Abstract:
Method and apparatus for an electrically operated shooting house for attachment to the tree which includes a motorized winch which moves the hunting stand up or down the tree using a cable system which also incorporates a sectioned ladder which is connected to the tree using a plurality of tree encircling members. The ladder includes tracks for connection of a winch and safety mechanism thereto wherein the safety mechanism prevents the shooting house from falling down the ladder when attached to a tree.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to hunting accessories and, more particularly, is concerned with a shooting house with a hoisting system for attachment to and movement up a tree. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Devices relevant to the present invention have been described in the related art, however, none of the related art devices disclose the unique features of the present invention. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,314 dated Dec. 28, 1971, Bamburg, et al., disclosed a portable hunting stand. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,690 dated Feb. 12, 1991, Woller disclosed a portable hunting ladder. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,190 dated Apr. 25, 2000, Brown. Jr., et al., disclosed a two-person tree stand system for deer hunting. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,168,522 dated Jan. 30, 2007, Price disclosed a self-erecting crane for tree mounted blinds. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,823,694 dated Nov. 2, 2010, Motes disclosed a motorized, climbing hunting stand. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,511,433 dated Aug. 20, 2013, Place disclosed a tree stand hoist system. In U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0260127 dated Oct. 27, 2011, Surgeon, et al., disclosed a tree mounted hoist. 
     While these devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as hereinafter described. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     The present invention discloses an electrically operated shooting house for attachment to the tree which includes an electrical winch which hoists the hunting stand up the tree using a cable system which also incorporates a sectioned ladder which is connected to the tree using a plurality of tree encircling members, e.g., belts, chains or the like. The ladder includes tracks for connection of a winch and safety mechanism thereto wherein the safety mechanism prevents the shooting house from falling down the ladder when attached to a tree. 
     This shooting house system is designed to use a tree for support and is hoisted into position by using a conventional 12-volt electric winch and secured to the tree for support. 
     While most shooting houses are constructed in-place, or transported to the site and permanently mounted on posts that have been concreted into the ground and never moved from the initial location, the present invention has advantages over other shooting houses including the following: a) in approximately two hours it can be transported into the woods to the tree of choice, raised, secured, and be set up to hunt; b) the transport and installation only requires two people; c) it can be easily moved if there is no game, or if you need to move it from leased property, or need to move it for any other reason; d) the shooting house can be entered by climbing the ladder and track system and going through the floor door by an able-bodied hunter; and, e) the shooting house can be lowered to the ground and entered by a disabled or wheelchair bound hunter, or anyone scared of climbing a ladder, by using the front door and then lifted into position via the electric winch with the push of a button. 
     Other features include a shooting house that is raised into position by a lifting system—be it a 12-volt winch, a manual winch, a chain hoist, a come-along, or any other similar battery operated or manual lifting system; the ladder and track system is used to guide the shooting house smoothly and safely up the tree into position, and support it at its final locations; and, it includes a safety or anti-fall system. The speedy, easy installation and portability of this system are two very important aspects but also important is that the front door opens for disabled hunters, elderly hunters, and those hunters who may be scared to climb ladders, or are scared of heights. A hunter who falls into any of those categories can enter the shooting house on the ground, and ride it up and down like an elevator at the push of a button. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a shooting house that is portable and can be supported by a tree. A further object of the present invention is to provide a shooting house that has a lifting system for raising the shooting house which incorporates a battery-powered winch making the system easily portable from one location to another. A further object of the present invention is to provide a sectionalized ladder which includes a track system so that the shooting house can be smoothly and safely moved up and down the ladder. A further object of the present invention is to provide a shooting house which has a safety lock system on it which prevents the shooting house from falling rapidly down the ladder and tree and injuring a user. 
     The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views. 
     The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention shown in operative connection. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of portions of the present invention taken from  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of portions of the present invention taken from  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of portions of the present invention taken from  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view taken from the rear of the shooting house of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view taken from the front of the shooting house of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     With regard to reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the drawings.
