Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02509886 2005-06-14
1 COMBINED PROPULSrON DEVICE AI~iD FISHING SHELTER
2
3 Cross z-eference to Related Applications. This application claims the
benefit of
4 provisional application 60/580,075 filed on June 15, 2004.
6 Background of the Invention
7
8 This inventiozz concerns transport of ice shanties. It is common for ice
shanties to
9 be towed out across the surface of frozen lakes to sites where fishing
ttuough ice is to
take place using a snowmobile or ATV, as considerable distances can be
involved on
11 larger lakes. A convenient foam of ice shanty involves a molded plastic
base shaped as a
12 small hull with an attached tent frame opened for shelter while fishing
seated on the seat
13 in the hull.
14
1 S The hull may be hauled using a snowmobile or ATV as the towing vehicle, or
16 may simply be manually pulled by the user using a pull rope. Snowmobiles
and ATV's
17 are quite costly and bulky to trailer.
18
19 Manual transport is slow and laborious especially disadvantageous when any
great distances are involved. Zt is the object of the present invention to
provide law cost,
21 compact equipment for powered transport of an ice shanty across a snow or
ice surface.
22
23 Stunmary of Invention
1
CA 02509886 2005-06-14
1
2 The above recited object as well as other objects which will be appreciated
upon a
3 reading of the following specification and claims are achieved by a
snmpli~Zed tracked
4 propulsion. device combined with a fishing shelter base the propulsion
comprised of a
S frame mounted track drive and an engine mounted on the frame drivingly
connected to
6 the track drive as with a transmission belt to power the same.
7
8 In one embodiment, a paix of skis are mounted below a forward end of the
frame,
9 and the frame is large enough to accommodate an ice shanty base-hull placed
thereon,
The skis are pivotably mowed by a handle bar type steering member to allow
steering of
11 the device.
12
13 In. another embodiment, the base-hull is mounted to a tracked propulsion
device
14 by a pivotal connection allowing articulation between the propulsions
device and base-hull
by rotation of a connected steering member connected to the propulsion device
to achieve
16 a steering compatibility.
17
18 tai one version of this embodiment the hull tails the pzapulsion device and
is
19 steered by a U-shaped steering member connected to the propulsion device
fia.m.e and
projecting back over the base-hull.
21
22 rn another version, the base-hull is disposed ahead of the propulsion
device and a
23 tiller type steering member is used to pivot the propulsion device and
steer the same_
2
CA 02509886 2005-06-14
1
2 In both embodiments, the user is seated in the base-hull when underway and
holds
3 the steering member pt'ojecting from the propulsion device and over the base-
hull when
4 seated therein in both versions of the second embodiment.
6 Description of the Drawings
7 Figure 1 is a pictorial view of a first embodiment of a fishing shelter
propulsion
8 device combination.
9
Figure 2 is a pictorial view of the embodiment of the fishing shelter
propulsion
11 device combination shown in Figure 1 with a fishi~zg shelter base-hull in
position thereon
12 at an ice fishing site and a shelter frame unfolded, the fabric eoveritzg
indicated in
13 phantom lines_
14
Figure 3 is a pictorial view of a second embodiment of a propulsion device-
16 fishing shelter combination according to the invention showing a fishing
shelter hull
17 pivotally mounted to the near of the propulsion device.
18
19 Figure 4 is a pictorial view of another version of the second embodiment of
the
propulsion device-fishing shelter according to the invention.
zl
22
3
23
CA 02509886 2005-06-14
1 Detailed Description
2
3 In the following detailed description, certain specific terminology will be
4 employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment descn-bed in
accordance
with the requirements of 35 USC 112, but it is to be understood that the
sanrae is not
6 intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the
invention is
7 capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended
claims.
8
9 Referring to the drawings, and particularly Figures l and 2, a :first
embodiment of
the propulsion device 10 is shown. This includes a frame 12 supporting a small
gasoline
I 1 engine 14 mounted at the forward end of the frame I2. Outrigger bars 16
included in the
12 frame 12 pivotably support a ski 18 at each end thereof, preferably by a
quick release
13 connection for easy removal of the skis I8 for transport and storage.
I4
I 5 An upwardly and rearwardly extending steering meoz~.ber 20 is mounted to
the
16 frame i2, preferably able to be telescoped to be collapsible as seen in
Figure 2 to be out
17 of the user's way and allowing erection of the shelter enclosure.
