Abstract:
A method of scaring birds and animals includes launching a bird-scaring device in a substantially vertical manner and periodically causing the device to circle in the air in substantially opposite directions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to an animal-scaring device and to a method of scaring animals.  
         [0003]     2. Discussion of Related Prior Art  
         [0004]     Small animals, including rodents and birds, are known to pose a serious threat to humans by damaging crops, spreading disease and/or interfering with the normal operation of various facilities such as airports. Among the conventional methods of controlling, i.e., eliminating, bird pests, killing them has been regarded as ineffective. In fact, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has repeatedly cautioned against killing birds, stating that it would not help prevent health-hazard outbreaks. Other pest control methods include the use of traditional scarecrows and optical and sound signal-generating devices, none of which are particularly effective for the protection of large areas such as parks, airports, golf courses, fruit plantations, cornfields, horticultural plots, fields, and the like, from geese, starlets, gulls, herons and other animal pests. It has been observed that the effectiveness of these systems rapidly decreases after installation or implementation since birds soon become accustomed to the stationary silhouettes, shapes and other effects of deterrent devices.  
         [0005]     In addition to the afore-discussed conventional methods, it is known to use “hawk kites” to protect areas that attract birds. Typically, to launch such a kite, the user, holding the kite tethered to the hand or to a stationary pole applies a force sufficient to allow the kite to ascend along a relatively smooth trajectory. Maneuverability of this type of kite upon reaching its maximum altitude is often limited. Turning the kite requires that the user possess a relatively high degree of manual dexterity in order to effectively manage the movements of the kite. Furthermore, like other would-be deterrent devices, “hawk kites”, while perhaps initially effective, may not provide a long term or permanent bird-scaring effect.  
         [0006]     An object of the invention is to provide a bird-scaring device which, due to its unique aerodynamic characteristics, launches from or near ground level in a rapid and substantially vertical ascent.  
         [0007]     Still another object of the invention is to provide a bird-scaring device with a strong and simple structure that can be rapidly assembled in the field without the use of tools or specialized devices.  
         [0008]     Yet another object of the invention is to provide a bird-scaring device tethered by a control line to a manually manipulated reel.  
         [0009]     A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method permitting effective bird scaring in a given location for an indefinitely long period of time.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     In accordance with the invention, the foregoing and other objects are achieved by a bird-scaring device which is configured as a predatory bird kite and is launched from a supporting surface so as to ascend in a substantially vertical manner. Upon reaching the desired altitude, the bird-scaring device is capable of continuously circling about a relatively large area in a manner imitating the circular motion of real avian predators such as hawks, eagles, and the like.  
         [0011]     It has been found that use of the bird-scaring device herein not only produces immediate results, i.e., scaring flocks of birds from an area to be protected, but also has a long-term effect on birds and animals keeping them away from the area where the inventive device has been used. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     The features and advantages of the bird-scaring device herein will become more readily apparent from the detailed description of the invention accompanied by the following drawings:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bird-scaring device configured in accordance with the invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a reel configured in accordance with the invention and constituting with the bird-scaring device of  FIG. 1  an inventive kit;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a bottom view of a wing of the bird-scaring device of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is another perspective view of the reel of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the wing of the bird-scaring device taken along lines V-V in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 5 , a bird-scaring device configured as a kite  10  is designed to replicate a predatory bird including, but not limited to, hawks, eagles, and the like. The kite  10  is configured with a body  12  ( FIG. 1 ), a pair of wings  14 , removably attached to the body  12 , and a tail  16  and is capable of popping up into the air in response to a force applied by the user though a control line  34  ( FIGS. 1, 2 ) coupling the device  10  to a manually operated reel  32  ( FIGS. 2, 4 ).  
         [0019]     The kite  10  is designed to have a three-dimensional, natural looking appearance of a predatory bird. The kite has been trial tested in a variety of locations frequented by small animals, geese, and the like. While the kite  10  has been shown to produce an immediate scaring effect, it has also demonstrated such an effect long-term. It has been observed that after a period of use, birds that were initially scared off have not returned to their favorite sites.  
