Game call apparatus

A game call apparatus is provided which has a mouthpiece including an air inlet, a reed positioned in the mouthpiece and vibrating when air is blown into the mouthpiece, and inner and outer tubular sound chambers mounted on an air outlet end of the mouthpiece. The reed is mounted on an air inlet end of the inner tubular sound chamber, and an air outlet end of the inner tubular sound chamber extends into the outer tubular sound chamber. The outer tubular chamber has an air exit end which tapers radially inwardly toward an air exit. The air exit end includes the air exit which is smaller than an air outlet of the inner tubular chamber. The taper and small exit opening of the outer tubular chamber provides a back pressure to air blown into the mouthpiece which produces a realistic game call sound as the reed vibrates.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to game calls for hunting and more particularly to a deer call which will produce the natural sounds of a rutted male deer.

2. Description of the Related Art

Numerous devices have been developed over the years to imitate the sounds of wild animals, particularly game animals. Many efforts have been attempted to simplify and improve the quality of the sounds produced by game calls. Many game calls require extensive practice before they are mastered. Some users simply cannot master the calls even after hours of practice.

In addition to the problem of the difficulty in using a game call, there are several problems that exist with respect to the effectiveness of traditional game calls. Due to the increased popularity of hunting and the perceived effectiveness of using game calls, more hunters are taking the field each year using a variety of different types of game calls. Accordingly, game animals are becoming increasingly discriminating and wary of many traditional calls. Unless the call is capable of imitating with a high degree of precision actual sounds of the game animal, it will likely be ineffective. Many calls on the market today fail to replicate with enough precision the actual sounds made by the game animal and thus serve primarily to frustrate the hunter. These game calls serve more to alert the animals of a potentially dangerous situation than to call game into close range.

Broadly speaking, there are at least three primary categories of game calls that have existed over the years: diaphragm calls, whistle type calls, and reed calls. Diaphragm calls typically utilize a latex membrane stretched across an air passage opening such that the diaphragm vibrates as air passes through the passage. Whistle type calls are primarily used to simulate whistling sounds made by waterfowl. Whistle calls commonly use one or more balls disposed within a resonant chamber to provide a vibrato effect.

Reed-type game calls are probably the most common type of game call. Reed-type game calls typically include a reed disposed adjacent an air passage. Air is forced through the air passage by an operator through a mouthpiece, which causes the reed to vibrate at a certain tone or pitch, creating a sound that is emitted from an outlet of the call. For all reed-type calls, however, whether used for waterfowl, other species of birds, or game such as deer or elk, there is the problem of the ability or the skill level of the user in producing realistic sounds with the call which will attract the desired game animal. Thus, there is a need to produce a game call which will produce realistic sounds with minimum practice and a minimum skill level of the user.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a principal aspect, the present invention comprises a game hunting call apparatus that is particularly suitable for calling male deer. The call apparatus is of the reed type which is operated by the blowing of air over the reed by a user such as a hunter. The reed and an associated sounding board are positioned within an air passage of a barrel or mouthpiece and into which the call user blows. This reed assembly is mounted on and held in the desired position in the air inlet end of a small barrel or inner tubular sound chamber attached to the mouthpiece. The inner tubular sound chamber extends into and is enclosed by an outer tubular sound chamber. The portion of the inner tubular sound chamber extending into the outer tubular sound chamber has an air outlet through which air escapes from the inner tubular sound chamber into the outer tubular sound chamber. The inner tubular sound chamber also has an adjustable corrugated length at its air outlet end permitting variable location of its air outlet. The outer tubular sound chamber has an air exit opening that is smaller than the air outlet opening of the inner tubular sound chamber. The outer tubular sound chamber also has a radially inward tapered section adjacent to and extending axially away from the air outlet of the inner tubular sound chamber to an exit opening in the outer tubular sound chamber. An air passageway is thus provided through the mouthpiece, reed assembly, inner tubular sound chamber, outer tubular sound chamber and the air exit opening of the latter.

