Abstract:
A receptacle for the care and maintenance of living things has a housing with an interior, and a lid that is securable thereto by rotation in a first direction and detachable therefrom by rotation in a second direction. A swivel member associated with the lid permits the lid to freely rotate relative to a portion of the swivel member. The receptacle has a suspension member with a first end portion securable to the swivel member and a second end portion securable to a support member so that when the assembled receptacle is suspended from the support member, the lid can rotate relative to the swivel member without being detached from the housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   Embodiments of this invention relate to suspending assemblies from a support member wherein the assemblies are free to rotate relative to the support member without altering the state of the assembly. These assemblies may be varied in purpose, such as for providing food, shelter or other care facilities for animal or insect species. One principal aspect of these embodiments is the provision of facilities for wild birds. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Bird-watching is a highly prevalent past-time in both urban and rural areas. The world is full of birds of numerous varieties in an astounding array of colors and designs. Many people enjoy viewing birds of various types, and an industry has grown up around products directed to improving the ability of persons to get close to birds. On one hand, many people venture into the outdoors, where binoculars and spotting scopes may be utilized to better view various birds in their natural habitats. Such an approach requires a certain degree of skill, however, in finding and spotting various species of birds. Another approach utilizes various means of attracting birds to one&#39;s residence or a desired viewing location, such as adjacent a home porch or window, where birds may be viewed at one&#39;s leisure. 
   In particular, the art of using bird feeders, bird baths, nesting facilities and the like has arisen to attract birds of various types to one&#39;s home. Different types of feeders have been developed, which each dispense foodstuffs that are preferred by a selected variety of bird which a person might desire to view. For example, seeds, grains, suet, and nectars are common foodstuffs that can be dispensed by a selected type of feeder. Bird houses are also provided to entice wild birds to nest is an area where they may be observed and enjoyed. Likewise, care facilities such as bird baths are provided to encourage birds to frequent a desired location. 
   Many people hang such feeders and bird houses from porches, backyard trees or eves, so as to be able to watch various brightly colored birds arrive and depart, hovering or sometimes perching at the feeder in the interim to feed. Oftentimes the structure is suspended by either a wire, rope, chain or rod to prevent unwanted creatures such as squirrels, mice, snakes and the like from getting to the food or the feasting birds. This type of suspension also simplifies the mounting and removal of the structure for the purposes of cleaning, adding food, or storing when not in use. 
   Many of these structures are built with a top, or lid, which is removable from a housing in order to gain access for refilling with feed or for cleaning out an abandoned nest. One means of securing the lid to the housing of the structure is by a threaded assembly such that the lid is screwed onto, or off of, the housing. Typically a wire, or the like, is connected at one end to a supporting member, such as a tree limb or protruding beam, and connected at the other to the top of the structure. The wire is attached to the lid by a hook or loop. A problem with this is that the action of the wind can cause the structure to rotate which, in turn, causes the wire to twist, subsequently causing it to spin the feeder in the opposite direction. This induced rotational motion also applies torque to the lid which can cause it to unscrew itself from the body of the feeder leading to the feeder dropping to the ground. 
   Accordingly, it can be seen that there remains a need to provide a new and improved means and methods for suspending facilities for the care and maintenance of living things, such as wild birds, so that rotation of the receptacle is minimized to prevent inadvertent uncoupling of the receptacle from the suspending wire. The disclosed embodiments of the present invention are directed to meeting these needs. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   One aspect, according to one or more of the disclosed embodiments, is to provide for an improved suspension assembly for a receptacle that is to be suspended from a supporting member. 
   Another aspect, according to one or more of the disclosed embodiments, is to provide for an improved suspension assembly for a receptacle that is free to rotate relative to a supporting member without causing the receptacle to disconnect itself from the supporting member or to become inadvertently disassembled. 
   In accordance with this, the embodiments of the present invention relate to a receptacle for use in the care and maintenance of living things. In addition, this disclosure teaches embodiments of a swiveling finial for such receptacle and a method of supporting a receptacle. 
