Abstract:
A multi-tier feeder which is comprised of a plurality of mesh feeder bodies stacked one upon the other in a collapsible fashion and which include even feed baffle plates positioned therein in a vertically spaced-apart relationship.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to a collapsible feeder and more particularly to a collapsible feeder for birds, squirrels and the like which is convenient to install, convenient for wild game to perch upon, and which is resistant to damage from squirrels and other feeding wildlife. More particularly, the invention disclosed herein relates to a multi-tier collapsible feeder. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Selectively collapsible feeders are commonly used to hold seeds, suet and the like as food for wild animals such as birds, squirrels, etc. Many of the collapsible wild game feeders of the prior art are constructed from plastic polymer, natural fiber mesh or netting. Mesh or netting feeders have the advantage of not requiring a rod, dowel or other support for small birds, since the birds can perch on the mesh or net and feed at any exposed location on the feeder. Examples of mesh or net feeders of the prior art include the Thistle Pouch brand feeder manufactured by Havegard Farm, Inc. of Algoma, Wis., and Feather Friends E-Z Feeders brand wild bird feeder marketed by Canine&#39;s Choice of Marion, Ind. Other types of collapsible feeders are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,203,281; 4,706,851; and 4,026,244. Another type of collapsible wild game feeder is described in applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,881. The feeder of the &#39;881 patent consists of a solid, weather-resistant bag fitted with openings at its base to allow attachment of rods for perching and access to the seed or other food contained in the bag. 
   Although many collapsible wild game feeders of the known art are convenient to install and highly attractive to wild game when they are first placed in use, none of the collapsible feeders of the known art are suitable for the feeding of squirrels or other large, aggressive feeding wildlife such as jays and monk parakeets. Squirrels and other large, aggressive feeding wildlife quickly tear the mesh of collapsible feeders of the known art and create holes through which the food spills from the feeder onto the ground below. Similarly, squirrels and large birds can easily enlarge the feeding openings or simply create new openings in the walls of the feeder of the &#39;881 patent. After squirrels or large birds have damaged the net, webbing or walls of feeders of the known art, the food spills out and is no longer available to attract wildlife to the feeder. Further, the spilled feed creates additional problems by attracting mice and other pests that feed on the ground. 
   Wire mesh feeders constructed of rigid steel wire are also well known to those skilled in the art of wild game feeding. The rigid steel wire mesh feeders are frequently used to hold blocks of suet or mixtures of seed, animal fat, peanut butter and the like. Although the rigid wire mesh feeders of the known art are resistant to chewing by squirrels and pecking by aggressive feeding birds, the rigid wire mesh feeders are not selectively collapsible for storage, shipment, etc. When the rigid wire mesh feeders are bent, dented, flattened or crushed, they cannot be expanded and reused without suffering metal fatigue and damage to their attachments, connections and welds. 
   In applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,582, a collapsible feeder is disclosed which has met with tremendous success. Although the commercial embodiment of the collapsible feeder disclosed in the &#39;582 patent has met with considerable success, the capacity of the feeder is limited to approximately 3 to 3½ pounds of bird seed. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A collapsible, multi-tiered bird feeder is disclosed comprising a plurality of stacked collapsible bird feeders such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,582 so as to provide a multi-tiered and collapsible bird feeder which has a very large capacity. Further, the multi-tiered bird feeder of this invention includes perches thereon as well as even feed baffle plates positioned therein which maintain a certain amount of feed thereabove, even though the main level of feed has dropped therebelow. 
   It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a multi-tiered bird feeder of the collapsible type. 
   Still another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible, multi-tiered bird feeder having an improved storage capacity for bird feed. 
   Yet another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible, multi-tiered bird feeder including even feed baffle plates positioned therein in a vertically spaced-apart manner to maintain a certain amount of bird feed thereabove, even though the main level of bird feed has fallen therebelow. 
   These and other objects will be obvious to those skilled in the art. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the multi-tier, collapsible feeder of this invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the feeder of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded side view of a 5-tier feeder of this invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a partial side view of the feeder with portions thereof cut away to more fully illustrate the invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a side schematic view of a 3-tier feeder of this invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a side schematic view of a 4-tier feeder of this invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a side schematic view of another 4-tier feeder of this invention; 
       FIG. 8  is a side schematic view of the 5-tier feeder of this invention; 
       FIG. 9  is a side schematic view of a 6-tier feeder of this invention; 
       FIG. 10  is a side schematic view of a 7-tier feeder; and 
       FIG. 11  is a side schematic view of an 8-tier feeder. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The 5-tier collapsible feeder of this invention is referred to generally by the reference numeral  10 . Feeder  10  is comprised of a plurality of feeder bodies  12  such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,582 but which are arranged in an alternating stacked fashion so as to provide a collapsible, multi-tiered bird feeder. The drawings of this invention illustrate a 5-tier bird feeder although any number of tiers could be utilized greater than one. See, for example,  FIGS. 5–7  and  9 – 11  for examples of a 3-tier feeder  10 A, a 4-tier feeder  10 B, another 4-tier feeder  10 C, a 6-tier feeder  10 D, a 7-tier feeder  10 E and an 8-tier feeder  10 F. 
