Game decoy with high-speed, rotating “strobe” wings and in-line motor drive

• US 6,508,028 B1
• Filed: 01/26/2000
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Huntwise Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Claude M. Crowe
• Inventors: Crowe, Claude M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ark, Darren W.
• Application Number:
  US09/491,247
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 43/2, 43/3, 43/261, 43/262
• US Class Current: 43/3
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/06 Decoys

Abstract

A water fowl (e.g. duck) decoy system in which the decoy'"'"'s wings (20/120), which are flat and both longitudinally and laterally extended by, for example, having one or more, curved lobes (23/123A&B, note FIGS. 1& 5B), producing a disc like shape, preferably of a size of at least about nine (9″) inches in “diameter,” with contrasting colors (e.g., dark olive & white; cf. FIGS. 5B & 5C) on its flat sides with one or more stripes on its lighter side, are rotated at a relatively high speed (e.g., ˜600 rpm+, e.g., more particularly ˜600 or ˜750 rpm or up to ˜900 rpm or greater), producing a “strobe” like effect for enhanced visibility of the decoy to flying ducks. Additionally, the decoy (1/101) has a laterally disposed, direct, in-line, DC electric motor drive (30), with laterally directed, dual shaft connectors (note FIG. 3) directly connected to the wings. The wings may be connected to the dual motor shafts with their respective center-lines (29) either co-incidental or at varying angles (note set of proximal connector holes 27A-C of FIG. 3), producing a variable, wing “flapping” like effect when angled, i.e., not-co-incident.

Claims

1. A decoy, comprising:

a basic body simulating in shape the body of a winged animal and having sides, a head and a tail and a hollow interior chamber therein;

a pair of longitudinally extended, rotatable wings, said wings being substantially flat in their entirety and each having a terminating, distal wing tip opposed to that on the other wing, with one of said wings on one side of said body and the other of said wings on the other side of said body, said wings extending laterally out and away from said body, each terminating in a respective distal wing tip and devoid of any supporting restraint at said distal wing tip, each of said wings being directly attached to a separate wing shaft laterally disposed with respect to said body and extending along a longitudinal axis, said wing shafts not extending beyond said distal wing tips; and

a double shaft, direct drive, DC, electric motor located in and mounted on said body in said hollow interior chamber and having two, opposed ends, each of said opposed ends having a centrally-located drive end shaft extending laterally out each end of said motor, wherein each of said drive end shafts is inserted directly into a respective said wing shaft and coupled thereto, wherein said motor provides common rotation together, said wings being solely supported off said basic body by their respective wing shafts coupled to their respective motor drive end shafts, said wings being devoid of any other connections to said body and being solely supported by said motor onto said body.

2. The decoy of claim 1, wherein:

said motor directly rotatably drives said wings at a rotational rate of at least about six hundred (˜

600 rpm) revolutions per minute.

3. The decoy of claim 1, wherein:

said motor directly rotatably drives said wings at a rotational rate in the range between at least about six hundred (˜

600 rpm) revolutions per minute up to a maximum of about nine hundred (˜

900 rpm) revolutions per minute.

4. The decoy of claim 1, wherein:

said laterally extended wings each have on their undersides and their upper sides contrasting colors, which, when driven, produce a strobe effect.

5. The decoy of claim 1, wherein:

each of said drive end shafts protrudes a short distance beyond, and terminates in close juxtaposition to, the sides of said body.

6. The decoy of claim 1, wherein:

said wings are positioned at a non-co-incident angle with one another and with the center lines of said wing shafts, thereby creating a wing flapping appearance as said wings are rotated.

7. The decoy of claim 1, wherein there is further included:

a series of fasteners being the sole support for said motor in said body extending through the sides of said decoy body into the ends of said electric motor, suspending said electric motor within said chamber from side to side.

8. The decoy of claim 1, wherein said motor is twelve (12 v) or six (6 v) volt, DC motor.

9. The decoy of claim 1, wherein said motor is a twelve (12 v) or six (6 v) volt, DC motor, and where there is further included:

a land based, twelve (12 v) or six (6 v) volt battery for powering said motor.

10. The decoy of claim 1, wherein:

each of said wings has a leading edge and a trailing edge and a laterally extended, curved lobe on each wing'"'"'s trailing edge.

11. The decoy of claim 10, wherein:

each of said wings has a laterally extended, curved lobe on each of said leading edge and said trailing edge.

12. The decoy of claim 1, wherein:

each of said wings has a curved leading edge and a curved trailing edge, and a curved lobe on at least its trailing edge forming with its opposite, leading edge a laterally extended, circular area, similar to a disc shape, each of said wings having contrasting colors on its opposing flat sides.

13. The decoy of claim 12, wherein:

said laterally extended, circular area of each wing has a diameter of at least about nine (9″

) inches.

