Convertible ice house snow sled combination

Claim 2

A convertible ice shelter-snow sled kit assembly comprising a pair of H-members; a first pair of runners each including an elongate straight portion and a curved end portion, each of said first pair of runners further including coupling members spaced along and located intermediate the ends of said elongate portion for receiving the ends of the H-members therein so to form a sled frame; a second pair of runners each including an elongate straight portion and a curved end portion; a frame support including first and second spaced parallel frame members and at least one connecting member for joining said frame members, the ends of said first and second frame members being attachable to the free ends of the curved portions of said first and second pairs of runners to form a shelter frame for supporting a cover, and first and second base members and means for joining said base members together to permit folding of one on top of the other to form a seat for the sled and opening of the members to form a floor surface for the ice house upon which said shelter frame is disposed.

Claim 3

A sled capable of conversion to an ice house comprising first and second upright H-members including vertical side portions and a horizontal connecting portion, first and second runners each including an elongate straight portion, a curved end portion and first and second coupling devices, secured to and spaced apart along said straight portion, for detachably mounting said H-members in an upright position on said runners to form a sled framework, a hinged two-section base member folded with one section on top of the other and mounted on the connecting portions of the H-member to form a sled seat, each section of said base member including plurality of sets of holes therein which align with corresponding holes in the other section and through which the upper parts of the vertical side portions of the H-members extend, and an open carrier compartment mounted on said seat comprising a pair of detachable side panels and a pair of detachable end panels, each of at least one pair of said panels including means for securing said panels to said upper parts of said H-members, said base member including means at the four corners thereof for, when said base member is unfolded, receiving the free ends of the straight portions of said first and second runners, and the free ends of the straight portions of an auxiliary pair of runners, so as to support the runners in an upright position whereby by joining the pairs of runners together with a connecting member an ice house framework is formed, the unfolded sections of the base forming the floor of the ice house.

Claim 4

A sled capable of conversion to an ice house comprising first and second upright H-members including vertical side portions and a horizontal connecting portion, first and second runners each including an elongate straight portion, a curved end portion and first and second coupling devices, secured to and spaced apart along said straight portion, for detachably mounting said H-members in an upright position on said runners to form a sled framework, a hinged two-section base member folded with one section on top of the other and mounted on the connecting portions of the H-member to form a sled seat, each section of said base member including plurality of sets of holes therein which align with corresponding holes in the other section and through which the upper parts of the vertical side portions of the H-members extend, and an open carrier compartment mounted on said seat comprising a pair of detachable side panels and a pair of detachable end panels, each of at least one pair of said panels including means for securing said panels to said upper parts of said H-members, said base member including means at the four corners thereof for, when said base member is unfolded, receiving the free ends of the straight portions of said first and second runners, and the free ends of the straight portions of an auxiliary pair of runners, so as to support the runners in an upright position whereby by joining the pairs of runners together with a connecting member an ice house framework is formed, the unfolded sections of the base forming the floor of the ice house.

Claim 5

A sled as claimed in claim 2 wherein one of the sections of said base includes an enlarged opening therein which is aligned with the holes in the other section and which serves as a fishing hole in the floor of the ice house when the base is unfolded.

Claim 6

A sled as claimed in claim 3 wherein the side panels include brackets through which said upper parts of said H-members extend so as to secure the side panels to the H-members, said side panels further including vertical grooves in the inner surfaces thereof in which the ends of said end panels are received.

Claim 7

A sled as claimed in claim 4 wherein said seat includes a raised reinforcing framework and said side panels each include at least one notch in the lower edge thereof in which a laterally extending portion of said framework is received.

Claim 8

A sled as claimed in claim 2 wherein the curvature of the curved end portions of said runners comprises a 90* curve.

Claim 9

A sled as claimed in claim 2 wherein the portions of the legs of each of said H-members above and below the connecting portions are of different lengths so that by turning the H-members upside down the height of the seat above the runners can be varied.

Claim 10

A sled as claimed in claim 2 further comprising triangular hitch means detachably secured to said runners and including a swivel hitch for connecting the sled to a snow machine.

Claim 11

A shelter for ice fishing which is convertible to form the major elements of a sled comprising a two-section floor including means for permitting folding of one section of the floor onto the other section to produce a seat for the sled, a frame supported on said floor comprising first and second pairs of upright frame members, each said frame member including an elongate straight portion the free ends of which are detachably secured to said floor and a curved end portion, said frame members serving as runners for the sled and at least one pair of said frame members including means for detachably receiving support members for the sled seat; a connecting member including spaced, parallel tubular end portions the opposite ends of which detachably engage the free ends of the curved portions of said runners, and a removable covering which fits over said frame.

Claim 12

A shelter for ice fishing which is convertible to form the major elements of a sled comprising a two-section floor including means for permitting folding of one section of the floor onto the other section to produce a seat for the sled, a frame supported on said floor comprising first and second pairs of upright frame members, each said frame member including an elongate straight portion the free ends of which are detachably secured to said floor and a curved end portion, said frame members serving as runners for the sled and at least one pair of said frame members including means for detachably receiving support members for the sled seat; a connecting member including spaced, parallel tubular end portions the opposite ends of which detachably engage the free ends of the curved portions of said runners, and a removable covering which fits over said frame.

Claim 13

A convertible shelter as claimed in claim 9 wherein one of the sections of said floor includes a spearing or fishing hole therein, said floor further including four apertures, located at each of the corners thereof, in which said frame members are detachably received.