US3504434A - Ice edger and line cutter - Google Patents

Description

April 7, 1970 Filed Nov. '7, 1967 E. R. THOMSEN 3,504,434

ICE EDGER AND LINE CUTTER I46 I39 u f I HI I I .1. I44

74 j INvENroR /20 qo Elmer R. Thomsen ATTORNEY 3,5MA34 Patented Apr. 7, 1970 3,504,434 ICE EDGER AND LINE CU'ITER Elmer R. Thomsen, 11022 SE. Stephen St., Portland, Oreg. 97214 Filed Nov. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 681,166 Int. Cl. B26b 25/00; B27c Z/JO U.S. Cl. 30-170 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A base adapted to be moved over the surface of a body of ice and including an upstanding driven rotary shaft projecting downwardly below the base and having a rotary cutting assembly mounted on the lower end port on thereof, the base including a plurality of first depending support members spaced about the shaft and supported from the base for vertical adjustment in stationary position relative to the base and an additional support member spaced outwardly from the cutting assembly and from the first support members and supported from the base for free vertical shifting relative thereto with means provided for biasing the additional support member downwardly relative to the base, the thrust effected by the biasing means on the additional support member being generally equal to the portion of the weight of the base which would be supported from the additional support member if it were stationarily mounted and the lower ends of all of the support members were disposed in a single plane.

The ice edger of the instant invention is designed to edge or cut the ice to a proper surface around the perimeter of an ice sheet such as the ice surface of a skating ring or ice hockey rink. In all ice rinks ice builds up next to the boards and this build-up of ice is difiicult to remove and prevents the conventional ice surfacing machine, sometimes referred to as an ice making machine, utilized to resurface the entire sheet of ice from performing a clean operation adjacent the perimeter of the rink. The ice edger is constructed so as to be particularly well adapted to remove the build-up of ice in an area within ten inches from the face of the boards at the perimeter of the ice surface and to also level high spots present anywhere on the ice surface.

The ice edger includes four depending support members, three of which being stationarily but vertically adjustably supported from the base of the ice edger and the fourth of which being supported from the base of the edger for free vertical adjustment and biased downwardly with a thrust generally equal to the portion of the weight of the edger which would be supported from the fourth support member if it were stationarily mounted and the lower ends of all of the support members were disposed in a single plane. The three stationarily supported support members are adapted to engage the ice which has not been resurfaced by the ice edger or surfacer and the fourth freely vertically shiftable support member is adapted to engage the ice which has been resurfaced by the edger during movement of the latter along the boards of an ice rink.

The main object of this invention is to provide an ice edger which will be capable of removing the build-up of ice immediately adjacent the boards at the perimeter of an ice rink.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide an ice edger which may be readily pushed by a person moving along the boards of an ice rink and equipped with either ice skates or shoes on his feet.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an ice edger that may be readily adjusted, during use, to control the depth of the cut to be made by the edger.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an ice edger utilizing a small internal combustion engine or electric motor as the motive force for the cutting assembly of the edger whereby the edger will be operative independent of a remote power source.

A final object of this invention is to provide an ice edger which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the ice edger;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sec tional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sec tional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary bottom plane view of the ice edger;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom plan view of a modified form of rotary cutter to be utilized in conjunction with the edger for the purpose of cutting shallow channels in a surface which may be subsequently filled with colored water and frozen to form colored lines on an ice rink or the like; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 66 of FIGURE 5.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the ice edger of the instant invention. The edger 10 includes a generally panellike base referred to in general by the reference numeral 12 which may be constructed of any suitable material such as lightweight cast metal so as to include longitudinal and transverse reinforcing ribs 14 and 16. The base further includes depending opposite end skirts 18 and 20 as well as depending opposite side skirts 22 and 24.

