Abstract:
An apparatus for calling deer, and methods of its use; the apparatus having an adjustable sliding element moved longitudinally by the user to adjust the dimension x of a vibrating reed to vary the sound generated by the deer call. The device includes a barrel assembly with a vibrating reed mounted therein on a reed holder. A metal slider mounted for longitudinal movement within the barrel assembly has a tab extending outwardly therefrom so as to be adjustable without disassembly of the device.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   This invention relates to a device and method for calling wildlife and, more particularly, to a device which emulates a variety of sounds produced by deer. 
   Deer hunters typically employ a number of methods for calling a deer within range to be shot by a rifle, bow, or other weapon. Typically, the sounds are produced by calls having a reed placed within a longitudinal passage. The hunter forces air from the hunter&#39;s lungs through the passage and the reed vibrates to produce a tone emulating a deer sound. 
   SUMMARY 
   A deer call in accordance with the disclosed invention comprises a barrel assembly with a reed positioned within it. When a user forces air from the inlet end of the barrel assembly, air passes over and vibrates the reed, and an animal sound is simulated. Alternatively air may be passed through the deer call by the user drawing air from the distal end of the barrel assembly. The air may be drawn by placing the user&#39;s mouth at the outlet end of the barrel assembly and inhaling. Axial movement (by which is meant herein “movement along an axis”) of a tone-adjusting metal slider along the axis of the reed allows the user to vary the tone of the sound produced by the call, that is, its pitch. Thus the animal sound can be made without any particular skills associated with playing musical instruments. 
   The present invention provides a deer call having a metal slider, e.g. of brass, which is adjusted longitudinally by means of an upstanding tab extending outside of the barrel assembly. This permits the user to change the pitch by moving a contact point where the metal slider clamps the reed. The metal slider is desirably adapted to be clamped against the reed at any of an infinite number of locations. Axially moving the metal slider results in a change in the clamping position on the reed, thus changing pitch. Additionally, a removable extension hose, optionally provided at an end opposite the mouthpiece end of the barrel assembly, can be used to increase sound volume as by resonance and is typically constructed to be expanded or contracted in an accordion-like manner, as a bellows. 
   The present invention provides a deer call that produces a variety of deer sounds by clamping the base of the reed to vary the dimension x and thereby the sound produced by the call. 
   The present invention provides a deer call that produces the full continuum of varying sounds produced by male and female deer by clamping the base of the reed to vary the length of the vibrating portion of the reed (the length sometimes being referred to herein as “dimension x”). When dimension x is shortened, the sound produced by the call has a tone of a higher frequency than before. The adjustable-tone call allows the user to quickly and accurately switch among a variety of different sounds produced by a deer. 
   The deer call may further comprise a lanyard, secured around the barrel assembly, for hanging the call from the user&#39;s neck. The lanyard may have a coil spring extending perpendicularly of the barrel and holding together a pair of strands of the lanyard which are then compressed by a clamp, thereby facilitating quick use of the deer call. 
   These and other related objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The features of the invention noted above are explained in more detail with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of an adjustable-tone deer call as disclosed herein, complete with lanyard. 
       FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic side view of a removable extension hose as used in the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of an adjustable-tone deer call as disclosed herein, a portion being shown in cross-section, and a portion of the removable extension hose being broken away for ease of illustration on the page. 
       FIG. 4  is another perspective view of the barrel end of the deer call, a portion of the barrel being cut away to illustrate the insides thereof. 
       FIG. 5  is a fragmentary top plan view of an adjustable-tone deer call as disclosed herein, wherein the longitudinally-slidable element has been removed and the locations of positions for setting the contact point on the reed for various calls are marked for illustration. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and initially to  FIGS. 1–4 , an adjustable-tone deer call is shown. The call comprises a barrel assembly, comprising an outside barrel  11  forming a mouthpiece. The inlet end  30  of the outside barrel  11  is adapted for being blown into. The barrel  11  is preferably tapered so that the inlet end  30  has a smaller diameter than the outlet end  32 . 
   A reed  20  is supported at its proximal end by a reed holder  21 , its proximal end being free to vibrate when the user blows into the inlet end  30 , while manually moving the upstanding movable tab  14  extending outside of the call to engage the metal slider  16 , a longitudinally-slidable element. Sound generated by such vibration comes out of the distal opening  50  of a removable extension hose  26 , which extends from a small inside barrel  24  into which the reed  20  and reed holder  21  are supported by a wedge  22 . The removable extension hose  26  can be used to increase sound volume as by resonance and is typically constructed to be expanded or contracted, as a bellows, accordion-like. The extension hose  26  is fitted over the distal end of the small inside barrel  24  at extension hose&#39;s axial opening  41 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the adjustable-tone deer call includes a metal slider  16 , which includes an upstanding movable tab  14  which extends outside of the outside barrel  11  between said outside barrel&#39;s outlet end  32  of the barrel and the small inside barrel  24  which is force-fit or otherwise frictionally secured such as by interference at its proximal end into the outside barrel  11 . The user easily adjusts the metal slider  16  in its position over the reed  20  by sliding the upstanding movable tab  14  in the direction represented by two-headed arrow  18  shown in  FIG. 4 . This causes change in the pitch by moving a contact point  13  where a fold in the metal slider  16  clamps the reed  20  to the reed holder  21 . A wedge  22  holds the reed  20  in position in cooperation with the reed holder  21 . A channel  23  within the reed holder  21  permits the passage of air from the inlet end  30  of the outside barrel  11  through to the outlet end  32  of the barrel  11  and through the small inside barrel  24 , into the removable extension hose  26  and out its distal opening  50 . 
