Tree stand hoist assembly and casing therefor having...

Implements or apparatus for applying pushing or pulling force – Device or member for contacting and guiding moving cable – Including rotatable – cable contacting – pulley wheel element

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C254S409000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06182946

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to pulley mechanisms and, more particularly, is concerned with a tree stand hoist assembly and a casing therefor having identical mating casing halves.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hunting wild game is a popular activity. Hunters often find it useful to position themselves above the ground, such as on trees. Tree stands are employed for this purpose. Hunters are less likely to be spotted or scented by game and have a better view of the surrounding terrain at elevated positions. A challenge for hunters, however, is getting a tree stand and other items on a tree at a desired position above the ground. Tree stands generally may be constructed on a tree, may be used in climbing the tree or may be raised onto the tree.
Various devices have been developed over the years for raising items, such as tree stands and the like, to higher elevations. Representative examples of prior art pulley mechanisms and the like are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 723,231 to Benedict, U.S. Pat. No. 1,107,934 to Hagan, U.S. Pat. No. 1,167,295 to Hall, U.S. Pat. No. 1,243,107 to Richardson, U.S. Pat. No. 1,399,182 to Benedict, U.S. Pat. No. 1,961,081 to Schrader, U.S. Pat. No. 2,292,353 to Ennis et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,532,893 to Crotty, U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,023 to Muller, U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,489 to Regal, U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,143 to Regal and U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,865 to Fountain. While these prior art devices may be satisfactory in use for the specific purposes for which they were designed, none of them seem to provide a simple and effective solution for raising tree stands and the like to desired elevated positions.
Consequently, a need still exists for an assembly which provides an optimum solution to the aforementioned problem in the prior art without introducing any new problems in place thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a tree stand hoist assembly and a casing therefor designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The hoist assembly of the present invention employs a casing, a pulley mechanism and a latch mechanism to assist a hunter in raising a tree stand or any other suitable item, such as game, to a desired elevation on a tree. The casing of the present invention has an aperture for receiving a fastener member, such as a hanger, hook, peg, step and the like, therethrough for supporting the casing on a tree at a predetermined height. The casing also employs identical mating halves for efficiency and cost-savings in the manufacturing process due to the need for only one mold. The hoist assembly and casing therefor are a simple and effective solution for raising tree stands and the like.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a hoist assembly which comprises: (a) a casing having a lower end, an aperture formed through the casing and an interior chamber defined in the casing, the aperture for receiving a fastener member therethrough for supporting the casing on a tree at a predetermined height, the interior chamber being open at the lower end of the casing; (b) a pulley mechanism including (i) a pulley rotatably mounted to and disposed within the interior chamber of the casing between the aperture and lower end of the casing, and (ii) a cable having opposite first and second end portions and being entrained over the pulley and extending downwardly through the interior chamber and exteriorly of the lower end of the casing, the first opposite end portion for attachment of an item thereto and the second opposite end portion for a user to grip for pulling the second opposite end portion downward to thereby rotate the pulley in a first direction and raise the item attached to the first opposite end portion; and (c) a latch mechanism including (1) a latching pawl pivotally mounted to and disposed within the interior chamber of the casing and being movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the latching pawl in the locked position engaging and wedging the cable against the pulley so as to prevent the cable and therewith the pulley from moving in a second direction opposite the first direction and thereby retain the item attached to the first opposite end portion of the cable in place, the latching pawl in the unlocked position being shifted away from the cable such that the cable and the item are thereby free to move, an (ii) means for moving the latching pawl between the locked position and unlocked position.
More particularly, the casing has an upper end spaced opposite the lower end and a pair of spaced opposite sides extending between the upper and lower ends. The aperture of the casing is spaced below the upper end of the casing but disposed closer to the upper end than to the lower end of the casing and approximately halfway between the opposite sides of the casing. The casing also has a centering recess formed therein in communication with the aperture for receiving a portion of the fastener member therein for balancing the casing on the fastener member. The casing further has a pair of spaced apart openings at the lower end of the casing for passage of the cable therethrough.
The present invention is also directed to the casing for the hoist assembly. The casing comprises: (a) a pair of identical mateable front and rear casing halves; and (b) means for fastening the front and rear casing halves together in a mated relationship; (c) the front and rear casing halves in the mated relationship together forming a lower end of the casing and an interior chamber open at the lower end of the casing; (d) the front and rear halves also including first means for mounting the pulley mechanism within the interior chamber and second means for mounting the latch mechanism within the interior chamber.
More particularly, the front and rear casing halves in the mated relationship together define the aperture for receiving a fastener member therethrough for supporting the casing on a tree at a predetermined height and the centering recess in communication with the aperture for receiving a portion of the fastener member therein for balancing the casing on the fastener member. The front and rear casing halves in the mated relationship together define the pair of spaced apart openings at lower end portions of the front and rear casing halves for passage of the cable of the pulley mechanism therethrough. Each of the front and rear casing halves includes a main wall and a continuous side wall. The main wall has an exterior surface, an interior surface, a pair of diagonally opposite first and second corners, a pair of diagonally opposite third and fourth corners and a periphery. The side wall is mounted to and extends outwardly from the interior surface at the periphery of the main wall. The first means for mounting the pulley of the pulley mechanism within the interior chamber and the second means for mounting the latch mechanism within the interior chamber are formed on the interior surfaces of the front and rear casing halves.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.


REFERENCES:
patent: 210281 (1878-11-01), Weston
patent: 723231 (1903-03-01), Benedict
patent: 1107934 (1914-08-01), Hagan
patent: 1167295 (1916-01-01), Hall
patent: 1243107 (1917-10-01), Richardson
patent: 1389514 (1921-08-01), Kestell
patent: 1399182 (1921-12-01), Benedict
patent: 1753084 (1930-04-01), Kappel
patent: 1961081 (1934-05-01), Schrader
patent: 2292353 (1942-08-01), Ennis et al.
patent: 2532893 (1950-12-01), Crotty
patent: 3313526 (1967-04-01), Owens
patent: 3756565 (1973-09-01), Sakai
patent: 4097023 (1978-06-01), Muller
patent: 4173332 (1979-11-01), DuLondel
patent: 4533026 (1985-08-01), Bernard
patent: 5603489 (1997-02-01), Regal
patent: 5607143 (1997-03-01), Regal
patent: 5615865 (1997-04-01), Fountain
patent: 5845894 (1998-12-01), Petzi et al.

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