A11 elongated handle assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 26 is provided and includes a pair of longitudinal members 28 and 30 which are generally parallel and interconnected at one pair of corresponding ends by means of a transversely extending hand grip 32. The ends of the longitudinal members 28 and 30 remote from the hand grip 32 include angulated end portions 34 and 36 which are removably secured to the upper surface of the rear portion of the base 12 by means of suitable fasteners 38. The angulated end portions 34 and 36 are braced relative to the adjacent portions of the longitudinal members 28 and 30 by means of suitable gusset plates 40 and 42.

The center of the base 12 is provided with a large diameter opening 44 over which the flanged base of a conventional air cooled internal combustion engine generally referred to by the reference numeral 46 is removably secured by means of suitable fasteners 48. The internal combustion engine 46 include a downwardly projecting drive shaft 50 which projects downwardly through the opening 44 and has a rotary cutting assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 52 secured thereto.

The rotary cutting assembly 52 includes a generally circular mounting disk 54 secured to an adapter 56 carried by the lower end of the shaft 50, a plurality of threaded fasteners 58 being utilized to secure the disk 54 to the adapter 56. The disk 54 includes a plurality of downwardly opening grooves 60 formed in its under surface in which a plurality of carbide tipped cutting members 62 are removably secured.

A forward transverse shaft 64 is journalled through the forward end portions of the skirts 22 and 24 and has a first support arm or foot 66 secured thereto immediately inwardly of the skirt 24 and a second support arm or foot 68 secured to the end portion of the shaft 64 which projects outwardly of the skirt 22. A single thrust collar 70 is secured to the shaft 64 immediately inwardly of the skirt 22 and coacts with the support arm or foot 68 to limit axial shifting of the shaft 64.

A third support arm or foot 74 is pivotally supported from the rear end of the skirt 22 by means of a suitable pivot fastener 76 and the support arms or feet 60 and 76 include upwardly projecting arm portions '78 and 80 which have front and rear internally threaded sleeves 82 and 84, respectively, pivotally secured thereto by means of pivot fasteners 86 and 88.

The sleeves 82 and 84 are internally threaded and threadedly receive therethrough the opposite end portions of a screw shaft 90. The shaft 90 is journalled at its opposite ends from the sleeves 82 and 84 and the center portion thereof is rotatably received through an upstanding slot (not shown) formed in a journal boss 92 carried by the base 12. A pair of abutment collars 94 and 96 secured in position On the screw shaft 90 on opposite sides of the journal boss 92 by means of set screws 97 and prevent axial shifting of the screw member or shaft 90 relative to the base 12.

The rear end of the screw shaft 90 is coupled to an adjusting shaft 98 by means of a universal joint assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 100 and the adjustment shaft 98 is journalled from the handle assembly 26 by means of a simple strap member 102 secured to the longitudinal member 30 by means of a suitable fastener 104 and through which the adjustment shaft 98 is rotatably received. The adjustment shaft 98 generally parallels the longitudinal member 30 and has a crank handle 106 secured to its upper end whereby the screw shaft 90 may be rotated from the upper end of the handle assembly 26 during operation of the edger 10.

The support arms or feet 66, 68 and 74 each include curved surface portions 108, see FIGURE 3, which are adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the ice which is to be cut by means of the edger 10 and the surfaces 108 are curved so that the elevation of the base 12, and thus the cutting assembly 52, relative to the surface 110 may be adjusted by swinging the support arms or feet 66, 68 and 74 about the axes of rotation. The angular displacement of the support arms or feet 66, 68 and 74 may, of course, be simultaneously adjusted by means of the screw shaft 90.

