Turkey call

Abstract

A turkey call includes a first cup-shaped member having a first bottom wall and a first upstanding peripheral wall, the bottom wall formed with a first plurality of apertures, and an internal wall fixed in overlying relationship to the first bottom wall. Interchangeable lids each includes a second cup-shaped member having a second bottom wall formed with a second plurality of apertures and a second upstanding peripheral wall. A striking surface is supported on the second peripheral wall, spaced from the second bottom wall, and a fastening arrangement is provided for securing the lid to the first cup-shaped member.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to call devices used in the hunting of birds or fowl and specifically to a turkey call.

Turkey calls typically include a housing defining a sound chamber, and a disk or plate overlying the chamber. The disk or plate is typically made of glass or slate and the surface is engaged by a striker member causing a turkey-calling sound to be emitted from the call. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,521. The composition of the disk in combination with the construction details of the call determine the pitch and tone of the sounds. Further refinement of the emitted sounds is achieved by roughening the surface of the disk.

Current turkey call devices are thus limited by the disk composition, although at least one prior call device incorporated two separate disks in a single device. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,575. This arrangement has the disadvantage of substantially doubling the size of the call, and altering the quality of the sounds by having a larger echo or sound chamber to accommodate both disks or plates.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to provide high quality sound with increased flexibility and lower cost by providing interchangeable lids for a single call body or housing.

In a first exemplary embodiment the call body or housing is comprised of a first cup-shaped member with plural apertures formed in the bottom wall. A sound board in the shape of a disk overlies the bottom wall and at least part of the array of apertures.

The call lid is comprised of a second cup-shaped member, with one side of an annular shoulder on the peripheral wall of the second cup-shaped member adapted to seat on the upper edge of the peripheral wall of the first cup-shaped member, thus creating a sound or echo chamber within the body or housing. A striking plate or disk is seated on the other side of the shoulder, such that a second sound or echo chamber is created in the lid.

In one exemplary but non-limiting embodiment, the lid is attached to the body or housing by a screw fastener passing through the bottom wall of the housing and threadably engaged with a bushing in the lid bottom wall. In another exemplary embodiment, the peripheral wall of the body or housing is internally threaded and the peripheral wall of the lid is externally threaded, enabling the lid to be screwed onto the body or housing.

In both embodiments, plural interchangeable lids are provided for easy assembly/disassembly with the body or housing. Specifically, otherwise identical lids are provided with striker plates composed of different material. Glass, slate and/or aluminum are suitable materials for the striker plates and the interchangeability of the lids provides an easy-to-use and low cost alternative to multiple calls.

Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention relates to a turkey call comprising: a first cup-shaped member having a first bottom wall and a first upstanding peripheral wall, the bottom wall formed with a first plurality of apertures; a lid comprising a second cup-shaped member having a second bottom wall formed with a second plurality of apertures and a second upstanding peripheral wall; a striking surface supported on the second peripheral wall, spaced from the second bottom wall; and a fastening arrangement for securing the lid to the first cup-shaped member.

In still another aspect the invention relates to a turkey call comprising a call body and a plurality of interchangeable lids, each lid having its own unique striking surface; and fastener components adapted to interchangeably connect any one of the plurality of lids to the call body.

In still another aspect of the invention, A turkey call kit assembly comprising: a call body comprising first cup-shaped member having a first bottom wall and a first upstanding peripheral wall; a first interchangeable lid comprising a second cup-shaped member having a second bottom wall and a second upstanding peripheral wall; a first striking surface supported on the second peripheral wall, spaced from the second bottom wall; a second interchangeable lid substantially identical to the first lid but wherein the second lid has a second striking surface of different material than the first striking surface; and means for selectively fastening either of the first or second interchangeable lids to the first cup-shaped member.

The will invention will now be described in greater detail in connection with the drawings identified below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a call device, partially cut away, showing a first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a housing portion of the call shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the lid of the call device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a call device in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a kit incorporating the call device of FIG. 1 along with additional components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a turkey call 10 in accordance with an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment includes a call body or housing 12 in the form of a first cup-shaped member having a bottom wall 14 and an upstanding peripheral side wall 16, terminating in an outwardly turned flanged or edge 18. The bottom wall 14 is formed with a plurality of circular apertures 20 that may be arranged in any desired pattern but preferably annular. An internal wall 22 in the shape of a circular disk overlies and is adhered to the upper surface of the bottom wall, the disk also referred to herein as a sound board. The disk may be spot welded or adhesively secured to the bottom wall, or may be formed integrally with the bottom wall.