           10  present invention     12  shooting house     14  tree     15  ground     16  side wall     18  roof     20  bottom floor     22  window opening     24  front     26  rear     27  transparent portion     28  ladder     29  aperture for tether     30  leg/sidepiece     31  removable portion     32  leg/sidepiece     34  track/channel     36  rod/crossbar     37  rounded end     38  safety mechanism     39  stop     40  winch mechanism     42  first lower position     44  second higher position     46  strap/chain     48  housing     50  adjustable tip     52  cable     54  hook     56  rung/crosspiece     58  connector     59  hook     60  ring     62  arrow     64  winch platform     66  motor     68  electrical cord     70  spool/drum     72  safety mechanism platform     74  safety catch/cup     76  legs     78  pivot     80  spring     82  extension arm     84  corditether     86  handle     88  battery     90  control module     92  front door     94  floor door     96  expanded metal     98  rubber     100  user     102  hand     104  backup winch system     106  mounting receptacle     108  frame member     110  mounting post     111  base frame member     112  locking pin     114  aperture     116  handle     118  drum     120  cable     122  storage box       

     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The following discussion describes in detail at least one embodiment of the present invention. This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the present invention to the particular embodiments described herein since practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For a definition of the complete scope of the invention the reader is directed to the appended claims.  FIGS. 1 through 6  illustrate the present invention wherein a motorized shooting house is disclosed and which is generally indicated by reference number  10 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 1 , therein is shown the present invention  10  which includes a shooting house  12  attached to a tree  14  in the ground  15  wherein the shooting house is generally rectangular or cubed shaped having a plurality of side walls  16 , a roof  18  and a bottom  20  wherein the shooting house may also include one or more openings  22  which serve as windows and also having a front  24  which has a swinging door thereon, along with a rear wall  26  having a lower transparent portion  27  and an upper removable portion  31  thereon. Also shown is a ladder system  28  having left  30  and right  32  leg/sidepiece portions, each leg/sidepiece portion having a track or channel  34  on their inward facing portions therein for receiving an end of a rod/crossbar  36  of either a safety latch  38  or winch  40  which are used in hoisting the shooting house  12  up and down the tree  14 . Ladder  28  also has a plurality of rungs  56  and a lower stop  39  for the rod/crossbar  36 .  FIG. 1  generally illustrates the concept of movement of the shooting house  12  up and down tree  14  by showing the shooting house in a first lowered position at  42  and then a second raised position  44  higher up the tree  14  to an elevation which would be determined by the user of the present invention  10 . The ladder  28  also is sectionalized and includes a plurality of tree encircling members  46 , e.g., bands, straps, belts, chains or the like, spaced at appropriate locations that would be determined by the user during installation which encircle around the tree  14  so as to secure the ladder to the tree and wherein the ladder also has a plurality of threaded socket-like housings  48  placed on an interior side of the ladder toward the tree and each one housing a rotatable, adjustable pin-like spacer, leg, or tip  50  having mating threads thereon so that an end of the tip can pierce the bark and outer layer of the tree  14  in order to better secure the ladder  28  to the tree wherein the tips  50  can be rotated to change their length so as to make the ladder adjustable for better and more secure attachment to tree  14  and for plumbing the ladder on the tree. Also shown is a cable  52  having a hook  54  on its distal end which can be connected to a rung/crosspiece  56  of the ladder  28  ( FIG. 1  shows the hook attached to the top rung of the ladder) chosen by the user so that the shooting house  12  can be placed at a suitable elevation along the length of the tree  14 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 2 , therein is shown an enlarged view of portions of the present invention  10  including the ladder  28  having left and right legs  30 ,  32  along with a plurality of rungs or cross members  56  wherein some of the rungs may have at least one socket-like housing  48  having a rotatable tip  50  thereon wherein the pin rotation is shown by arrow  62 , which tips are used to pierce the bark or skin of the tree  14  (not shown, see  FIG. 1 ) in order to better secure the ladder  28  to the tree; also shown are bands  46  extending from the left to the right rung  30 ,  32  encircling the tree  14  wherein an end connector  58  having a hook  59  thereon wherein the hook on one end of the band attaches to the opposite side of the ladder by means of a ring  60 , or the like. Also shown is an upper end of cable  52  having a hook  54  thereon connected to the upper rung  56 . Also shown are the channels  34  or tracks on the inner facing portions of each of the left and right  30 ,  32  legs of the ladder  28 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 3 , therein is shown the winch mechanism generally indicated by numeral  40  mounted on a winch platform  64  wherein the winch includes an electric motor  66  also showing an electrical cord  68  running from the power supply and also showing the spool or drum  70  upon which is wound the cable  52  in a conventional manner and also showing a rod/crossbar  36  having first and second ends wherein each end fits into and is secured in the track or channel  34  of the left or right legs  30 ,  32  of the ladder  28  which allows the shooting house  12  to move smoothly and securely up and down the tree. Rod/crossbar  36  may also have optional rounded ends  37  which allow for smoother movement in tracks  34  and minimizes binding of the rod in the track. 