In addition to the three support arms or feet 66, 68 and 74, the base 12 includes a thickened corner portion 112, see FIGURE 4, through which an elongated rodlike support arm or foot 114 is slidingly receiver, the upper end of the support arm or foot 114 including a diametrically enlarged head 116 to limit downward movement of the support arm and the lower end of the support arm 114 being provided with an enlarged head portion 118 for engagement with the surface 110. A compression spring 120 is disposed about the support arm 114 intermediate the lower head portion 118 and the under surface portion of the thickened corner portion 112 and thereby biases the support arm 114 toward its lowermost position illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. The stiffness of the spring 120 is such that the portion of the weight of the edger 10 supported from the spring 114 is generally equal to the portion of the weight of the edger which would be supported from the enlarged head portion 118 if the support arm 114 was stationarily supported from the base 12 and the lower end faces of all of the support arms 66, 68, 74 and 114 were disposed in a single plane.

The edger 10 further includes a generally arcuate abutment plate 122 including an upper horizontal flange portion 124 which is pivotally supported from the base 12 by means of a pivot fastener 126, see FIGURES 1 and 2. The flange portion 124 includes an arcuate slot (not shown) through which a fastener 128 extending through the base 12 is received and accordingly, the fastener 128 may be loosened so as to allow the arcuate abutment plate 122 to be angularly adjusted so as to project different distances outwardly from the outermost peripheral portion of the path of movement of the rotary cutting assembly 52. The arcuate abutment plate or member 122 is provided for engagement with the boards of an ice rink or the like which extend about the periphery of the rink and in thi manner the positioning of the cutting assembly 52 relative to these boards when the arcuate abutment member 122 is in engagement with the boards may be adjusted.

The rear portion of the base 12 is provided with a vertical bore 130 through which a pivot pin or shaft 132, see FIGURE 3, may be rotatably received, the pivot pin 132 being adapted to be driven into and frozen in the ice. In this manner, the ice edger 10 may be pivoted about the pivot pin 32 so as to cut a circular groove in the ice.

If it is desired to cut a narrow groove in the ice, the cutting assembly 52 may have a modified form of cutting assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 134 and illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings secured thereto in depending fashion, The cutting assembly 134 projects below and has an effective diameter considerably less than the effective diameter of the cutting assembly 52 and includes carbide tipped cutting elements 136 removably secured to a mounting disk 138 which may be secured to the disk 54.

If it is desired to cut straight grooves in the surface 110, suitable straight guide means may be provided and the edger 10 may be moved along these guide means to cut the desired grooves which may subsequently be filled with colored water and frozen to form colored guide lines in the ice. Further, if it is desired to out large diameter circular grooves in the ice, the pivot pin 132 may be embedded and frozen in the ice at the center of the desired circle and a flexible tension member may be connected between the pivot pin 132 and the edger 10. Further, more accurate cutting of circular grooves may be obtained by using a single rigid radius arm such as arm 139, see FIGURE 4. The arm 139 may be of any desired length and includes an endwise outwardly opening notch 140 in one end and an aperture 141 adjacent notch 140. The end of the arm 139 remote from notch 140 is adapted, by any suitable means, for connection with the pivot pin 132 and the base 12 includes a depending locat ing pin 142 receivable through the aperture 141 and a headed bolt 143 or other fastener receivable in the notch 140 which may be tightened so as to coact with pin 142 to releasably secure the arm 139 in position aligned with the axis of rotation of shaft 50 against angular displacement relative to the base 12. Also, any suitable guide means such as planks may be laid upon the ice surface and engaged by the arcuate abutment plate 144 secured to the base 12 by a fastener 146 and disposed outwardly of abutment plate 122, see FIGURES l and 2, for guiding the edger 10 when cutting straight grooves in the ice. Further, straight grooves of any width may be cut in the ice by making successive overlapping passes.

