Abstract:
An elevated hunting blind includes a frame and an observatory supported by the trailer. Rigid travel guides extend upwardly from the frame providing a travel path. A drive system is provided for moving the observatory along the travel path provided by the travel guides to raise the observatory from a transport to an observation position.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to an observatory from which hunters or nature lovers can safely and comfortably hunt or observe wild game. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,966 (Hall) entitled “Cylindrical Hunting Blind” discloses a tower that is accessed by a ladder. U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,523 (Howard) entitled “Portable Deer Stand” discloses a trailer mounted stand structure with detachable braces to permit collapse for transport. U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,653 (Hardy et al.) entitled “Combined Trailer and Hunting Stand operable between elevated and collapsed positions discloses a hunting enclosure raised and lowered by a scissor action support structure. U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,641 (Smith) discloses a trailer mounted platform raised and lowered by a hinged telescopic “jack-knife” configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 6,888,429 (McKay) entitled “Portable Wildlife Observation and Hunting Tower” discloses a trailer mounted platform that is convertible between a lowered transport position and a raised observation position, which is accessible in the raised observation position by a ladder. U.S. Pat. No. 7,014,238 (Gonzalez) entitled “Automatically and Reversibly Transformable Trailer-To-Raised Lookout Platform” discloses a trailer mounted platform raised and lowered by telescoping arms. U.S. Pat. No. 7,104,360 (Atkins) entitled “Mobile Elevating Hut” discloses a trailer mounted hut on pivoting support legs, which is raised and lowered by means of a winch. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    There is provided an elevated observatory which includes a frame and an observatory supported by the frame. Rigid travel guides extend upwardly from the frame providing a travel path. A drive system is provided for moving the observatory along the travel path provided by the travel guides to raise the observatory from a transport to an observation position. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    These and other features will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to in any way limit the scope of the invention to the particular embodiment or embodiments shown, wherein: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  is a side plan view of an elevated observatory in the transport position. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a side plan view of the elevated observatory in an intermediate position. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a side plan view of the elevated observatory in the observation position. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a detailed side plan view of one side of the pivoting linkage of the elevated observatory. 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a detailed side plan view of the locking mechanism in the unlocked position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  is a detailed side plan view of the locking mechanism in the locked position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    An elevated observatory generally identified by reference numeral  10 , will now be described with reference to  FIG. 1 through 6 . 
         [0012]    Structure and Relationship of Parts: 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , elevated observatory  10  includes a frame that supports an observatory  14 . The frame may have different designs, such as part of a trailer, a skid, the bed of a truck, etc. In the description below, the frame is shown as part of a trailer  12 . Observatory  14  is shown to be a type of cabin, however, it will be appreciated that it may be a platform, or may take other forms that would be practical for users such as bird watchers and hunters. Rigid travel guides  16  extend upwardly from trailer  12  and provide a travel path for observatory  14 . Trailer  12  has outrigger legs  17  that are extended prior to observatory being elevated. Travel guides  16  have braces  15  to provide additional stability. Observatory  14  is designed to move along the travel path provided by travel guides  16  such that observatory  14  is raised by a pivoting linkage, generally indicated by reference numeral  18 , from a transport position shown in  FIG. 1  to an observation position shown in  FIG. 3 . A sliding clamp  19  guides observatory  14  along rigid travel guides  16 . Rigid travel guides  16  include axial stops  21  toward the bottom of guides  16 , such that, in the transport position shown in  FIG. 1 , observatory  14  is supported by axial stops  21 . Observatory  14  may then be held in place against stops  21  using straps or other locking means to help keep observatory  14  stable during transport. 
         [0014]    Pivoting linkage  18  has four collapsible observatory supports  20 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , each collapsible observatory support  20  has a trailer portion  22  (or, more generally, a frame portion) and an observatory portion  24 . Trailer portion  22  has a first end  26  pivotally mounted to trailer  12  and a second end  28 . Observatory portion  24  has a first end  30  pivotally mounted to observatory  14 , a second end  32  pivotally connected to second end  28  of trailer portion  22 , and a guide rail  34  secured along the length of each observatory portion  24 . There is also a pivoting frame  36  provided on each side of observatory  14 . Each pivoting frame  36  is pivotally connected between trailer portion  22  of the two adjacent collapsible observatory supports  20 . Each pivoting frame  36  has lifting arms  38  with rail engaging ends  40 . Each rail engaging end  40  engages and travels along the corresponding guide rail  34 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , a winch  42  is provided to apply a pulling force to pivot and draw together the two pivoting frames  36 , such that observatory supports  20  are straightened, which causes observatory  14  to be raised through the intermediate position shown in  FIG. 2  to the observation position shown in  FIG. 3 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , observatory  14  is accessible in the observation position by a ladder  45 . Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , ladder  45  folds with pivoting frame  36  to a collapsed state for travel when observatory  14  is in a transport position. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , there is also provided a locking system  44  to lock the pivotal connection  46  between second end  28  of trailer portion  22  and second end  32  of observatory portion  24  to maintain trailer portion  22  and observatory portion  24  in a coaxial relationship. Pivotal connection  46  between second end  28  of trailer portion  22  and second end  32  of observatory portion  24  has an over-center stop position shown in  FIG. 6 , while a resilient member  48  carried by observatory portion  24  engages trailer portion  22  to maintain the pivot  46  in the over-center position. For additional safety, locking system  44  may be designed such that a release tool  50  is required to release resilient member  48 . 
         [0016]    Operation: 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , trailer  12  is transported to a desired location with elevated observatory  10  in the transport position. Once properly positioned, outrigger legs  17  are extended to provide additional support to elevated observatory  10  in the observation position shown in  FIG. 3 , and any straps or other locking means (not shown) used to stabilize elevated observatory  10  are released. Once sufficiently prepared, winch  42  is activated such that a pulling force is applied to winch cables  43 , which in turn causes pivoting frames  36  to pivot and be drawn together. It will be understood that other means may also be used to draw pivoting frames  36  together. For example, a separate winch may be used for each cable  43 , or winch  42  may be replaced with a motor that turns a screw attached to each pivoting frame (not shown). Further variations will also be apparent to those skilled in the art. As pivoting frames  36  are drawn together, rail engaging ends  40  of lifting arms  38  travel along the corresponding guide rail  34  to exert a lifting force on trailer portion  22 . Trailer portion  22  is thus caused to pivot from a substantially horizontal travel position shown in  FIG. 1 , through the intermediate position shown in  FIG. 2  and finally to the substantially vertical observatory supporting position shown in  FIG. 3 . This in turn lifts observatory portion  24  from a stored positioned shown in  FIG. 1 , in which it is substantially parallel to trailer portion  22 , to an observatory supporting position shown in  FIG. 3 , in which it is substantially coaxial with trailer portion  22 . Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , as trailer portion  22  and observatory portion  24  reach the substantially coaxial position, resilient member  48  of locking system  44  locks them in place to help ensure that observatory  14  remains in the observation position. 
         [0018]    Once it is desired to return observatory  14  to the transport position, some slack is given to cables  43 , and locking systems  44  are then released using release tool  50 . Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , once each pivotal connection  46  has been taken out of the over-center position, winch  42  is reversed, such that winch cables  43  are played out, which allows pivoting linkage  18  to return to the position shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0019]    In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements. 
         [0020]    It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from scope of the Claims.