14. The decoy of claim 1, wherein:

said wings are made of sheet material.

15. The decoy of claim 1, wherein:

said wings each have a center line and a series of adjacent, but spaced, off-set holes in them to which its respective wing shaft can be selectively attached by a mechanical connection, the center-lines of said wings capable of being positioned at an angle to one another and to the longitudinal axes of said wing shafts and said motor drive end shafts, creating a flapping appearance as said wings are rotated.

16. The decoy of claim 1, wherein:

a mechanical device holds each of said drive end shafts and said wing shafts together.

17. The decoy of claim 16, wherein:

said mechanical device holding each of said drive end shafts and said wing shafts together is a set screw.

18. The decoy of claim 1, wherein said decoy further comprises:

a tail extension, said tail extension connected to said tail and adapted to contact a water surface and cause ripples on said water surface in response to vibrations generated by the movement of said wings.

19. The decoy of claim 18, wherein said decoy further comprises:

a spring clamp, said spring clamp attached to said basic body and adapted to allow said decoy to be rockably attached to a mounting surface, wherein said spring clamp amplifies the movement of said tail extension generated by the movement of said wings and thereby increases the amount of said ripples on said water surface.

20. A decoy, comprising:

a basic body simulating in shape the body of a winged animal and having sides, a head, a tail and a hollow interior chamber therein;

a pair of longitudinally extended wings, one on either side of said body, extending laterally out from said body, each wing being substantially flat;

a pair of wing shafts connected, respectively, to said wings; and

a DC electric motor located in said chamber connected to said wing shafts to rotationally drive said wings via said wing shafts;

said wings each having a center-line and a series of adjacent, off-set, spaced holes in them spaced away and off-set from its respective center-line, wherein said respective wing shafts can be selectively attached by a mechanical connection to said off-set holes, said center-lines of said wings thereby being positioned at an angle to one another and to the longitudinal axes of said wing shafts when said wing shafts are connected to said off-set holes, creating a flapping appearance as said wings are rotated by said motor.

21. The decoy of claim 20, wherein:

said off-set holes are located on both sides of said center-lines of said wings.

22. The decoy of claim 20, wherein:

said mechanical connection is a nut and bolt connection.

23. The decoy of claim 20, wherein:

there is at least one center-line hole located on said center-line of each of said wings, through which each of said wings is always attached to its respective wing shaft; and

said off-set holes are located closer to said decoy body than said center-line hole.

24. The decoy of claim 20, wherein:

said DC electric motor has opposed ends and is laterally disposed within said chamber, said motor having dual, in-line, centrally located, drive end shafts extending out said ends end of said motor, each of said wing shafts being directly connected to a respective one of said drive end shafts, there being an absence of any relatively moveable, intermediate mechanical structures between said drive shafts and said wing shafts during rotation, said wings being concurrently and directly rotated in-line by said motor through said wing shafts.

25. A method for enhancing the visibility of a decoy to wild game, comprising the following steps:

(1) providing a decoy having a basic body simulating the body of a winged animal having a hollow interior with

a pair of longitudinally extended, rotatable wings, said wings being substantially flat in their entirety and each having a terminating, distal wing tip opposed to that on the other wing, with one of said wings on one side of said body and the other of said wings on the other side of said body, said wings extending laterally out and away from said body, each terminating in a respective distal wing tip and devoid of any supporting restraint at said distal wing tip, each of said wings being directly attached to a separate wing shaft laterally disposed with respect to said body and extending along a longitudinal axis, said wing shafts not extending beyond said distal wing tips; and

a double shaft, direct drive, DC, electric motor located in and mounted on said body in said hollow interior chamber and having two, opposed ends, each of said opposed ends having a centrally-located drive end shaft extending laterally out each end of said motor, wherein each of said drive end shafts is inserted directly into a respective said wing shaft and coupled thereto, wherein said motor provides common rotation together, said wings being solely supported off said basic body by their respective wing shafts coupled to their respective motor drive end shafts, said wings being devoid of any other connections to said body and being solely supported by said motor onto said body; and

(2) providing DC power to said motor and rotating said wings with said wing shafts, thereby producing a strobe effect.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein in the step of providing DC power there is included the step of:

rotating said wings at a rate of about six hundred (˜

600 rpm) to about nine hundred (˜

900 rpm) revolutions per minute.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein:

each of said wings has opposing sides, a curved leading edge, and a curved trailing edge, with a curved lobe on at least its trailing edge forming with its opposite, leading edge a laterally extended, circular area, similar to a disc shape, each of said wings having contrasting colors on said opposing sides; and

said DC electric motor, while rotationally driving said wings at a high rate of speed in excess of about six hundred (˜

600 rpm)-revolutions per minute, produces with said laterally extended, circular areas of said wings and said contrasting colors a strobe effect.