Ships – Boats – boat component – or attachment – Hunting
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-31
2003-12-30
Basinger, Sherman (Department: 3617)
Ships
Boats, boat component, or attachment
Hunting
C114S353000, C135S901000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06668749
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hunting equipment and accessories, and more specifically to an unpowered conveyance or shell which is easily towed or transported to a hunting site for use as a blind, and/or which may be used as a game drag, equipment or material hauling device, etc., as desired.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hunters, wildlife photographers, and others interested in the outdoors and wildlife, have long recognized the need for suitable camouflage and concealment when attempting to approach wild animals closely. This is particularly true of hunters, who must approach their quarry relatively closely in most cases, as they do not have the luxury of a telephoto lens. Hunters of wildfowl (e.g., ducks, geese, etc.) can find it particularly difficult to get within gun range of their quarry (or to attract the game within gun range), due to the relatively short range of the shotgun universally used in such hunting. As a result, hunters have developed various means of concealing themselves from game, and/or attracting the game with decoys, bird calls, etc.
In waterfowl hunting, a hunter often uses a small boat (skiff, etc.) having a shallow draft, and may conceal the boat with natural or synthetic plant materials as camouflage. While such a boat has other uses, its use in hunting is relatively limited due to its size, the relatively open configuration of the upper portion of the boat, and its weight and bulk which preclude unpowered movement over land areas. The hunter using a boat must also have a boat trailer, as well as having a significant amount of camouflage material to conceal the boat.
The hunter who is interested in larger game, must provide even further equipment. The deer (or elk, etc.) hunter who kills his game at some remote site, is faced with the problem of hauling the game back out to a roadway, or to some site which is accessible to a motorized vehicle so he may haul the game away. While many different game totes and carriers have been developed in the past, they are generally configured specifically for such purpose, and cannot be used for other purposes (e.g., waterfowl blinds, etc.).
Thus, the hunter who wishes to hunt different types of game is faced with the need for perhaps several relatively costly, bulky, and cumbersome pieces of equipment necessary to facilitate the hunt, depending upon the specific game being hunted. The hunter is also generally faced with the need to haul other equipment (a weapon, possibly a tree stand for larger game, etc.) as well. The resulting need for specialized and perhaps somewhat costly equipment, which may be limited in utility for other purposes, can be discouraging to even the most dedicated hunter.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a versatile hunting accessory which fulfills all of the above needs in a single piece of equipment. The present hunting accessory comprises a pair of relatively small, light weight, rigid shells formed of a high density polyethylene plastic or other suitable material. The two shells are hinged together to form an enclosure, with the hunter being at least partially or completely concealed (as desired) therein. The device may be concealed further by means of conventional natural or synthetic camouflage material. The present accessory provides further versatility by means of its buoyancy, enabling the device to be towed, paddled, or otherwise propelled across water and/or marshy surfaces to appropriate hunting sites.
The interior of the device serves well for the carriage of hunting equipment therein (decoys, weapons and ammunition, camouflage materials, etc.). Moreover, the two main shells of the present hunting accessory may be easily separated from one another, and a single shell used as a game tote or the like for larger game animals. The interior may be fitted with a removable cushion(s), but the durable nature of the material used enables the device to be used for other purposes as well upon removal of any cushioning or other articles from the interior. For example, the present accessory also serves well as a container or carrier for landscaping materials, yard waste, etc., as desired, and the ability of the two shells to be secured together provides for the carriage of loose material (leaves, etc.) in the back of an open vehicle, without loss of materials during travel.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is presented below.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,651,785 issued on Dec. 6, 1927 to Charles B. Ulrich, titled “Hunting Boat,” describes a small, light weight skiff or the like having a rudder and hand operated propeller. The rudder and propeller protruding from the bottom of the boat preclude its use as a game drag over a solid or semi-solid surface, as provided by the present device. Moreover, the Ulrich boat is essentially enclosed over its upper surface by a pair of doors, thus precluding its use in carrying large, heavy, and/or bulky cargo, other than a hunter who positions himself within the boat. The Ulrich boat does not lend itself to the assembly of two identical hulls with one inverted atop the other to form a hunting blind or other enclosure, as provided by the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,045,262 issued on Jul. 24, 1962 to Robert P. Mitchell, titled “Skin Diver's Combined Float And Equipment Carrier,” describes a compartmented hull having a buoyant flotation chamber at each end with a porous compartment in the center. The porous center compartment has a perforated floor to allow water to flow therethrough to keep a catch of fish fresh while the device is in the water. The Mitchell carrier is relatively small, and includes a pair of back straps extending across the floor or base thereof for carriage of the device. This, along with the porous floor, precludes use of the device as a game drag, and the central porous compartment cannot be used to support a hunter therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,257 issued on Feb. 1, 1972 to Carl J. Ernst, titled “Hunting Boat,” describes a small skiff or kayak type boat having a very low gunwale, in the manner of the Ulrich boat discussed further above. The low height above the water requires a substantially closed upper deck. The Ernst boat is so small and low that additional superstructure must be provided for foot clearance for a hunter reclining in the boat. As a result, one cannot take two hulls of the Ernst configuration and assemble them in mirror image atop one another to provide a complete enclosure for a hunter or other person, as is possible with the present hunting accessory. As in the case of the Ulrich boat, the small opening in the Ernst boat superstructure precludes its use as a game tote for larger animals or other large, bulky articles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,722 issued on Jan. 31, 1978 to Johnny L. Sutherland, titled “Hunting Blind Boat Cover,” describes a frame and covering structure for removable installation to an existing open boat hull. Sutherland provides an openable top hatch for his cover, but the configuration of the Sutherland cover precludes use as a flotation device per se, as can be achieved using the present hunting accessory.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,145 issued on Aug. 15, 1978 to John E. Gillen et al., titled “Boat Mounted Game Blind,” describes a folding, convertible type top for installation on a skiff, kayak, or similar small boat. The Gillen et al. cover is not rigid, cannot provide flotation per se, and cannot be attached to a similar cover to provide an enclosure, as can the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,869 issued on Nov. 7, 1978 to Gordon Witt, titled “Goose And Duck Blind,” describes a series of rectangular three dimensional shells which secure removably together to form an enclosure. While the various layers or tiers may be hingedly opened relative to one another, no means is provided for assembling two of the assemblies together in mirror image along their mutual edges, to form an essentially completely enclosed space, as can the
Basinger Sherman
Litman Richard C.
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