In the operation of the game call apparatus, blowing of air through the reed air passageway and thereby over the reed causes the reed to vibrate and produce a sound which passes into and is modified in the inner tubular sound chamber. The sound is further modified in the outer sound chamber due to the back pressure caused by the tapered construction of the outer tubular sound chamber at the latter's air exit end and the smaller opening size of the exit opening relative to the outlet opening of the inner tubular sound chamber. The dual tubular sound chamber arrangement together with the tapered construction of the outer sound chamber and relatively small exit opening of the latter produces realistic emotionally intense growls or bawls of a rutted buck as well as the grunts and pops of the buck.

It thus may be appreciated that a general object of the invention is to provide a game call apparatus which provides a realistic male deer call. A further object of the invention is to provide a game call apparatus which can be operated to produce a range of calls emulating those of a buck deer in rut. A more specific object of the invention is to provide a reed-type deer call apparatus which can be operated to produce realistic sounds of the growl, grunt, and pop of a rutted buck deer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game call apparatus having a constriction in the air passageway adjacent the air exit of the call which modifies the sound of the call produced by the apparatus. Another object of the invention is to provide a game call apparatus having a constriction and a relatively small air exit in the air passageway of a game call. Another object of the invention is to provide a game call apparatus having dual sound chambers for modifying the sound of the call produced by the apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game call apparatus having an adjustable length tubular sound chamber for adjusting the length of the sound chamber to thereby modify the sound of the call produces. A still further object of the invention is to provide a game call apparatus having a sound chamber comprising a rubber material which will modify the sound of the call. A further specific object is to provide a game call apparatus having inner and outer tubular sound chambers both mounted on the mouthpiece of the game call apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring generally to the drawings, a game call apparatus2according to the present invention is illustrated. The game call apparatus2includes a barrel member or mouthpiece4, an inner tubular sound chamber20, an outer tubular sound chamber60, and a reed assembly50. The mouthpiece4has an air passage18including an internal cylindrical surface13formed by the air inlet end6and the air outlet end8through which air will pass when the air opening5of the mouthpiece4is placed in a user's mouth and air is blown into the mouthpiece. A lanyard groove16is formed in the mouthpiece approximately midway between the air inlet end6and the air outlet end8to provide a location for attachment of a lanyard for conveniently carrying the game call apparatus2. Adjacent the air outlet end8of the mouthpiece, an external radially extending annular flange10having a flat face12is provided for receiving a complimentary flat end face70of the outer tubular sound chamber60which will be discussed hereinbelow. Also, for snugly receiving the outer tubular sound chamber60, the air outlet end8of the mouthpiece has an external cylindrical surface9over which the outer tubular sound chamber60can be tightly fitted. The internal cylindrical surface13of the air passage18adjacent the air outlet end8also includes an annular shoulder14against which the air inlet end24of the inner tubular sound chamber20abuts to provide a snug fit of the member20, as will be discussed further hereinafter. Also, the air passage18includes an internal cylindrical surface15from which the shoulder14extends radially inward and which has a diameter such that the air inlet end24of the inner tubular sound chamber20is received with a very small clearance.

With reference particularly toFIGS. 1,3,5and6, the inner tubular sound chamber20of the game call apparatus2is shown as having a small barrel or first cylindrical extension22and a second cylindrical extension40, both of which may be of a plastic material. The first cylindrical extension22includes the air inlet end24, an air outlet end26, air inlet25and outlet27openings respectively in the inlet and outlet ends24and26, and an internal air passageway28connecting the air inlet and outlet ends. The air outlet end26includes an outer cylindrical surface38and an air inlet end24having an outer cylindrical surface36including a groove32in which an o-ring34is retained. As can be seen inFIG. 3, when the game call apparatus2is assembled, the outer cylindrical surface36at the inlet end24of the first cylindrical extension22fits into the internal cylindrical surface13of the mouthpiece4and abuts the internal shoulder14. The combination of the close fit between cylindrical surfaces13and36, the abutment of the end24against the internal shoulder14and the sealing effect of the o-ring34between the cylindrical surfaces13and36provide a very snug fit between the air passage18of the mouthpiece4and the inner tubular member20.

