Abstract:
A mechanical waterfowl decoy to be used in water. It has a buoyant body and a motor that rotates a paddlewheel in a circular manner which can provide propulsion and water disturbance for the decoy and can give the appearance of a duck swimming, splashing, and flapping its wings.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is in the technical field of waterfowl decoys. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of mechanically operated waterfowl decoys. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of mechanically operated waterfowl decoys that have wing movement. 
         [0002]    Conventional mechanical waterfowl decoys have mechanical movement of various body parts including the wings. The wing motion of these decoys is often created by a direct connection to a motor. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention is a mechanically operated waterfowl decoy, having a paddlewheel, that rotates 360 degrees around a horizontal axis, preferably cycling through the water, through the body of the decoy, striking the underside of the wings, lifting them momentarily to imitate wing flapping of waterfowl. 
         [0004]    The advantages of the present invention include, without limitation, that it is relatively simple in mechanical operation. The 360 degree rotation of the paddlewheel may serve as a means of propulsion, allowing it to swim around automatically. The 360 degree rotating paddlewheel may also create a splashing and wing movement unlike that of traditional mechanical waterfowl decoys, particularly those with mechanical moving wings. 
         [0005]    In broad embodiment, the present invention is a waterfowl decoy that has a motor driven paddlewheel, that rotates 360 degrees, cycling through the body of the decoy, and preferably the water, striking the underside of the wings, lifting the wings in a natural flapping motion. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0006]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a mechanical waterfowl decoy of the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a mechanical waterfowl decoy of  FIG. 1 . with portions open to show detail. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a mechanical waterfowl decoy of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a mechanical waterfowl decoy of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a top view of a mechanical waterfowl decoy of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view of a mechanical waterfowl decoy of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a top view of a mechanical waterfowl decoy of the present invention with portions open to show detail. 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a bottom view of a mechanical waterfowl decoy of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a configuration of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  is a top view of a configuration of a mechanical waterfowl decoy of the present invention with portions open to show detail. 
           [0017]      FIG. 11  is a bottom view of a configuration of a mechanical waterfowl decoy of the present invention with portions open to show detail. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    Referring to the drawings,  FIG. 1  depicts an embodiment of a mechanical waterfowl decoy  100  having a buoyant decoy body  14  which is open at the top and bottom.  14 , having a pair of moveable wings  10  and having a paddlewheel  13 . 
         [0019]    The buoyant decoy body  14  is sufficiently wide, long, and tall enough for encasing and providing sufficient flotation for the mechanical elements of the mechanical waterfowl decoy  100  and retaining a realistic size of that of any particular waterfowl, in this case, a duck. Sufficient size is between 12 long 20 inches long with a width of approximately 50% of the length and a height approximately equal to the width. The decoy body  14  may be made of plastic or of any other sufficiently rigid material that could be made buoyant such as polystyrene, wood, metal, or composite material and may be of solid or hollow construction. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the decoy  100  additionally has a shaft  11 , which is operated by a motor  12  to turn a paddlewheel  13 . The paddlewheel  13  shall have one or more paddles and shall be sized to be partially encased within the open portion  17  of the body  11 , with a diameter large enough such that the paddle(s), during rotation, extend above the top of the decoy body and which may extend below the bottom of the decoy body. The paddlewheel may be made or a rigid or semi-rigid material such as plastic, metal, wood, or composite material. 
         [0021]    The motor  12  may be removably attached to the decoy body, preferably within the open portion  17  of the decoy body. The motor  12  shall provide a rotational output and may be powered electrically, mechanically, or via steam or internal combustion. The motor  12  may also be connected to a power source  15  to supply the motor with electrical or mechanical power. The power source  15  may be integral to or separate from the motor  12 . The power source may be removably attached to the motor  12  or the decoy body  14 . The decoy also features a shaft  11  which may be directly connected to the motor  12  or indirectly connected via a belt  16 . The shaft shall be made of a rigid material, preferably metal. The belt  16  shall be made of rubber, silicone, plastic or other flexible material. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-5, 7 and 10 , the mechanical waterfowl decoy  100  may feature a pair of movable wings  10  flexibly attached to the decoy body  14 . The wings  10  are configured such that they rest on the top of the body  14  of the decoy and mostly cover the open portion  17  of the decoy body. Due to the flexible attachment of the wings  10  to the body  14 , the wings may be manually moved to allow access to the open sections of the decoy body  14 . The wings  10  may also be removed or omitted to allow unrestricted access to the open portion  17  of the decoy as well as an unrestricted view of the operation of the rotating paddle wheel  13 . The wings  10  may be made of a rigid material similar to the construction of the decoy body  14  or may be made or a flexible material such as rubber, silicone, flexible plastic or other flexible material. 
         [0023]    The decoy  100  operates by way of the paddlewheel  13  rotating within the open portion  17  of the decoy body  14  on a shaft  11  which is powered by a motor  12 . The motor  12  causes the shaft  11  to rotate which, in turn, causes the paddlewheel  13  to rotate about the shaft. The shaft is oriented horizontally and may be oriented perpendicular or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the decoy  100 .  FIGS. 2-8  depict a decoy with the shaft  11  oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the decoy.  FIGS. 10-11  illustrate the decoy with the shaft oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the decoy. The paddlewheel  13  rotates in a circular motion around the shaft  11 . 
         [0024]    While the decoy  100  is floating in a liquid, the rotation of the paddlewheel  13  may cause the ends of the paddles on the wheel to pass under the liquid&#39;s surface which provides disturbance to the liquid&#39;s surface and propel the decoy and passes under the wings to lift them above the decoy body  14  to imitate wing flapping. Further, the rotation of the paddlewheel  13  may cause the ends of the paddles to strike the undersides of the wings  10  and cause them to move and simulate a wing flapping movement. Where the wings  10  are removed or omitted, the rotation of the paddle wheel will be visible from above and may simulate wing movement. 
         [0025]    Referring to the drawings,  FIG. 8  depicts the decoy  100  with a rigid guard  18  affixed to the underside of the buoyant body  14  which extends downward along the longitudinal axis of the decoy  100  beyond the downward most position of the paddlewheel  13 . The rigid guard  18  shall be constructed of plastic, metal or other rigid material and shall be constructed such that a fluid may pass freely through its structure. The rigid guard  18  shall be shaped with a void space sufficient to permit clearance of the paddlewheel  13  during operation of the decoy. The rigid guard acts to prevent obstructions and debris from obstructing the rotation of the paddlewheel  13 . 
         [0026]    While this invention has been described with the specific embodiments outlines above, the preferred embodiments set forth are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. The claims provide the scope of coverage of this invention and should not be limited to the specific examples cited above.