Amusement devices: toys – Operated by relatively moving fluid or pressure differential – Including mouthpiece for blowing or sucking
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-23
2003-04-15
Ackun, Jacob K. (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: toys
Operated by relatively moving fluid or pressure differential
Including mouthpiece for blowing or sucking
Reexamination Certificate
active
06547627
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to game calling devices, and in particular, to a game calling device that can produce sounds having varied pitch, intensity, tone and inflection.
2. Description of Related Art
Game calling devices for large mammals and predators are known, in particular, devices known as “grunt tubes” are used to simulate the grunts, snorts, bleats and other sounds produced by White Tailed deer. White Tailed deer sounds are described by Atkenson et al. In “Vocalizations of White Tail Deer,” 120 The American Midland Naturalist 195 (1988). Hunters and wildlife enthusiasts use grunt tubes to attract deer and other animals.
Grunt tubes generally include a tubular member through which air passes over a reed supported within the tubular member. The passing air excites the reed and causes it to vibrate and to produce sounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,946 to Oathout discloses such a game caller in which the user can modify the sounds emanating from the outlet end produced by air passing through the mouthpiece and over the reed by selectively applying pressure to an elastic skin stretched over an opening in the tubular member.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,020,675 to Boecker discloses a goose caller in which the user depresses a pin to contact the reed and control its vibration, thereby changing the pitch of the sounds produced by the goose caller.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,451 to Leedy discloses an adjustable game calling device having a trombone-like tuning member in sliding contact with a single point on a reed that the user positions axially to change the effective length of the reed.
The devices of the prior art, however, fail to provide the user with the capability of varying the inflection, pitch, intensity and/or tone of the sounds by manually adjusting the device in a way that allows the sounds to be consistently reproduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a game calling device in which sounds having varied pitch, intensity, tone and/or inflection can be produced consistently.
Another object of the invention is to produce a game calling device that can produce varied sounds without manipulating the device by hand.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a game calling device having a control rod that can be manipulated by hand to place pressure on the reed and produce varied sounds.
These and other objects are achieved by the game calling device of the present invention. The game calling device includes a tubular member, a reed, an elastic skin and a control rod. The tubular member includes a mouthpiece end that allows air to enter the tubular member, an outlet end that emits sounds, and an opening in a wall of the tubular member between the mouthpiece end and the inlet end. The reed vibrates in response to passing air and is disposed within the tubular member adjacent the mouthpiece end and the opening. The elastic skin extends over the wall of the tubular member to at least partially cover the opening. The user can modify the sounds emanating from the outlet end of the device by selectively moving the control rod axially to contact the reed and change the vibrational characteristics of the reed. For instance, when the control rod is moved in such a way as to increase the length of reed that may vibrate, a low pitched sound may result. Conversely, decreasing the length of reed that may vibrate may result in a higher pitched sound emanating from the device.
The tubular member preferably includes a mouthpiece for the user to inhale or exhale air through the device. Within the tubular member, a plate member having an air channel that extends along an axis of the mouthpiece supports a reed connected to the plate member at one end. The plate member preferably includes an upstream end disposed adjacent the mouthpiece end. The reed preferably includes an upstream end that is also disposed adjacent the mouthpiece end and a downstream end. The downstream end of the reed is connected to the downstream end of the plate member. The upstream end of the reed is free to vibrate.
The upstream end of the plate member preferably includes an end wall that forms an end to the air channel. The upstream end of the plate member is preferably tapered. The reed is preferably attached to the plate member. The game calling device preferably includes a support member to which the reed and plate member are attached. The support member supports the reed and the plate member such that the reed and plate member do not contact the wall of the tubular member.
The elastic skin preferably extends to at least partially cover the opening. The opening preferably includes an upstream end, a middle portion and a downstream end. The opening preferably widens from the upstream end to the middle portion, and narrows from the middle portion to the downstream end.
The game calling device of this invention has a control rod that allows the user to control the vibration of the reed in such a way as to vary the inflection of the sounds as well as their pitch, intensity and tone.
In one embodiment, the control rod is manipulated manually with a ball handle attached to one end. On the other end of the control rod is a roller that makes contact with the reed. The elastic skin urges the roller against the reed allowing the roller to make continuous contact with the reed. The elastic skin also allows the user to note the position of the roller on the reed by visually inspecting the outer surface of the elastic skin.
In this embodiment, a barrel portion is connected to a tubular member to enhance the sound created by the device. The ball handle of the control rod is located on the downstream end of the barrel and the control rod extends through the barrel into the tubular member where it is connected to the roller. In this embodiment, the user exhales into the device to excite the reed and create sound. In other embodiments, a user may inhale to create air flow through the device also creating sound. In this embodiment, the user may adjust the quality of the sound manually with the control rod and, once the desired sound quality is achieved, the control rod may be left in that position to consistently reproduce the sound.
In another embodiment, the game calling device of this invention may be operated in a hands free mode. In this embodiment, a tubular member has a mouthpiece connected to one end. Within the mouthpiece is a support member that fixes the plate member and reed within the device. A control rod extends from the opening of the mouthpiece through a hole in the support member and ultimately makes contact with the reed inside the tubular member. The control rod of this embodiment may be manipulated by the teeth or tongue of the user in a completely hands free mode of operation. The control rod has a hooked end which extends from the mouthpiece and a contact end opposite the hooked end for making contact with the reed. The control rod may be of a semi-flexible or resilient material and curved in such a way as to make contact with the inner surface of the tubular member at the mid-section so as to slidably maintain contact between the contact end of the control rod and the reed over a full range of motion.
In this embodiment, the user inhales to create airflow through the device exciting the reed. This may be particularly advantageous during cold weather in that moisture from the user's breath will not freeze on the device, which would cause the reed to become immobile. In this embodiment, a screen or cover may be placed over the outlet end of the tubular member to prevent the user from inhaling insects or other foreign objects. One skilled in the art will realize that the game calling device of this embodiment may be configured to allow the user to exhale rather than inhale to create the desired sound.
These and other features and advantages of this invention are described in, or are apparent, from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1052525 (1913-02-01), Smith
patent: 2072786 (1937-0
Ackun Jacob K.
Oathout David E.
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