Wild bird feed dispenser with squirrel-resistant mechanism

• US 8,978,586 B1
• Filed: 05/23/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Classic Brands LLC (Woodstream Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Classic Brands LLC (Woodstream Corporation)
• Inventors: Carter, James, Krueger, Bryan, Hunter, Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): ABBOTT-LEWIS, YVONNE RENEE
• Application Number:
  US13/901,321
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 119/57.9, 119/52.2, 119/52.3, 119/52.4, 119/57.8, 119/429, 119/61.57, 119/63
• US Class Current: 119/57.9
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 39/0113 with means to prevent other animals or insects, e.g. squirrels or ants, from eating also
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 39/012 filling automatically , e.g. by gravity from a reserve

Abstract

A bird feed dispenser for wild birds with squirrel-resistant mechanism that occludes feed ports when a non-bird having a weight sufficient to activate the mechanism engages a portion of the roof or a perch thereon. The dispenser includes at least two feed ports, corresponding perches, and a torsion spring that provide biasing force for the mechanism. The occlusion of feed ports in the dispenser is such that when a non-bird having weight sufficient to activate the mechanism engages a portion of the roof or a perch thereon, all the feed ports are obstructed.

Claims

1. A feeder for dispensing a supply of bird feed to wild birds, but resisting dispensing the bird feed to a non-bird, the feeder comprising:

a housing having a generally vertically extending wall defining a feed reservoir for the supply of bird feed to be dispensed and an upwardly facing opening to the feed reservoir, the wall having a plurality of feed ports formed through the wall;

a roof assembly removably covering the upwardly facing opening and mounted for movement relative to the housing, the roof assembly including at least one opening sized to permit a hanger to pass through, the hanger attaching to the housing for suspending the feeder from a support;

a plurality of perches, each of the perches disposed adjacent to an adjacent port of the feed ports and being mounted for movement relative to the adjacent port, movement of the perches and movement of the roof assembly relative to the housing being permitted when the housing is suspended by the hanger;

at least one spring for biasing each of the perches into a first position relative to the adjacent port, the at least one spring permitting each of the perches to move to a second position when the non-bird moves either the roof assembly or at least one of the perches downwardly against the bias of the at least one spring; and

a mechanical link attached to each of the perches and extending generally vertically from the perches to and linking a portion of the roof assembly that extends outwardly from and beyond the wall, whereby movement of the roof assembly relative to the housing causes each of the perches to move relative to the adjacent port.

2. A feeder for dispensing a supply of bird feed to wild birds but resisting dispensing the bird feed to a non-bird, the feeder comprising:

a housing having a generally vertically extending wall defining a feed reservoir for the supply of bird feed to be dispensed and an upwardly facing opening to the feed reservoir, the wall having a plurality of feed ports formed through the wall;

a roof assembly removably covering the upwardly facing opening and mounted for movement relative to the housing, the roof assembly including at least one opening sized to permit a hanger to pass through, the hanger attaching to the housing for suspending the feeder from a support;

a plurality of perches, each of the perches disposed adjacent to an adjacent port of the feed ports and being mounted for movement relative to the adjacent port, movement of the perches and movement of the roof assembly relative to the housing being permitted when the housing is suspended by the hanger;

at least one spring for biasing each of the perches into a first position relative to the adjacent port, the at least one spring permitting each of the perches to move to a second position when the non-bird moves either the roof assembly or at least one of the perches downwardly against the bias of the at least one spring; and

a mechanical link attached to each of the perches and extending generally vertically from the perches upwardly to a portion of the roof assembly that extends outwardly from and beyond the wall, whereby movement of the roof assembly relative to the housing causes each of the perches to move relative to the adjacent port.

3. The feeder of claim 2, wherein the mechanical link has a plurality of apertures, each aperture aligned with one of the feed ports.

4. The feeder of claim 2, wherein a biasing force of the at least one spring is adjustable.

5. The feeder of claim 4, wherein the at least one spring includes a reference end and a moving end, and the biasing force is adjustable by changing a displacement angle defined between the reference end and the moveable end of the at least one spring.

6. The feeder of claim 5, wherein moving the reference end of the at least one spring into a plurality of slots changes the displacement angle.

7. The feeder of claim 2, wherein a biasing force of each of the at least one spring is separately adjustable.

8. The feeder of claim 2, wherein movement of one of the perches relative to the adjacent port causes movement of all of the perches relative to the feed ports.

9. The feeder of claim 2, wherein the perches are mechanically linked by a camming device, such that movement from one of the perches is transmitted through the camming device to another of the perches.

10. The feeder of claim 9, wherein opposing perches include reciprocating halves of the camming device.

11. The feeder of claim 2, wherein a plurality of apertures in the mechanical link are aligned with the feed ports when the perches are in the first position, and when the perches are in the second position, the feed ports are occluded.

12. The feeder of claim 2, wherein movement of one of the perches relative to the adjacent port causes the roof assembly to move relative to the housing.

13. The feeder of claim 12, wherein the movement of the roof assembly is downward displacement of the portion of the roof assembly that extends outwardly from and beyond the wall.

14. The feeder of claim 13, wherein the downward displacement of the roof assembly is a result of the roof assembly pivoting about an orthogonal axis to an axis defined through the feed ports.

15. The feeder of claim 12, wherein the movement of the roof assembly includes a pivoting movement relative to the housing.

16. The feeder of claim 2, wherein the mechanical link includes a pair of actuators extending along the wall to the portion of the roof assembly that extends outwardly from and beyond the wall.

17. The feeder of claim 2, wherein the roof assembly includes a lid portion for removably covering the upwardly facing opening and a movable portion including the portion of the roof assembly that extends outwardly from and beyond the wall.

18. The feeder of claim 17, wherein a translational movement of the movable portion causes all of the perches to move to the second position and occlude all of the feed ports.

19. The feeder of claim 2, wherein the roof assembly includes a lid for removably covering the upwardly facing opening, the lid including the portion of the roof assembly that extends outwardly from and beyond the wall.

20. The feeder of claim 2, wherein the feed ports are accessible when the perches are in the first position and the feed ports are at least partially occluded when the perches are in the second position.