The present invention pertains to an apparatus for removing ice chips from a hole cut or chopped in the ice and, more particularly, to a device for removing the ice chips and the like which are suspended in the water which fills the hole when cut completely through the ice covering a body of water.
As is well known to ice fishermen, one of the more tedious tasks in preparation for ice fishing is cutting holes through the ice and removing the ice chips, slush and the like from the hole after it is cut. In recent times, the task of cutting the hole has been made substantially less laborious by the use of powered ice augers. However, the task of cleaning the ice chips from the cut hole is still essentially a manual task which is usually accomplished by using a hand-held strainer. It is also possible to utilize a powered ice auger to remove at least a portion of the chips when the auger is pulled out of the cut hole. However, it usually results in the removal of only a portion of the chips and slush and there is carried therewith a significant volume of water. Use of the ice auger to remove a portion of the chips is particularly undesirable when the hole is cut in the ice enclosed by a fishing shanty where it is desirable to prevent the accumulation of ice chips and water on the ice surface or on the floor of the fishing shanty.
There is a need, therefore, for an apparatus which will effectively clean ice chips from a hole cut in the ice which chips are suspended in the water which fills the hole after cutting is completed. The device should be of relatively simple construction, low cost, and operate efficiently so that the ice chips and slush may be quickly and easily cleared from the hole. Preferably, the apparatus should simultaneously strain the ice chips so that the water may drain back into the hole.