US529463A - Collapsible decoy - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

W. W. ROBERTS.

COLLAPSIBLE DEGOY.

Patented Nov. 20, 1894.

INVENTOH @gWL 14:?8858: 4C. 4.

NITED "rates PATENT Prion.

\VILLIAM IV. ROBERTS, OF NORTH BEND, NEBRASKA.

COLLAPSIBLE DECOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 529,463, dated November 20, 1894.

Application filed March 26, 1894. Serial No. 505,171. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. ROBERTS, of North Bend, in the county of Dodge and State of Nebraska, have inventedcertain useful Improvementsin Collapsible Decoys; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying 1drawings, which form a part of this specifica- This invention has relation to a new and novel improvement in collapsible decoys.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a decoy embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation showing the collapsible skeleton frame extended and with the outer covering removed. Fig. 3 IS a front View of Fig. 2, while Fig. 4: shows a detail of the locking mechanism as used in my device.

The aim of my invention is to provide a decoy that shall be light, portable and collapsible so that it can be stowed within a small compass.

To the main rod, B, which maybe of wood or be a hollow tube, I secure in front the plate, 0, provided with a suitable number of perforations upon the face thereof, and to the rear of this plate are secured the U shaped cars, a, provided with the elongated slot, 2, and secured by means of a transverse pin, 3.

The plate, 0, which extends at right angles to the staff of the main rod, B, is secured by means of these ears a, to said staff. \Vorking loosely upon the rear end of this staff, B, is a tubular sleeve, 9, preferably of light sheet metal, which is provided with an elongated slot, 10, and an angular slot, 11, terminating, in the rear, in the perforated disk, 13. This sleeve, 9, works loosely upon the staff, B. Extending from suitable openings within these plates, 0 and 13, is a series of wire bars, 5, 5, there being any desired number of these bars. In my present invention I have simply shown six of these wire bars, which I secure to the plates, 0 and 13, by simply hooking their ends through the openings within said plates. Vol-king between the cars, a, is a neck rod, 7, provided at its lower end with the bifurcation, 8, and centrally with the transversely extending pin, 3. This pin, 3, is adapted to work within the slot, 2, while the bifurcation is adapted to work over the pin, 3, when theneck of the duck is extended. At a suitable point I have secured to the bar or staff, 13, an ordinary U shaped clip, 15, which is secured by means of a pin, 16, and provided at its lower end with the additional pin, 17. Working within the ears of this clip is the foot bar, E, provided with an elongated slot, 6, adapted to encompass the pin, 17, and the terminal opening, 20, adapted to seat the pin, 16. To the staff, B, is further secured a pin, 12, which, however, is secured near the end of the staff and within the slot, 10, of the terminal sleeve, 9, as shown in Fig. 3. This skeleton wire frame is now covered with a fabric, tinted or colored in the imitation of a bird, such as a duck or goose, as desired. Extending from the head, 6, which is preferably of wood and secured to the neck rod, 7, is a suitable fabric, properly colored, and stufied with some light material which extends downward and connects with the body fabric. The foot bar, E, extends through the body fabric, the fabric being snugly secured to this bar, E.

Now should it be desired to use the decoy it would simply be necessary to press the tail disk, 13, toward the head portion so that the pin, 12, would slide along the slot, 10, until the angular portion, 11, were encountered, so that this pin, 12, would find a seating within the slot, 11. This pressing forward of this rear disk would force all the wire bars, 5, outward to snugly fill out the canvas body, A, of the bird, somewhat in the manner of an umbrella. The head, 6, which in being packed lies snugly upon the folded frame work, would then be'drawn out and the bifurcated end be permitted to find a seating upon the pin, 3, so as to hold the head in the proper position. The leg bar, E, would also be drawn out and forced into a seating with the pin, 16,in which condition the decoy would be as represented in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 2 I have shown, in dotted lines, the decoy as arranged when folded, the dotted lines showing the extreme position of the adjustable disk, 13.

ICO

It will be noticed that this decoy could be used both as a floating and as a land decoy.

The framework itself is so light that together with the inclosed air and floatin g staff, B, and corks K K together with the balance leg, E, the device in proper position floats upon the water. The lower ribs, 5,5, of the frame, are provided with a series or set of cork floats, K, which add butslightly to the weight of the decoy and, should the water, through any means, flow into the decoy, these cork floats would prevent the decoy from swa-mping or sinking, the leg, E, as described, acting as a centerboard in steadying the decoy. V

In using the device upon the land the bar, E, is simply drawn out, as shown in Fig. 1, and forced into the ground.

The decoy when used as a float is not supported so much because of the air contained therein, as the coating, A, is not supposed to be air tight, but simply floats by virtue of its peculiar construction.

Should a shot or a number of shot pass through this fabric it would in no wise injure the utility of the device. Even should the water enter the decoy when used as a float Jltlhetdevice would be sufficiently buoyant to Now having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is

1. In a decoy, the combination, with a suitable supporting frame, of an outer casing or covering resembling a bird, said frame being adapted to be distended or folded, all sub stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a decoy the combination with a suitable supporting staif of a wire frame work secured to said staff, said frame work being adapted to be distended or folded, and covered by a fabric in imitation of a bird, of a bar movably secured to said stafi and adapted to be extended or folded and adapted to be used as a leg or supporting bar, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a decoy the combination with a suitable staff of a permanent plate at one end, an adjustable plate secured by means of a sleeve to said bar at the remaining end, of a series of wire bars connecting said permanent and adjustable plates, said sleeve being adapted to lock said adjustable plate when said wire frame is distended, and the fabric covering said wire frame in imitation of a bird, and the folding leg bar secured to said staff, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a decoy the combination with a suitable staff of a fixed plate secured to 'said staff at one end, provided with a series of openings and two slotted upwardly extending ears,of a neck rod adapted to be adj ustably held within said slotted ears, a sliding sleeve provided with a slot and loosely working upon said stafi, a pin working within said slot, saidsleeve being provided with a disk having suitable openings, of a system of wire rods extending from said sleeve disk to said fixed disk, of a clasp secured to said staff and movably and adjustably supporting a leg bar, a fabric covering said Wire frame and neck rod in imitation of a bird, said neck rod being adapted to be held upright within said supporting ears, while said wire bars are adapted to be distended and locked by means of said sleeve and pin, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a decoy the combination of the following instrumentalities, to-wit: the bar, B, the plate, 0, provided with the slotted ears, a, secured to said stafi, B, a neck rod, 7, working within said slotted ears and provided at its lower end with a bifurcation adapted to work over a pin, 3, secured to said slotted ears, a sleeve, 9, working upon said rod, B, and provided with the angular slots, 10 and 11, and provided with the terminal plate, 13, having suitable perforations,the pin, 12, working within said slots, 10 and 11, the wire bars, 5, extending from said disk, 0, to 13, the clip, 15, provided with the pin, 16, and the folding slotted leg, E, secured to said clip, 15, said wire frame being adapted to be folded and distended, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM W. ROBERTS.

\Vitnesses:

O. W. SMITH,

THOMAS KILLEEN.

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