Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd. Inc.

John Bercaw

Charles G Brainerd

Andrew McLean

Jonny Woodward

Paul A Tusting

William R Belcourt

Hong Kyu Kwak

Tyler Warner

William J Reimann

Chris Harmston

An ice screw device for winter, alpine and ice climbing includes a banger couplable to a tubular shank with a screw thread. The tubular shank includes an ice engaging portion configured to be inserted into ice, a tip, and a head portion. The ice engaging portion includes a length and a reverse taper. A majority of the reverse taper of the ice engaging portion is located proximate the tip and within less than half of the length of the ice engaging portion from the tip. In addition, the taper of the ice engaging portion is non-linear. The ice engaging portion of the tubular shank can have at least two sections.. A first section nearer the tip has a first taper different from a second taper of a second section nearer the head portion.

Ice screw with non-linear taper

An ice screw includes a hollow tubular shaft with external screw threads formed on the shaft and a hanger attached to the shaft. The hanger has an eye for clipping on a carabiner. A foldable handle is pivotally attached to the hanger to pivot between a crank position and a folded position. In the crank position, the handle extends from the hanger for grasping to rotate and thus rotate the shaft. In the folded position, the handle folds into a recess formed in the hanger. In the crank position, the hanger serves as a lever arm or crank arm for the handle.

Ice screw with foldable crank handle

An ice axe device comprising a handle having a gripping end and a working end and an impact member attached at the working end. The gripping end is configured about its longitudinal axis with a smaller, forward curvature and a larger, rearward curvature. The smaller, forward curvature is approximately defined by a radius slightly smaller than a corresponding radius of an arc formed at an inner surface of the user's fingers when wrapped about that portion of the gripping end. The larger, rearward curvature is approximately defined by a larger radius which is slightly smaller than a corresponding radius of an arc formed by a users palm and a proximate inside portion of an extending thumb when wrapped around the gripping end.

Handle for ice axe

A carabiner includes an elongate extension formed generally into a prolate loop having a curved spine with an upper end and a lower end, an upper finger extending forwardly and downwardly from the upper end of the spine to terminate in a free end, a lower finger extending forwardly and upwardly in the shape of a hook to terminate in a free end, and an elongate pivot finger pivotally attached at a lower end to the free end of the lower finger to pivot between a closed position, in which an upper end of the pivot finger contacts the free end of the upper finger, and an open position, in which the upper end of the pivot finger is pivoted away from the free end of the upper finger toward the spine. The spine includes a fin or rib extending rearwardly therefrom, with the fin having a contact surface against which a person's thumb may rest when gripping the spine from the rear. This allows the person to orient, by feel, the carabiner for subsequent use.

Carabiner with thumb grip

Carabiner

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Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America

John Bercaw