US2313353A - Decoy - Google Patents

Description

March 9, 1943. J, H. I LS 2,313,353

DECOY Fiied May 9, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In uenlor Patented Mar. 9, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT oer-ice nEcoY John Howard Mills, Rockport, Tex.

Application May 9, 1942, Serial No. 442,363

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in decoy geese, the principal object in view being to provide an inexpensive, light weight, artificial, goose of such natural appearance that wild geese will be lured thereby to alight near the same, and which is collapsible as regards the body and foldable as regards the neck and head to arrange the parts in flat, compact form for porting and storage, and which is further adapted to be quickly and easily unfolded and expanded to life-like form.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanyingand forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved decoy goose,

Figure 2 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in bottom plan,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in side elevation, partly broken away, and showing the parts folded and the body collapsed, and

Figure 5 is a View in vertical transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, the head and neck forming panel being omitted.

Referring to the drawings by numerals. In the preferred illustrated embodiment thereof, my improved decoy goose comprises a pair of duplicate body-forming, fiat, flexible sections I, 2 of cardboard, or other suitable material, arranged side by side and each decorated in any suitable manner to simulate one side of the body, and other parts. Sections I, 2 are preferably stitched together, as at 3, along top edges thereof, from the tail 4 of the body, the stitching terminating short of the front ends 5 of said sections so that said front ends are detached. A shoulder, or abutment, 6 is formed between said top edges at a point suitably remote from said front ends 5 for a purpose presently apparent.

A curved neck and head forming panel I, also of cardboard, or the like, is pivoted, as at 8, at the appropriate end thereof between the front ends 5 of the sections I, 2 to be folded, counterclockwise as viewed in Figure 1, in between the sections I and 2 into hidden out-of-the-way position, or, unfolded clockwise into edge engagement with the shoulder, or abutment, 6 into normal upstanding position. The pivot 8 of the panel I preferably comprises a rivet as shown.

Said panel I may be formed of double thicknesses of cardboard stitched together, as at 1' to lend strength thereto.

Means are provided for spreading the sections I, 2 apart intermediate the pivot 8 and the transverse center of the sections I, 2 to separate the bottom edges of the sections and the front ends 5 part way around the latter to thereby expand said sections into the semblance of the natural goose body. A description of such means follows.

A preferably wooden, upwardly tapering, wedge-shaped, spreader pane1 9 is hinged at one side edge thereof to one section, for instance the section 2, to be folded fiat against the inner face of said section when the sections I, 2 are collapsed, or, into crosswise position between said sections I, 2 to spread the same apart. A grommet ID is provided in the section I for the insertion of a pin II therethrough, said pin extending from the free side edge of the spreader panel I, whereby said panel may be locked to the panel I in unfolded spreading position.

The hinge for the spreader panel 9 preferably comprises a strip I2 of suitable heavy fabric and a strip I3 of cardboard overlying the strip I2, both strips being stapled to the panel 9 on the rear face thereof and to the section 2, as at I3, I4. The bottom edge of the spreader panel 9 is centrally bored, as at I5, for receiving a supporting rod 16 by means of which the decoy goose may be anchored in proper position in the ground.

As will be apparent, the pivot 8 is located adjacent the top edges of the sections I, 2 and together with the stitches 3 provide for securing the sections I, 2 together so that when said sections are spread apart by the unfolded spreader panel 9, the body thus formed is horizontally curved outwardly into substantially natural form.

The sections I, 2 and neck and head forming panel I may be painted, or otherwise decorated, to simulate any diiferent type of goose.

By folding the spreader panel 9 against the section 2, and folding the neck and head forming panel I in between the sections I, 2, the parts may be arranged into a collapsed, light weight, fiat assembly easy to transport and requiring a minimum of space in transporting and storing. Because of the few parts involved and the de scribed character thereof, the device may be manufactured at a very low cost.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. A decoy comprising a pair of body sections opposed side by side and having top edges stitched together from a point spaced from front ends of the sections to the rear ends thereof and providing a shoulder between said top edges at said point, said sections being detached around the remainder of the edges thereof whereby the sections are adapted to be spread apart from said stitches, a combined head and neck forming panel pivoted between said front ends for swinging inwardly of said front ends in between said 1 sections in an out-of-the-way hidden position and for swinging outwardly of said endsagainst said shoulder into upright position, and means mounted between said sections in the rear of said pivot and manipulative to spread said sections apart, said means comprising a wedge-shaped panel having one edge hin ed to one section and its opposite edge swingable into engagement with the other section.

2. A decoy comprising a pair of body sections opposite side by side and having top edges stitched together from a point spaced from front ends of the sections to the rear ends thereof and providing a shoulder between said top edges at said point, said sections being detached around the remainder of the edges thereof whereby the sections are adapted tobespread apart from said st h s a o ine ad and neck ,formme p ne p oted e en a d fro t nds f swi ng ardly of sai f ont ends n between said sections in an out-of-the-way hidden position 3. A decoy comprising a-pair of bodysections opposed side by side and having top edges stitched together from a point spaced from front ends of the sections to the rear ends thereof and providing a shoulder between said top edges at said point, said sections being detached around the remainderof the edges thereof whereby the sections are adapted to be spread apart from said stitches, a combined head and neck forming panel pivoted between said front ends for swinging inwardly of said front ends in between said sections in an out-of-the-way hidden position andfor swinging outwardly of said ends against said shoulder into upright position, means mounted between said sections in the rear of said 1 pivot and manipulative to spread said sections apart, said means comprising a wedge-shaped panel having one edge hinged'to one section and its opposite edge swingable into engagement with the other section, and means to lock said wedgeshaped panel in section spreading position comprising a grommet in said other section, ,and a pin in said opposite edge of said wedge-shaped panel for insertion in said grommet.

J QHN HOWARD MILLS.

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