Patent Publication Number: US-2020281189-A1

Title: Mallard Hen Variable Tone Game Caller with Quick Grip

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of Applicant&#39;s prior provisional application, No. 62/646,454, filed on Mar. 22, 2018. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     Calling devices designed to mimic animals are often used to attract wild game. This invention will involve creating a game caller that can be used to create sounds like multiple mallard hens, which can be used by bird watchers or hunters. 
     Background 
     Summary 
     The invention relates to a call for use in calling or attracting waterfowl or game. Traditionally these calls have been designed with a symmetrical blowing tube at one end and a sounding barrel that fits into the blowing tube. The sounding barrel contains a reed that vibrates in the sound chamber inside the blowing tube and a single exhaust port that air flow exits through opposite end of the mouthpiece of the blowing tube. The bore controls the air escape rate and thereby produces the desired sounds of ducks and geese. The portion of the sounding barrel extended out of the blowing tube are traditionally symmetrical and round, while also having only one exhaust port for air flow. The present invention includes an embodiment made to replicate the sounds of two distinct mallard hens using one game caller by incorporating a secondary exhaust in the sounding barrel that, when open, creates a higher pitched distinct tone compared to the tone when the secondary exhaust is closed. When the secondary exhaust is closed airflow exits only through the primary exhaust of the sounding barrel, while when the secondary exhaust is open air flows through the primary and secondary exhausts at the same time. The design and dimensions of the secondary exhaust controls the amount of air that can flow through it when both exhausts are open and is referenced in the second and third embodiments. 
     The second embodiment of the present invention is the secondary exhaust port of the sounding barrel is formed replicating the physical design (2 longitudinal slits) that is present in the upper bill of real mallard hens. The slits include calculated angles at the upwind and downwind sides of roughly 45° and 30° that give directional control to air flow through them thus controlling the air flow and sound to travel in a forward direction. 
     The third embodiment of this design is a recessed surface area surrounding the secondary exhaust in the sounding barrel, allowing the call operator to quickly identify the correct orientation of the calling device. This “quick grip” is designed not only to give the operator quick orientation of the call, but also to allow directional and volume control of the air flow through the secondary exhaust. 
     The fourth embodiment of this design is notches in the reed support surface of the sounding barrel of the call that allows air moving through the blowing tube to provide upward force to the call reeds, reducing the force required to move the reeds when operating the device due to the presence of moisture or condensation. These notches are present where the reed support surface merges with the longitudinally extended channel through the sounding barrel portion that is inserted into the blowing tube. 
     The fifth embodiment of the design includes rounded reed support surfaces in the sounding barrel of the game caller. This allows for a smaller surface contact area with the reeds, reducing the common problem of sticking incurred between the reeds and the reed support surface. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1 : Top view of the game caller according to one embodiment of the present invention 
         FIG. 2 : Exploded perspective of the top view of the game caller according to one embodiment of the present invention 
         FIG. 3 : Side view of game caller according to the invention 
         FIG. 4 : Longitudinal sectional view of game caller according to one embodiment of the present invention 
         FIG. 5 : Transverse sectional view of game caller according to one embodiment of the present invention 
         FIG. 6 : Top view of sounding barrel sounding board according to one embodiment of the present invention 
         FIG. 7 : Top view of sounding barrel secondary exhaust and recessed grip according to one embodiment of the present invention 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     This invention is designed to mimic the sound of live mallard hens. The following is a detailed description of exemplary embodiments to illustrate the principles of the invention. The embodiments are provided to illustrate aspects of the invention, but the invention is not limited to any embodiment. The scope of the invention encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalent; it is limited only by the claims. 
     Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all these specific details. For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the invention has not been described in detail so that the invention is not unnecessarily obscured. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4  air is forced through the game caller mouthpiece  9  entrance at the end of the blowing tube  10  through the sound chamber  11 , where it traverses across the reeds  16  causing them to resonate against the reed support surface  12 . The reeds  16  are held in place often utilizing a wedge  17  into the sounding barrel  20  thus applying downward pressure to ensure contact with the reed support surface  12 , which is disturbed by the air flow and causes resonation and thus creates sound. Air continues through the channel  18  of the sounding barrel  20  through the end of the blowing tube  10 . On the outer extension of the sounding barrel  20  air has the opportunity to exit through the primary exhaust  22  linear to the flow through the sound chamber  11  and also perpendicularly through the secondary exhaust  32 . 
