Method and apparatus for drilling a hole in an ice formations and pumping water out from such hole

An auger/pump assembly, comprising:

• an elongated support tower having a first end and a second end;
• an elongated auger adapted to drill a hole in ice, having an ice penetrating first end and a second end;
• a first guide secured to the first end of the support tower, having an opening through which the auger extends;
• a first support bracket mounted for up and down movement along the support tower;
• a first rotary motor mounted onto said first support bracket, drivingly connected to the second end of the auger;
• first power means for driving the first bracket up and down along the support tower;
• a pump unit having an elongated inlet tube with first and second ends, the first end of said tube constituting the inlet for the pump;
• a second guide secured to the first end of the support tower, including an opening through which the inlet tube for the pump extends;
• a second support bracket mounted for up and down movement along the support tower;
• means connecting the second end of the pump to the second support bracket;
• said pump including at least one rotary pump element, a rotary drive motor for said pump element at the second end of the pump unit, and an outlet for the pump at the second end of the pump unit;
• second power means for moving the second support bracket up and down along the support tower;
• and
• means mounting the support tower for guided lateral movement, so that the auger can be used for boring a hole in ice and then be retracted from the hole, and then the tower can be shifted laterally to place the inlet tube of the pump in line with the hole, so that the pump can then be lowered into the hole;
• wherein said support tower comprises a pair of laterally spaced apart channel members, each having a web which is parallel to the web of the other channel member, and each having a pair of flanges which are in coplanar parallelism with the flanges of the other channel, and means extending between the webs of the two channels for securing the two channels together, in a spaced apart relationship, so that slots are formed on the sides of the support tower formed by the flanges, between edge portions of the flanges;
• wherein the first and second support brackets each include a slide/guide member having a base portion positioned inwardly of the flanges, and a stem portion in the slot between the flanges, and each said support bracket is secured to the stem portion of its slide/guide member;
• and
• wherein the means connecting the two channels together comprises an elongated box beam having a first set of opposite sides which are secured to central portions of the webs of the channel members, and a second opposite pair of sides which are spaced inwardly from the flange portions of the channel members.

A support tower for a pair of tools, mounted on the tower for up and down movement along opposite sides of said tower, said tower comprising:

• a pair of laterally spaced apart channel members opening inwardly towards each other, each having a web which is parallel to the web or the other channel member, and each having a pair of flanges which are in coplaner parallelism with the flanges of the other channel, and means extending between the webs of the two channels for securing the two channels together, in a spaced apart relationship, so that slots are formed between each coplaner pair of flanges;
• a tool support bracket on each side of the tower, each support bracket including a slide/guide member having a base portion positioned inwardly of the flanges on its side of the tower, and a stem portion in the slot between the flanges, and each said support bracket being secured to the stem portion of its slide/guide member;
• first power means for driving the first tool support bracket up and down along the support tower;
• and
• second power means for driving the second tool support bracket up and down along the support tower.

A support tower for a pair of tools, mounted on the tower for up and down movement along opposite sides of said tower, said tower comprising:

• a pair of laterally spaced apart channel members opening inwardly towards each other, each having a web which is parallel to the web of the other channel member, and each having a pair of flanges which are in coplaner parallelism with the flanges of the other channel, and means extending between the webs of the two channels for securing the two channels together, in a spaced apart relationship, so that slots are formed between each coplaner pair of flanges;
• a tool support bracket on each side of the tower, each support bracket including a slide/guide member having a base portion positioned inwardly of the flanges on its side of the tower, and a stem portion in the slot between the flanges, and each said support bracket being secured to the stem portion of its slide/guide member;
• first power means for driving the first tool support bracket up and down along the support tower;
• and
• second power means for driving the second tool support bracket up and down along the support tower;
• and
• wherein the means connecting the two channels together comprises an elongated box beam having a first set of opposite sides which are secured to central portions of the webs of channel members, and a second pair of sides which are spaced inwardly from the flange portions of the channel members.

A sideways adjustable tool support mechanism, comprising:

• a base;
• a frame mounted on said base, said frame including at least one laterally extending, elongated guide member;
• a tool supporting tower;
• carriage means mounting the tool supporting tower for sideways shifts in position, along said elongated guide member;
• power means for shifting said carriage and the tower secured thereto in position laterally of the tower and longitudinally of the elongated guide member;
• and
• wherein the means for shifting the carriage and the tower in position comprises a fixed length of chain extending laterally of the tower and at its ends secured to said frame, and motor means mounted on the tower, including a sprocket gear in mesh with said chain, so that rotation of the motor means will cause the sprocket gear to travel relatively along the chain and a sideways shifting movement of the tower.

A sideways adjustable tool support mechanism comprising:

• a base;
• a frame mounted on said base, said frame including a pair of parallel, spaced apart, laterally extending, elongated guide members;
• a tool supporting tower;
• carriage means mounted the tool supporting tower for sideways shifts in position, along said elongated guide members;
• power means for shifting said carriage and the tower secured thereto in position laterally of the tower and longitudinally of the elongated guide members, said power means comprising a length of chain extending laterally of the tower and at its end secured to said frame, and motor means mounted on the tower, including a sprocket gear in mesh with said chain, so that rotation of the motor means will cause the sprocket gear to travel relatively along the chain and a sideways shifting movement of the tower;
• and
• said carriage comprising a pair of sleeves, one for each guide member, each said carriage surrounding each said guide member, each said sleeve including bearing means which makes sliding engagement with its slide member.