end. Figures 2 and 3 show two exemplary configurations of the apparatus as a cross-section and a diagram. The snow dome 2 and the snow blade 8 inside it are shown as a diagram and their structure will be described in more detail hereinafter. In Figures 2 and 3, an ice blade 7 is shown attached to the apparatus. A readily available blade, such used in ice augers, can be used as the ice blade 7, for example. The fastening of the blades can be similar to the fastening of the ice auger blade and both blades 7, 8 are fastened with the same fastening. The fastening method can alternatively be a spring- locked bayonet mount, a slot secured by means of a screw, or a counter thread, for example. The apparatus of Figure 2 is provided with a screw thread 5 as an extension of the ice blade 7 (or the snow blade 8), having a first pitch and an extension screw 9 with a second pitch. The screw thread 5 and extension thread 9 can be produced as a continuous thread fastened over the rotation shaft 4 or it can be formed by winglets fastened to the rotation shaft 4. A discontinuous thread can be formed by means of the winglets or short thread sections, if desired.

[0010] A support sleeve 10 is provided at the end of the rotation shaft 4 opposite the blades 7, 8. The support sleeve 10 supports the outer tube 1 relative to the rotation shaft 4 and it can also be used for fixing the handle section 11. The support sleeve 10, the handle section 11 and the outer tube 1 can be fastened to each other, by means of, for example,lugs arranged at the end of the outer tube or by means of screws 12 through the flange 13 closing the end of the outer tube 1. In this case, the transmission coupling 6 of the apparatus is the adapter of the battery-driven ice auger and its protective plate 14. When using the apparatus , a battery-driven drill is connected to the adapter 14 and the handle section is used for controlling the apparatus and preventing twisting of the outer tube 1 due to the torque of the drill. At the end of the transmission coupling side of the apparatus there is a chute 16, from which the snow and crushed ice transported inside the outer tube are expelled. In this example, the screw thread surrounding the rotation shaft 4 is formed of two parts. Thus, different speeds are obtained for the mass being transported inside the outer tube, even though the rotation shaft and thus the parts of the screw are rotated at the same speed. In this case, the screw thread 5 subsequent to the blade 7, 8 is dimensioned so as to lift the mass fed by the blade, and the extension thread 9 is dimensioned so that its capacity to expel snow or ice mass out of the chute is as good as possible. This provides the structural advantage that only one rotation shaft and one motor are needed. The pitch of the extension thread is coarser than that of the screw thread in order to form an expelling effect. In addition, the direction of the flange of the thread can be directed to throw the mass towards the outer circumference.

[0011] The handle section 11, the transmission coupling 6 and the support sleeve 10 with its bracket can be combined into one upper frame 3. One design of the upper frame 3 of an apparatus of Figure 2 is illustrated in FIGURE 1.

[0012] The apparatus of FIGURE 3 differs from the previous one in that it has a centrifugal disc 17 enclosed in a centrifugal housing 18 formed at the end opposite to the blades 7, 8 of the outer tube 1. The centrifugal disc 17 is a circular disc with blades attached thereto, the blades expelling the snow when rotating. The centrifugal disc 17 is rotated by means of a motor unit 19 mounted on the side of the centrifugal housing 18, comprising a battery, an electric motor and, if necessary, a gear unit. The structure of this embodiment is more complex than that of the solution in FIG. 2, but with it a higher snow throwing capacity can be achieved.

[0013] FIGURE 4 illustrates one embodiment of the snow dome 2. In the FIGURE, the snow dome 2 is formed from a cylinder, with a hole 20 formed on the outer edge thereof. The opening can be pushed against the snow and the snow is pressed by the force of the push and the rotation of the threads of the snow blade 8 first into the snow dome 2and therefrom into the outer tube. The FIGURE 4 also shows one method of supporting the rotation shaft 4 and the outer tube 1. Here, the rotation shaft 4 is a single long piece and the outer shell 1 is supported at both ends by the rotation shaft 4 by means of support flanges 21. The snow dome 2 can be fastened to the outer tube by means of, for example, a split sleeve and a clamping band. The clamping band can be screw-tightened, but models with clamping handles are easier to use. The fastening can have protrusions and corresponding grooves or recesses to ensure fastening. There are, however, several options for fastening the snow dome in addition to this example.

[0014] FIGURE 5 shows the structure of the snow throwing head of the apparatus of FIGURE 2. Further to what has already been described, this solution also comprises a partially transversely rotated blade 22 at the end of the screw thread 5, which creates an expelling force in direction tangential to the rotation, that is, out of the chute 16. FIGURE 5 also shows the formation of a screw thread 5 from winglets 23. The winglets 23 are attached to the rotation shaft 4 by means of fasteners 24. In the solution of Figure 6, the screw thread 6 extends to the end of the outer pipe 1, with a centrifugal housing 18 formed on its side. The screw thread 5 feeds the mass of snow / ice onto the centrifugal disc, which expels it out through the chute 16. In FIGURE 7, the centrifugal disc 17 is arranged as an extension of the rotation shaft 4 and the screw thread 5 and is rotated with the same drive means as the rotation shaft 4.

[0015] FIGURE 8 shows an alternative structure of the snow dome and a snow blade. The snow dome 2 has a cylindrical outer circumference, closed by a conical cover 25 at one end. A cylindrical sleeve 26 is provided in the centre of the cover 25, by means of which the snow dome 2 is attached to the outer tube 1. The lower edge of the snow dome is serrated to facilitate moving the snow.