18
19 The steering member 20 is drivingly connected to both of a pair of arms 22
and
pivot pins 23 via tie rods 24 pivotably connected with quick release
connection to a
2I swing plate 26 coupled to the steering member 20. This enables swinging of
the skis 18
22 to provide a steering capability.
23
CA 02509886 2005-06-14
1 The engine 14 drives a belt 28 (could also be a chain) circulated around
first
2 sheave 30 fixed to a cross shaft 32. A smaller diameter sheave 34 is also
fixed to the
3 cross shaft around which a second belt 36 is circulated to achieve a
reduction drive to a
4 sheave 38 mounted on a track drive shaft 40 mtatable on a track mounting
structure 12A
affixed to the frame 12.
6
7 A pair of re-circulating drive tracks 42 are driven thereby around idler
sprockets
8 44 at the rear of the fi-ame I2 supported on hangers 46. The tracks 42 are
conventional
9 commercially available components which each have a series of spaced cleats
45 af6aced
along a flexible belt to effectively obtain traction on ice and snow. A single
larger tz~ack
11 could also be used instead.
12
13 The frame provides a support platform to the rear of the engine I4 and
steering
14 member 20 on which a fishing shelter base hull SO can be placed as seen in
Fi~ut'e 2.
Such shelter base-hulls 50 typically molded from a suitable durable plastic,
are
16 commercially available, and typically include a pivotally mounted array of
U-shaped
17 bows 52 having a fabric cover 54 attached thereto which forms an enclosure
covexirtg
18 when swtu~g out as shown in Figure 2.
i9
The shelter base-hull 50 is provided with a pivoting seat 54 mounted to be
21 slidably adjustable side-to-side on a mounting bar 56 which bar 56 can be
shifted forward
22 When driving on guide bars 57 to position the seat 54 forward.
23
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1 The user is seated on the seat 54 when transporting the shelter base-hull 50
out to
2 a fishing site. The bows and covering are collapsed and stowed in the base-
hull 50 at that
3 tune.
4
After arrival and flipping up and over of the bows 52-1-4 and stretching out
the
6 fabric cover 54, the user can,be seated within the enclosure facing one side
of the base-
hull 50 to conveniently enable fishing through a hole in the ice on one side
as shown in
8 Figure Z.
9
Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention in which the fishing
shelter
11 base-hull 50 is not loaded onto a frame, but is towed behind a shorter
version of the
12 propulsion device I OA, while a user is seated in the base-hull 50.
13
14 The propulsion device l0A includes a shorter frame 12A including an upper
platfor~xx 58 supporting a small gasoline engine I4A driving a belt 28A which
drives a
16 sheave 30A fixed on a track drive shaft 40A. The drive shaft 40A drives two
track
17 sprockets 60 affixed thereto which causes respective spaced apart tracks
42A to be re-
i 8 circulated about idler sprockets 44A as in the above described embodiment.
19
The base-hull SO is pivotably attached to the frame I2A by a pair of rods 62
each
21 attached to one front corner of the base-hull 50 and converging to a quick
release pivot
22 connection 64 on the platform 58 at their other ends.
23
6
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1 A U-shaped steering flame member 66 comprised of spaced apart tubes 68
2 connected at one ead to each rear comer of the flame upper' platform 58 and
connected
3 together at their upper end by a common cross tube 70.
4
S Engine controls 72 such as a throttle may be mounted to the cross tube 70
for
6 convenience. A user can operate the device l0A while seated in the seat 54
mounted to
7 the cross bar 56.
8
9 A user seated in the base-hull 50 can pivot the propulsion device 1 OA using
the
steering frame 66 to thereby achieve steering. The pivot connection 64 allows
11 articulation between the base~hull 50 and the propulsion device l0A_
12
13 Figure 4 shows another version of the second embodiment shown in Figure 3
with
14 a single track 80. In this version, the propulsion device l OB is pivotably
attached to the
rear of the base-hull 50 by two rods 62A converging to a pivot connection 64D
on the
16 frame platform 58A. A forked tiller 74 has a single graspable handle
portion 76
17 projecting forward over the base-hull so to be easily reached by a user
seated an the
18 pivotable seat S4. Thus steering can be achieved when the propulsion device
10B is
19 located to the rear in a pushing mode.
21
