Trophy mount

Abstract

A trophy mount for displaying the skull and horn or antler of game animals comprising; a base with one or more holes in the base for attaching the base to a vertical surface, a wing that attaches to the base by means of an upper and lower hinge socket on the base that are able to receive an upper and lower wing joint from the wing with the sockets and joints sized to allow the wing to pivot with respect to the base which is secured to the vertical surface, a bracket that has one or more adjustment holes and a pivot hole, means for securing the bracket to the wing such that the bracket can be positioned at various angles with respect to the base, a center prong on the bracket that is sized to fit within a Foramen magnum of a vertebrate game animal, and a right and left side arm that are spaced, sized and positioned below and slightly in front of the center prong such that the right and left side arms fit into the condyloid fossa of a game animal's skull.

I claim: 
     
       1. A trophy mount, comprising:
 a base;   a wing pivotally mounted to the base; and   a bracket to receive and display a wildlife skull, the bracket being adjustably mounted to the wing, the bracket including a first prong extending upward a first distance, a second prong adjacent the first prong and extending upward a second distance that is less than the first distance, and a third prong extending a third distance that is less than the first distance, wherein the first prong is shaped to complement a first portion of the wildlife skull, the second prong is shaped to complement a second portion of the wildlife skull, the third prong is shaped to complement a third portion of the wildlife skull, and wherein the second and third prongs are aligned along a plane that is offset from and parallel to a longitudinal axis of the first prong.   
     
     
       2. The trophy mount of  claim 1 , wherein the first prong is shaped to fit into the first portion of the wildlife skull. 
     
     
       3. The trophy mount of  claim 1 , wherein the second prong is shaped to fit into the second portion of the wildlife skull. 
     
     
       4. The trophy mount of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second prongs are separated from each other by a space so that when inserted into the first and second portions of the wildlife skull, respectively, the first and second prongs securely retain the wildlife skull. 
     
     
       5. The trophy mount of  claim 4 , further comprising means to adjust the space between the first and second prongs. 
     
     
       6. The trophy mount of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the wildlife skull is a Foramen magnum, the second portion of the wildlife skull is a condyloid fossa, and the first and second prongs are spaced apart so that they simultaneously fit into the Foramen magnum and the condyloid fossa, respectively. 
     
     
       7. The trophy mount of  claim 1 , wherein the second and third prongs flank the first prong. 
     
     
       8. The trophy mount of  claim 7 , wherein the third prong is shaped to fit into another condyloid fossa of the wildlife skull. 
     
     
       9. The trophy mount of  claim 1 , wherein the wing includes a plurality of spaced apart holes, so that the bracket is selectively adjustable among a plurality of positions. 
     
     
       10. The trophy mount of  claim 9 , further comprising a pivot hole equally spaced from each of the plurality of spaced apart holes. 
     
     
       11. The trophy mount of  claim 1 , further comprising means to adjust the first distance of the first prong. 
     
     
       12. The trophy mount of  claim 1 , further comprising a locking device for locking the wing into place with respect to the base. 
     
     
       13. A bracket for receiving and displaying a wildlife skull, comprising:
 a first center prong having a first end and a second end, the first end configured to couple to a corresponding wing of a trophy mount, the second end extending upward a first distance in a first direction and being shaped to fit into a Foramen magnum of a wildlife skull;   a second prong adjacent the first center prong and having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the first center prong, the second end extending upward in a direction substantially parallel to the first direction and extending a second distance that is less than the first distance, the second prong being spaced from the first center prong to fit into a condyloid fossa of the wildlife skull while the first center prong is inserted into the Foramen magnum;   a third prong adjacent the first center prong, opposite the second prong, and having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the first center prong, the second end extending upward in a direction substantially parallel to the first direction and extending a third distance that is less than the first distance, the third prong being spaced from the first center prong to fit into another condyloid fossa of the wildlife skull while the first center prong is inserted into the Foramen magnum; and   a first plurality of spaced apart holes, each equally spaced from a first pivot hole, wherein the first plurality of spaced apart holes and the first pivot hole match a second plurality of holes and a second pivot hole, respectively, of a corresponding wing.   
     
     
       14. The bracket of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second prongs and the first and third prongs are separated from each other by space so that when inserted into the Foramen magnum and condyloid fossa of the wildlife skull, respectively, the first and second prongs securely retain the wildlife skull. 
     
     
       15. The bracket of  claim 14 , further comprising means to adjust the space between the first and second prongs and/or the first and third prongs. 
     
