Fishing tip-up

Claim 2

A tip-up unit for ice fishing comprising: a three-piece articulated plastic frame including two leg elements, one smaller than the other, and in planar, nestable relation and pivotally connected together substantially at their mid points, and a mast element pivotally connected at the lower end thereof to the smaller of said leg elements, said frame collapsing into a group of substantially parallel elements; a plastic tilt arm generally channel shaped in cross section and pivotally journalled and poised on the upper end of said mast and in a substantially common plane with said smaller leg; a windscoop on the forward end of said tilt arm and extending in generally expanded channel shape beyond said smaller leg; a line guide depending from said windscoop; a balancing spring connected at one end to said mast and at the other end to the rearward end of said tilt arm; a reel journalled to and supported by said mast and said reel including an extension piece parallel and offset from the turning axis of said reel; a flag assembly secured at one end to said mast on the side of said mast opposite said reel and including a flat spring element bent at the upper end to provide a trip element and flag adjacent said bent end; and a wireform trigger is operably secured to the mast and bent to engage said bent end of said flat spring element when said flag assembly is looped over said mast and including an offset trigger extension portion in interference path with said extension piece of said reel when said flag assembly is retained in looped relation and freed by said extension piece of said reel upon selected rotation of said reel and thereupon releasing said bent end of said flag assembly.

Claim 3

In the structure of claim 1 wherein said reel includes a drag structure variably set between said mast and said reel.

Claim 4

In the structure of claim 2 in which said drag structure is a spring on a stub shaft, said spring acts between said reel and said mast and a threaded axial element through said reel and threadably into said mast to selectively compress said spring and brake said reel.

Claim 5

In the combination structure of claim 3 wherein frame, tilt arm and scoop, reel and extension therefrom, are of a durable, dimensionally stable plastic material.

Claim 6

A tip-up unit for ice fishing comprising: a pair of plastic leg elements, the smaller of said leg elements being cut from said larger leg element whereby said larger leg, when crossed over the center of said smaller of said leg element, is in a crossed relation and both of said legs thereupon are nestable, one upon the other, and are in a horizontal ice contacting relation with the lower contacting surfaces of the legs lying in a common plane; a bolt vertically oriented and passing through both of said leg elements at the center crossing; a wing nut threadably on said bolt and adjustably securing said legs in selected operating and collapsed nesting positions; a plastic mast pivotally attached to said smaller of said legs adjacent the center of said leg; a bolt horizontally through said smaller leg and said mast forming said pivotal connection of said mast to said smaller leg; a wing nut threadably on said bolt horizontally through said smaller leg and adjustably securing said mast to said smaller leg in selected operating and collapsed positions; a plastic tilt arm and integral windscoop in channel shaped cross section pivotally connected to the uppermost end of said mast and extending substantially in a tilting plane with said smaller leg; a bolt and wing nut forming said pivotal connection between said tilt arm and said mast substantially one-third of the distance from the rearmost end of said tilt arm and two-thirds of the way back from the foremost windscoop end of said tilt arm; a line guide depending from the windscoop; a drag reel operably secured with adjustable drag means to said mast and in approximate adjacent planar relationship beneath said line guide, said reel including a trip extension projecting from said reel and toward said mast; a flag assembly including a flat spring secured on the side of said mast opposite said reel, a bent end on said spring, and a wireform trigger secured to said mast and trapping said bent portion of said flat spring upon a projecting portion of said trigger and in interference relation with said trip extension; and a counterpoising spring connected between the rearmost end of said tilt arm and mast.

Claim 7

A tip-up unit for ice fishing comprising: a pair of plastic leg elements, the smaller of said leg elements being cut from said larger leg element whereby said larger leg, when crossed over the center of said smaller of said leg element, is in a crossed relation and both of said legs thereupon are nestable, one upon the other, and are in a horizontal ice contacting relation with the lower contacting surfaces of the legs lying in a common plane; a bolt vertically oriented and passing through both of said leg elements at the center crossing; a wing nut threadably on said bolt and adjustably securing said legs in selected operating and collapsed nesting positions; a plastic mast pivotally attached to said smaller of said legs adjacent the center of said leg; a bolt horizontally through said smaller leg and said mast forming said pivotal connection of said mast to said smaller leg; a wing nut threadably on said bolt horizontally through said smaller leg and adjustably securing said mast to said smaller leg in selected operating and collapsed positions; a plastic tilt arm and integral windscoop in channel shaped cross section pivotally connected to the uppermost end of said mast and extending substantially in a tilting plane with said smaller leg; a bolt and wing nut forming said pivotal connection between said tilt arm and said mast substantially one-third of the distance from the rearmost end of said tilt arm and two-thirds of the way back from the foremost windscoop end of said tilt arm; a line guide depending from the windscoop; a drag reel operably secured with adjustable drag means to said mast and in approximate adjacent planar relationship beneath said line guide, said reel including a trip extension projecting from said reel and toward said mast; a flag assembly including a flat spring secured on the side of said mast opposite said reel, a bent end on said spring, and a wireform trigger secured to said mast and trapping said bent portion of said flat spring upon a projecting portion of said trigger and in interference relation with said trip extension; and a counterpoising spring connected between the rearmost end of said tilt arm and mast.