GB2135862A - Planters and animal supports - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides apparatus for aiding the care of plants or animals comprising an animal support 10 or planter and means 11, 12, 14, 15 for adjusting the height of the animal support or planter. This means that an animal stand or planter may usually be mounted at an inaccessible height but may easily be brought down to an accessible level for maintenance and for care of the animal or plant. In the specification the term "animal supports" shall be taken to include feeders, bird stands such as parrot stands, bird cages, and nest boxes for housing birds or any small animals. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Planters and animal supports This invention relates to improvements in planters and animal supports.

In the following specification the term "animal supports" shall be taken to include feeders, bird stands such as parrot stands and bird cages, and nest boxes for housing birds or any small animals.

Ornithologists often wish to access the nests of birds to enable photography and the monitoring of clutch size and the development of the young. The R.S.P.B. believe that to promote the conservation of bird life the interested parties should be encouraged to find out as much as possible about bird life including the studying of birds' nests. However the major problem involved is that birds tend to nest at a height between four and sixteen feet from the ground. This means that it is very difficult to access the nests and it is impossible without the help of ladders or at least climbing trees.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for aiding care of plants or animals comprising a planter or animal stand and means to adjust the height of the planter or animal stand.

Thus, the animal stand or planter may be usually mounted at a first height inaccessible from the ground but may be brought down to an accessible level for inspection, maintenance, watering and feeding.

A nest box may be usually mounted at a height sufficient to encourage a bird to nest in it but may be moved to ground level to access the nest box to monitor the clutches or the young or for photography or simply to clean the nest box out once the birds have left the nest. This method of inspection would, in no way, disturb the actual nest.

The arrangement is also useful for bird cages and parrot stands and also for hanging baskets.

Preferably the means to adjust the height of the animal stand or planter comprises a track which extends from a first easily accessible height to a second more inaccessible height, and a slide mounted on the animal stand or planter, the slide being slidably mounted on the track. In the case where the apparatus includes a nest box the second height is preferably a height sufficient to encourage birds to nest there. In the case of hanging baskets, nest boxes and feeding trays the track may be mounted on the outside wall of a house, on a tree or on a free-standing stake.

Preferably a nest box is mounted on a stake which is plastic and therefore smooth. Thus the nest box is completely predator-proof. Animals such as squirrels, stoats or weasels cannot climb up the stake since it is smooth and thus has nothing to grip.

In the case where the animal stand is a bird cage or parrot stand, the track is preferably mounted on an inside wall of a house. The bird cage or parrot stand may be brought down to an easily accessible height for watering, feeding and cleaning and then moved upwards out of the way. At a higher position in the room the bird or parrot is more comfortable and the bird cage or parrot stand does not occupy valuable space. Also since the track is mounted on the wall, no floor space is required for the cage or parrot stand.

Preferably the slide is plastics and it is convenient- ly fixed to the rear of the animal stand or planter.

It is preferred that the apparatus includes means to effect locking of the animal stand or planter into position. The slide on the animal stand or planter preferably has attached to it a tension bar which projects below the base of the animal stand or planter and is bent towards the track. The track includes a diagonal downwardly extending stot at each level where the animal stand or planter is to be mounted.

The projecting end of the tension bar is biased towards the track, and when the animal stand or planter is at its required mounting level the end of the bar snaps into the slot in the track. Since the slot extends downwards the tension bar bears down on the base of the slot to hold the animal stand or planter firmly in position.

The animal stand or planter may be easily pushed upwards from its locked position out of contact with the slot. However when the animal stand or planter is to be moved downwards the end of the tension bar has to be pulled out of contact with the track, either by hand or by using a long hooked stick if the animal stand or planter is at an inaccessible height.

The animal stand or planter is then slid to its required alternative position.

The track has at least a slot at the first height and the second height but preferably the track includes more than two slots so that the animal stand may be mounted at a plurality of different levels.

Preferably the slide or the tension bar mounted on the animal stand or planter includes a hole into which a hook may be inserted to pull the animal stand or planter down from its inaccessible height.

A nest box may preferably be constructed or lightweight plastics material. A preferred material for the nest box is manufactured under the trade name Norplex and is a double-skinned polypropylene. The resulting nest box is light and easily cleaned. It is also durable and may last up to twenty years if the nest box is stored out of the nesting season. Also this material serves to insulate the nest box to protect the bird and the eggs from cold.

However, if the track used is a notched track as above described much heavier nest boxes of the conventional wooden type may also be used with this system.

The track on which a nest box is mounted may also be used as a track to mount a feeding platform for bird in the winter. After the nesting season the nest box is taken off the track and stored. It is replaced by a feeding platform which may be filled or cleaned out at an accessible level and then moved to a height at which the birds may feed without fear of predators.

