Patent Publication Number: US-6988755-B2

Title: Gun gurney

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to hunting equipment and accessories. More particularly, the present invention relates to a gun gurney or safety device for transporting firearms, rifles, shot guns, archery bows and equipment from ground level to an elevated hunting position. 
     2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
     Throughout the realm of hunting activities, sportsmen and sportswomen have commonly encountered difficulty in transporting their firearms such as rifles or shot guns, from the ground to a hunting stand or an elevated position. Techniques used in the prior art include many unsafe and cumbersome procedures. For example, some hunters tie a rope to their firearm, climbing to their respective hunting stand or elevated position with the rope in hand, and thereafter lifting the firearm or archery bow or other hunting equipment with the rope, running the risk that an expensive firearm may be damaged and/or the firearm may accidentally discharge while being juggled about during this lifting operation. In addition other hunters attempt to climb to the hunting stand with a firearm thrown over the shoulder, consequently subjecting the hunter to the risk of damaging the firearm while climbing, dropping the firearm or perhaps more seriously, having the firearm inadvertently discharge or subjecting the hunter to potential injury should he or she fall upon the firearm while climbing to the hunting stand. 
     Many states now allow hunting from elevated positions, that is above ground level such as through the use of tree stands or elevated platforms. When a hunter engages in this sport it is necessary for the hunter to safely and easily move himself or herself, firearms, archery bows and equipment to and from the elevated position. Several prior devices are known which allows a hunter to climb while carrying their equipment by way of slings, backpacks or simply holding equipment in their hands. All of these methods are dangerous and cumbersome. It is recognized that a safer approach to hoisting firearms and hunting equipment to an elevated position is to leave all equipment on the ground and attach the equipment to a rope or cord. The hunter can then hoist the equipment from the elevated platform or tree stand. This would allow the hunter to have both hands free for climbing to and from the elevated position. Simply attaching a rope or cord to a firearm often resulted in damage to the equipment and in addition put the hunter&#39;s safety at risk. In other occasions firearms have been tied off through the trigger housing allowing the gun to flip over and discharge. Hunters most often go to and from their hunting spots in the dark or in near dark conditions. Darkness and cold weather interfere with the hunter&#39;s ability to properly tie a firearm or archery bow for safe lifting from the ground to an elevated position. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,382 entitled “RIFLE LIFT” issued to Jerry Patent Justice on Oct. 7, 1975. It discloses a safety rifle lift for transporting a rifle between the ground and a hunting stand while releasably holding the rifle in an upright and safe position. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,803 entitled “UNIVERSAL FIREARM BOW AND PACK HOIST-LINE” issued on Oct. 12, 1997 to Henry Michael Tacoronte. It discloses a hoisting device for supporting an elongate firearm or archery bow. The hoist line has a snap hook for attachment to a rifle trigger guard and a fixed barrel engagement loop, each permanently attached to an elongated hoist line near its bottom end. The trigger guard snap hook and barrel engagement loop are sized and spaced apart to maintain an attached rifle in a vertical orientation when a device is hoisted from above. Modifications to the hoist line includes a bow engaging strap and string engaging strap for the temporary attachment of an archery bow adjacent to an attached firearm. 
     Other devices, similar in nature, are known including U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,404 entitled “HOISTING HARNESS FOR A FIREARM” which issued on Feb. 1, 2000 to Michael Pasquale and U.S. Design Pat. No. 446,839 entitled “SLEEVE ENCLOSURE FOR LIFTING A HUNTING FIREARM OR BOW” which issued on Aug. 21, 2001 to Raymond Cantrell. The problems with the prior art lift devices as disclosed in the aforementioned patents are that the devices are most often large, cumbersome and difficult to use as well as to maintain. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is a primary feature of the present invention to provide a hoisting device or gun gurney which is attachable to elongated firearms, shot guns and rifles, archery bows and other hunting equipment with which hunters, having first climbed to an elevated location above the ground may safely hoist the firearm. 
     It is another feature of the present invention to provide a hoisting device or gun gurney for firearms, archery bows and hunting equipment, with the device to be used by hunters who hunt from elevated positions, such as elevated platforms and tree stands. 
     Still another feature of the present invention is to provide a hoisting or lifting device that provides safety and protection to both the hunter and his or her equipment. 
     A further feature of the present invention is to provide a gun gurney or lifting device that is both quickly and easily attached and removed to firearms, guns and rifles, archery bows and other related equipment through the use of Velcro straps which eliminates the requirement for tying knots or working with buckles. 
     A still further feature of the present invention is to provide a lifting device or gun gurney that will fit nearly all sizes and models of rifles or shot guns. 
     Another feature of the present invention is to provide a lifting device or gun gurney that will not scratch or damage the equipment being hoisted through the use of a base or fixture that is flat, smooth, flexible and is made from urethane by an injection molding process. 
