Abstract:
A whistle-type game call for reproducing sounds made by certain whistling animals, such as ducks or other waterfowl, without manipulating (e.g., rolling, vibrating, fluttering, etc.) the tongue. The whistle may include a sound chamber with one or more protruding ridges to space a free-floating tubular member contained by the sound chamber from an internal surface of the sound chamber. The spacing between the free-floating tube and the internal surface of the sound chamber prevents the free-flowing tubular member from sticking to the internal surface of the sound chamber due to accumulations of water, dirt, saliva, or any other foreign substances. The whistle may also include a hole for a lanyard to more conveniently carry the game call. The game call may be constructed from two halves, one of the halves having a ridge track and the other having a recess receptive of the ridge track to ensure proper alignment of the two halves.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to game calls, and more particularly to whistle-type game calls for simulating sounds of wild animals. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Game calls, which produce sounds similar to those of game or wild animals, have existed in many different forms for many years. Game calls are used by hunters, wildlife watchers, and other persons who wish to simulate the sounds of wild animals. There are many different types of game calls, all intended for the same general purpose: to mimic the sounds of a particular animal or animals as realistically as possible. Some calls are designed to attract animals of the same type or species, others are intended to attract predators of an animal the call is intended to mimic. 
     Broadly speaking, there are at least three primary categories of game calls that have existed over the years: diaphragm calls, reed calls, and whistle-type 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. Diaphragm game calls are, however, difficult for many to use effectively. In fact, many types of diaphragm calls can never be mastered by certain segments of the population. 
     Reed-type game calls are perhaps the most common type of game call. Reed-type game calls typically include a reed disposed adjacent an air passage. Air is usually 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. Some reed-type game calls have multiple reeds and air passages that are selectively opened or closed to simulate a variety of animal or fowl sounds. For waterfowl such as wild ducks and geese, reed-type game calls simulate a wide variety of sounds made by such waterfowl. For certain sounds, however, an operator must be able to manipulate (e.g., roll, vibrate, flutter, etc.) his or her tongue in an appropriate manner while blowing on the call, which proves difficult for many users. 
     Whistle-type game calls comprise a third major category of game calls. Whistle-type game calls are commonly used to simulate whistling sounds made by certain waterfowl, particularly ducks. For example, the mallard drake (male) duck produces a hiss that is extremely difficult if not impossible to simulate with a reed or diaphragm-type call. Other species of ducks, including the widgeon, teal, wood duck, and pintail make whistling sounds that are simulated by whistle-type calls, rather than reed or diaphragm-type calls. However, most conventional whistles utilize one or more balls or peas disposed inside a resonant chamber to provide a vibrato effect. When air is forced into the resonant chamber of such calls, the ball or pea moves around the chamber, periodically blocking the outlet to create a staccato-type effect. Nevertheless, whistles using a ball or pea may not mimic certain waterfowl sounds as closely as desired. Other calls, such as the Maurilio™ whistle attempt to more closely simulate certain waterfowl sounds by disposing a solid or hollow cylinder inside a resonant chamber instead of a ball or pea. 
     The whistle calls developed to mimic the whistling duck species mentioned above suffer, however, from a number of problems. The internal air passageway housing the free-floating balls or tubes inevitably accumulate saliva, water, and dirt, which can cause the ball or tube to stick to the interior of the air passageway. When the ball or tube sticks to the interior of the air passageway, the staccato effect caused by the movement of the ball or tube inside the resonant chamber is lost, and there is usually a reduction in the volume of sound emitted from the whistle. Further, most whistle calls are relatively small, and easily dropped or misplaced. There is a need for a game call whistle that reduces the effects of dirt and saliva accumulation, and can be more easily carried and stored. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a whistle-type game call for reproducing sounds made by certain animals, such as ducks or other waterfowl. The whistle-type call according to the present invention eliminates any need by the user to manipulate his or her tongue while blowing on the call. In one embodiment, the whistle-type call includes a sound or resonant chamber with one or more protruding ridges or rails to space a free-floating tube contained by the sound chamber from an internal wall or surface of the sound chamber. The spacing between the free-floating tube and the internal surface of the sound chamber prevents the free-floating tube from sticking to the internal wall or surface of the sound chamber due to accumulations of water, dirt, or saliva. The whistle may also include a hole for looping a string or other filament to carry the whistle. The whistle may be constructed from a pair of mating halves, with one of the halves having a ridge track and the other having a recess receptive of the ridge track to ensure proper alignment of the two halves. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a whistle game call according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of the whistle game call of  FIG. 1  according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the whistle game call illustrated in  FIGS. 1–2  according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional side elevation view of the whistle game call of  FIG. 1  according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the whistle game call illustrated in  FIG. 1  according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the whistle game call illustrated in  FIG. 1  according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a side elevation view of the whistle game call illustrated in  FIG. 1  according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of the whistle game call illustrated in  FIG. 1  according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a rear view opposite of the first end view of the whistle game call illustrated in  FIG. 8  according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers and descriptions may indicate similar, but not necessarily identical elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a whistle-type game call for mimicking animal sounds, particularly certain waterfowl sounds. The present invention also comprises a method of making and using such whistle-type game calls. The whistle-type game calls described herein accurately reproduce waterfowl sounds without the need for users to manipulate (e.g., roll, vibrate, flutter, etc.) their tongues while blowing on the call. The whistle-type game call is also designed to reduce problems created when water, dirt, and saliva accumulate inside the resonant chamber of the whistle, which is a common problem with prior whistle-type calls. The principles described herein may be used with other types of game calls to improve the accuracy of the sounds and the performance of the calls. 
