Avian decoy

• US 20070180753A1
• Filed: 07/05/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Outdoors LLC
• Original Assignee: Avery Outdoors Incorporated (Banded Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Matthews, Thomas B.J., Zink, Fred Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 43/3
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/06 Decoys

Abstract

An avian decoy including a decoy body; a stake having an upper end for rotatably supporting the decoy body, and having a lower end for being anchored to a support surface; and a guide for guiding the upper end of the stake into proper position in the decoy body.

Claims

1. An avian decoy comprising:

.

(a) a decoy body;

(b) a stake having an upper end for rotatably supporting said decoy body, and having a lower end for being anchored to a support surface; and

(c) guide means for guiding said upper end of said stake into said decoy body.

2. The decoy of claim 1 in which said guide means includes a funnel for guiding said upper end of said stake into said decoy body.

3. The decoy of claim 2 in which said funnel is positioned inside said decoy body.

4. The decoy of claim 1 in which a pivot member is provided inside said decoy body, and in which said upper end of said stake has a concave surface for rotatably supporting said pivot member.

5. The decoy of claim 4 in which said pivot member has a pointed lower end for engaging said concave surface of said upper end of said stake.

6. The decoy of claim 1 in which said upper end of said stake has a spherical head;

and in which said pivot member has a concave surface for receiving said spherical head of said upper end of said stake.

7. The decoy of claim 1 in which said lower end of said stake is pointed for being inserted into the support surface.

8. The decoy of claim 1 in which said lower end of said stake has an enlarged base for resting on the support surface.

9. The decoy of claim 8 in which said stake consist of an elongated rod with said lower end including an open circle forming said enlarged base.

10. The decoy of claim 1 in which is included directional stop means for limiting the rotation of said decoy body on said upper end of said stake.

11. The decoy of claim 10 in which said directional stop means includes a first stop member attached to said stake, and a coacting second stop member attached to said decoy body for engaging said first stop member when said decoy body has rotated a desired amount in a first direction on said stake and for preventing further rotation of said decoy body in that first direction.

12. The decoy of claim 11 in which said first stop member includes an arm member extending from said stake;

and in which said second stop member includes a first bumper member for engaging said arm member of said first stop member when said decoy body has rotated in a first direction a desired amount, and a second bumper member for engaging said arm member of said first stop member when said decoy body has rotated in a second direction a desired amount.

13. The decoy of claim 12 in which said guide means includes a funnel for guiding said upper end of said stake into proper position;

and in which said funnel of said guide means has a slot therein for receiving said arm member of said first stop member with one side of said slot forming said first bumper member of said second stop member and with the other side of said slot forming said second bumper member of said second stop member.

14. The decoy of claim 1 in which is included directional lock means for preventing any rotation of said decoy body on said upper end of said stake.

15. The decoy of claim 14 in which said guide means includes a funnel for guiding said upper end of said stake into proper position;

in which is included an arm member extending from said stake; and

in which said funnel of said guide means has a slot therein for receiving said arm member extending from said stake for preventing any rotation of said decoy body on said stake.

16. The decoy of claim 1 in which said guide means includes a funnel for guiding said upper end of said stake into proper position;

in which is included an arm member extending from said stake;

in which said funnel of said guide means has a first slot therein for receiving said arm member extending from said stake for limiting the rotation of said decoy body on said stake; and

in which said funnel of said guide means has a second slot therein for receiving said arm member extending from said stake for preventing any rotation of said decoy body on said stake.

17. The decoy of claim 16 in which said first slot of said funnel is wider than the width of said arm member to allow a rotation of said decoy body on said stake when said arm member is positioned in said first slot;

and in which said second slot of said funnel is the same width as said arm member to prevent any rotation of said decoy body on said stake when said arm member is positioned in said second slot.

18. The decoy of claim 12 in which is included a first leg stub attached to said decoy body;

a second leg stub attached to said decoy body; and

in which said first leg stub forming said first bumper member of said second stop member and with said second leg stub forming said second bumper member of said second stop member.

19. The decoy of claim 18 in which said arm member incudes a first arm extending from said stake for bumping said first leg stub when said decoy body has rotated in a first direction a desired amount, and a second arm extending from said stake for bumping said second leg stub when said decoy body has rotated in a second direction a desired amount.

20. The decoy of claim 1 in which is included a first leg stub attached to said decoy body;

and in which is included a second leg stub attached to said decoy body.

21. The decoy of claim 20 in which said first and second leg stubs are movably attached to said decoy body.

22. The decoy of claim 21 in which said first and second leg stubs can be folded inside of said decoy body.

23. An avian decoy comprising:

(a) a decoy body;

(b) a first leg stub movably attached to said decoy body for being moved between an extended position and a folded position inside of said decoy body;

(c) a second leg stub movably attached to said decoy body for being moved between an extended position and a folded position inside of said decoy body.

24. The decoy of claim 23 in which is included first elastic means attaching said first leg stub to said decoy body;

and in which is included second elastic means attaching said second leg stub to said decoy body.

25. The decoy of claim 24 in which said decoy body has a hollow interior for receiving said first and second leg stubs when in said folded positions;

in which said decoy body has a bottom;

in which said decoy body has an aperture in said bottom thereof communicating with said hollow interior;

in which said decoy body has a first slot extending from said aperture for receiving said first elastic means when said first leg stub is in said folded position; and

in which said decoy body has a second slot extending from said aperture for receiving said second elastic means when said second leg stub is in said folded position.

26. An avian decoy comprising:

(a) a body portion;

(b) a head portion; and

(c) attachment means for removably attaching said head portion to said body portion and for properly positioning said head portion on said body portion.

27. The decoy of claim 26 in which said attachment means includes a first male member and a first female member for coacting with one another to attach said head portion to said body portion;

and in which said attachment means includes a second male member and a second female member for coacting with one another to properly position said head portion on said body portion.

28. The decoy of claim 27 in which said first male member includes a first thread portion, and in which said first female member includes a second thread portion for screwably coacting with said first thread portion of said first male member.

29. The decoy of claim 27 in which said first male member is on said head portion;

and in which said first female member is in said body portion.

30. The decoy of claim 27 in which said second male member includes a hemispherical ball;

and in which said second female member includes a hemispherical concavity for receiving said hemispherical ball of said second male member.

31. The decoy of claim 30 in which said hemispherical ball is on said head portion;

and in which said hemispherical concavity is in said body portion.