The depth of the grooves to be cut and the amount of ice which is to be removed from the perimeter of an ice rink may be readily adjusted by rotating the screw shaft 90 so as to simultaneously angularly adjust the support arms or feet 66, 88 and 74.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described,

and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. An ice edger including a base, an upstanding driven rotary shaft projecting downwardly below said base, a rotary cutting assembly carried by the lower end portion of said shaft and adapted to engage and cut, in resurfacing manner, the ice surface from which said base is supported, said base including dependingly supported ice surface engaging support means spaced about and outwardly from said cutting assembly for limiting the depth of cut made by said cutting assembly and supporting said base from said ice surface, said support means including a plurality of first depending support members spaced about said shaft and supported from said base for adjustable vertical stationary positioning relative to said base and an additional support member spaced outwardly from said cutting assembly and from said first support members and supported from said base for free vertical shifting relative thereto, and means biasing said additional support member downwardly relative to said base, the downward thrust effected by said biasing means on said additional support member being generally equal to the portion of the weight of said edges which would be supported from said additional support member if it were stationarily mounted and the lower ends of all of said support members were disposed in a single plane.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said edger includes adjustment means operatively connected to said first depending support members for simultaneously vertically adjusting the latter.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said edger includes elongated handle means projecting endwise outwardly from said base and control means on an outer end portion of said handle means operatively connected to said adjusting means for adjustment thereof from said handle means.

4. The combination of claim 3, wherein said first support members equal three in number and the four support members are spaced generally equally circumferentially about said shaft.

5. An ice edger including a base, an upstanding driven rotary shaft projecting downwardly below said base, a rotary cutting assembly carried by the lower end portion of said shaft and adapted to engage and cut, in resurfacing manner, the ice surface from which said base is supported, said base including dependingly supported ice surface engaging support means spaced about and outwardly from said cutting assembly for limiting the depth of cut made by said cutting assembly and supporting said base from said ice surface, said support means including a plurality of first depending support members spaced about said shaft and supported from said base for adjustable vertical stationary positioning relative to said base and an additional support member spaced outwardly from said cutting assembly and from said first support member and supported from said base for free vertical shifting relative thereto, said base including at least one side extending longitudinally of said base and along which two of said support members are spaced, said cutting assembly including outer cutting portions thereof swingable through a circular path of which a straight line extending between two support members comprises a chord whereby said outer cutting portions are adapted to cut closely adjacent the sides of an ice rink.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein said base includes an abutment member supported therefrom for adjustable positioning along a path extending transversely of said line, disposed generally centrally intermediate said two support members and generally coinciding with a radius of the axis of rotation of said shaft.

7. The combination of claim 6, wherein said support means includes a plurality of first depending support members spaced about said shaft and supported from said base for adjustable vertical stationary positioning relative to said base and an additional support member spaced outwardly from said cutting assembly and from said first support members and supported from said base for free ,vertical shifting relative thereto, and means biasing said additional support member downwardly relative to said base, the downward thrust effected by said biasing means on said additional support member being generally equal to the portion of the weight of said edges which would be supported from said additional support member if it were stationarily mounted and the lower ends of all of said support members were disposed in a single plane.

8. The combination of claim 7, wherein said edger includes adjustment means operatively connected to said first depending support members for simultaneously vertically adjusting the latter.

9. An ice edger including a base, a powered cutting assembly dependingly supported from said base and adapted to engage and cut, in resurfacing manner, the ice surface from which said base is supported, said base including dependingly supported ice surface engaging support means spaced about and outwardly from said cutting assembly for limiting the depth of cut made by said cutting assembly and supporting said base from said ice surface, a plurality of first depending support members spaced about and outwardly of said cutting assembly and supported from said base for adjustable vertical stationary positioning relative to said base and an additional support member spaced outwardly from said cutting assembly and from said first support members and supported from said base for free vertical shifting relative thereto, and means biasing said additional support member downwardly relative to said base, the downward thrust effected by said biasing means on said additional support member being generally equal to the portion of the weight of said edges which would be supported fi'om said additional support member if it were stationarily mounted and the lower ends of all of said support members were disposed in a single plane.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,452,493 4/1923 Conner 4.1 1,647,066 10/ 1927 Westman 144-119 3,180,380 4/1965 Franzen 145-121 ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner R. V. PARKER, JR., Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 51-177; l44117; 1454.1

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