     As used throughout the specification and claims, the word “track” means a groove, rail, or ridge that holds or guides a device or apparatus. The terms “tube” or “tubular” mean either hollow and solid members that are generally cylindrical. The words “including” and “having,” as used in the specification, including the claims, shall have the same meaning as the word “comprising.” 
       FIGS. 1–4  show a whistle-type game call  100  according to one embodiment of the present invention. The game call  100  comprises a housing  102  having an open first end  104 , a closed second end  106  ( FIG. 2 ), and an air passageway  108  ( FIGS. 3–4 ) formed therebetween. The air passageway  108  creates a path through which a stream of air can be forced through the call by a user. The air stream flowing through the air passageway creates a whistle, which is one type of sound generator that may be utilized by the present invention. 
     A mouthpiece portion  109  is formed at one end of the call to provide a structure around which a user&#39;s mouth may comfortably circumscribe to blow the steam of air into the housing  102 . The mouthpiece  109  gradually increases in diameter from the open first end  104 . An abrupt step  111  is formed at a second end of the mouthpiece portion  109 . The mouthpiece portion  109  of the housing  102  also includes a circumferential ridge  113  arranged approximately mid-way between the first end  104  and the step  111 . The ridge  113  may serve to prevent the call from slipping out of the user&#39;s mouth, and thus provides a hands-free feature to the call. More specifically, the user can bite the mouthpiece or place his or her lips on the mouthpiece so that the ridge is inside the user&#39;s lips or teeth to prevent the call from slipping out of the user&#39;s mouth. According to some embodiments, however, the circumferential ridge  113  may be located elsewhere along the mouthpiece portion  109 , or may be omitted altogether. 
     Although the second end  106  of the housing  102  is closed, there is an opening  110  ( FIG. 3 ) along the air passageway  108  to provide for fluid movement between the air passageway  108  and a resonant or sound chamber  112  ( FIGS. 3–4 ) defined by the housing  102 . Accordingly, a flow of air passes through the whistle  100  by entering into the first end  104 , flowing along the air passageway  108 , passing through the opening  110  ( FIG. 3 ), and entering into the cavity  112 . A portion of the airflow may split and may exhaust through a first air vent  114  disposed in a top  116  ( FIG. 1 ) of the housing  102 . The first air vent  114  is adjacent to the cavity  112  and shaped generally as a half-circle or half-ellipse. While the second closed end  106  is generally circular, a top surface  107  ( FIGS. 3–4 ) of the closed second end  106  is flattened to truncate a portion of the circular configuration of the closed end  106  and create a gap  115  ( FIGS. 1 ,  4 ) between the closed second end  106  and the first air vent  114 . Air may thus flow through the gap  115  as it passes through the opening  110  discussed above. Further, the top portion  107  ( FIGS. 3–4 ) may include a funnel  117  to channel or direct air through gap  115 . 
