Abstract:
The present invention deals with single and multiple unit, bird sanctuaries, made from plastic pipe. The bird sanctuaries are easily mounted to the ground or hung from a cable and can be disassembled to be cleaned from one year to the next to provide for a clean sanctuary for birds the following year.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     It is well known to construct birdhouses or sanctuaries such that either singular homes or multiple homes can be combined. It is well known in the art that multiple bird housing has been constructed and structured to resemble buildings, ships, motels, and such, having multiple entries and compartments providing multiple homes for multiple bird families. However, the prior art housing or structures for birds have required painting and regular maintenance to insure the integrity of the structures as well as the appearance thereof. Further, it is difficult to clean out the prior art bird housing structures.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION  
       [0002]     The present invention provides for economical housing structures that require little or no maintenance as well as provide for the ease of cleaning the birdhouse structures. The present invention constructs either single or multiple bird sanctuaries out of plastic pipe, commonly known as PVC pipe, that can be readily connected together to form singular or multiple housing compartments for birds. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0003]      FIG. 1  shows a single unit bird sanctuary according to the present invention;  
         [0004]      FIG. 2  shows a multiple unit bird sanctuary which can be mounted stationary or hung on a cable;  
         [0005]      FIG. 3  shows a multiple unit partially cut away;  
         [0006]      FIG. 4  shows an alternative design for a multiple unit bird sanctuary; and  
         [0007]      FIG. 5  shows a third embodiment of a multiple unit bird sanctuary. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0008]     The present invention utilizes plastic pipe or what is more commonly called PVC pipe to construct bird housing compartments. The simplest of designs of the present invention involves a piece of plastic pipe  1  having a diameter of 6 inches. To construct the birdhouse within this pipe  1 , one would drill a hole or holes  2  in the side of the pipe allowing access to the interior  3  by the bird. On the exterior  4  of the pipe  1  immediately below the hole  2  would be inserted a dowel rod  5  that would allow the bird to land on the rod  5  before entering the hole  2  to the interior  3  of the pipe  1 . The interior compartment  6  is constructed with a plywood divider  7  that has been inserted into the pipe  1  and held in place by four stainless steel screws  8 . The divider  7  is cut to fit the interior dimensions of the pipe  1 , slid into one end  9  or  12  of the pipe and located below the entry hole  2 . The plywood divider  7  is held in place by the four stainless steel screws  8  as shown in the  FIG. 1 . Once the plywood divider  7  is in place, an end cap  10  is placed on the top of the pipe  9 , and a second end cap  11  is placed on the bottom of the pipe  12 . Once the home is constructed in this manner one can now attach the home to a second pipe  14  by means of the second or lower end cap  11  with the second pipe  14  placed in the ground  15 . This provides a standing bird sanctuary that can be readily mounted at any location the owner desires. An alternative would be to attach a cable  16  to the pipe  1  by means of stainless steel screws  17  and a bracket  18 , thus the cable  16  providing for a hanging bird sanctuary. This simple design can thus provide for a stationary bird sanctuary or a hanging, swinging bird sanctuary.  
         [0009]     The above design can be further expanded to provide for multiple compartments within a singular piece of plastic pipe  21 . One would simply use a longer section of 6-inch plastic pipe  21  and would drill or cut multiple entry holes  22  at a fixed distance apart over the length of the plastic pipe  21 . Below each of these entry holes  22  would be inserted a dowel rod  25  on which the bird can alight when entering it&#39;s compartment. Each compartment will be divided by a platform or plywood divider  27  inserted from one end  29  or  212  of the plastic pipe  21 . Each plywood divider  27  will be held in place by stainless steel screws  28 . Beginning at one end and progressing toward the other, one can insert the multiple dividers  27  needed to divide the pipe  21  into multiple compartments, for bird housing. Once all the platforms  27  are in place end caps  210  and  211  are then installed on the end of the pipe and the lower end is attached to a second piece of plastic pipe  214  which is mounted in the ground  215 . Upon mounting the first piece of pipe  21  on the second pipe  214 , a multiple bird-housing complex has now been formed out of the plastic pipe rendering it basically indestructible and requiring little or no maintenance. Both of the foregoing designs are constructed so that they may be cleaned out by removing one of the end caps  10 ,  11 ,  210  or  211 . After the end cap is removed, one would remove the stainless steel screws  8  or  28  holding the divider or dividers  7 ,  27  in place, and would simply remove the platforms  7  or  27  through the end on which the cap has been removed. Having done this, all former nesting material or other items taken into the interior of the pipe or the compartments by a bird would be removed. One simply would then reinstall each of the dividers  7  or  27  and the screws  8  or  28  and when done, the end cap, would be replaced to again have a clean useful bird-housing structure available for the next season.  