The second cylindrical extension40, as shown inFIGS. 1,3and6, includes an air inlet end42, an air outlet end44and an air passageway46connecting the ends42and44. The air inlet end42has an internal cylindrical section48having a diameter such that it fits snugly over the cylindrical surface38of the air outlet end26of the first cylindrical extension22. Between the cylindrical section48and the air outlet end44of the second cylindrical extension40, a plurality of corrugations47are formed in the second cylindrical extension40. As shown inFIG. 6, the corrugations47can be fully extended as illustrated in phantom lines or partially collapsed as shown in full lines to thereby adjust the position of the air exit opening45.

With reference toFIGS. 1,3and5, a reed assembly50is shown mounted in the air inlet opening25of the first cylindrical extension22. The reed assembly includes a vibrating reed52, a sounding board54, and a wedge56and a wedge end58at the end at which the wedge is located. At the wedge end58of the assembly50, the assembly has an essentially cylindrical shape having a slightly larger diameter than the air inlet opening25of the first cylindrical extension22such that insertion of the reed assembly50at the wedge end58results in a tight fit of the reed assembly50in the first cylindrical extension22holding the reed assembly50affixed to the extension22. The sounding board54includes a trough58along its length which can be seen inFIGS. 1 and 5, and which provides an air passage between the air passage18of the mouthpiece4and the air passageway28of the first cylindrical extension22. When a user blows into the air opening5of the mouthpiece4, the air passing through the trough58of the reed assembly and into the inner tubular sound chamber20at a predetermined velocity causes the reed to vibrate against the sounding board54to produce sound.

The game call apparatus2further includes an outer tubular sound chamber60having a cylindrical attachment end62, an air exit end64and an internal cylindrical surface66connecting the attachment and air exit ends, as illustrated inFIGS. 1-3. An attachment area68having a flat radially extending face70is provided at the cylindrical attachment end62for snugly fitting the cylindrical attachment end62over the outer cylindrical surface9and against the flat face12of the flange10adjacent the air outlet end8of the mouthpiece4. A plurality of circumferential grooves74and ridges72are provided in the cylindrical surface of the outer tubular member60to assist a user in firmly gripping the apparatus. Adjacent the air exit end64of the outer tubular member60, a tapered section76is provided which decreases the large internal diameter section78from a diameter a to a small internal diameter b at the small diameter section80. An air exit opening82is provided in the small diameter section80, as shown inFIG. 4, which has a smaller cross-section area than that of the air exit45of the second cylindrical extension40. The material of the tubular sound chamber60is a rubber compound having a Shore A hardness of not greater than 90 as measured with a durometer.

With respect to the operation of the game call apparatus, a significantly improved deer call is provided by the tapered constriction of the outer tubular member60which causes an air back pressure resulting in a more mellow, deep tonal quality in the growling sound of a rutted buck. The back pressure also assists with improved control of the call so that highly realistic growling, grunting and popping sounds can be produced. The constriction caused by the smaller exit opening82in the outer sound chamber also assists with providing the realistic sound.

Another benefit of the game call of the invention relates to the problem that air blown by users through the reed assembly of game calls is often at too high of a velocity. This causes the reed to seize and not vibrate as desired. In the game call disclosed herein the tapered outer tubular sound chamber and the smaller air exit opening from the apparatus decreases the air velocity through the reed assembly so that it is less prone to seizing. This permits air blowing into the mouthpiece that may otherwise be too hard to nevertheless produce a desirable tone quality at the reed.

It will be understood that the forgoing description of the present invention is for purposes of illustration only and that the invention is susceptible to a number of modifications or changes, none of which entail any departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the hereto appended claims.