   The numeral  14  refers to a first ring-shaped support which is positioned at the upper end of the feeder  10  and which has a cover or lid  16  extending thereover to close the open upper end of the feeder. The numeral  18  refers to a hanger which is pivotally connected to the support  14 . Feeder body  12 A comprised an inverted, truncated, conical-shaped wall member which is secured at its upper end to the support  14  and which extends downwardly and inwardly therefrom. The numeral  20  refers to a second ring-shaped support which is secured to the lower end of the metal mesh wall of the feeder body  12 A. A third ring-shaped support  22  is secured to the support  20  by any convenient means and has the upper end of a truncated, conical-shaped feeder body  12 B secured thereto and which extends downwardly and outwardly therefrom. As in feeder body  12 A, feeder body  12 B is comprised of a metal mesh wall material. 
   A fourth support ring  24  is secured to the lower end of the feeder body  12 B and has a fifth ring-shaped support  26  secured thereto by any convenient means. The upper end of feeder body  12 C is secured to the support  26  and extends downwardly and inwardly therefrom. A sixth ring-shaped support  28  is secured to the lower end of feeder body  12 C and has a seventh ring-shaped support  30  secured thereto by any convenient means. The upper end of a truncated, conical-shaped feeder body  12 D is secured to the support  30  and extends downwardly and outwardly therefrom. An eighth ring-shaped support  32  is secured to the lower end of feeder body  12 D and has a ninth ring-shaped support  34  secured thereto. The upper end of an inverted, truncated, conical-shaped feeder body  12 E is secured to the support  34  and extends downwardly and inwardly therefrom. The lower end of the feeder body  12 E has a tenth ring-shaped support  35  secured thereto which is secured to a base  36  including a rim  38 . 
   An optional perch ring  40  is secured to the feeder at the juncture of the feeder bodies  12 A and  12 B. Similarly, an optional perch ring  42  is secured to the feeder at the juncture of the feeder bodies  12 C and  12 D, as seen in the drawings. 
   Preferably, an even feed baffle plate  44  is positioned between the lower end of feeder body  12 B and the upper end of feeder body  12 C. Baffle plate  44  has a central opening  46  formed therein to permit feed to pass therethrough. Preferably, the center of the baffle plate  44  is slightly raised with respect to the periphery thereof so as to define a somewhat conical-shape ( FIG. 3 ). Similarly, an even feed baffle plate  46  is positioned between the lower end of feeder body  12 D and the upper end of feeder body  12 E and has a central opening  50  formed therein in an identical fashion to that of the baffle plate  44 . 
   In use, the lid  16  is removed from the upper end of the feeder  10  and the hanger  18  is secured to a suitable support such as a branch, etc. Feed is poured into the feeder body from the open upper end of the feeder body  12 A and passes downwardly into all of the feeder bodies. The central openings in the even feed baffle plates permit the feed to flow downwardly into the feeder bodies located therebelow. 
   As the birds feed from the feeder  10 , the main level of feed may drop below the upper baffle plate  44 , but a certain amount of feed will be positioned thereabove outwardly of the central opening  46 , as seen in  FIG. 4 , so that the birds may feed from the feeder body  12 B, even though the main level of feed in the feeder has dropped therebelow. Similarly, as the feed level in the feeder drops below baffle plate  46 , a certain amount of feed will remain on the upper end or upper surface of the baffle plate  44  outwardly of the opening  50  so that the birds may feed from the feeder body  12 D. 
   The multi-tiered arrangement of the feeder bodies enables the feeder to have a very large capacity which does not require constant refilling. The multi-tiered feeder also provides a very large perching area together with the perch rings  40  and  42 . Further, the birds may perch on the base or rim in conventional fashion. 
   When it is desired to store the feeder, the feeder is simply collapsed downwardly into the base  36  which makes it extremely small for shipping and transport purposes, as well as storage purposes. 
   As previously stated,  FIGS. 1–4  and  8  illustrate a 5-tier feeder but that other numbered tiers may be utilized, as seen in  FIGS. 5–7  and  9 – 11 .  FIG. 5  illustrates a 3-tier feeder;  FIG. 6  illustrates a 4-tier feeder;  FIG. 7  illustrates another 4-tier feeder;  FIG. 9  illustrates a 6-tier feeder;  FIG. 10  illustrates a 7-tier feeder; and  FIG. 11  illustrates an 8-tier feeder. As seen in  FIGS. 5 ,  6 ,  8  and  10 , the uppermost feeder bodies have a truncated, cone shape while the uppermost feeders in  FIGS. 7 and 9  have an inverted, truncated, cone shape. Further, some of the lowermost feeder bodies will have a truncated, cone shape ( FIGS. 7–11 ) while some of the lowermost feeder bodies may have an inverted, truncated, cone shape ( FIG. 6 ). The perch rings are preferred, but optional. Similarly, the base and rim construction at the lower end of the feeders is preferred, but optional. 
   Thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.