The notched track may be used for mounting any items which are required to be mounted at inaccessible heights but brought down to eye-level occasionally such as hanging flower baskets. In this case a tension bar is included on the rear of the hanging basket and locks the heavy basket into position. It may then be brought down to an accessible height for watering and weeding.

Several examples of apparatus in accordance with this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a nest box mounted on a house wall of a first system; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the nest box mounted on a plastic stake; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a feeding platform which may be placed on the track shown in Figure1 or2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a tension bar of a second system; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the tension bar of Figure 4 attached to a slide.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a notched track and tension bar attached to a nest box; Figure 7 is a schematic section through the slide and track of a third system; Figure 8 is an exploded view of the slide; Figure 9 is a perspective view of a nest box mounted on the slide; Figure 10 is a section through a bird cage mounted on the track; and Figure 11 is a schematic view of an alternative track.

A nest box 1 is slidably mounted on a wall 2.

Attached to the rear of the nest box 1 is a slide 3 which is screwed onto the back of the nest box 1 by screws 4. The slide cooperates with a track 5 which is mounted on the wall 2. A hole 6 is included in the slide 3. A hook7 is used to pull the nest box down to an accessible height and also used to push the nest box back to its nesting height. The nest box 1 may also be mounted on a stake 8. The stake 8 is plastic which means that the nest box is virtually predatorproof since predators cannot climb up the stake as there is nothing to get a grip on. Thus the young birds are safe.

Afeeding platform 9 may also be mounted on the track 5 in a similar way which may slide up and down a wall or post.

Afurther embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 4 to 6. A nest box 10 has attached to it a slide 11 which is slidable along track 12. Between the slide 11 and nest box 10 is a plastic tension bar 13 which protrudes bellow the base of the nest box 10 and has an end 14 which is bent and biased towards track 12.

The track 12 includes two notches 15 into which end 14 may snap. One notch 15 is at a high level and one at a lower level to access the nest box 10. A hole 16 is included in the end 14 of the tension bar 13. A hooked rod may be used to release the nest box by hooking into hole 16 and pulling end 14 out of notch 15.

When the nest box is in its required position the end 14 is biased into the notch 15 locking the nest box into position. Such a notched track system will support a heavy nest box and may also be used slidably to mount a hanging basket or flower pot.

In a third system a slide 17 is slidably mounted on a track 18. A slot 19 extends through the slide. A tensioned trigger bar 20 is inserted into the slot 19.

The bar 20 extends downwards of slide 17 and curves towards track 18.

The track 18 includes slot 21 into which may be inserted end caps 22.

The slide 17 may have mounted on it a bracket as shown in Figure 8. The bracket 23 may be used to mount a hanging basket, or as shown in Figure 10, a bird cage 24. Alternatively a nest box 25 may be mounted on slide 17.

A bird cage 24 may be mounted on the sliding track 18. The track 18 is mounted on an inside wall of a house so that no floor space is required. The bird cage may be pushed upward out of the way where the bird is happier until the trigger bar 20 contacts slot 26 in the track 18. The slot 26 extends diagonally downwards so that the bar 20 secures the bird cage 24 in position. The bird cage 24 may be brought down to an accessible height 27 to contact the lower slot to facilitate watering and feeding of the bird and cleaning of the cage 24.

A further embodiment of the track 18 is shown in Figure 11. This includes many slots 28 so that an animal stand or planter mounted thereon may be secured at a plurality of levels.

Claims (11)

1. Apparatus for aiding the care of plants or animals comprising an animal support or planter and means for adjusting the height of the animal support or planter.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the animal stand or planter is a hanging basket, an animal feeder, a nest box, a bird cage or a parrot stand.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, in which the height adjusting means comprises a track extending from a first easily accessible height upwards to a second more inaccessible height and a slide slidably mounted on the track, the slide being mounted on the animal stand or planter.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, in which the animal stand or planter is a nest box, a feeder, or a hanging basket and in which the track is mounted on the outside wall of a house, a tree or a free-standing stake.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3, in which the animal stand or planter is a bird cage or parrot stand, and in which the track is mounted on the inside wall of a house.

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, which includes means to lock the animal stand or planter into position at least at its first height and at its second height.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, in which the means to lockthe animal stand or planter into position, comprises a diagonally downwards extending slot in the track at each level where the animal stand or planter is to be locked, and a tension bar mounted on the animal stand or planter and extending downwards and towards the track, so that the bar contacts the track and slides into the slot when the animal stand or planter is at its required level to be locked.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which the track includes more than two slots so that the animal stand or planter may be mounted at a plurality of levels.

9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 8, in which the animal stand or planter, or the slide or tension bar mounted thereon includes a hole, into which a hook may be inserted to pull the animal stand or planter downwards from an inaccessible height.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1 and arranged substantially as herein described.

11. Apparatus for aiding care of plants and animals arranged substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, to 6,7 to 10 or 11 of the drawings.