         [0020]     Abrupt, almost vertical take-off of the kite  10  is attributed to several factors including attachment of the line  34  to the head portion of the body  12  which allows the user to apply a pulling force directed upwardly, as well as to certain dimensions of the pair of wings  14 . Each of the detachable wings  14  ( FIG. 3 ) is preferably configured to possess a ratio between maximum width W 1  and maximum length L 1  of about 0.4-0.6. The width W 1  corresponds to the greatest width of the wing  14  between its opposite outwardly curved regions  25  and  27  and, preferably, ranges within about a 18-22 inch range, whereas the length L is approximately 39-42 inches. Preferably, the wings  14  each have an airfoil shape characterized by a relatively thick leading edge  31  and a relatively thin trailing edge  29 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . Still another important characteristic of the desired quick ascent capability of the kite includes the ratio between a width W 3  of an outer side  33  ( FIG. 3 ) of the wing  14  and a width W 2  of the wing&#39;s inner side  35  ranging within about a 0.7-1 interval. Dimensional variations providing ratios slightly differing from the afore-disclosed ranges and intervals will generally not adversely affect the unique aerodynamic properties of kite  10  or its performance.  
         [0021]     Besides having the outwardly curved region  27  ( FIG. 3 ), the trailing edge  29  of the wing  14  further has an inwardly curved region  37  formed with substantially the same radius of curvature as the region  27 . In contrast, the leading edge  31  of the wing  14  is characterized by a pair of inwardly curved regions  39  and  41  which flank the outwardly curved region  25  having the radius of curvature substantially smaller that the radii of the flanking regions  39  and  41 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the flanking regions  39  and  41  of the leading edge  31  are slightly curved, but the geometry of the wing  14  can be modified so that these regions may be nearly straight.  
         [0022]     A variety of materials may be used for manufacturing the wing  14  and include, but are not limited to, nylon, paper, and the like. A frame  43  ( FIG. 3 ) attached to the covering of the wing  14  may be made from a variety of different polymeric materials, wood and even aluminum. The frame  43  may be assembled from separate components including leading sections  22  and  45  and reinforcing section  47  and  49 . At least some of these sections are removably secured to one another by displaceable clips  28 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , displacing of the clip  28  releases two end portions  26  of the sections  22  and  45  thereby allowing the user to fold the wing  14  by bringing the inner and outer sides  35  and  33  towards one another. Alternatively, the frame  43  may be molded as a one-piece body.  
         [0023]     To assemble the kite  10 , an inner end  24  ( FIGS. 1 and 3 ) of the leading section  22  of the frame  43  and a trailing end  30  of an inner section  55  ( FIG. 3 ) of this frame are attached to the body  12 . The latter has the tail  16  and the head attached to one another by a hollow frame configured with a pair of spaced elongated sections  18  ( FIG. 1 ) bridged by leading and trailing crossbars  53  and  20 . Attachment of the wings  14  to the body  12  is accomplished by inserting the inner end  24  ( FIG. 1 ) of the sections  22  of the wings&#39; frame into an opening formed on the opposite ends of the leading crossbar  53  or vice versa, and further, traversing holes formed in the trailing crossbar  20  by trailing ends  30 . Formed on one of the opposite sides of the head is a fastening element  52  ( FIG. 1 ) configured to retain a balloon line (not shown) for operating the kite  10  with a gas filled balloon in windless weather.  
         [0024]     The reel  32  ( FIGS. 2, 4 ), configured to launch and control the movements of the kite  10 , includes a central hub  40  traversed by a shaft  54  and receiving a plurality of angularly spaced pins  42  which have their free ends  44  supporting a line guiding portion of the reel  32 . The free end  44  of each pin  42  is configured with a C-shaped cross-section dimensioned to support spaced sides  48  which prevent the line  34  ( FIG. 2 ) from slipping off the free ends  44 . A handle  36  is rotatably fixed to the shaft  54  and has an end provided with a line guide  38 .  
         [0025]     Pulling the line  34  to apply a force to the kite  10  placed on a stationary support, such as ground, or the like, accomplishes launching the kite  10  so that, during its rise, the kite  10  may deviate from a vertical within about a ±15° range. It has been observed that as the kite  10  deploys, geese quickly vacate the site. Once the kite  10  reaches the desired altitude, it begins to circle in one direction. Rotating the handle  36  ( FIGS. 2, 4 ) of the reel  32  in the counterclockwise direction at an angle not exceeding 360° reverses the direction of the kite&#39;s circling.  
         [0026]     The bird-scaring device, or kite  10 , operated in accordance with the invention, will provide a relatively long-lasting bird-scaring effect with consequent economic benefits for site owners who, otherwise, may need to use such expensive pest scaring methods as the use of specially trained dogs or various types of known and conventional deterrent devices.  
         [0027]     While the invention has been disclosed with respect to preferred embodiments, it is not limited to these embodiments, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.