     
       16. The bracket of  claim 13 , further comprising means to adjust a length of the first prong. 
     
     
       17. The bracket of  claim 13 , wherein the second and third distances are substantially the same. 
     
     
       18. The bracket of  claim 13 , wherein the second and third prongs are individual extensions of an integral, unitary element. 
     
     
       19. The bracket of  claim 13 , wherein the first, second and third prongs comprise an integral, unitary element. 
     
     
       20. A trophy mount, comprising:
 a base;   a bracket to receive and display a wildlife skull, the bracket coupled to the base, the bracket including   a first center prong having a first end and a second end, the first end configured as a mount or to couple to a corresponding portion of a mount, the second end extending upward a first distance in a first direction and being shaped to fit into a Foramen magnum of a wildlife skull;   a second prong adjacent the first center prong and having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the first center prong, the second end extending upward in a direction substantially parallel to the first direction and extending a second distance that is less than the first distance, the second prong being spaced from the first center prong to fit into a condyloid fossa of the wildlife skull while the first center prong is inserted into the Foramen magnum;   a third prong adjacent the first center prong, opposite the second prong, and having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the first center prong, the second end extending upward in a direction substantially parallel to the first direction and extending a third distance that is less than the first distance, the third prong being spaced from the first center prong to fit into another condyloid fossa of the wildlife skull while the first center prong is inserted into the Foramen magnum; and   a wing pivotally mounted to the base to couple the bracket to the base.   
     
     
       21. The trophy mount of  claim 20 , wherein the bracket is adjustably mounted to the wing. 
     
     
       22. A method of mounting a wildlife skull, comprising:
 hanging a wildlife skull, having a Foramen magnum, a first condyloid fossa, and a second condyloid fossa onto a trophy mount, the trophy mount comprising:
 a bracket to receive and display the wildlife skull, the bracket including, 
 a first central prong having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis, wherein the first central prong is a single solid element extending linearly upward from the first end at a first distance and is shaped to fit into the Foramen magnum of the wildlife skull; 
 a second prong adjacent to the first prong and extending upward a second distance that is less than the first distance, wherein the second prong is shaped to fit into the first condyloid fossa of the wildlife skull; and 
 a third prong adjacent to the first prong and extending a third distance that is less than the first distance, wherein the third prong is shaped to fit into the second condyloid fossa of the wildlife skull, 
   wherein the second and third prongs are laterally spaced apart from and flanking opposite sides of the first central prong and are aligned along a plane offset from and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first central prong, and   wherein hanging the wildlife skull onto the trophy mount comprises inserting the first prong into the Foramen magnum, fitting the second prong into the first condyloid fossa, and fitting the third prong into the second condyloid fossa, thereby mounting the wildlife skull.   
     
     
       23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first, second, and third prongs are separated from each other by space so that when inserted into the Foramen magnum, the first condyloid fossa, and the second condyloid fossa of the wildlife skull, respectively, the wildlife skull is securely retained. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 22, wherein the trophy mount further comprises a wing. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 22, wherein the second and third prongs are individual extensions of an integral, unitary element. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 22, wherein the first, second and third prongs comprise an integral, unitary element. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim 22, wherein the first end is configured as a mount or to couple to a corresponding portion of a mount, the second end extending upward a first distance in a first direction and being shaped to fit into the Foramen magnum of a wildlife skull;
 the second prong adjacent the center prong and having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the center prong, the second end extending upward in a direction substantially parallel to the first direction and extending a second distance that is less than the first distance, the second prong being spaced from the center prong to fit into the first condyloid fossa of the wildlife skull while the center prong is inserted into the Foramen magnum;   the third prong adjacent the center prong, opposite the second prong, and having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the center prong, the second end extending upward in a direction substantially parallel to the first direction and extending a third distance that is less than the first distance, the third prong being spaced from the center prong to fit into the second condyloid fossa of the wildlife skull while the center prong is inserted into the Foramen magnum.   
     
     
       28. The method of claim 24, wherein the bracket is mounted to the wing. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim 22, wherein the trophy mount further comprises a base. 
     
     
       30. The method of claim 22, wherein the second and third prongs are coupled to the first prong at the first end, wherein the bracket further comprises an extension that extends opposite the direction of the first prong. 
     
     
       31. The method of claim 22, wherein the trophy mount further comprises a wing, wherein the bracket is coupled to the wing, and a base, wherein the wing is further coupled to the base.