     Still another feature of the present invention is to provide a lifting device or gun gurney that is small and light weight, with the device being easily transported and can be left attached to firearms or archery bows and of a size to fit within the respective carrying cases of the firearms or archery bows. 
     A further feature of the present invention is to provide a lifting device or gun gurney that is strong enough to lift most any firearms designed for sports hunting, with the fixture or base member being made of urethane that is strong, flexible and weather resistant. 
     A still further feature of the present invention is to provide a lifting device that can hoist a firearm with the barrel pointing either upwardly or downwardly. 
     Another feature of the present invention is to provide a lifting device or a gun gurney that can be quickly disconnected at the end of a day&#39;s hunting by simply removing the hook provided on the lifting rope from the catch provided on the base member of the gun gurney. With such a construction the cord and hook will be in position for use the following day or days, with the fixture or base member remaining attached to the firearm or bow. 
     Still another feature of the present invention is to provide a lifting device that will provide a straight vertical lift for the firearm or archery bow thereby avoiding spinning and flipping of the firearm or archery bow that will cause the equipment to be damaged or dropped. 
     A further feature of the present invention is to provide a lifting device that is designed primarily for hoisting firearms and archery bows yet can be quickly converted into a conventional means of lifting other equipment. 
     A still further feature of the present invention is to provide a lifting device that is safe, strong, small and easy to use. 
     Still another feature of the present invention is to provide a lifting device which is rugged and durable, and is also relatively inexpensive, easy to manufacture and to use in the field. 
     With the above and other features in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims of this invention. 
     The invention possesses many other advantages and has other purposes which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of the forms in which it may be embodied. One of these forms is hereinafter described in the detailed description of this invention. However, it is to be understood that this detailed description is only illustrative of the principles of the invention and is not to be taken in a limiting sense. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a tree and an elevated tree stand, with the lifting device of the present invention attached to a tree limb and with the gurney supporting the shot gun or rifle, with the butt end up and the barrel end down; 
         FIG. 2A  is a rear view of the base member of the gurney showing the rows of longitudinally aligned slots and the catch at the top end of the base member; 
         FIG. 2B  is a side elevational view of the base member illustrated in  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the gurney lifting device showing the base member with the Velcro straps spaced apart and the cord and snap hook assembly attached to the catch of the base member; 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary perspective view of the gurney lifting device showing the manner in which the Velcro straps attach to the butt end of the rifle exteriorly of the trigger housing; 
         FIG. 5  is a fragmentary perspective view of the gurney lifting device, showing the gurney attached to the rifle, with one strap extending through the trigger housing above the trigger and with the butt end of the rifle facing downwardly; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the gurney lifting device showing the rifle attached to the gun gurney and with the cord of the lifting device wrapped around the upper end of the rifle barrel, with the barrel pointing upwardly; and 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the gurney lifting device showing the gurney attached to the archery bow for lifting the gurney and archery bow from the ground to an elevated position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, the gurney  10  of the present invention comprises an elongated unitary base member or hoisting fixture  12 , pair of Velcro straps  14  and a lifting cord  16  having on one end a snap hook  18  as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     The elongated unitary base member or hoisting fixture  12  has an elongated longitudinally extending center axis  20 , a generally flat surface  22  and a parallel rear surface  24 . The surfaces  22  and  24  form spaced opposite substantially planar areas. 
     Spaced inwardly from each of the spaced planar longitudinal edges  26  and  28  are rows  30  and  32  of longitudinally spaced slots  34 . The slots  34  in one row  30  are laterally spaced from corresponding slots in the row  32 . The slots  32  and a catch  36  on the rear surface  24  are formed in the unitary base member or hoisting fixture  12  during the manufacture thereof utilizing a urethane molding process. The material selected is urethane-95 or equivalent material that will be of sufficient strength to support the firearms, shotguns, rifles or other equipment that may be typically hoisted to an elevated position for the purpose of hunting. The hoisting fixture or base member  12  is adapted to safely hoist firearms, such as shotguns and rifles, archery bows and other equipment to an elevated platform  40  mounted in a tree  42  having a limb  44 , with the lifting cord  16  suspended on limb  44  as will subsequently appear. 
     The catch  36  is of arcuate configuration and defines a space  38  with the opposite underlying portion of the rear surface  24 . The catch  36  is located midway between the pair of parallel longitudinally extending edges  26  and  28  and the rows  30  and  32  of longitudinally spaced slots  34 . The catch  36  is located near the first end portion of the base member  12  which forms the top of the base member  12 . The other end portion  39  forms the bottom of the base member  12 . The comers of the base member  12  are curved or rounded to eliminate sharp edges for safety purposes. The elongated slots  34 , six in number in each row  30 ,  32  have the ends of each slot curved on a radius as shown in the drawings. 
