Patent ID: 6648181
Filing Date: 2003-11-18
Classification: A61J,B05C

Abstract:
A feeder for delivering quantities of flowable food into the mouth of a person, comprising:a feeder body comprising a cylindrical food chamber for receiving said flowable food having a tubular chamber side wall, a chamber distal end wall with a food dispensing port encircled by a distally protruding nipple and a chamber proximal end wall with a chamber rod passing port; a piston slidably mounted within said chamber side wall for advancing said food, and a ratchet rod slidably extending through said chamber rod passing port, said ratchet rod having a rod distal end connected to said piston and having a rod proximal end protruding rearwardly from said chamber distal end wall, said ratchet rod having a series of ratchet notches extending longitudinally along the top thereof; said feeder body also comprising a support tube secured to said chamber proximal end wall substantially co-axial with said chamber side wall and extending rearwardly and having a support tube proximal end wall with a proximal feeder body rod passing port through which said ratchet rod extends; gripping handle extending down from the feeder body; and a notch engaging ratchet mechanism for advancing said ratchet rod distally comprising: a pair of carriage guide rails extending rearwardly from said chamber proximal end wall; a ratchet carriage having a carriage rod port slidably mounted around said ratchet rod and having two guide rail ports slidably mounted around said carriage guide rails, said carriage having a downwardly projecting end flange above said ratchet rod for engagement in said notches therein and a downwardly projecting trigger abutment flange below said ratchet rod; a carriage spring encircling said ratchet rod between said chamber proximal end wall and said carriage biasing said carriage rearwardly; and a trigger port in said support tube and a trigger passing through said trigger port and pivotally secured to said support tube, said trigger having a trigger exterior lower end and a trigger interior upper end, said trigger exterior lower end extending down from said support tube, and said trigger interior upper end abutting the proximal end of said trigger abutment flange from behind; such that squeezing said trigger exterior lower end rearwardly pivots said trigger interior upper end forwardly, such that said trigger interior upper end bears against and slides said carriage abutment flange and said carriage forwardly against biasing of said carriage spring, and pivots said carriage to move said downwardly projecting end flange thereon into one of said notches in said ratchet rod, advancing said ratchet rod, said piston and said flowable food forwardly, driving a certain quantity of said food out of said chamber through said food dispensing port and said nipple.