Anchor for marker buoy, waterfowl decoy and the like

• US 8,201,515 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lynn A. Winter
• Original Assignee: Lynn A. Winter
• Inventors: Winter, Lynn A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Venne, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/381,281
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 114/294, 114/299, 441/1, 441/6, 441/21, 441/23, 441/28, 43/3, 813/18, 813/20, 24/31.2, 24/67.R, 24/677, 244/99, 245/57, 269/37, 248/451, 439/219, 211/89.01
• US Class Current: 114/294
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/06 Decoys
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 21/29 by weight, e.g. flukeless weight anchors
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/04 Fixations or other anchoring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2241/02 Design characterised by particular shapes
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 7/26 Means for indicating the location of underwater objects, e.g. sunken vessels means for searching for underwater objects B63C11/48; buoys in general B63B22/00

Abstract

An improved anchor (20) for securing the floatation units (12) of marker buoys (10), waterfowl decoys (36), and the like at selected locations on a body of water. The anchor (20) has an anchor weight (24) portion of non-lead material and a pair of clamping arms (30) extending outwardly from the anchor body (22), and configured and adapted to springably spread apart to open, to close about, and to releasably clamp onto the floatation unit (12), thus preventing the release and tangling of anchor line (14). This provides convenient storage for the marker buoy (10) or the waterfowl decoy (36) with its wound anchor line (14) and the attached anchor (20). Currently, marker buoy anchors and waterfowl decoy anchors frequently consist of a thin lead strip capable of being bent around a portion of the floatation unit (12) of the marker buoy (10) or the waterfowl decoy (36) for secure storage. For use, the lead strip can be unbent to release it from the floatation unit (12). My present invention is uncomplicated, easy to use, and easy to manufacture. It provides a superior alternative to the current technique of using bendable lead anchors, thus eliminating the need for this particular use of lead, a potential source of pollution.

Claims

1. An anchor for use with a floatation unit of a marker buoy or waterfowl decoy wherein said floatation unit is attached to one end of an anchor line and said anchor is attached to the other end thereof, said anchor comprising a shell cover containing an anchor weight composed substantially of non-lead material, said anchor having sufficient weight and density to confine said floatation unit within a circular area of a water body surface, said circular area defined as having a radius of one-half of the deployed length of said anchor line, said circular area being centered on said water surface at a point directly above said anchor, said anchor being of a generally U-shaped configuration having an anchor body and a pair of spaced, opposed clamping arms integral with and extending outwardly from said U-shaped anchor, said anchor weight comprising a plurality of individual anchor weight segments, said individual anchor weight segments being substantially rounded and having generally smooth surfaces to allow said individual anchor weight segments to easily slide against adjacent surfaces of one another for the purpose of allowing said anchor and said arms to flex to open and close substantially, said anchor further comprising at least one stiffener bar, said stiffener bar being a bendable elongated element traversing through the interior of said anchor body and extending longitudinally through the interior of at least one-half of the length of said arms, said stiffener bar having the capability of allowing said anchor and said arms to be easily and repeatedly manually bent to clamp and hold onto said floatation unit, and to be easily and repeatedly unbent to allow the release of said anchor from said floatation unit, said arms also having a cross-section configuration with a least dimension thereof being coincident with a direction of bending of said arms in order to facilitate said arms to spread apart to open, and to close sufficiently to return to their normally substantially closed position in order to springably clamp and hold onto said floatation unit, thereby releasably attaching said anchor to said floatation unit to prevent unwinding and tangling of said anchor line, and for convenient storage of said floatation unit, said anchor line, and said anchor when not in use, said anchor further comprising an anchor line connection member fixedly attached thereto to securely attach said anchor line to said anchor.

2. The anchor of claim 1 wherein said stiffener bar comprises at least one spring, said spring being a resilient, elongated element traversing through the interior of said anchor body and extending longitudinally through the interior of at least one-half of the length of said arms, said spring having the capability of causing said anchor and said arms to easily and repeatedly spring together to, clamp and hold onto said floatation unit, and to be easily and repeatedly urged apart to allow the release of said anchor from said floatation unit.

3. The anchor of claim 1 wherein said shell cover is, itself, of flexibly resilient material capable of causing said anchor and said arms to easily and repeatedly spring together to clamp and hold onto said floatation unit, and to be easily and repeatedly urged apart to allow the release of said anchor from said floatation unit.

4. The anchor of claim 1 wherein said stiffener bar comprises a leaf spring.