Decoy-duck.

Application filed March 31,1903. Serial No. 150,411. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Adolph Kremer, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and 5 State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Decoy-Ducks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain novel and io useful improvements in decoys; and oue of the principal objects I have in view is to construct a decoy so that it may be easily and readily folded to occupy but comparatively little space when not iu use, but may be dis’5 tended or inflated, so as to have the appearance of a life-size fowl when brought into use.

A further object of the present invention is to form the decoy with an outside covering or casing which is composed of flexible ma20 terial and is so colored as to resemble the plumage of a fowl.

A further object of the invention is tq provide a flexible inner casing, composed preferably of rubber, which is secured in proper jg position at certain points to the outside covering, said inner casing being inflated through the medium of a tube extending through the outside casing and connected with said inner casing.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a decoy which may be easily and quickly placed in condition for use, one that will be extremely light, and which when resting upon the surface of the water will have 3g a natural appearance.

With these and other objects of a similar nature in view the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as is described in this specification, 40 delineated in the accompanying drawings, • and set forth in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indi4g cate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a decoy embodying my improvement; and Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the outside casing or covering of my improved decoy, which may be of canvas, muslin, or any other similar and suitable material, which need not be necessarily air-tight, such covering being colored gg at certain points, preferably by stitching or embroidering the cover with wash silk or silk braiding of various colors to resemble different fowls, such as teal, mallard, canvas-back duck, or the like; but, if desired, silk cloth 60 may be sewed to the outer casing.

As will be evident, the outer casing of the decoy is cut and sewed to resemble a duck or similar fowl, and the embroidering or coloring before referred to is preferably applied 6g about the head and along certain portions of the body to resemble feathers or wings, as is shown at 2. The canvas or muslin covering is stitched over a spring or wire ring 3, this ring distending the cover sufficiently to en- 70 able the decoy when distended to float easily and steadily upon the surface of the water, and the under surface of the decoy or that portion of the same lying within the ring is provided with a longitudinal slit or opening 7g 4, having eyelets 5 formed on each side of the slit, said eyelets being adapted to receive a lacing-cord 6 for the purpose of closing the covering after the inner casing has been inserted. This inner casing, which is shown at 80 7, is formed, as hereinbefore stated, preferably of sheet-rubber and is secured within the decoy by fastenings 8, such fastenings being preferably under the head or tail portions of the decoy, the construction being 8g such that the inner casing will at all times retain its proper position with relation to the outer covering.

For the purpose of distending or inflating the inner casing I provide a short stem or 90 tube 9, arranged at the bottom of said interior casing and adapted to extend through . the opening or slit 4 in the bottom of the outside cover, as is clearly shown in the drawings. In order to retain the tube or stem se- 95 curely in place and prevent the same from blowing out, I cement the flange-flap 10 of the hollow rubber stem to the exterior portion of the bottom of the inner casing, and as a means to prevent the inner casing from pro- ico trading through said slit I provide a flap 10^aof any suitable material, such as cloth, said flap being secured to the interior of the outer casing and is adapted to lie over and cover

747,732 said slit when the decoy is inflated. After the decoy has been inflated by forcing air through the stem 9 the latter may be closed by any suitable valve, and in order to pre5 serve the proper position of the decoy when floating in the water and to prevent the same from turning over I connect or attach a suitable weight 11 to the valve-stem, which, as is clearly seen in Fig. 1, extends downward io into the water. The inflation of the decoy being accomplished, it is ready for use and when placed in the water is secured to any suitable anchoring-point through the medium of an elastic cord or rope 12, which is at15 tached to the body⁷ portion of the decoy at 13.

By⁷ having the attached cord elastic the strain or pull upon the body of the decoy is greatly lessened, and on a windy day or in rough water the decoy will have forward and back20 ward and sidewise movements, the elastic cord always permitting the decoy to return to its original position and, furthermore, prevents such decoy from drifting away.

The many advantages incident to my⁷ ini25 provements will be readily apparent.

It is to be noted, as hereinbefore stated, that it is not necessary to have the outer covering absolutely air-tight, as is the case with ordinary inflatable decoy⁷s or such as 30 are stuffed with sawdust and the like, it only being necessary, should the inner casing of my⁷ decoy be punctured, to remove the same and repair the same by covering the puncture with a patch.

The weight which is secured to the valvestem to retain the decoy in its upright position may⁷ be in the form of a V-shaped metallic clamp, thereby⁷ serving the double purpose of a weight and a device for closing the 40 tube.