CA2117951A1

CA2117951A1 - Bird feeder

Info

Publication number: CA2117951A1
Application number: CA002117951A
Authority: CA
Inventors: S. Gordon Ayer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-10-02
Filing date: 1994-10-02
Publication date: 1996-04-03

Abstract

A container for dispensing feed to a number and variety of subjects. Primarily abird feeder. The container comprises a hollow body which can be filled with feed. The body has holes connecting it's exterior to it's interior. Due to the angle, diameter and depth of the holes the feed does not spill out through them but is contained within the central core of the container while at the same time it is accessible from the exterior through the holes. Since no deflectors or other mechanical devices are used to prevent the feed from spilling out the side holes of the container, the flow of feed is smooth and continuous with no opportunity for it to bind or hang up on such devices. The container can be constructed of a single piece or several pieces joined together to form a single piece and can be manufactured out of a single type of material such as wood, plastic, cellulose or ceramic.

Description

BIRD FEEDER

The present invention relates to a container for dispensing feed. Although used for a variety of purposes depending on it's scale, such devices are commonly termed bird feeders.

Various types of bird feeders and other types of devices for dispensing seeds, nuts and other food products are known. One such device co~ ,ises a clear plastic cylinder capped at either end and with deflectors and perches inserted through holes in the sides of the cylinder which may be connected to deflectors inserted into holes on the opposite side of the cy]inder. This type of bird feeder has the disadvantage of having the feed build up on top of the deflectors, 10 particularly if it has been moistened due to condensation within the cylinder, or water leakage into the cylinder.

Another type is comprised of a clear plastic cylinder with slits cut into the sides of the cylinder and perches fastened below the slits. The feed is dispensed throughthe slits. This type has the disadvantage of only being capable of dispensing a very limited variety of feed and of dispensing the feed one piece at a time, thus making the process comparatively slow. A variety of other types are available which dispense feed from a hopper onto a feeding platform. These devices have the disadvantage of dispensing the feed at only one level, requiring birds to group closely together which some species are reluctant to do, thereby reducing 20 the variety of birds that will use thie feeder at any one time.

It is desirable for the body of a device for dispensing feed to be constructed of a single piece or several pieces joined together to form a single piece with the capability of dispensing feed at multiple levels, without obstruction of the column of feed and with easy access to a variety of sizes and types of feed.
The present invention relates to a container for more quickly and efficiently dispensing feed to a large variety of subjects.

The present invention consists of a container for dispensing feed. In one aspectof the invention. The container comprises a body with holes connecting it's interior to it's exterior. The holes may be placed at any point on the body in line 10 with the vertical axis of the body. The angle at which the holes are constructed and the thickness of the body's walls combine such that feed placed into the body will come to the bottom edge of the hole, but will not spill out.

In another aspect of the invention the container is suspended with the radial axis of the body in the horizontal plane, the long~st axis in the vertical planeand the holes through the exterior of the body are pointed upwards. The container may be capped top and bottom with the top cap being easily removable. Perches may be also affixed beneath each hole to allow birds a place to stand while extracting feed from the holes.

In this aspect the construction of the top and bottom covers and the perches, as20 well as the means of suspension are not critical to the functionality of the invention and can be constructed in a variety of ways, using a variety of materials. Likewise, the container can be constructed from a variety of 2117~51 materials. Examples are wood, plastic, metal, paper products and ceramics.

The invention as exemplified by a preferred embodiment is described withreference to the drawings in which:
Figure 1 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a bird feeder of the invention:
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the bird feeder shown in figure 1.
Referring to the figure 1, the embodiment of the invention shown, a bird feeder comprises a body (1) with holes (2) connecting it's interior to it's exterior. As may be seen in figure 2, the angle (10) at which the holes connect the interior of the 10 body to it's exterior along with the diameter (9) of the holes and the thickness (8) of the body's walls combine such that the feed (11) will not spill out of the holes.

Referring to figure 1, the hanger (6), the perches (3), the top cover (5) and the bottom cover (4), may be constructed in a variety of ways and from a variety of materials. These items are provided to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of this embodiment of the invention, but are not critical to the functionality of the mvenhon.

The body of this invention whlch contains the feed is preferably made of wood, either a single piece, or several pieces joined together to form a single piece,20 which is aesthetically pleasing, easily worked and somewhat permeable to air.However such containers can be made of other materials. Examples include plastic, metal, paper products and ceramics.

Likewise the body of this invention does not necessarily have to be cylindrical inshape. Some examples of other shapes viewed in horizontal cross section are, ellipses, polygons and rectangles.

A Feature of the body of this invention is it's ability to dispense a variety ofsize, types and rnixes of feeds without clogging. Feed can be added into the container unhindered by horizontal projections into the container and can be removed through the holes in the side of the container all the while providing asmooth flow of feed through the container's central core.
One feature of the holes in the container is their ability to dispense feed without 10 allowing the feed to spill out of the container and without the aid of any additional components such as deflectors which can act as barriers to the smooth flow of feed and limit the size and variety of feed and mixes of feed to be dispensed.

Another feature of the body of this invention is it's ability to dispense feed at a variety of locations along it's horizontal and vertical axis. This allows for a wider variety and number of subjects to use the dispenser since they do not haveto be bunched together in one plane.
Although a single embodiment of the present invention has been described and illustrated, the present invention is not limited to the features of this 20 embodiment, but includes all variations and modifications within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A container for dispensing feed compromising:
a body having a hollow central core;
and one, or more, holes connecting its interior to its exterior.

2. A container as claimed in 1, where the hole(s) connecting its interior to itsexterior are at such an angle, diameter and depth that granular material such asfeed placed into the container will not spill out through the hole(s) when the elevation of the top of the column of material is higher than the elevation of the hole(s).

3. A container as claimed in 1, and 2, in which the hole(s) connecting its interior to its exterior are at such an angle, diameter and depth, that access can be gained to the material in the container through a particular hole when the top of the column of material is at an elevation equal to, or higher than, that of the hole through which access is being gained.

4. A container as claimed in 1, 2, and 3, in which the hole(s) connecting its interior to its exterior can be at any point along its horizontal or vertical axis but not overlapping.

5. A container as claimed in 1, in which a base at the bottom of the container prevents any material inside the container from spilling out the bottom of the container.

6. A container as claimed in 1, and 5 in which a cover at the top of the container prevents unwanted matter from entering the container and limits the access to the material in the container to the holes in the sides of the container.

7. A container as claimed in 1, 5, and 6, in which the base and cover can be separate and individual pieces or can be integral to the container itself.