Ice fishing tip-up

Claim 2

For use in ice fishing wherein a fishing line is disposed through an opening in a sheet of ice overlying a body of water through which opening a hooked fish is withdrawn, an improved ice fishing tip-up comprising: base plate means including guide means and having a planar undersurface for covering the opening and for engaging the surface of the ice surrounding and defining the opening, the guide means defining a guide hole extending through the base plate means and having a diameter approximating the diameter of the fishing line for guiding the fishing line through the opening: a fishing reel rotatably mounted on the base plate means; a trip member on the fishing reel, movable through a tripper path upon rotation of the fishing reel; a stationary non-rotatable hook shaped retainer affixed to the base plate means in spaced apart relation to the fishing reel; an alert pole carried by the base plate means opposite the fishing reel and engageable by the retainer for retention in a horizontal waiting position in the tripper path, the alert pole being engageable by the trip member for disengagement from the retainer for movement to a vertical alert position; and bias means tending to bias the alert pole to said afert position whereby a fish striking the fishing line is operative to cause rotation of the fishing reel and movement of the trip member into engagement with the alert pole in its waiting position to disengage the alert pole from the retainer and enable the bias means to urge the alert pole into its alert position.

Claim 3

For use in ice fishing wherein a fishing line is disposed through an opening in a sheet of ice overlying a body of water through which opening a hooked fish is withdrawn, an improved ice fishing tip-up comprising: generally circular base plate means having a planar undersurface for covering the opening and for engaging the surface of the ice surrounding and defining the opening, the base plate means also having a hole extending through its center portion; a fishing reel rotatably mounted on the base plate means with its axis of rotation generally perpendicular to the base plate means; a trip member on the fishing reel, movable through a tripper path upon rotation of the fishing reel; a stationary non-rotatable hook-shaped retainer affixed to the base plate means in spaced apart relation to the fishing reel; an alert pole carrier by the base plate means opposite the fishing reel and engageable by the retainer for retention in a horizontal waiting position in the tripper path, the alert pole being engageable by the trip member for disengagement from the retainer for movement to a vertical alert position; spring bias means connecting the alert pole to the base means and tending to bias the alert pole to said alert position; and guide means disposed over the hole in the base plate means and defining a guide hole having a diameter approximating the diameter of the fishing line for guiding the fishing line from the fishing reel through the hole in the base plate means whereby a fish striking the fishing line is operative to cause rotation of the fishing reel and movement of the trip member into engagement with the alert pole in its waiting position to disengage the alert pole from the retainer and enable the bias means to urge the alert pole into its alert position.

Claim 4

For use in ice fishing wherein a fishing line is disposed through an opening in a sheet of ice overlying a body of water through which opening a hooked fish is withdrawn, an improved ice fishing tip-up comprising: generally circular base plate means having a planar undersurface for covering the opening and for engaging the surface of the ice surrounding and defining the opening, the base plate means also having a hole extending through its center portion; a fishing reel rotatably mounted on the base plate means with its axis of rotation generally perpendicular to the base plate means; a trip member on the fishing reel, movable through a tripper path upon rotation of the fishing reel; a stationary non-rotatable hook-shaped retainer affixed to the base plate means in spaced apart relation to the fishing reel; an alert pole carrier by the base plate means opposite the fishing reel and engageable by the retainer for retention in a horizontal waiting position in the tripper path, the alert pole being engageable by the trip member for disengagement from the retainer for movement to a vertical alert position; spring bias means connecting the alert pole to the base means and tending to bias the alert pole to said alert position; and guide means disposed over the hole in the base plate means and defining a guide hole having a diameter approximating the diameter of the fishing line for guiding the fishing line from the fishing reel through the hole in the base plate means whereby a fish striking the fishing line is operative to cause rotation of the fishing reel and movement of the trip member into engagement with the alert pole in its waiting position to disengage the alert pole from the retainer and enable the bias means to urge the alert pole into its alert position.

Claim 5

A tip-up according to claim 2 and including adjustable friction means operative upon the fishing reel to constrain rotation of the fishing reel in the absence of a torque of predetermined magnitude.

Claim 6

A tip-up according to claim 2 wherein the alert pole is removably carried by the base plate means for removal and storage when the tip-up is not in use.