Abstract:
A support for isolating a salt block from vermin and ground moisture. The support includes a tray for carrying a salt block. A rod extends from the tray. A clamp, adapted for attachment to a post, is secured to the distal end of the rod so as to rotate relative to the tray.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to animal feeding devices and, more specifically, to solid or lick feeders.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Animals, like humans, require a wide variety of vitamins and minerals in their diets to stay healthy and grow. In some areas, these items are difficult for animals to find. To combat this problem and to lure wild game, many farmers, ranchers, conservationists and hunters set salt blocks enriched with vitamins outside for animals, particularly deer and cattle, to consume. Initially, the blocks were placed directly on the ground or close to ground level. This, unfortunately, lead to rapid degradation of the blocks in standing water and rapid consumption by vermin.  
         [0003]     Over time, devices were developed to hold the salt blocks for animals above the ground, but these devices have many limitations. For example, some of the devices cannot be attached to fence posts or other vertical supports. Other devices can be attached to vertical supports like fence posts, but not angled supports such as those found on deer feeders and tree stands. If an angled support is used, the rigid coupling between the mount and the usual block-supporting tray causes the block to fall to the ground. In brief, the latter devices do not permit the block-supporting tray to be adjusted independently from the mount. Thus, there exists a need for a simple, effective, and inexpensive device for supporting a salt block above ground level and in a horizontal position, even when the device is attached to an angled support.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     In light of the problems associated with supporting a salt block for consumption by large animals, yet excluding small animals and vermin, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a device that can hold a salt block at a set height above the ground and at a level orientation regardless of the incline of the support to which the device is attached. Thus, the device can be used with vertical supports such as fence posts and inclined supports like those of deer feeders.  
         [0005]     It is another object of the invention to provide a salt block support of the type described that can be firmly attached to a columnar support or post having virtually any cross-sectional configuration. Square and round posts, for example, are clamped with equal strength.  
         [0006]     It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in a salt block support for the purposes described which is lightweight, portable, rugged, inexpensive to manufacture and dependable in use.  
         [0007]     Briefly, the salt block support in accordance with this invention achieves the intended objects by featuring a tray for carrying a salt block. The tray has an internally threaded socket member from which a threaded rod extends. The rod has a longitudinal axis and a distal end remote from the tray. A clamp, adapted for attachment to a post, is carried at the distal end of said threaded rod. The clamp has a second internally threaded socket member for threadably receiving the distal end of the threaded rod such that the clamp can rotate about the longitudinal axis relative to the tray.  
         [0008]     The forgoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     The present invention may be more readily described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a salt block support in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a rear view of the salt block support of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the salt block support. 
     
    
       [0013]     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the accompanying drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0014]     Referring now to the FIGS., a salt block support in accordance with the present invention is shown at  10 . Support  10  includes a tray  12  adapted to carry a salt block  14 . Extending from one side of tray  12  is a threaded rod  16  rotatably bearing a clamp  18  for engaging a post  20 . The rotatable attachment of clamp  18  to tray  12  permits tray  12  to be leveled regardless of the incline of post  20 .  
         [0015]     Tray  12  has a rectangular frame  22  that receives, carries, and reinforces a perforated panel  24 . Frame  22  is provided with a planar bottom wall  26  with a central opening  28  and a side wall  30  extending upwardly from the periphery of bottom wall  26 . Frame  22  may be formed by welding a plurality of short pieces of angle iron together. Perforated panel  24  rests upon bottom wall  26 , to which it is welded, and covers opening  28  so as to prevent the passage of salt block  14  through opening  28 . Preferably, perforated panel  24  is formed of expanded metal mesh that is durable and permits water and other debris to fall through opening  28  and to the ground instead of collecting around salt block  14  damaging it.  
         [0016]     An internally threaded socket member  32  is secured to one side of frame  22 , i.e., welded to side wall  30 . Rod  16  is threadably engaged with socket member  32  and extends outwardly therefrom. At the distal end of rod  16 , remote from socket member  32 , is carried clamp  18 .  
         [0017]     Clamp  18  includes a pair of L-shaped brackets  34  and  36  formed of angle iron and held in opposition to one another by a pair of threaded fasteners  38 . As shown, bracket  34  has a transverse wall  40  and a longitudinal wall  42  oriented at right angles so as to form a channel  44  therebetween for receiving post  20 . An internally threaded socket member  46  is welded to transverse wall  40  for threadably receiving the distal end of rod  16 . Beneath socket member  46 , a pair of apertured flanges  48  extends outwardly from bracket  34  with one flange  48  extending from transverse wall  40  and another flange  48  extending from longitudinal wall  42 . Similarly, bracket  36  has a transverse wall  50  and a longitudinal wall  52  oriented at right angles to one another and defining a post-receiving channel  54  therebetween. A pair of apertured flanges  56  extends outwardly from bracket  36  in registry with flanges  48  with one flange  56  extending from transverse wall  50  and another flange  56  extending from longitudinal wall  52 . Fasteners  38  pass through flanges  48  and  56  to adjustably join brackets  34  and  36  together.  
         [0018]     A pair of lock nuts  58  and  60  is threaded onto rod  16  to permit the angular orientation of both tray  12  and clamp  18  with respect to rod  16  to be fixed. (It should also be appreciated that lock nuts  58  and  60  accommodate the use of rod  16  which is removable from both tray  12  and clamp  18  to allow support  10  to be broken down into the smallest possible units for compact storage.) As shown, lock nut  58  is positioned adjacent to socket member  32  so that, when tightened against socket member  32 , the orientation of tray  12  relative to rod  16  is set. Further, lock nut  60  is located adjacent socket member  46  so that, when tightened against socket member  46 , the orientation of clamp  18  relative to rod  16  is set.  
         [0019]     The use of support  10  is straightforward with clamp  18  permitting secure attachment to pole  20  (or other suitable thing) regardless of the orientation of pole  20 . First, support  10  is attached to pole  20  by utilizing fasteners  38  in a conventional manner to permit brackets  34  and  36  to be detached from one another and, then, reattached with pole  20  clamped therebetween. Then, the orientation of tray  12  is adjusted about the longitudinal axis of rod  16  as illustrated in  FIG. 2  with tray  12  being rotated from its initial broken-line position to its final, horizontal, solid-line position. When tray  12  is in the final position, lock nuts  58  and  60  are brought to bear against socket members  32  and  46  to locking tray  12  in the final position. Now, by placing salt block  14  atop perforated panel  24 , support  10  is ready to use in supplementing animals&#39; dietary needs. When no longer needed, support  10  can be detached from post  20 , disassembled, washed, and conveniently stored for subsequent reuse.  
         [0020]     While support  10  has been described with a high degree of particularity, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications can be made thereto. For example, socket members  32  and  46  could be integrally formed with walls  30  and  40  rather than being affixed thereto. Additionally, one end of rod  16  could be permanently attached, as by welding, to either tray  12  or clamp  18  to reduce the risk of rod  16  becoming lost while support  10  is being stored in a disassembled state. However, the support with the permanently attached rod could no longer be stored in as compact a configuration as that of support  10 , a minor inconvenience for some users. Therefore, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.