   Desirably, the tone-adjusting metal slider  16  is formed by folding a strip of springy metal in three places, as seen most clearly in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . A first right-angle fold  61  forms the upstanding movable tab  14 , which is user-graspable to adjust pitch by sliding the element  16  longitudinally in the direction of the arrow  18 . A second fold  62 , preferably at an acute angle, forms the beginning of a subelement of the metal slider  16  which constitutes the contact point  13 . A third fold  63 , preferably at an obtuse angle, generates the line of contact for contact point  13  whereby the metal slider  16  clamps the reed  20  to the reed holder  21  to allow vibration of the reed  20  to occur along the selected dimension x as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
   When the upstanding movable tab  14  is moved axially away from the user, dimension x increases and the pitch generated by blowing into the deer call gets lower. When the upstanding movable tab  14  is moved toward the user, dimension x decreases and the pitch gets higher. 
   Desirably, the small inside barrel  24  has formed at the top thereof, a guide channel  80  through which the metal slider  16  is contained and its movement constrained to the direction indicated by arrow  18 , from the outlet end of the outside barrel  11  to the axial end  41  of the removable extension hose  26 . 
   In this manner, the present invention provides an adjustable-tone deer call which may be fabricated quite efficiently. 
   Although for clarity of illustration in  FIGS. 3 and 4  of the other features, a lanyard is omitted, it is to be understood that the lanyard configuration shown in  FIG. 1  is optionally, and desirably, employed in connection with the version of the invention shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 , the outside barrel  11  is desirably provided with a circular indentation  42  for securing a generally circular lanyard  44  therearound. The lanyard may be made of woven material like a shoestring. A coil spring  45  that is generally perpendicular to the axis of the outside barrel  11  contains and holds together the two branches  46  and  47  of the lanyard  44  for approximately 3 cm., being slightly compressed by a clamp  48 , desirably of metal. This keeps the lanyard out of the way of the user&#39;s hands and facilitates quick use of the deer call. The lanyard may be of any convenient overall length, such that the doubled-up lanyard extends for approximately 0.5 meter from the outside barrel  11  to facilitate carrying around the users neck. 
   In a preferred embodiment, the outside barrel  11  and small inside barrel  24  are made from a solid plastic material and frictionally secured such as by an interference fit to one another. Similarly the reed  20 , reed holder  21 , and wedge  22  are desirably of plastic and frictionally secured such as by an interference fit to one another. As shown separately in  FIG. 2 , the removable extension hose  26  is desirably made from a flexible or rubbery plastic and may be frictionally or otherwise secured around the distal end of the inside barrel  24  at the axial end of the removable extension hose  41 , and may be extended (as shown in  FIG. 2 ) or cotracted (as shown in  FIG. 1  for example), accordion-like, to produce a desired resonance. 
   The reed  20  is preferably formed from a thin plastic material, e.g. MYLAR. A solid wedge  22 , typically of semi-circular cross-section, is placed within the small inside barrel  24  in abutment therewith and with the reed  20 . The reed holder  21  complements the shape of the wedge  22  within the inside barrel  24  so as to clamp the base of the reed  20  extending therefrom towards the inlet end  30 . A channel  23  extends through the reed holder  21 , permitting air to be blown therethrough as the reed  20  is caused to vibrate creating a sound. 
     FIG. 5  illustrates the range of sound of the adjustable-tone deer call as generally depicted in any of the other figures herein. For clarity of illustration, the metal slider is omitted from this view. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the variable positions of the contact point on the reed when the metal slider is moved permit the device to simulate various different sounds, such as a high-pitched fawn bleat (position  231 ), a doe bawl (position  232 ), a tending grunt (position  233 ), tail grunt (position  234 ), or a rutting grunt (position  235 ), or any variation in between. Various routines involving the use of different types, durations, and inflections of sounds are known to lure deer. These routines are easy to learn and reproduce by using the call of the present invention. The metal slider is particularly effective for switching from one call sound to another, and is capable of producing any number of call sounds. 
   From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain the features and advantages hereinabove set forth together with the other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure. It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. 
   Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative of applications of the principles of this invention, and not in a limiting sense.