     The housing  102  according to  FIGS. 1–4  is generally T-shaped and includes a major axis  118  and a minor axis  120  ( FIG. 2 ). The air passageway  108  ( FIGS. 3–4 ) is parallel to and substantially aligned with the major axis  118 . The resonant chamber or sound chamber  112 , on the other hand, is in the form of a cavity and is oriented transverse to the air passageway  108 . Sound chamber  112  is parallel with and substantially aligned with the minor axis  120 . The cavity  112  comprises first and second tubular side member portions  122 ,  124  that extend substantially perpendicularly from the major axis  118  along the minor axis  120 . According to the embodiment shown, however, the side member portions  122 ,  124  are integrally formed with the housing  102  and are not separate from the housing  102 . First and second tapered necks  126 ,  128  extend from the tubular side member portions  122 ,  124  to the mouthpiece portion  109 . 
     The cavity  112  tapers down on each side and terminates at relatively small second and third air vent or exit holes  136 ,  138  at the respective ends  140 ,  142 . In addition, each of the ends  140 ,  142  is indented toward the small second and third air vent holes  136 ,  138 . While the interior cavity  112  is tapered toward ends  140 ,  142 , the outside diameter of the side members  122 ,  124  remains generally constant. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3–4 , a generally tubular or cylindrical member, such as a free-floating hollow cylinder  130 , is disposed inside cavity  112 . The hollow cylinder  130  fits loosely inside the generally cylindrical cavity  112  such that the cylinder rolls around or circulates the inside surface or wall of cavity  112  when a user blows on the call  100 . The rolling cylinder causes a staccato or vibrating sound to be emanated by the call  100 , without the need for the user to manipulate (e.g., rolling, vibrating, fluttering, etc.) his or her tongue. As mentioned above, however, the cavity  112  and/or the hollow cylinder  130  will inevitably accumulate water, dirt, or saliva resulting from use of the whistle  100 . Any foreign substance introduced into cavity  112  may cause the hollow cylinder  130  to stick to the internal surface  132  ( FIG. 3 ) of the cavity  112 . Therefore, to reduce the effects of the dirt accumulation, the cavity  112  includes a plurality of protrusions in the form of annular rails or ridges  134  ( FIGS. 3–4 ) that space the hollow cylinder  130  from the internal surface  132 . The rails  134  dramatically reduce the surface area that the cylinder  130  contacts when the call is operated. Accordingly, accumulation of water, dirt, and saliva are much less likely to cause the hollow cylinder  130  to stick to the internal surface  132 , because the hollow cylinder  130  rests on the rails  134 . 
     The size of the whistle  100  is relatively small, and therefore easily dropped, misplaced, or lost. Therefore, a tapered tab  144  opposite of the open first end  104  and substantially aligned with the major axis  118  ( FIG. 2 ) is included according to the embodiment shown with a hole or passage  146  extending therethrough. The hole  146  is receptive of a cord or rope such as a lanyard  150  shown looping through the hole  146  in  FIG. 1 . The lanyard  150  can be placed around the neck, arm, or other appendage of a user to reduce the occurrence of loss and increase the carrying convenience to the user. The lanyard  150  may also be attached, for example, to a key chain, belt, loop, or any other item. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the housing  102  of the whistle  100  may comprise two halves, a first half  152  and a second half  154 , which may, for example, be made of injection molded plastic or other material. The first and second halves  152 ,  154  are shaped to mate with one another to produce the whistle  100  as shown in  FIGS. 1–2 . For example, the first half  152  includes a ridge or track  156  projecting from an inner surface  158  of the first half  152 . The track  156  extends along most or all of both the air passageway  106  and the cavity  112 . The second half  154  includes a trough such as a mating recess or track  160  receptive of the protruding track  156  to facilitate alignment of the first and second halves  152 ,  154 , and to prevent the halves  152 ,  154  from sliding relative to one another. Each of the first and second halves may contain two or more of the plurality of cavity ridges  134  that space the hollow cylinder  130  from the internal surface  132 . The first and second halves  152 ,  154  may be connected to one another by any suitable fastening method, including, but not limited to, adhesive, glue, rivets, welding—including ultrasonic welding, heat stamping, screws, snaps, or other fasteners. In addition, according to some embodiments the halves  152 ,  154  may be formed of one unitary piece, rather than from separate pieces. 
       FIGS. 5–9  show the principle views of the whistle  100 , with features such as the cavity  112  and hollow cylinder  130  shown with hidden lines. Accordingly, applying the principles taught herein, the whistle  100  can be used by any outdoor enthusiast or others to accurately mimic wild animal sounds, especially whistling ducks, by blowing into the housing  102 . 
     While this invention has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments and examples, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that many variations are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. The invention, as described by the claims, is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the invention which do not depart from the scope of the invention.