[0016] In order to obtain a reasonable working area for removing snow, the diameter of the snow blade 8 must be sufficiently large. The snow blade 8 is a spiral thread, the diameter of which decreases from the tip of the snow blade contacting the snow in the direction of the pitch 27 of the thread, until it corresponds to the inner diameter of the outer tube 1 so that the blade has room to rotate inside the outer tube 1. Because of this, the pitch of the thread of the snow blade 8 must be smaller starting from the direction of the tip 27 of the blade than the pitch of the part inside the outer tube of the snow blade 2. By meansof this, the large outer thread of the snow blade does not pack too much snow into the outer tube.

[0017] In addition to what is described above, the invention has additional features that can be combined with the examples described in more detail. The rotation shaft and the outer tube can be carried out as modular parts that are supported by each other at their ends. The rotation shaft modules must be attached to each other so that the torque is transferred between them. The parts of the outer tube can be fastened by means of suitable tube connections. The advantage of modularity is that the apparatus is easier to transport when dismantled into its components.

[0018] In addition to the snow blade and the ice blade, an ice blade with an extension shaft can be used instead of the ice blade. This option is illustrated in FIGURE 9. In this case, a drilled hole 30 in ice 29 acts as the outer tube. Thereby the outer tube 1 does not extend along the entire length of the screw thread. The extension shaft 28 is fastened by means a quick coupler 31 to the end of the rotation shaft 4. The quick coupler 31 can be a bracket of the blade 7, 8 or some other quick coupler. In this alternative structure the ice blade 7 having an extension shaft acts like a regular ice auger until the outer tube 1 contacts the surface of the ice 29. If / when drilling deeper into the ice 29, the outer tube 1 is pushed into the drilled hole 30. When operating without the extension shaft 28 the outer tube 1 extends around the screw thread along its entire length.

[0019] Figures 10a and 10b illustrate various dimensions of the ice blade 7. In order to be able to drill a hole in the ice with the ice blade, the ice blade extends slightly outwards from the end of the outer tube 1. The diameter of the ice blade 7 must be larger than the outer diameter of the outer tube 1. I.e. the largest sweep circumference of the ice blade 7, determining the diameter of the hole 30 being formed in the ice, is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the outer tube 1. Thus the outer tube 1 fits into the drilled hole and the hole can be drilled deeper. The crushed ice is removed through the outer tube 1 farther from the drilled hole and little or no crushed ice will remain in the hole 30. This is advantageous when fishing, as there is no need to remove the crushed ice from the hole, as is necessary when using a conventional auger. In the option in Figure 10b, there is a dome structure corresponding to the snow dome or a snow dome 2 at the end of the outer tube 1. The diameter of the snow dome 2 is larger than the diameter of the outer tube 1. Correspondingly, the diameter of the ice blade 7 is larger, and in this case, larger than theouter diameter of the snow dome 2 and the ice blade extends slightly out from inside the edge of the snow dome. Thus, the function is similar to that described above. By means of the larger ice blade 7 a wider working area is obtained as well as a larger hole when drilling. One of the advantages of the solution is the removal of crushed ice from the drilled hole through the outer tube. The advantage of this compared to a an conventional large diameter ice auger is that there is no need to rotate the large diameter thread inside the crushed ice remaining in the hole and the rotation force required is smaller.

[0020] Preferably, a battery drill is used as the drive means rotating the apparatus. The advantage thereof is that some kind of battery drill is usually readily available. The torque of the battery drill is sufficient to rotate the apparatus when handling either snow and ice. On the other hand, battery technology, electric motors and their control technology enable relatively inexpensive fixed drive means without excessive increase of the weight of the apparatus. Other drive means options include internal combustion engine, which are well known in similar small machines, and electric drives with a mains power cord. The disadvantage of the mains power cord is its limited operating range, but on the other hand, operating time is not limited.INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0021] The invention allows manufacturing equipment for handling snow and ice.LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS1 outer tube2 snow dome3 upper frame4 rotation shaft5 screw thread6 transmission coupling7 ice blade8 snow bladeextension thread10 support sleeve11 handle section12 screw13 flange14 adapter15 protection plate16 chute17 centrifugal disc18 centrifugal housing19 motor unit20 opening21 support flange22 blade23 winglet24 fastener25 cover26 sleeve27 blade tip28 extension shaft29 ice30 hole31 quick coupling

Claims

1. WE CLAIM1. An apparatus for handling snow and ice, comprising a rotation shaft (4) and a screw thread (5) at least partly surrounding the rotation shaft (4) and a transmission coupling (6) for rotating the rotation shaft (4) and screw thread (5), characterized by an outer tube (1) surrounding the screw thread (5) of the rotation shaft (4) at least partly.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus assembly comprises at least one ice blade (7) or snow blade (8) or both, and a connection means arranged at the end of the rotation shaft for interchangeable attachment of the ice blade (7) and the snow blade (8).

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the outer tube (1) extends along the length of the screw thread (5).

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by a transmission coupling for a disconnectable drill motor.

5. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, having at least one permanently installed electric motor.

6. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims having a battery.

7. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, having a snow blade (8), the snow blade (8) comprising a spiral thread, the diameter of which decreases from the tip of the snow blade contacting the snow (27) in the direction of the pitch of the thread and the pitch of the thread of the snow blade (8) increases from the direction of the snow blade tip (27) in the direction of the thread.

8. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, having an extension shaft (28) to be attached as an extension of the rotation shaft (4).

9. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the diameter of the ice blade (7) is larger than the outer diameter of the outer tube (1).

10. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, having a snow dome (2) capable of being arranged to the end opposite to the transmission coupling (6) of the outer tube (1).

11. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the diameter of the snow blade (8) is dimensioned to fit inside the snow dome (2).

12. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the diameter of the ice blade (7) is dimensioned to be larger than the outer diameter of the snow dome

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