A lid 24 is comprised of a second cup-shaped member, also formed with a bottom wall 26 and a surrounding peripheral side wall 30. The bottom wall 26 is also provided with an annular array of circular apertures 28. The peripheral wall 30 is formed with a stepped shoulder having a lower horizontal surface 32 and an upper horizontal surface 34 that join to an upper portion 36 of the peripheral side wall 30.

The lid also includes a striking surface 38 seated on the upper horizontal shoulder surface 34. The striking surface is a relatively hard, disk-shaped member or plate that may be composed of glass, slate or aluminum.

The bottom wall 14 of the first cup-shaped member or housing 12, the sound board 22 and the bottom wall 26 of the second cup-shaped member or lid 24 have aligned center holes 40, 42, 44, with the hole 42 in the bottom wall 26 of the lid fixedly receiving an internally threaded bushing 46. In this way, a threaded screw fastener 48 may be inserted through the hole 40 in the bottom wall 14, through the center hole 42 in the sound board 22 and threadably engaged within the bushing 46 in the bottom wall 26 to thereby secure the lid 24 to the housing or first cup-shaped member 12. As assembled and as shown in FIG. 1, the vertical space between the bottom wall 14 of the call body or housing 12 and the bottom wall 26 of the lid forms a first echo or a sound chamber. It is also significant that the striking surface 38 is vertically-spaced from the bottom wall 26, creating a second sound chamber within the lid itself.

In accordance with the exemplary embodiment, a second lid is provided that is substantially identical to the first lid described above but with a striking surface having a different composition. In other words, the lid as shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a slate striking surface and a second interchangeable lid would be provided with a glass (see FIG. 4) or aluminum striking surface. The manner in which the lid is secured to the first cup-shaped member enables easy replacement of one lid with another to obtain different desired sounds emitted from the call.

A second exemplary embodiment is shown in FIG. 4 that incorporates an alternative fastening arrangement by which the lid is secured to the first cup-shaped member. Note that similar reference numerals, but with the prefix “1” added, are used to identify correspondingly similar components as shown in FIGS. 1-3. It can be seen that the center hole 42 and threaded bushing 46 have been eliminated from the bottom wall 126 of the lid 124. The first cup member 112 of the call body or housing, however, has been formed with internal threads 50 on the interior surface of the peripheral wall 116. The peripheral wall 130 of the second cup-shaped member of lid 124 has been formed with threads 52 on the external surface thereof, permitting the lid to be threadably secured to the call body or housing. The remainder of the call construction is substantially identical to the embodiment described in FIGS. 1-3.

For both embodiments described herein, the housing 12 may have a diameter of about 3-3.25 inches and a height of about 0.5 inch. The apertures 20 may have diameters of about 0.3 to 0.4 inch and in a preferred arrangement, eight apertures arranged in an annular array have alternating diameters of 0.312 inch and 0.375 inch.

The lid 24 may have similar dimensions, and the apertures 28 may be of the same size and in the same alternating arrangement as the apertures 20 in the housing 12.

The housing, sound board and lid are preferably made of black powder-coated steel (AISI 1008) but it will be appreciated that the dimensions and compositions may vary. For example, the cup-shaped members of both the body and interchangeable lids could be made of a suitable plastic material.

It is also important to note that in light of the lid construction described hereinabove, it is also possible to use the lid itself as a call without having to attach it to the first cup-shaped member.

With reference to FIG. 5, the exemplary embodiments may be provided in kit form incorporating the call body or housing 12 (or 112) packaged along with at least two interchangeable lids 24, 124 (lid 24 is shown attached to the call body for conservation of space), but it will be appreciated that more than two lids could be packaged in the kit. Other items in the kit may include a wood striker 54, an abrasive strip 56 to roughen the striking surfaces, and printed instructions/brochure (not shown).

