Animal food and treat dispenser

• US 7,520,247 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jerry D. Rutledge
• Original Assignee: Jerry D. Rutledge
• Inventors: Rutledge, Jerry D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenti; Andrea M
• Application Number:
  US11/184,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20050263082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 119/51.01, 119/53, 119/52.1, 119/64, 119/61.57, 119/346, 119/900, 119/51.11, 119/53.5, 119/61.2, 119/56.1, 119/65, D30/121, 221/197, 221/287, 221/263, 221/264, 221/196, 221/266, 221/7, 221/8, 221/312, 221/155, 221/242
• US Class Current: 119/51.01
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/0114 Pet food dispensers; Pet food trays time-controlled A01K5/0291
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/0275 with mechanisms for delivery of measured doses A01K5/0233 takes precedence

Abstract

A manually operated dog treat dispensing machine capable of dispensing dog treats one at a time, the dispenser having a rectangular housing with a hinged housing door and hinged capital that serves as a food supply reservoir which is gravity fed into a spring loaded spindle chamber mounted on an axel and hand crank. Treats exit the dispenser through a chute output consisting of a hinged chute lid, two side walls and a base block and a retaining plate mounted in the end of the chute lid and adjacent to the spindle chamber acts as a stop preventing dispensing of more than one dog treat at a time. The dispenser also can function using a magazine that is inserted inside the rectangular housing area. Magazine stop tabs at the base of the magazine along with the retaining plate mounted on the chute lid prevent the dispenser from dispensing more than one dog treat at a time. Operation of the dispenser is performed by manually turning the hand crank mounted on the spindle axel, which rotates the spindle chamber forward, thus dispensing a dog treat through the output chute, with a return spring pulling the spindle chamber back to the upright position and ready for a new treat.

Claims

1. An animal food and treat dispenser for dispensing edible bone-shaped treats, the dispenser comprising:

a section for storing the bone-shaped treats to be dispensed comprising a housing with an interior into which a vertical stack of the bone-shaped treats is placed and a door for accessing the interior of the housing;

a spindle for dispensing the bone-shaped treats from the section for storing the bone-shaped treats to be dispensed through an output chute, wherein the spindle comprises a cylinder having a spindle chamber formed lengthwise on the outer surface of the cylinder, the spindle chamber having a bone-shaped shape and volume corresponding to the shape and volume of the bone-shaped treats and into which only one of the bone-shaped treats at least partially fits, and wherein when the spindle is rotated to dispense the bone-shaped treat, at least one wall of the spindle chamber forces the bone-shaped treat from the section for storing the bone-shaped treats to the output chute;

a magazine for holding the bone-shaped treats to be dispensed comprising a vertical chute having right and left side walls for storage of the bone-shaped treats in a uniform and orderly manner and for mating with the spindle chamber, wherein the magazine is retained within the interior of the housing of the dispenser such that the bone-shaped treats fall into the spindle chamber; and

a curved out section located at the bottom end of the right and left side walls of the magazine and extending up into a portion of the magazine for mating up with side walls of the spindle chamber.

2. The animal food and treat dispenser as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an axle running axially through the spindle for rotationally mounting the spindle within the dispenser below the section for storing the bone-shaped treats.

3. The animal food and treat dispenser as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a return spring tensionally connecting the spindle to the dispenser, wherein the return spring urges the spindle to a receiving position for receiving one of the bone-shaped treats and urges the spindle from a dispensing position back to the receiving position.

4. The animal food and treat dispenser as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a recess on an end of the spindle for accepting a stop screw, wherein the recess cooperates with the stop screw to limit motion of the spindle to a rotational arc between the receiving position and the dispensing position.

5. The animal food and treat dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vertical stack of the bone-shaped treats comprises a plurality of the bone-shaped treats stacked one atop another.

6. The animal food and treat dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magazine further comprises

a shape molded to conform around a shape of the bone-shaped treats to keep the bone-shaped treats in the vertical stack.

7. The animal food and treat dispenser as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a hook on a lip at the top end of the magazine for use in conjunction with a slot opening at a bottom end of the magazine for fitting over a hold down screw on the magazine for mounting the magazine in the dispenser.

8. The animal food and treat dispenser as claimed in claim 6, wherein the magazine further comprises cross supports on a front side for giving the magazine structural strength.

9. The animal food and treat dispenser as claimed in claim 6, wherein the magazine is preloaded with the bone-shaped treats.

10. The animal food and treat dispenser as claimed in claim 9, wherein the magazine further comprises a stop tape for preventing the bone-shaped treats from falling out of the magazine prior to use.

11. The animal food and treat dispenser as claimed in claim 6, wherein the magazine further comprises stop tabs for preventing more than one of the bone-shaped treats from being dispensed at a time.

12. The animal food and treat dispenser as claimed in claim 6, wherein the magazine further comprises a handle mounted at a top end of the magazine for loading of the magazine into the dispenser.