Mechanical guns and projectors – Fluid pressure – With control for discharge of fluid pressure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-05
2001-11-20
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3641)
Mechanical guns and projectors
Fluid pressure
With control for discharge of fluid pressure
C124S073000, C124S075000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318350
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for launching a mock bird into the air in order to assist in bird-dog training and, more particularly, to an automatic, remotely controlled mock bird launching device to assist in bird-dog training.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the sport of hunting and, particularly bird hunting, dogs may be used to retrieve the bird after the bird has been shot and fallen to the ground. Such dogs are known as bird-dogs. While certain breeds of dogs are instinctively better for such work over other breeds of dogs, they still have to be trained to recognize and retrieve the fallen bird.
Mock birds, dummy birds or bumpers as they are known in the art, may be used in training bird-dogs. Such mock birds are generally a padded, cloth covered bag of various sizes. The mock birds can be treated with various bird scents in order to simulate a particular type of fallen bird. Scented or not, the mock birds are thrown or launched into the air in order to fall to the ground, thus simulating a shot bird. Once the mock bird has fallen to the ground, the bird-dog is commanded or is trained to automatically fetch or retrieve the mock bird.
While the mock birds may be manually thrown, this is awkward and not an effective method. Thus, it is known to have a mock bird launcher. However, prior art automatic launching devices for mock birds hold only one mock bird at a time and thus need to be reloaded. Therefore, each time a mock bird is to be launched, the user needs to go to the launcher and load a mock bird. Further, these devices utilize pyrotechnic solid or gaseous chemical propellants that can pose a fire and safety hazard.
What is thus needed is an automatic mock bird launching device that can hold and launch a plurality of mock birds.
What is further needed is a mock bird launching device that does not utilize pyrotechnic solid or gaseous chemical propellants.
What is even further needed is a remote controlled, automatic mock bird launching device that can be located at a point away from the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for launching mock birds.
In one form, the present invention is a remote controlled, pneumatically operated mock bird launcher. The launcher includes a plurality of holding cylinders with each holding cylinder adapted to releasably retain a mock bird. An air valve is adapted to be coupled to a source of pressurized air and is actuatable in response to an actuation signal. A transmitter, held by the user/trainer is adapted to send an actuating signal to a receiver that is coupled to the air valve. The receiver is adapted to generate the actuation signal in response to the receipt of the actuating signal from the transmitter. An accumulation cylinder includes an inlet that is coupled to the air valve and an outlet that is adapted to be in communication with one of the holding cylinders upon the accumulation cylinder reaching a given amount of air pressure. The accumulation cylinder further includes a release valve assembly permitting release of air from within the accumulation cylinder through the outlet into one of the holding cylinders upon the accumulation cylinder reaching the given amount of air pressure to eject the mock bird from one of the holding cylinders. An indexer is coupled to the accumulation cylinder and is adapted to position one of the holding cylinders adjacent the outlet of the accumulation cylinder when the accumulation cylinder has reached the given air pressure.
The holding cylinders are preferably retained in a rotatable carousel that is coupled to the indexer. Axial movement of the accumulation cylinder upon filling with pressurized air also causes axial movement of the indexer which translates the axial movement thereof into rotational movement that rotates the carousel and positions one of the holding cylinders axially above the accumulation cylinder during each time that the accumulation cylinder fills with air. In this manner, the pressurized air within the accumulation cylinder is released into a next holding cylinder to eject the mock bird therefrom due to the air pressure.
In another form, the present invention is a mock bird launcher that holds and launches a plurality of mock birds utilizing pneumatics. The mock bird launcher includes a plurality of holding cylinders retained in a rotatable carousel with each holding cylinder adapted to releasably retain a mock bird. An air valve is adapted to be coupled to a source of pressurized air and is actuable in response to an actuation signal. An accumulation cylinder has an inlet coupled to the air valve and an outlet adapted to be in communication with one of the holding cylinders upon the accumulation cylinder reaching a given amount of air pressure. The accumulation cylinder includes a release valve assembly permitting accumulation of air within the accumulation cylinder and the release of the accumulated air from within the accumulation cylinder through the outlet into one of the holding cylinders upon the accumulation cylinder reaching the given amount of air pressure to eject the mock bird from the one of the holding cylinders. An indexer is coupled to the accumulation cylinder and the carousel and is adapted to sequentially position one of the holding cylinders adjacent the outlet of the accumulation cylinder each time the accumulation cylinder has reached the given air pressure.
The accumulation cylinder axially upwardly moves upon filling with pressurized air that also causes axial upward movement of the indexer. The indexer translates the axial upward movement thereof into rotational movement that rotates the carousel and positions one of the holding cylinders axially above the accumulation cylinder during each time that the accumulation cylinder fills with air. In this manner, the pressurized air within the accumulation cylinder is released into a next holding cylinder to eject the mock bird therefrom due to the air pressure. The now empty accumulation cylinder and the indexer move axially downward into a rest position, ready to being the sequence again.
In another form, the present invention is a method for sequentially launching a plurality of mock birds. The method includes providing a plurality of holding cylinders retained in a rotatable carousel with each holding cylinder releasably retaining a mock bird; providing an accumulation cylinder having an air inlet adapted to be coupled to a source of pressurized air, an air outlet, and a release valve assembly normally closing the air outlet with the accumulation cylinder adapted to be in communication with one of the holding cylinders with the release valve assembly releasing the accumulated pressurized air through the air outlet into the holding cylinder upon the accumulation cylinder reaching a given air pressure; providing an indexer coupled to the carousel and the accumulation cylinder with the indexer adapted to rotate the carousel and sequentially position one of the holding cylinders axially above the accumulation cylinder and the outlet of the accumulation cylinder each time the accumulation cylinder reaches the given amount of air pressure; and, providing an air valve coupled between the source of pressurized air and the air inlet of the accumulation cylinder, the air valve permitting pressurized air to flow to the accumulation cylinder upon receipt of an actuation signal.
An advantage of the present invention is that it can be operated remotely.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it can hold and launch a plurality of mock birds without reloading.
It is yet another advantage of the present invention that compressed air is used as a propellant for launching the mock birds.
REFERENCES:
patent: 278005 (1883-05-01), Fredericks et al.
patent: 399882 (1889-03-01), Graydon
patent: 502759 (1893-08-01), Rapieff
patent: 1478597 (1923-12-01), Bebler
patent: 3304928 (1967-02-01), Darrell
patent: 3336870 (1967-08-01), Gunyan et al.
patent: 3621828 (1971-11-01), Hansen
patent
Chambers Troy
Innotek Inc.
Jordan Charles T.
Taylor & Aust P.C.
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