   In the general form of the embodiments, the receptacle includes a housing with an interior opening at its top which is covered by a lid when the receptacle is in the assembled state. The lid is adapted to attach to the housing in a manner such that the lid is rotated relative to the housing in one direction in order to secure the two in the assembled state and in the opposite direction to detach them from one another. A swivel member is secured to the lid in a manner that allows the lid to freely rotate with respect to a portion of the swivel. A portion of the swivel member has a hanger element affixed to it which is adapted to be connected to one end of a suspension member. The other end of the suspension member is attached to a support member when the receptacle is in the suspended state. 
   One embodiment of the swivel member includes a stub shaft which extends through a central hole in a top panel of the lid and which is non-compressively secured to the lid with a threaded nut affixed to a threaded portion of the stub shaft. A hanger element, attached to this swivel member, is adapted to connect to a first end of the suspension member. This hanger element may be in the form of an eyelet. In this manner the lid and housing are able to freely rotate with respect to the swivel member without dismounting the lid from the housing. The lid may be rotatably mounted onto the housing by way of a threaded cylindrical shell which is mounted onto the lid and mates with an upwardly projecting threaded post on the housing. 
   Another embodiment of the swivel member includes a female pin which is adapted to receive a male pin in order to affix the two pieces to the lid. This is accomplished by sizing the male pin to fit through a central hole in the lid and to tightly fit within an axial bore in the female pin. In this manner the male and female pins securely capture the lid. The female pin also includes a shank portion which is sized to receive an annular washer and allow its rotation with respect to the lid. The annular washer includes a hanger element, e.g. an eyelet, for attachment to the first end of the suspension member. The male pin may also include a second axial bore which is adapted to receive a threaded post extending upwardly from the housing in order to rotationally connect the lid to the housing in the previously described manner. 
   According to another aspect of the present invention, an embodiment of a swiveling finial is disclosed with this finial being adapted to secure to a receptacle that is to be suspended from a support member. In this embodiment, the swiveling finial includes a female pin that has a female shank with the first axial bore therein. A male pin is included with the male pin having an enlarged head and male shaft portion sized and adapted to be mateably received in the first axial bore so that the female pin and the male pin may be secured together thus connecting to the receptacle. An annular washer is rotatably disposed on the female shank so that it may freely rotate with respect thereto. A hanger element is then secured to the annular washer so that the hanger element may swivel with respect to the female pin. This hanger, as disclosed, may conveniently be an eyelet. The male pin may also have a second axial bore formed therein that secures the lid of the receptacle to the housing of the receptacle thereby to form an assembled unit. 
   In addition to these structural embodiments, this application discloses a method of supporting a receptacle that is used in the care and maintenance of living things. This method includes any of the steps inherent in the described structures. Broadly, for example, the method may include the step of securing a swivel member onto the lid of receptacle so that the lid may freely rotate with respect to at least a portion of the swivel member without demounting the lid from the housing. The method then includes the step of mounting the lid on the housing by rotation in a first direction and suspending the receptacle from the support member by securing a first end portion of the suspension member to the swivel member and a second end portion of the suspension member to the support member. In the disclosed embodiments, the swivel member is secured centrally of the lid. The receptacle may be a birdfeeder so that the method can include the steps of demounting the lid from the housing by relative rotation in a second direction opposite the first direction, placing a selected bird feed in the interior of the housing and thereafter mounting the lid and the housing together by relative rotation in the first direction. 
