Patent ID: 9402385
Filing Date: 2016-08-02
CPC Classification: A01M

Claim Text:
1. A waterfowl decoy deployment apparatus comprising: a stand, a housing supported above a ground surface on said stand, said housing including a horizontal top plate having a drive shaft opening, a motor secured to the top plate of said housing, said motor having an upwardly extending motor shaft, a bearing cage secured to the top plate of said housing, a reinforcement collar rotatably secured in said bearing cage, said reinforcement collar having a drive shaft bore, a drive wheel having a support plate and a drive shaft depending from said support plate, said drive shaft having a lower end both freely received in the drive shaft opening of and extending through the top plate of the housing, said lower end including a motor shaft bore, said drive shaft both received in the drive shaft bore of and fixed to said reinforcement collar such that said reinforcement collar rotates in unison with said drive shaft, said motor shaft both received in the motor shaft bore of and fixed to said drive shaft, and an array of decoy deployment arms radiating symmetrically from the support plate of said drive wheel for deployment of waterfowl decoys, such that activation of said motor causes the motor shaft, drive wheel, reinforcement collar and decoy deployment arms to rotate, and that during rotation thereof said reinforcement collar provides lateral support for the drive shaft of said drive wheel.