Ice auger apparatus

Disclosed is a device for boring holes in ice having a vertical boring position and a horizontal carrying position. The device is comprised of a drive unit with an output, a rotatable shank portion and auger portion coupled to the output. A non-driven grasping portion is connected to the drive unit and configured such that the device has a balance point at the grasping portion whereby the device may be carried in a balanced horizontal position with one hand. In a preferred embodiment a hollow cylindrical portion with a flange attaches to the drive unit and the shank portion extends through the cylindrical portion and is coupled to the out in the cylindrical portion. The grasping portion may either be the cylindrical portion or a separate bar portion attached to the cylindrical portions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Portable powered ice augers are utilized for boring holes in ice on bodies 
of water for fishing or other purposes. Such augers have a drive unit 
typically comprised of an internal combustion engine, a gear box, and a 
centrifugal clutch. The drive unit has an output with a coupling 
connecting the drive unit to a downwardly extending rotatable driven 
portion comprised of a shank portion and an auger portion. Such portable 
augers have handles attached to the drive unit for controlling and 
stabilizing the ice auger during the vertical cutting operation in the 
ice. The internal combustion engine utilizes a throttle controlled by a 
throttle lever which may be attached to one of the handles. Such ice 
augers are typically carried with one hand in a horizontal position by 
grasping the shank portion at the device's balance point. In that such 
devices are used in the winter the user will typically be wearing gloves. 
With any moisture present, the glove on the hand grasping the shank 
portion may freeze to said shank portion. The ice auger may be idling when 
carried and if the shank portion and auger start to rotate with the glove 
frozen to the shank, significant injuries may be incurred. Another problem 
is that the coupling may have catch points such as a protruding connecting 
pin that can entangle the glove or other wearing apparel when rotated. 
An ice auger is needed which allows the auger to be carried in a balanced 
one handed horizontal position without grasping the shank portion. 
Moreover, an ice auger is needed that provides a guard over the coupling. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Disclosed is a device for boring holes in ice. The device having a vertical 
boring position and a horizontal carrying position. The device is 
comprised of a drive unit with an output, a driven axially aligned shank 
portion and an auger portion coupled to the output. A non-driven grasping 
portion is coupled to the drive unit. The device has a balance point at 
the grasping portion whereby the device may be carried in a balanced 
horizontal position with one hand. In a preferred embodiment a hollow 
cylindrical portion with a flange attaches to the drive unit and the shank 
portion extends through the cylindrical portion. The grasping portion may 
either be the cylindrical portion or a separate bar portion attached to 
the cylindrical portion. 
An advantage and feature of the invention is that the grasping portion also 
functions as a guard to protect the operator or others from the rotating 
shank portion of the ice auger device. 
An additional advantage and feature of the invention is that the 
cylindrical portion with the flanges and grasping portion may be 
retro-fitted onto existing ice augers. 
An additional advantage and feature of the invention is that the grasping 
portion may be configured as a handle extending parallel to the shank 
portion and positioned on a particular side of the device allowing the ice 
auger device to always have the same orientation, such as the gas tank or 
throttle facing upwardly, when the ice auger is set down. 
An additional advantage and feature of the invention is that the grasping 
portion may be formed as part of the lower casing portion of the power 
unit, such as part of the centrifugal clutch housing or gear reducer 
housing. 
Another advantage and feature of the invention is that the grasping portion 
may be configured to be elongate such that when the ice auger's balance 
point shifts with accumulated ice on the auger portion the balance point 
is still located on the grasping portion. 
Another advantage and feature of the invention is that the grasping portion 
may be embodied as part of an elongate tubular shield extending from the 
power unit and providing a bearing and coupling positioned at the distal 
end of the shank portion. The coupling so positioned reduces the overall 
length of the device when uncoupled and thus allows storage and shipment 
in shorter areas or containers. This can result in lower shipping and 
packaging costs. Moreover, such distal positioning of the bearing lessens 
the loading on said bearing thereby extending the bearing life or reducing 
the bearing's loading requirements. 
A further advantage and feature of the invention is that the grasping 
portion may be spaced outwardly from the shank portion to be within the 
diameter of the auger whereby the depth of the hole which may be drilled 
with said auger is not restricted by the grasping portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, one embodiment of the invention is shown in a 
horizontal carrying position and an end view. The end view of FIG. 2 is 
common to both the prior art device of FIG. 1 and the embodiment of FIG. 
3. FIG. 1 is an example of a prior art ice auger device 18 which has a 
drive unit 22 and a rotatable driven portion 24. The device is depicted as 
being carried in the typical horizontal manner by grasping the rotatable 
driven portion 24. The device is generally designated by the numeral 20 
and is comprised principally of a drive unit 22, a rotatable driven 
portion 24 and a guard member 28. The rotatable driven portion 24 is 
comprised of an auger portion 30 and a shank portion 32 which is driven by 
the drive unit 22 and rotates about an axis of rotation A. The auger 
portion has a shaft 34 and a spiral blade 36. The guard member 28 has a 
flange portion 40, a cylindrical hollow elongate portion 42, a grasping 
member or handle 44, a distal end 46, and a proximal end 48. The guard 
member 28 may be formed of cast aluminum or may be formed of steel by 
conventional fabrication techniques. 