   These and other aspects of the present embodiments will become more readily appreciated and understood from a consideration of the following detailed description when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which: 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side view, with a partial cut-away, of a receptacle according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a sectional side view of a swiveling finial, a portion of the lid and a portion of the housing according to the first embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view in perspective showing the first embodiment of the swiveling finial and a portion of the lid of the first receptacle; 
       FIG. 4  is an exploded side view of the first embodiment of the swiveling finial; 
       FIG. 5  is a side view with partial cutaway of a second embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a sectional side view of a swiveling finial, a portion of the lid and a portion of the housing according to the second embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 7  is an exploded view in perspective showing the second embodiment of the swiveling finial and a portion of the lid of the second receptacle; and 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded sectional side view of the swiveling finial according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
   The present invention generally concerns a receptacle for the care and feeding of animals which is intended to be suspended from a supporting member such as a tree limb, beam, or roof overhang and is designed to rotate freely. The receptacle includes a housing with an interior opening at its top which is covered by a lid when the receptacle is in the assembled state. A swiveling finial is attached to the lid in a manner that allows its free rotation with respect to the lid. The lid is adapted to attach to the housing in a manner such that the lid is rotated relative to the housing in one direction in order to secure the two in the assembled state and in the opposite direction to detach them from one 
   According to a first embodiment of the present invention, a first receptacle  10 , is shown in  FIG. 1 . Here, receptacle  10  is shown to be in a suspended state as an assembled unit  12  that includes a lid  14  and housing  16 . The housing  16  has an upwardly opening interior  17 . A swivel member  18  is secured to the lid  14 , as described below. It should be appreciated that the swivel member  18  is depicted in the drawings as a swiveling finial for lid  14 . However, any suitable swivel member would be functional whether constructed as a finial or simply as a rotating fastener. 
   With continued reference to  FIG. 1 , a first end portion  20  of a suspension member  22  is secured to swivel member  18 , and a second end portion  24  of suspension member  22  is secured to a support member  26 . The support member may be a beam, tree limb, or other structure of choice. The suspension member  22  specifically shown in  FIG. 1  is a hooked rod, however, one skilled in the art can appreciate that a chain, wire or rope could equally well be used as suspension member. 
     FIG. 1  also shows that lid  14  has a downwardly depending cylindrical shell  28  (also shown in section in  FIG. 2 ) connected to the lid  14 . Shell  28  forms a threaded socket adapted to mate with an upwardly projecting threaded post  30  on the housing  16 . Rotation of the lid  14  relative to the housing  16  in a first direction will join the lid  14  and housing  16  as an assembled unit while rotation in the second, or opposing, direction will demount the two pieces. As will be described in the following, the swivel member  18  acts to allow free rotation of the assembled unit  12  without causing the housing  16  to uncouple itself from the lid  14 . 
   A sectional view of a portion of lid  14  including the swivel member  18  and post  30  is shown in  FIG. 2 . Here it can be seen that the swivel member  18  includes a stub shaft  32  with an unthreaded portion  34  and a threaded portion  36 , a washer  38  and a threaded nut  40  (see also  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). A hanger element  42 , shown here in the form of an eyelet  44 , is affixed to the swivel member  18  and, as seen in  FIG. 1 , is adapted to be attached to a first end portion  20  of the suspension member  22 . Hanger element  42 , of course, could take different forms such as a hook, as is known in the art of connectors. 
   It can be seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3  that the lid  14  includes a top panel  46  with a circular hole  48  through which the stub shaft  32  extends.  FIG. 2  also shows the previously mentioned downwardly extending cylindrical shell  28  with internal threading  29  integral to the lid  14  and an end portion of an upwardly projecting threaded post  30  which rotatably mates with the shell  28  in order for the lid  14  and housing  16  to be assembled. 
   Exploded views of the swivel member  18  are shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . As is depicted in these figures, the stub shaft  32  of the swivel member  38  passes loosely through the hole  48  and connects with washer  38  and nut  40 . The dimensioning of the salient features of the swivel member  18  are depicted in  FIGS. 2 through 4 . In order for the swivel member  18  to be attached to the lid  14  in a non-compressive, freely rotatable manner the length “a” of the unthreaded portion  34  of the stub shaft  32  is greater than the thickness “b” of the top panel  46  of the lid  14  and the outer diameter of the unthreaded portion  32  of the stub shaft  32  is less than the diameter of the hole  48 . A washer  38  and threaded nut  40  are mounted onto the threaded portion  36  of the stub shaft  32  and serve to prevent the stub shaft  32  from pulling out of the hole  48  when the receptacle  10  is in the suspended state. A washer  38  may be used in this embodiment to serve as a means of further assuring the free rotation of swivel member  18  and lid  14  as well as to better distribute the stresses induced by the suspension of the assembled unit  12 . 
