Decoy duck anchor

July 24, 1934.

1,967,902

W. REICHEL

DECOY DUCK ANCHOR

Filed July 18, 1932

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Patented July 24, 1934

1,967,902

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

1,967,902 DECOY DUCK ANCHOR Waldo Reichel, Cook, Minn. Application July 18, 1932, Serial No. 623,133 1 Claim. (Cl. 242—108)

This invention relates to control mechanism for decoys such as those used in the hunting of ducks, etc.

The principal object is to produce simple and 5- dependable mechanism of this character as possible.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, Iff forming part of this application, and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a decoy duck showing portions of the mechanism in elevation;

1&amp; Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of the mechanism showing portions of the housing broken away; and one wall thereof removed;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a top elevation of Figure 2, with the brake attachment removed.

The numeral 1 represents the decoy duck which is usually made of wood and recessed from the under side thereof for the reception of the ²⁵ control mechanism when the same is employed; this feature, broadly, being known to be old.

The mechanism is made as compact as possible, and applicable to the decoy in approximately a single unit, the housing consisting of two ³⁰ sheet metal side members 2 and 3, turned at right angles at their lower edges as at 4, forming convenient means for holding the housing to the decoy as by suitable screws or the like. These side members are held together in prop³⁵ erly spaced position as by the through rivets or bolts, one of which is indicated at 5. and acts as anchoring means for the helical winding spring 6 mounted upon the through shaft 7 which latter carries the largest of the train ⁴⁰ of power gears 8, 9 and 10, which transmits power and motion to the line carrying drum 11, loosely mounted upon the through shaft 12 which is attached to the side members 2 and 3, as is the shaft 7. The intermediate gear 9 is ⁴⁵ carried upon a stub shaft or gudgeon indicated at 13 which extends inwardly from the wall 3 of the housing.

By this chain of gears it is obvious that the ro_50j tation of the drum 11 in unwinding the anchor string 14 is obliged to turn a considerable number of turns to one revolution of the gear 8, thereby permitting of a reasonably stout and short spring 6 being used for rotating said gears ¢5- when the anchor line is retracted.

The anchor is illustrated at 15 and the upper side of which is arcuate in form for a snug fit against the flanges of the drum 11 when pulled home within the recess in the bottom of the decoy, and which recess is but slightly larger 60 than the anchor so that when home within the decoy the bottom of the latter is practically smooth, though at opposite ends of the opening for the anchor there is sufficient room for a convenient finger hold upon the anchor in ad- 65 justing same. It will be noted that the anchor 15 must be pulled, manually from the decoy to the desired depth.

As a brake mechanism for the drum 111 have illustrated the flat metal strip indicated at 16 70 which is pivotally mounted upon the through rivet 17 with its lowermost vertical extremity 18 normally engaging both flanges of the drum 11 and the free end of the strip 16 is positioned slightly above the upper edge of the housing and 75 held upwardly as by the spring member 19 carried upon the through rivet 20, the uppermost end of which spring bears against the under side of the free end of the flat metal strip 16 in order to establish the normal engage- 80 ment of the opposite end of the strip as before stated.

Centrally above the free end of the metal strip 16 and in the body of the decoy is fixed a tubular member 21 as a guide for the brake 85: release pin 22 preferably provided with an enlarged head 23 necessitating the placing of the pin within the guide from the compartment in the bottom of the decoy prior to the placing of the mechanism therein, so that after install- 90 ment of the mechanism within the decoy and pressure upon the pin 22 the same will release the brake of the drum and permit of the anchor 15 being readily withdrawn to any desired extent in keeping of course with the depth of the water 95 in which the decoy is to be placed. It is obvious that the anchor may be withdrawn without release of the brake though of course against the friction thereof.

Another novel feature in connection with this 100 structure is that the initial releasing of the brake is sufficient to fully retract the weight; that is to say, the adjustment of the brake mechanism in relation to the spring is such that when once released the spring is sufficiently 105 strong to completely wind up the drum against what friction may exist even though the pin is instantly released, thus avoiding the necessity of simultaneously pressing the pin during the entire winding up of the anchor line, this being

1,967,902 deemed a material advantage in the construction.

It will be noted that one end of the shaft 7 is provided with a slot for application of a 5 screwdriver or other tool for winding up the weight in the event of failure of the spring.