         [0010]     The preferred embodiment as described above would provide a bird sanctuary in the form of what could commonly be called a totem pole design. However, many alternatives are possible and a few of which will be described herein. One alternative is to install one 6-foot piece of 6-inch plastic pipe  31  onto the end of a 2-inch piece of pipe  41  planted firmly in the ground. The 6-foot 6-inch pipe  31  would extend vertically from the ground. At the top of the 6-inch pipe would be a series of horizontal rows of 4-inch plastic pipe  51 , shown in the figure. These horizontal rows of 4-inch plastic pipe  51  will be inserted into or attached to the vertical 6-inch pipe  31 . The 4-inch pipe  51  would be stacked one on top another and would extend a distance in the horizontal distance from the vertical pipe  31 . Each of these horizontal pipes  51  would contain five entry holes  52  each with a dowel pin  55  located immediately there below to allow a bird to alight on the dowel rod  55  before entering the entrance hole  52 . Each entrance hole  52  would again be separated by a piece of plywood or divider  57  held in place by a series of stainless steel screws  58 . This would provide for five separate bird-housing units in each of the 4-inch plastic pipe  51 . Each horizontal pipe as well as the vertical pipe would have an end cap  310 ,  311 ,  510  placed thereon to prevent the elements or anything else from entering into the pipe  31  or  51 . Again, to clean these 4-inch pipes  51 , one would simply remove them from the 6-inch pipe  31 , remove the screws  58  to allow the divider  57  to be removed once the end cap  510  is removed. Once the pipe  51  was cleaned, the divider  57  would be reinstalled, the end caps  510  returned and the 4-inch pipe  51  again attached to the 6-inch pipe  31 . An alternative design to this is that every other pipe  51  could be painted a different color. In this example the top one could be red, the second one white and the third one blue and would simply alternate from there down forming a patriotic symbol while providing perpetual bird sanctuaries.  
         [0011]     Another alternative as shown in  FIG. 5  would be a cross design. This would entail a 6-inch piece of pipe  61  being connected to a 2-inch pipe  71  firmly planted in the ground. A vertical distance from the ground on the 6-inch plastic pipe  61 , 2-foot 6-inch pieces of plastic pipe  81  and  91  would be attached to the vertical pipe  61  and would extend horizontally therefrom in opposite directions located 180° apart from each other. Each of these horizontal pipes  81  and  91  would contain dowel rods  85  and  95  located immediately below four entry holes  82  and  92 . Each of the entry holes would be separated again by a divider  87 ,  97  respectively, held in place by stainless steel screws  88 ,  98  respectively, thus sectioning the horizontal pipes  81  and  91  into four individual units. The portion of pipe  61  that would extend above the horizontal pieces  81  and  91  would also contain five entry holes  62  and dowel rods  65  located immediately below the entry holes  62  and each of these holes  62  would be separated by plywood dividers  67  held in place by stainless steel screws  68  through the plastic pipes  61 . An end cap  610  is placed on the top  69  of pipe  61 . End caps  810  and  910  are located on pipes  81  and  91  respectfully as shown in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0012]     These designs are merely illustrative of the multiple designs one could use when utilizing the inventive concepts of the present invention. While only four designs have been described in detail herein, a multitude of alternative designs could readily be used without deviating from the inventive concept of the present invention and are deemed obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Further, the preferred embodiment uses plastic pipe, however, other weather proof tubing, cylindrical or other shape, could be utilized and would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art, not to deviate from the inventive concept of the present invention.  
         [0013]     The entry holes  2 ,  22 ,  52 ,  82 , and  92  can be various sizes as well as the dowel rods. The size of the bird utilizing the bird sanctuary can be somewhat controlled by the size of the hole and the dowel rod perch.  
         [0014]     Varying the size of the plastic pipe and the spacing between the platforms, one can also monitor and control the size of the bird that utilizes the present invention.