   According to a second embodiment of the present invention, a receptacle  110  is shown in  FIG. 5 . In  FIG. 5 , the assembled unit  112  includes a lid  114  and a housing  116 , and it is shown in the suspended state. A swivel member  118 , e.g. a swiveling finial, is secured to the lid  114  and is mounted onto a first end portion  120  of a suspension member  122  the other end of which, the second end portion  124 , is attached to a support member  126 .  FIG. 5  also shows an upwardly projecting threaded post  130  (seen in  FIG. 6  as well). 
   A sectional view of a portion of the lid  112  including the swivel member  118  and top panel  146  of the lid is shown in  FIG. 6  along with post  130 . Here it can be seen that the swivel member  118  includes a male pin  150  which is matably received within a first axial bore  152  located in the shank  166  of a female pin  154  in order to capture the lid  114  and support it in the suspended state. The swivel member  118  also includes a hanger element  142 , shown in the form of an eyelet  144 , which is attached to annular washer  158 .  FIG. 6  also shows a portion of the housing&#39;s threaded post  130  which mates with a second axial bore  156  within the male pin  150  in order for the lid  114  and housing  116  to be connected by relative rotation as previously described. 
     FIG. 7  shows an exploded view of the swivel member  118  along with the a portion of the top panel  146  of the lid  114  with hole  148 , and  FIG. 8  shows a side view of the exploded swivel member  118 . Referring to the dimensioning shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , female shank  166  has an outer diameter “c”, and the annular washer  158  has an inner diameter “d” that is greater that “c” to allow free rotation of washer  158  on shank  166 . Female pin  154  has a cap element  164  from which female shank  166  axially extends, and a first axial bore is located in shank  166 . The first axial bore  152  in shank  166  has a diameter “e”. 
   The male pin  150  has a male shaft portion  160  with outer diameter “f” and an enlarged head  162 . Male pin  150  includes a second axial bore  156  with threads that mate with those of the threaded post  130  in order to provide the previously discussed means for connecting the lid  114  and housing  116 . The dimensions of diameter “e” and the diameter “f” are selected such that male shaft portion  160  may be press fit in bore  152  in a secure manner to produce an acceptable strength press fit based on the materials chosen for these parts. It may be noted, here, that the enlarged head  162  of male pin  150  will capture the lid  114  between the male pin  150  and the female shank  166  (as depicted in  FIG. 6 ). 
   A method of supporting a receptacle that is used in the care and maintenance of living things is contemplated by the structural embodiments described above. This method includes any of the steps inherent in these described structures. Broadly, for example, the method may include the step of securing a swivel member onto the lid of receptacle so that the lid may freely rotate with respect to at least a portion of the swivel member without demounting the lid from the housing. The method then includes the step of mounting the lid on the housing by rotation in a first direction and suspending the receptacle from the support member by securing a first end portion of the suspension member to the swivel member and a second end portion of the suspension member to the support member. In the disclosed embodiments, the swivel member is secured centrally of the lid. The receptacle may be a birdfeeder so that the method can include the steps of demounting the lid from the housing by relative rotation in a second direction opposite the first direction, placing a selected bird feed in the interior of the housing and thereafter mounting the lid and the housing together by relative rotation in the first direction. 
   Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with some degree of particularity. It should be appreciated, though, that the scope of the claimed invention is set forth in the following claims such that the exemplary embodiments should not limit the scope of the invention. That is, is should be clearly understood that modifications or changes may be made to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention without departing from the inventive concepts contained herein.