     Turning to  FIG. 4 , therein is shown the safety mechanism generally indicated by numeral  38  which is mounted onto a safety mechanism platform  72  having at least one leg  76  being pivotally connected  78  to the platform and having a downwardly concave shaped safety catch/cup  74  which is designed to rest over and on a rung  56  of the ladder  28  as the shooting house  12  moves up and down the ladder attached to the tree  14  wherein safety catch  74  is biased toward the rung of the ladder using a spring  80  or the like. The first and second end of the rod/crossbar  36  of the safety mechanism  38  each fit in the track  34  of the left and right legs  30 ,  32  of the ladder  28  similarly to the winch  40 . Rod/crossbar  36  also has rounded ends  37  which allow for smoother movement in tracks  34  and minimizes binding of the rod in the track. Also shown on an upper surface of the safety catch/cup  74  is an extension arm  82  having a cord/tether  84  and handle  86  attached thereto, which cord/tether and handle extend through the rear wall  26  of the shooting house  12  by passing through a Plexiglas, transparent portion  27  of the rear wall  26  of the shooting house  12 . A user  100  on the inside of the shooting house  12  (as shown in  FIG. 5 ) can move the safety mechanism  38  by grasping the handle  86  with his hand  102 . In operation, a user would move the cup  74  of the safety mechanism  38  away from and toward the ladder rungs  56  as the user lowered the shooting house toward the ground. 
     Turning to  FIG. 5 , therein is shown the rear wall  26  of the present invention  10  which includes a shooting house  12  having a transparent portion  27  thereon. Also shown is a safety latch  38  or winch  40  which are used in hoisting the shooting house  12  up and down the tree  14  as previously disclosed. Also shown is a Plexiglas, transparent section  27  shown on the rear wall  26  of the shooting house  12  so that the user  100  standing inside the shooting house can observe whether the safety catch  74  of the safety mechanism  38  is connected over a rung  36  of the ladder  28  so as to prevent the shooting house from sliding down the ladder. Also shown extending upwardly from an upper surface of the safety catch/cup  74  is an extension arm  82  having a cord/tether  84  and handle  86  attached thereto, which cord/tether and handle extend through the rear wall  26  of the shooting house  12  by passing through an aperture  29  on the Plexiglas, transparent portion  27  of the rear wall  26  of the shooting house  12 . A user  100  on the inside of the shooting house  12  can move the safety mechanism  38  by grasping the handle  86  with his hand  102 . In operation, a user would repeatedly move the cup  74  of the safety mechanism  38  away from and toward the ladder rungs  56  as the user lowered the shooting house  12  toward the ground so that when the cup was moved away from a rung the shooting house would continue to move downward without catching the rungs and when the cup was moved toward a rung the cup would capture the rung inside its downwardly concave shaped surface to prevent further downward movement in case of a fall or descent that was too rapid. Also shown is a battery  88  and a hand operated control module  90  which would be electrically connected together and to the winch mechanism  40  and operated in the standard manner as would be done by one skilled in the art and which is used for operating and controlling the winch generally shown at  40 . The control module  90  is used to actuate the winch mechanism  40  so that it will either make the shooting house  12  move up or down along the tree. Storage box  122  is for the backup winch system  104  shown in  FIG. 6 . Removable panel  31  is also shown on the back wall  26  along with an exemplary frame member  108  on the front wall of the shooting house  12 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 6 , therein is shown the front wall  24  of the shooting house  12  showing a full length swinging door  92  on the front wall  24  which extends substantially from the bottom  20  of the shooting house to the roof  18  of the shooting house so that the shooting house is accessible by a handicapped users who might be in a wheelchair. Also shown is a pivoting bottom floor door  94  disposed in