PATENT ABSTRACT
The present invention discloses portable game gallows for hoisting and skinning multiple game. The portable game gallows includes a winch having a strap or cable that can be used to raise game into position for hanging on a rotating tree and for skinning game that is hung from the tree. The present invention discloses a dual purpose pulley that can be locked into a first position for hoisting a game or a second position for skinning a game.

PATENT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to the hunting of wild game and, in particular, to a portable device for the hoisting and skinning of wild game in the field. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Hunters have hunted, killed and skinned wild game since before recorded history. The skinning and dressing of game in the field is best done when the game is hoisted off of the ground into a hanging position with either the head of the game elevated and the rear legs hanging down, or with the rear legs elevated and the head and the front legs hanging down. Game can be long and heavy, so it is necessary that the game be hoisted to a sufficient height to enable a person to manipulate the game as necessary to remove the skin without the game dragging on the ground. 
   Numerous patents disclose vehicle mounted, tree depending and free standing game hoists. Game hoists are generally used in remote areas and have to be transported to the location of use. Portability is a key factor for game hoists to be used in the field. Tree depending game hoists utilize a tree for structural support, while free standing game hoists generally require a rigid support which may add to the weight of the device. Vehicle depending game hoists are generally similar to free standing devices but are adapted to be supported by a trailer hitch or other component of the motor vehicle. 
   Several inventions are known to those skilled in the art for hoisting killed game into position for skinning. U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,534 (“the &#39;534 patent”) discloses a game hoist having a dual-purpose winch. The &#39;534 patent also discloses a first pulley used with the winch for hoisting game and a second pulley used with the winch for skinning game. After the game is hoisted to a hanging position, the game is secured in the hanging position and the winch is used, in combination with a second pulley, to pull the skin of the game. 
   The &#39;534 patent is a tree depending hoist and requires the user to find a tree having a trunk suitable for receiving straps or chains used to secure the winch, the first pulley and the second pulley. Tree depending game hoists generally require a tree having an uninterrupted section of trunk with no limbs and a diameter within a certain range. 
   A problem with tree depending hoists like the one disclosed in the &#39;534 patent is that a ladder may be required in order to secure the hoist to the tree at a height sufficient to prevent hoisted game from contacting the ground during skinning process. 
   Another problem with tree depending game hoists like the one disclosed in the &#39;534 patent is that the second pulley is secured to the trunk of a tree instead of being strategically positioned directly underneath the hoisted game. This may cause the game to be pulled in a direction other than straight down, and the game may swing or spin during or after the skinning process. Also, the game hoist disclosed in the &#39;534 patent may not be usable if the tree does not have a extended portion of suitable diameter trunk near the ground that is without limbs or other naturally occurring features that may prevent the attachment and use of the lower pulley. 
   Another problem with game hoists like the one disclosed in the &#39;534 patent is the requirement of a second pulley. The user must unthread the strap or cable from the first pulley after hoisting the game, and then thread the strap or cable around the second pulley for skinning the game. This manipulation of the strap or cable may be time consuming and difficult, especially in cold weather when the manual dexterity of the user&#39;s hands is impaired by cold or by gloves. Also, the requirement of the second pulley adds unnecessary weight to the device. 
   Another problem with game hoists like the one disclosed in the &#39;534 patent is that it supports only a single game, and will not accommodate multiple game. Hunters that hunt in groups would each need to bring their own individual game hoist or they would have to skin one game at a time while other game lay on the ground attracting insects or scavengers. 
   Another problem with game hoists like the one disclosed in the &#39;534 patent is that it does not assist the user in loading skinned game into a truck or onto a motor vehicle unless the vehicle can be positioned under the tree to which the device is secured. 
   What is needed is a game gallows for hoisting and skinning game that is more portable for easier transport to the field. What is needed is a game gallows that allows the user to hoist and skin the game without removing the strap or cable from a hoisting pulley and rethreading the strap or cable over a skinning pulley. What is needed is a game gallows for simultaneously hoisting and skinning multiple game. What is needed is a game gallows that is suitable for loading game into the bed of a truck or onto a motor vehicle. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a device for skinning game that overcomes the disadvantages in the prior art. The present invention provides a game gallows for skinning game that is suitable for being supported by a vehicle or for use as a free standing gallows. The present invention provides a game gallows that allows the simultaneous processing (dressing or skinning) of multiple game. The present invention provides a game gallows that does not require the user to remove and rethread straps or cables around different pulleys. 
