They Invented What? (No. 25)

JW Note:  Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday! 

U.S. Pat. No. 6,877,267:  Turkey decoy tiltable counter-balanced support base.

I claim:

1. A turkey decoy with a tiltable counter-balanced support base, comprising: a circular base having a generally curved bottom surface with a small flat central portion, a top surface connecting to said curved bottom surface, said top surface including a central cone having a hole therein, said central cone extending above said circular base, a rod including a proximate end extending vertically through said central hole cooperatively engaging means for holding disposed within said circular base and a distal end extending from said circular base, and means for weighing disposed therein positioned at selected locations around said rod for counter-balancing said circular base; a mountable molded turkey body comprising a synthetic material and having an opening in a bottom surface; said rod extending upward through said opening in said bottom surface of said mountable molded turkey body and said distal end of said rod cooperatively engaging means for pivotally supporting said mountable molded turkey body allowing said mountable molded turkey body to rotate 360 degrees.

2. The turkey decoy with a tiltable counter-balanced support base of claim 1, wherein said means for holding is a threaded socket for threadably engaging a threaded distal end of said rod.

3. The turkey decoy with a tiltabie counter-balanced support base of claim 1, said top surface including a circular depression forming a trough extending around said central cone defining an upper section resembling a torus.

4. The turkey decoy with a tiltable counter-balanced support base of claim 1, wherein said small flat central portion is about two inches in diameter.

5. The turkey decoy with a tiltable counter-balanced support base of claim 1, wherein said means for holding said rod within said central cone is a friction fit.

6. The turkey decoy with a tiltable counter-balanced support base of claim 1, wherein said rod is retractable and comprises at least two telescoping sections.

7. The turkey decoy with a tiltable counter-balanced support base of claim 1, said top surface including a circular depression forming a trough extending around said central cone defining an upper section resembling a torus.

8. A turkey decoy with a tiltable counter-balanced support base, comprising a base having a generally curved bottom surface with a small flat central portion, a top surface connecting to said curved bottom surface forming a sidewall therewith, a central cone extending above said sidewall, said central cone including a rod having a proximal end affixed thereto and having a distal end extending vertically therefrom, means for cooperatively engaging said rod, and weight means for counter-balancing said base; a mountable molded turkey body comprising a synthetic material and having an opening in a bottom surface; and said rod extending upward through said opening in said bottom surface of said mountable molded turkey body and said distal end of said rod cooperatively engaging means for pivotally supporting said mountable molded turkey body allowing said mountable molded turkey body to rotate 360 degrees.

9. The turkey decoy with a tiltable counter-balanced support base of claim 8, wherein means for cooperatively engaging said rod is a socket formed within said base in alignment with said central cone said socket including means for holding said rod.

10. The turkey decoy with a tiltable counter-balanced support base of claim 9, wherein said means for holding said rod within said socket is by a friction fit.

11. The turkey decoy with a tiltable counter-balanced support base of claim 9, wherein said socket is threaded for threadably engaging threads formed on a distal end of said rod.

12. The turkey decoy with a tiltable counter-balanced support base of claim 8, wherein said rod is retractable and comprises at least two telescoping sections.

13. The turkey decoy with a tiltable counter-balanced support base of claim 8, wherein said weight means for counter-balancing said base comprises water, gravel, lead shot, sand and combinations thereof.

14. The turkey decoy with a tiltable counter-balanced support base of claim 13, including means for holding said weight means at selected positions within said base.

15. The turkey decoy with a tiltable counter-balanced support base of claim 14, wherein said means for holding said weight means at selected positions within said base comprises rubber, gelatin, grease, and combinations thereof.