Cord reel for hunting supplies

Abstract

An apparatus for lifting and lowering hunting supplies has a hollow housing with a line aperture. A spring-loaded cord reel is rotatably mounted in the housing with a line wound on the reel and having a free end extending through the line aperture. A hook for attachment to hunting supplies is attached to the line free end and can be removably inserted into the housing through the line aperture or a separate storage opening. A slider mounted on the housing is movable between a released position permitting free rotation of the reel for automatically winding and manually unwinding the line and a hold position engaging the line to prevent rotation of the reel.,

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/235,172 filed Sep. 25, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for assisting a hunter to lift hunting supplies to an elevated hunting site and lower such supplies to the ground again.

[0003] The U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,877 shows a hunting bow retriever. The retriever includes a foldable handle for manually winding a cord into a casing, a thumb brake and an open hook for releasing the bow.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention concerns an apparatus for lifting and lowering hunting supplies having a hollow housing with a cord aperture or opening and an adjacent storage opening. A spring-loaded cord reel is rotatably mounted in the housing with a line wound on the reel and having a free end extending through the cord aperture or opening. A hook for attachment to hunting supplies is attached to the line free end and can be removably inserted into the housing through the storage opening. A slider mounted on the housing is movable between a released position and a hold position. The released position permits free rotation of the reel for automatically winding (raising the supplies) and manually unwinding (lowering the supplies) the line and a hold position engaging the line to prevent rotation of the reel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The above, as well as other advantages of the present invention, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings in which:

[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cord reel apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

[0007] FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

[0008] FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of an alternate embodiment of the cord reel apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and

[0009] FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a second alternate embodiment of the cord reel apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0010] There is shown in FIG. 1 a cord reel apparatus 10 for use in lifting and lowering hunting supplies from an elevated location such as a tree stand. The apparatus 10 has a pair of cup-shaped shells 11 and 12 held together by a plurality of suitable fasteners 22 to form a hollow housing 23. An aperture 13 is formed in abutting edges of the shells 11 and 12 to permit a line in the form of a cord 14 stored in the housing 23 to be extended and retracted. The cord 14 can have a loop 15 or similar device at a free end thereof to prevent the cord from being retracted completely into the housing 23. Further, the loop 15 or similar device can be attached to hunting supplies (not shown) such as a bow, a rifle, a backpack, a duffel bag, etc.

[0011] A generally rectangular opening 16 is formed in abutting edges of the shells 11 and 12 adjacent the aperture 13 and has a manually actuatable slider 17 mounted therein. As better shown in FIG. 2, the slider 17 is mounted adjacent a periphery of a reel or pulley 18 on which the cord 14 is wound. The reel 18 is rotatably mounted in the housing 23. The cord 14 extends over a post 19 on the shell 12 before exiting the housing 23 through the aperture 13. The slider 17 is movable by hand in the opening 16 in opposite directions as shown by an arrow 20. The slider 17 is moved to a released position away from the post 19 to permit free movement of the cord 14 into and out of the housing 23. The slider 17 is moved to a hold position toward the post 19 to trap and prevent movement of the cord 14.

[0012] A clip 21 is mounted on the exterior of the shell 11 and can be used to releasably attach the apparatus to a user such as a hunter on an article such as a belt, a shirt pocket or other clothing. The clip 21 can be attached to the housing 23 by a fastener 24. The reel 18 is spring loaded to automatically retract the cord 14 when the slider 17 is in the released position. A typical spring-loaded pulley is shown and described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,538, which patent is incorporated herein by reference.

[0013] An alternate embodiment cord reel apparatus 30 is shown in the FIG. 3 and is similar to the apparatus 10. The apparatus 30 has a hollow housing similar to the housing 23 but with a generally rectangular aperture or opening 32 formed therein below the aperture 13. The cord 14 has the loop 15 attached to a hook 33 that can be releasably attached to hunting supplies (not shown) such as a bow, a rifle, a backpack, a duffel bag, etc. When the apparatus 30 is not in use, the hook 33, or the loop 15 shown in FIG. 1, can be inserted into the housing 31 through the larger aperture 32 for storage and to prevent snagging.

[0014] The cord reel apparatus 30 can be constructed from any commercially available automatically retractable measuring tape having the housing 31, the reel 18 and the slider 17. First, the coiled steel tape is removed from the reel 18. The aperture 13 is formed in the housing 31 at a location where the slider 17 will engage the cord, one end of the cord 14 is attached to the reel 18 and the cord is wound on the reel.

[0015] It may be advantageous to provide the housing 23 and 31 and/or the cord 14 with a bright color to make the cord reel apparatus 10 and 30 easier to locate in the field. For example, at least an exterior surface of each of the housing 23 and 31 and/or the cord 14 can be provided in a florescent orange color.

[0016] A second alternate embodiment cord reel apparatus 40 is shown in the FIG. 4 and is similar to the apparatus 10 and the apparatus 30. The apparatus 40 has a hollow housing similar to the housing 31 with a generally rectangular aperture or opening 42 formed therein without the aperture 13. A line in the form of a flexible strap 43 is provided in place of the cord 14 and is engaged by the slider 17 (not shown). The strap 43 has one end (not shown) attached to the reel and an opposite free end that can have a loop like the loop 15 and the hook 33 that can be releasably attached to hunting supplies (not shown) such as a bow, a rifle, a backpack, a duffel bag, etc.

[0017] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.

Claims

1. An apparatus for lifting and lowering hunting supplies comprising:

a hollow housing having an aperture formed therein;

a spring-loaded cord reel rotatably mounted in said housing;

a line wound on said reel and having a free end extending through said aperture for attachment to hunting supplies; and

a slider mounted on said housing and movable between a released position permitting free rotation of said reel and a hold position engaging said line to prevent rotation of said reel, said reel automatically retracting said line into said housing when said slider is in said released position.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a clip mounted on an exterior of said housing for releasable attachment to an article worn by a user.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a loop formed in said free end of said line.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a hook attached to said free end of said line.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 including an opening formed in said housing adjacent said aperture for storing said hook.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 including an opening formed in said housing adjacent said aperture for storing said free end of said line.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said housing has a bright color exterior.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said line has a bright color exterior.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said line is one of a cord and a strap.

10. An apparatus for lifting and lowering hunting supplies comprising:

a hollow housing having a cord aperture formed therein and having a storage opening formed therein adjacent said aperture;

a spring-loaded cord reel rotatably mounted in said housing;

a cord wound on said reel and having a free end extending through said cord aperture in said housing for attachment to hunting supplies;

a hook attached to said free end of said cord removably inserted into said housing through said storage opening; and

a slider mounted on said housing and movable between a released position permitting free rotation of said reel and a hold position engaging said cord to prevent rotation of said reel, said reel automatically retracting said cord into said housing when said slider is in said released position.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 including a clip mounted on an exterior of said housing for releasable attachment to an article worn by a user.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said housing has a bright color exterior.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said cord has a bright color exterior.

14. An apparatus for lifting and lowering hunting supplies comprising:

a hollow housing having an aperture formed therein;

a spring-loaded cord reel rotatably mounted in said housing;

a strap wound on said reel and having a free end extending through said aperture in said housing for attachment to hunting supplies; and

a slider mounted on said housing and movable between a released position permitting free rotation of said reel and a hold position engaging said strap to prevent rotation of said reel, said reel automatically retracting said strap into said housing when said slider is in said released position.