The drive unit 22 has an output 52 comprised of a shaft member 54 extending 
from a hub portion 55. The shaft member 54 connects to the rotatable 
driven portion 24 by way of a coupling 56. The coupling 56 is held 
together by way of a bolt or pin 58 which secures together the male 
portion 60 and the female portion 62. The pin or bolt 58 is accessible 
through the hollow elongate portion 42 by way of the aperture 64. The 
guard member 28 is secured to the drive unit 22 by way of the flange 
portion 40 with bolts 66. The drive unit 22 also has handles 68, 70 by 
which the auger may be stabilized and supported during an ice boring 
operation. 
The drive unit 22 has a conventional internal combustion engine 72 with a 
gas tank 74, a lower housing unit 75, a gear box 76, a centrifugal clutch 
portion 80, and a throttle lever 81. The centrifugal clutch portion 80 
includes a casing 82 enclosing said clutch and providing an attachment 
surface 85 for the flange portion 40 of the guard member 54. 
The ice auger has a balance zone which is generally a planar region 
designated by the numeral 86 which extends through the handle 44 and the 
hollow elongate portion 42 of the guard member 28. The guard member has 
grasping portions 88, 90 by which the apparatus may be grasped by one hand 
and picked up and carried with the hand positioned at the balance zone 86. 
The balance zone 86 intersects the elongate portion 42 and the handle 44 
at balance points 92, 94. The balance points 92, 94 are the areas at which 
the device may be suspended or held in a balanced horizontal position. 
Referring to FIG. 4, a hand 96 is shown grasping an embodiment of the 
invention at the balance point 92 on the handle 44. The embodiment of FIG. 
3 shows the coupling 56 positioned at the distal end of the guard member 
28 and elongate portion 42. In this embodiment the apparatus has a bearing 
portion 100 at the distal end of the guard member 28 to provide further 
support for the shank portion 32. As can be seen in this particular 
embodiment, breaking the device down at the coupling 56 will result in an 
overall more compact package for storage or shipment. 
In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the guard member 28 is integral with the 
casing 82 of the centrifugal clutch portion 80. Notably, the centrifugal 
clutch portion 80 may also be integral with the gear box 76. 
Referring to FIG. 5, a further embodiment of the invention is shown. In 
this particular configuration the grasping portion 88 is part of a 
grasping member 104 configured as a bar extending from the drive unit 22 
by way of attachment to the handle 68. Said grasping member 104 with the 
grasping portion 88 may be attached by conventional means such as bolting 
or welding. Such a configuration is suitable for retro-fitting or existing 
ice augers or being furnished as standard equipment with the ice auger 
when sold. The grasping member 104 has a stop 106 to prevent the hand from 
sliding off the end of the bar when the device is being carried. This 
configuration has the grasping portion 88 on the grasping member 104 
extending a radial distance from the shank portion less than the diameter 
D of the auger portion whereby the grasping member 104 will not affect the 
boring depth capability of the device 20. 
FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view taken at line 6--6 of FIG. 5 showing one 
means of attachment of the gasping member 104 to the handle 68. A plate 
107 is suitably shaped to follow the contours of the handle 68 and is 
attached by way of bolts 109 that may extend through the handle 68 to 
secure the plate 107 and the welded grasping member 104 to the handle 68. 
A structural support 112 braces the grasping member 104 to the plate 107. 
Referring to FIG. 7, a further embodiment of the invention is shown which 
has a guard member 28 which has a hollow cylindrical portion 42 that 
extends around the shank portion, not shown in this view. The guard member 
28 in this embodiment does not have the separate handle 44 such as shown 
in FIGS. 2 and 3. Rather, the elongate portion 42 is a gasping member 104 
with the grasping portion 90. The guard member 28 is fixed to the drive 
unit 22 and thereby does not rotate with the rotatable driven portion 
FIG. 8 is a detail drawing of a guard member 28 which includes a hollow 
elongate portion 42, a flange portion 40, and a handle 44. The hollow 
cylindrical portion 42 has an open interior 110 within which the shank 
portion, not shown in this view, extends when in place on the apparatus. 
Holes 114 are utilized for attaching the guard member 28 to the drive unit 
22. This particular guard member is suitable for retro-fitting on existing 
unguarded ice augers. Slots 118, 120 extend in the flange portion 40 into 
the hollow elongate portion 42 for receiving structural fins which may be 
present on the lower casing of non-guarded ice augers. The aperture 64 is 
utilized for accessing a pin or bolt, not shown in this view, which 
secures the coupling connecting the rotatable driven portion to the output 
52 of the drive unit 22. This particular configuration of the guard member 
28 has a grasping portion 88 on the handle 44 and a grasping portion 90 on 
the hollow elongate portion 42, either of which are nonrotatable and 
permit carrying the ice auger at the balance points on the guard member 
28. The balance points are indicated by the dashed lines with the numerals 
92, 94. 
The embodiments shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 7 to the prior art ice auger 
device shown in FIG. 1 illustrates a principle advantage of the invention 
in its different embodiments. That advantage being the capability of 
carrying the ice auger in the natural horizontal position without the 
necessity of grasping a driven or rotatable part. Moreover, in the 
embodiments of FIGS. 3, 4, 7, and 8 the principle advantage of enclosing 
and guarding the shank portion 32 and the coupling 56 is illustrated. 
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without 
departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is 
therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all 
respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being made to the 
appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the 
scope of the invention.