   The present invention includes a support and a rotatable hanger assembly. The hanger assembly is designed to accommodate a plurality of killed game and has a generally vertical axis of rotation. The support has a pulley arm pivotally coupled to the support for rotation in a generally vertical plane. In one embodiment, the first leg of the pulley arm is pivotally coupled to the support, and the second leg of the pulley arm extends generally perpendicular from the first leg and is coupled to a pulley. The first leg of the pulley arm also has a winch for pulling a strap or cable that passes around the pulley into tension. The pulley arm pivots between a superior position, with the second leg and the pulley secured into a position near the hanger assembly, and an inferior position, with the second leg and the pulley secured into a position near the ground. The winch operatively engages a strap or pulley that is threaded around the pulley for pulling in a generally vertical direction: upwardly when the second leg and pulley are secured into the superior position near the hanger assembly (for hoisting), and downwardly when the second leg and pulley are secured into the inferior position near the ground (for skinning). With the pulley arm in the superior position, the winch pulls the strap or cable to hoist game into a hanging position for hanging the game onto one of the hangers on the hanger assembly. With the pulley arm in the inferior position, the winch pulls the strap or cable to skin a game that is secured to and hanging on a hanger. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     So that the above recited features and advantages of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the game gallows of the present invention with the pulley arm in the hoisting position. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the game gallows of the present invention with the pulley arm in the skinning position. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the game gallows of the present invention with the pulley arm rotating from the hoisting position to the skinning position. 
       FIG. 4  is an elevational view of the dismembered killed game being hoisted to a hanging position using the game gallows of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is an elevational view of a second dismembered game being coupled to an open hanger after the first dismembered game awaits skinning. 
       FIG. 6  is an elevational view of the game gallows of the present invention with the pulley arm in the skinning position and the strap coupled to the skin of a game. 
       FIG. 7  is an elevational view of the game gallows of the present invention with the winch being used to skin a game. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the game gallows of the present invention. The embodiment of the game gallows  10  depicted in  FIG. 1  comprises a support  12  having a first end  14  and a second end  16 , a rotatable hanger assembly  20  that is rotatably coupled to the first end  14  of the support  12 . The hanger assembly  20  has a plurality of radially outwardly extending hangers  22 , each of which can support a game. Each hanger  22  has a chain plate  23  coupled along the top of the hanger  22 , and each chain plate  23  has a link channel  25  of a width slightly greater than the diameter of the links of the chain  24  that is secured to the chain plate  23 . The chain  24  can be secured to a game (not shown) by inserting a link of the chain  24  into the link channel  25  of the chain plate  23  as shown on  FIG. 1 . 
   In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , a base  40  is coupled to the second end  16  of the support  12 .  FIG. 1  shows a base  40  having a plurality of radially outwardly extending legs  42  that generally lie in a horizontal plane. Preferably, the legs  42  may have a one to three degree downwardly slope from center to end to provide additional stability when placed upon soft ground. The embodiment of the game gallows  10  is depicted in  FIG. 1  further comprises radially outwardly telescoping leg extenders  43 . Deployment of the leg extenders  43 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , improves stability of the game gallows  10 . 
   The embodiment of the game gallows  10  depicted in  FIG. 1  further comprises a pulley arm  50  having a first leg  52  and a second leg  54 , the first leg  52  being pivotally coupled to the support  12  at a pivot  60 . The first leg  52  of the pulley arm  50  is also coupled to a winch  62  having a strap  64  rolled onto a spool. The second leg  54  of the pulley arm  50  extends generally perpendicular to the first leg  52  and is coupled to a pulley  56  around which the strap  64  is threaded. “Strap,” as that term is used herein, refers to a strap, wire, rope, cable or any other elongated flexible tether suitable for use with a winch. The winch  62  may be any suitable means of reeling in and storing, unreeling and feeding out, and locking strap. Alternately, a winch having a gear sprocket can utilize a chain. A Fulton Performance Products, Inc. (of Mosinee, Wis.) Trailer Winch model T903, 900 pound capacity is preferred. The pulley  56  shown in  FIG. 1  comprises a tubular hollow shaft rotatable on an axle received into its hollow interior. 
   The support  12  may have a plurality of foot pegs  70  welded onto the support  12  and generally perpendicular to the support  12 . The pegs  70  are located between the pivot  60  and the second end  16  of the support  12 . The foot pegs  70  enable the user to climb the support  12  to reach the hangers  22  of the hanger assembly  20  or the chains  24  hanging on the hangers  22 . 