While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A turkey call comprising:

a first cup-shaped member having a first bottom wall and a first upstanding peripheral wall, said bottom wall formed with a first plurality of apertures;

a lid comprising a second cup-shaped member having a second bottom wall formed with a second plurality of apertures and a second upstanding peripheral wall; a striking surface supported on said second peripheral wall, spaced from said second bottom wall; and

a fastening arrangement for securing the lid to the first cup-shaped member.

2. The turkey call of claim 1 wherein a first fastener component is adapted to pass through a hole in said first bottom wall and into a second fastener component in said second bottom wall to thereby secure said lid to said first cup-shaped member.

3. The turkey call of claim 1 wherein said first and second bottom walls are vertically-spaced one from the other.

4. The turkey call of claim 1 wherein said first fastener component comprises a threaded screw and said second fastener component comprises a threaded bushing fixed in a hole in said second bottom wall.

5. The turkey call of claim 1 wherein said striking surface comprises a glass disk.

6. The turkey call of claim 1 wherein said striking surface comprises a slate disk.

7. The turkey call of claim 1 wherein said striking surface comprises aluminum.

8. The turkey call of claim 1 wherein said first and second cup-shaped members and said internal wall are comprised of steel.

9. The turkey call of claim 1 wherein said second peripheral wall is formed with a peripheral shoulder, an external surface of which engages an upper edge of said first peripheral wall.

10. The turkey call of claim 9 wherein said striking surface is engaged with an internal surface of said shoulder.

11. The turkey call of claim 1 and further comprising a second lid interchangeable with said first lid, wherein said second lid is provided with a second striking surface having a different material composition than said striking surface of said first lid.

12. The turkey call of claim 1 wherein first upstanding peripheral wall is internally threaded and said second upstanding peripheral wall is externally threaded to thereby allow said lid to be joined to said first cup-shaped member.

13. the turkey call of claim 1 further comprising an internal wall fixed in overlying relationship to said first bottom wall

14. A turkey call comprising a call body and a plurality of interchangeable lids, each lid having its own unique striking surface; and fastener components adapted to interchangeably connect any one of said plurality of lids to said call body.

15. The turkey call of claim 14 wherein said call body comprises a first cup-shaped member having a first bottom wall having a plurality of apertures therein and an upstanding peripheral wall; and

wherein each lid is comprised of a second cup-shaped member having a second bottom wall provided with a plurality of apertures and a second upstanding peripheral wall having a shoulder on which said striking surface is seated.

16. The turkey call of claim 14 and further comprising a solid internal wall overlying said first bottom wall.

17. The turkey call of claim 16 wherein, when assembled, said second bottom wall is vertically-spaced from said solid internal wall.

18. The turkey call of claim 15 wherein said striking surface, seated on said peripheral shoulder, is vertically-spaced from said second bottom wall.

19. The turkey call of claim 15 wherein said second bottom wall is formed with a second plurality of apertures therein.

20. The turkey call of claim 17 wherein said first cup-shaped member, said second cup-shaped member and said solid internal wall are formed of steel.

21. A turkey call kit assembly comprising:

a call body comprising first cup-shaped member having a first bottom wall and a first upstanding peripheral wall;

a first interchangeable lid comprising a second cup-shaped member having a second bottom wall and a second upstanding peripheral wall; a first striking surface supported on said second peripheral wall, spaced from said second bottom wall;

a second interchangeable lid substantially identical to said first lid but wherein said second lid has a second striking surface of different material than said first striking surface; and means for selectively fastening either of said first or second interchangeable lids to said first cup-shaped member.

22. The turkey call kit assembly of claim 21 and further comprising a striker.

23. The turkey call kit assembly of claim 22 wherein said striker is composed of wood.

24. The turkey call kit assembly of claim 21 wherein said first striking surface is comprised of glass.

25. The turkey call kit assembly of claim 24 wherein said second striking surface is comprised of slate.

26. The turkey call kit assembly of claim 24 wherein said second striking surface is comprised of aluminum.

27. The turkey call kit assembly of claim 24 wherein said bottom wall is formed with a first plurality of apertures; and a solid internal wall overlies a portion of said first bottom wall.

28. The turkey call kit assembly of claim 27 wherein said first and second cup-shaped members and said internal wall are comprised of steel.

29. The turkey call kit assembly of claim 27 wherein said second bottom wall is formed with a second plurality of apertures.