     The pair of Velcro straps  14  are required for securing the firearm, shotgun or rifle  50  or archery bow  52  to the front surface  22  of the base member  12 . The Velcro straps  14  are ¾″ wide and 12″ in length. Each Velcro strap  14  has a plastic loop  56  at one end and a tapered or curved surface  58  on the other end so as to facilitate the entry of end  58  through the loop  56 . The lifting cord  16  is preferably constructed of a narrow band of non-elastic material. Such material is flexible and has the ability to withstand out-of-door conditions. The lifting cord  16  should be at least ⅛″ in diameter and have the ability to carry the weight of the firearms or other equipment. The lifting cord  16  should be approximately 20 to 25 feet in length. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the cord  16  will have a single snap hook  18  permanently attached to one end as shown in  FIG. 3 . Snap hook  18  is constructed of a weather resistant material such as plastic or stainless steel. The snap hook  18  must be able to withstand the same weight requirement as the cord  16 . 
     It is well known that firearms should never be lifted with bullets or shells in the chambers. However, having the barrel pointing down is the safest position in the event of an accidental discharge of the weapon while hoisting the weapon to the tree stand. When hunting with an archery bow, the hoisting fixture or base member can be left attached to the archery bow while hunting, if desired, by simply removing the hook from the catch provided on the hoisting fixture  12 . 
     The method of using the present invention to hoist firearms, such as a rifle or shotgun  50 , to an elevated position such as the tree stand  40  of  FIG. 1  follows. After the elevated hunting platform or tree stand  40  has been erected, the cord  16  and hook  18  are to be tied off securely to the tree  42 , tree stand or platform in an area that is clear of obstructions and will allow for firearms  50 , archery bows  52  or equipment to be hoisted without interference so as to be less likely to become entangled in tree branches, ladders or foot pegs. 
     The cord  16  should be tied off in such a manner that it will not become loose or allow equipment to slip. The cord  16  should be tied in such a manner that the hook  18  will be easily accessible from the ground but now allow the firearm  50 , archery bow  52  or equipment to hit the ground. The distance the hook  18  is positioned above the ground will depend on the size of the firearm  50 , archery bow  52  or equipment being hoisted. In the case of firearms  50 , such as shotguns and rifles, the distance between the hook and the ground will depend on which method of hoisting the hunter selects (barrel pointing upward or barrel pointing downward). 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the integral catch  36  which is formed during the urethane molding process is centered vertically on the base member or hoisting fixture  12  and is offset horizontally in the upper end portion  37  as shown in  FIG. 2A . In the present invention, the catch  36  is considered to be located at the top of the hoisting fixture  12 . 
     When the method of hoisting (barrel pointing upward or barrel pointing downward), a firearm  50  has been determined, the base member or hoisting fixture  12  is then attached to the firearm  50 . For hoisting a firearm  50  with the barrel pointing downward, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , this is accomplished by placing the smooth side or front surface  22  (without the catch  36 ) of the hoisting fixture  12  against the stock of the firearm  50 . As such, the top or catch end  37  of the fixture  12  is pointing away from the barrel of the firearm  50 . One of the Velcro straps  14  is extended through the top pair of slots  34  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Thereafter, the hunter finds the narrowest part of the firearm stock and wraps the Velcro strap  14  around the firearm  50  and through the loop  56  of the Velcro strap  14 . 
     Using the second Velcro strap  14 , the hunter selects a second pair of laterally aligned slots  34  that will allow the Velcro straps  14  to best secure the base member  12  to the firearm  50 . Both Velcro straps  14  are tightened and the ends are secured. The straps  14  do not extend into the trigger housing but are located above and below the housing as shown in FIG.  4 . The firearm is now ready to be moved to the hunting position and attached to the previously suspended cord  16  and hook  18  by snapping the hook  18  through the catch  36  as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     The firearm  50  is now ready to be hoisted to the elevated hunting position as shown in  FIG. 1 . After the hunter has safely raised the firearm  50  to the elevated hunting position, the Velcro straps  14  are loosened and the firearm  50  removed from the base member or mounting fixture  12 . When the hunter is ready to lower the firearm  50 , he or she places a firearm back through the Velcro straps  14  and retightens the straps  14 , reconnects the cord  16  and hook  18  to the catch  36  and slowly lowers the firearm  50  towards the ground. The hunter can now exit from the elevated position by having both hands free to maximize safety. Once on the ground, the hunter will disconnect the cord  16  and hook  18  from the catch  36 . The base member  12  and Velcro straps  14  can remain attached to the firearm  50 . When the hunter returns to the hunting site, he or she need only to reconnect the cord  16  and hook  18  to the catch  36  and repeat the hoisting process. 