   The game gallows  10  further comprises retainer  80  for engaging the pulley arm  50  and securing the pulley arm in the hoisting position. The game gallows  10  further comprises a lower retainer  81  for engaging the pulley arm  50  and for securing the pulley arm  50  in the skinning position. The upper retainer  80  allows the pulley arm  50  to be secured in the hoisting position ( FIG. 1 ), and the lower retainer  81  allows the pulley arm  50  to be secured in the skinning position ( FIG. 2 ). 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , each hanger  22  may include a chain  24 . A hanging tool, such as a collar or a gambrel (not shown), is fitted or secured around the head or coupled to the rear legs of a game (not shown), respectively, and is used to couple the game to the hook  26  on the strap  64  to hoist the game into position using the winch  62 . 
     FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the game gallows  10  of the present invention with the pulley arm  50  rotating from the hoisting position (shown in  FIG. 1 ) to the skinning position shown in  FIG. 2 . The pulley arm  50  is shown in  FIG. 3  to be rotating about the pivot  60  away from the upper retainer  80  in a clockwise direction, and will continue to rotate until it reaches the skinning position shown in  FIG. 2  and is received into and secured by the lower retainer  81  (shown in  FIG. 2 ). 
     FIG. 4  is an elevational view of a first dismembered game  92  being hoisted to a hanging position using the game gallows  10  of the present invention. The game  92  is secured to the strap  64  by the hook  26  that is coupled to the end of the strap  64 . The hook  26  engages the collar  91  that is secured around the neck of the game  92 , and the winch  62  is operated to reel in and pull tension in the strap  64  that is threaded over the pulley  56 . 
     FIG. 5  is an elevational view of the first dismembered game  92  being coupled to the hanger assembly  20  of the game gallows  10  for skinning. The first dismembered game  92  is lifted high enough to allow the user to pull the chain  24  through the collar  91  and to insert a link of the chain  24  into the link channel  25  of the chain plate  23  as shown in  FIG. 5 . Once the weight of the first dismembered game  92  is supported by the chain  24 , the hanger  22  and the hanger assembly  20 , the hook  26  and the strap  64  can be disengaged from the collar  91 . The hanger assembly  20  can then rotate to remove the killed game  92  from the lift zone. 
     FIG. 6  is an elevational view of one embodiment of the game gallows  10  of the present invention with a second dismembered game  93  secured to the hanger assembly  20  and the pulley arm  50  rotated to the skinning position. The first dismembered game  92  is shown to have been moved to the right by rotation of the hanger assembly  20 . The strap  64  and hook  26  are coupled to the skin of the second dismembered game  93  using a collar  91 . The hook  26  and the strap  64  are secured to a flap  95  of the skin of the second dismembered game  93  using a skinning tool  94 . The operation of the winch  62  reels in and produces tension in the strap  64  enabling the user to forcibly pull the flap  95  and skin the second dismembered game  93 . 
     FIG. 7  is an elevational view of one embodiment of the game gallows  10  of the present invention with the winch  62  being used to skin the second dismembered game  93 . The flap  95  of the second dismembered game  93  grows larger as the winch  62  is turned to pull the strap  64  and skin the second dismembered game  93 . 
   It will be understood from the foregoing description that various modifications and changes may be made in the preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention without departing from its true spirit. For example, the game gallows is shown in the drawings as free standing, but is easily adapted for being tree-depending or vehicle depending. For tree depending, the support  12  may be secured to a tree or post using straps, bands or clamps, or any of the other devices used to secure items to trees or posts that are known in the prior art. The device disclosed above and shown in  FIGS. 1–7  can be adapted to make a tree depending game hoist by providing an offset between the axis of the rotating hanger assembly  20  and the support  12 . For vehicle depending, the radially outwardly extending leg  42  (see  FIG. 1 ) that is opposite the pulley arm  50  may be inserted into a receptacle, such as a standard 1½ inch square or 2 inch square standard trailer hitch. This enables the user to winch a game, couple the game to a hanger  22 , and rotate the hanger assembly  20  to position the game over the bed of a truck or other cargo surface of a vehicle, then use to winch  62  to lower the game onto the truck bed or cargo surface. 
   This description is intended for purposes of illustration only and should not be construed in a limiting sense. The scope of this invention should be determined only by the language of the claims that follow. The term “comprising” within the claims is intended to mean “including at least” such that the recited listing of elements in a claim are an open group. “A,” “an” and other singular terms are intended to include the plural forms thereof unless specifically excluded.