     Traditionally reed support surface  12  is of flat design. In this invention  FIG. 5  depicts the reed support surface  12  is of a slightly rounded design traveling laterally to air flow and is designed to lower the surface area the reeds  16  contact. This lowered surface area reduces the potential for the reeds  16  to stick against the reed support surface  12  when moisture is present. A secondary design aspect of the reed support surface depicted in  FIGS. 2, 4, and 6  are four notches  15  of a diamond shape in a laterally angled design in each inner side of the reed support surface  12 . The notches  15  extend vertically down the longitudinally extended channel  18  of the sounding barrel  20  that is inserted into the blowing tube  10 . These notches  15  are designed to enable more upward air pressure to the reeds  16  when air is forced through the game caller, leading to the reeds being more easily “pushed” upward before returning downward against the reed support surface  12 . As air flow travels through the sound chamber  11  and comes into contact with the reeds  16  a static friction can be required to be overcome in order to lift the reeds  16  off of a flat reed support surface. The combination of curved reed support  12  that reduces surface area, and diamond shape notches  15  that encourage air flow to travel upward thus having a lifting effect on the reeds  16 , allows reeds  16  to be lifted more easily and create the vibrational frequency needed to make the desired duck sound. 
     As air passes through the sound chamber  11  in blowing tube  10  and through the inserted portion of the sounding barrel  20  of the game caller, the sounding barrel  20  is designed to constrict air flow, as in many wind instruments, and includes a primary exhaust  22  that air flow exits through. Most of the air flow exits the call laterally through the primary exhaust  22  of the sounding barrel, as in traditional mallard game callers, but this invention also includes a secondary exhaust in the form of two slits  32  forming the secondary exhaust that allows air flow perpendicular to the primary exhaust  22  air flow. The secondary exhaust is designed utilizing two slits  32  which resembles the physiological characteristics noticed in the underside of the upper bill in mallard hens. These two slits  32  have a length to width ratio in the lateral direction of approximately 5:1, as opposed to a geometric circle, control air flow and project the resulting sound in a more perpendicular path compared to the primary exhaust  22 . The slits  32  are angularly designed to encourage air flow moving in the forward direction by incorporating approximately 45° angle  34  on the blowing tube  10  end, and approximately 30° angle  36  toward the sounding barrel primary exhaust  22  end as shown in  FIG. 4 . This is important because these angles control the air flow by projecting it in a more forward direction, as a live mallard hen does when making quacking noises. This secondary exhaust  32  enables air flow control—when the secondary exhaust  32  is open the resultant sound is of a noticeably different tone than when air flow is only allowed through the primary exhaust. The two different situations (open secondary exhaust and closed secondary exhaust) allow for two distinctively different tones to be produced, creating the illusion of two different mallard hens. This is important because mallard hens, much like people, do not all sound the same—different hen mallards have different pitches and tones. Throttling air flow through the secondary exhaust  32  allows for even more variable tones to be created utilizing this invention. 
     The exterior portion of the sounding barrel  20  outside of the blowing tube  10  includes a recessed surface area  30  around the secondary exhaust  32  shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 . The recessed portion  30  of the sounding barrel  20  has a steeper slope near but outside the blowing tube, while the recessed portion  30  of the sounding barrel  20  has a slighter slope from the secondary exhaust  32  slits toward the primary exhaust  22  of the sounding barrel allowing for air flow through the secondary exhaust  32  to be directed in a slightly lateral direction. The depth of the recession  30  allows for minimal thickness of the sounding barrel  20  between the secondary exhaust slits  32  and inner bore of primary air flow compared to wall thickness of the opposing bore side of the sounding barrel  20 . The recession  30  carries crossways over the sounding barrel  20  compared to air flow, thus allowing the user of the described embodiment to orient the call properly to manually manipulate air flow through the secondary exhaust slits  32 . Recession  30  can be of flat or moderately rounded design crossways compared to air flow through the sounding barrel  20 . The recessed surface area  30  design feature serves four purposes: 1. It allows the operator to easily grasp the game caller device in the desired orientation based on feel. 2. The angular design projects the sounds coming through the secondary port in a forward direction, and 3. The recession reduces the thickness of material the secondary air flow moves through, increasing air flow through the secondary exhaust ports. 4. The designed recession depth enables the pitch of the game caller to still fall within the pitch range of live mallard hens, but allows for distinct difference in tones when the secondary exhaust  32  is open versus when it is closed, and variable control when the secondary exhaust  32  is throttled. 
     CONCLUSION 
     The disclosed embodiments are illustrative, not restrictive. While specific configurations of the game caller have been described, it is understood that the present invention can be applied to a wide variety of game callers. There are many alternative ways of implementing the invention.