the bottom  20  of the shooting house  12  to allow users to enter and exit the shooting house when the shooting house is at an elevated position on a tree by walking up and down the ladder  28 . Also shown is the construction of the bottom floor  20  of the shooting house  12  which incorporates expanded metal  96  and a rubber layer  98  which is used for soundproofing the shooting house  12  wherein the expanded metal bottom layer is attached by tack welding, bolts, or the like to the floor  20  of the shooting house  12 . Also shown is an optional backup winch system  104  for use in case of failure of the main winch mechanism (not shown, see  FIG. 5 ) including a female mounting receptacle  106  attached to a rear frame member  108  of shooting house  12  for receiving a male mounting post  110  disposed on a base frame member  111  of the backup winch system  104  wherein a locking pin  112  is used to lock the post  110  into the receptacle by insertion into mating apertures  114 . The backup winch system  104  includes a generally conventional winch including a handle  116  for turning a drum  118  upon which is wound a cable  120  which would of course have a hook (not shown) attached to a distal end thereof wherein the hook could be attached to an accessible rung of the ladder by passing the hook and cable through a removable panel (see  31 ,  FIG. 5 ) in the rear wall  26  of the shooting house for use when the main winch mechanism failed. The backup winch system  104  is normally kept stored in a storage box  122  mounted on the floor of the shooting house when not in use. In case of an emergency the backup winch system  104  is removed from the storage box  122  and its post  110  is inserted into and locked into the receptacle  106  using pin  112  and its hook (not shown) is then attached to a user accessible appropriate rung of the ladder so that the shooting house can then be manually lowered to the ground by first raising the shooting house to release the safety mechanism and then allowing the shooting house to be lowered to the ground. Note that the backup winch system  104  is equipped with an anti-reverse lock that will prevent the backup winch from free-wheeling in reverse due to the weight of the shooting house  12 . 
     By way of additional explanation and with reference to  FIGS. 1-6 , the present invention  10  comprises a framework made of various shapes, e.g., square or metal tubing, and has a floor door  94  for entry from the bottom and the entire front wall  24  of the shooting house is also a door  92 . The floor door  94  can be utilized by hunters who wish to leave the shooting house  12  in the upper position, and enter it by climbing up the ladder  28  and entering through the floor door. Disabled hunters, or those who would rather enter at ground level for any reason, can enter by using front door  92 . The winch  40 , battery  88  and safety mechanism  38  are all very securely bolted into the framework of the shooting house  12  structure. To keep weight down, the walls and roof of the shooting house  12  are made of lightweight, but very strong and durable, corrugated plastic. The ladder  28  is securely fastened to a tree  14  which is 10 inches or larger at the base, and which is as straight as possible. This ladder  28  and track  34  provides a secure rail for the shooting house  12  to ride up and down the tree  14  on, plus a ladder for entry and exit for those who do not wish to ride the shooting house up and down like an elevator. 
     The general procedure for using the present invention  10  includes the following: (a) choose a tree  14  being 10 inches in diameter minimum and as straight as possible; (b) join the sections of ladder  28  together and lean them against the tree. (c) one person, wearing a safety belt, secures the ladder to the tree by normally strapping  46  the ladder properly all the way up the tree; (e) the shooting house  12  is carried and set in place and attached to the ladder  28  and track  34 ; (d) the winch  40  and safety system or mechanism  38  are already strapped into place; (e) the battery  88  is hooked up; and, (f) the users  100  enter the shooting house and ride to the top using controller  90 . 
     Direction arrows may be used throughout this specification to show direction of movement, or other activity/action described herein.