Ice anchoring method and device

Abstract

An ice anchoring device, and particularly an ice hammer, having a relatively thin walled, partially open or fully closed channel, with opposed interior walls at at least a portion of the channel, and, preferably, parallel outer walls, which, when impacted upon ice, fractures the ice internally of the channel while producing a basically undisturbed void in the ice sufficient to accommodate the anchoring device. Preferably the channel is in the form of an initially closed tube having an inwardly sloping bevel from a cutting edge defined at the end of the tube, and an opening in the tube spaced back from the end of the tube to facilitate removal of fractured ice. The method is practiced by inserting the tube into ice with force and localizing the destructive forces inwardly to the volume within the channel thereby avoiding weakening and fracturing of the remaining exterior portion of the ice in which the device is anchored.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.