     When the hunter selects to hoist the firearm  50  with the barrel pointing upward as in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , this is accomplished by placing the smooth side or front surface  22  of the lifting fixture or base member  12  against the firearm  50  with the catch  36  pointing towards the barrel. The hunter should position the base member  12  where the bottom of the gurney is at or near the lowest portion of the firearms stock. Thereafter, one of the Velcro straps  14  extends through the pair of lower slots  34  that best fit the firearm  50  and the other Velcro strap  14  extends through the pair of slots  34  at the top of the hoisting fixture  12 . Finally, the Velcro straps  14  are wrapped around the firearm  50 . It may be necessary to move the hoisting fixture  12  up or down on the firearm  50  to find the best position for it and the Velcro straps  14  as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The hunter thereafter pulls on both the Velcro straps  14  and secures the ends. The firearm  50  is now ready to be moved to the hunting location and the fixture  12  is attached to cord  16  and hook  18  by snapping the hook  18  through the catch  36 . When hoisting the firearm  50  with the barrel pointing upward, it is necessary to make a loop  60  in the cord  16  and place the loop  60  over the end of the barrel of the firearm  50  as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . It is recommended that the hunter place the loop  60  three to five inches down from the end of the barrel. The extra step, placing the loop  60  over the end of the barrel, is necessary to properly balance and insure a straight vertical hoist, when hoisting a firearm  50  with the barrel pointing upwards. The loop  60  will be required when raising or lowering the firearm  50  from the elevated hunting position, with the barrel pointing upward. The hunter can now safely climb to the elevated hunting position. After the hunter has reached the elevated position, the firearm can be hoisted up and removed from the fixture or base member  12 . This is done by first removing the loop  60  from around the end of the barrel and then loosening the Velcro straps  14 . The process is reversed to lower the firearm  50 . The hunter now has both hands free to maximize safety. As in the previous method, the hunter unhooks the cord  16  and hook  18  from the base member  12  and the firearm  50  can be placed in a case without removing the base member  12  from the firearm  50 . When returning to the hunting location the next day or at a different time, the hunter simply reattaches the cord  16  and hook or latch  18  to the catch  36  of the base member or lifting fixture  12 . 
     When an archery bow  52  is to be hoisted to the elevated hunting position, the hunter will adjust the cord  16  and hook  18  to a height where the archery bow  52  can be attached to the lifting fixture or base member  12  but will not allow the archery bow  52  to hit the ground. With the archery bow  52  in a vertical position, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the hunter places the smooth side or front surface  22  of the base member  12  against the upper portion of the bow limb(s) with the catch  36  pointing upwardly. Using the uppermost and lowermost pairs of slots  34 , the hunter wraps the Velcro straps  14  around the archery bow limbs and tightens the Velcro straps  14 . The archery bow  52  is now ready to be attached to the cord  16  and hook  18  by connecting the hook  18  to the catch  36  as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . The hunter can now safely climb to the elevated hunting position. After hoisting the archery bow  52 , the hunter needs only to release the Velcro straps  16  and remove the bow  52 . The base member can remain attached to the cord  16  and hook  18 . 
     The hunter may, if desired, leave the base member  12  attached to the archery bow  52  after removing the cord  16  and hook  18 . When the hunter is ready to lower the archery bow  52  to the ground, either the hunter reattaches the base member to the archery bow  52  or reattaches the cord  16  and hook  18  to the base member if it were left attached to the archery bow  52 . 
     After the archery bow  52  has been lowered, the hunter can climb down from the elevated hunting position with both hands to maximize safety. The hunter can disconnect the cord  16  and hook  18  from the base member or lifting fixture  12 . The lifting fixture  12  need not be removed from the archery bow  52 . The archery bow  52  will fit into most cases with the base member or lifting fixture  12  attached. When the hunter returns to the hunting area, he or she simply reattaches the cord  16  and hook  18  to the base member or lifting fixture  12  that is still attached to the archer bow  52 . 
     It will be appreciated from the above description that, when the present invention is attached in the described manner, that firearms  50  and archery bows  52  will remain substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hoisting cord  16  while being hoisted. Therefore, it will be understood that under most circumstances, firearms  50  or archery bows  52  will be vertically oriented to the lifting cord  16  while being hoisted from an elevated position as shown in  FIG. 1 , thus, minimizing the changes of the firearm  50  or archery bow  52  from spinning freely and becoming entangled in tree branches, ladders, foot pegs or other obstructions, while being hoisted. 
     Thus, there has been illustrated and described a unique and novel gurney or lifting device which permits attachment to a tree limb when the hunter utilizes an elevated tree stand or platform. Thus, the gurney lifting device of the present invention fulfills all of the features and advantages which have been described. It should be understood that many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications will become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification and accompanying drawings. Therefore, any and all such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention. 
     Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiment illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.