Abstract:
A height adjustable bird feeder apparatus which allows for the selective lowering and raising of a bird feeder relative to a stationary, vertically oriented pole, wherein the apparatus includes a pole, a sleeve concentrically mounted to the pole so as to be slidable therealong, an article, preferably a bird feeder, mounted to the sleeve, and a sleeve retention mechanism. The sleeve extends entirely through the bird feeder at the center of gravity. The sleeve retention mechanism has a plurality of sets of diametrically opposed holes formed in the pole which receive therethrough a removable pin. An optional critter guard is located at the bottom of the sleeve. When the feed becomes depleted, the user removes the pin and lets the sleeve slid down the pole to the bottom. At this height, the bird feeder feed reservoir is now easily replenished. After filling, the user lifts the bird feeder and sleeve combination back up the pole and reinserts the pin.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to bird feeders and poles used therewith to provide an elevated location of operation. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bird feeder slidably mounted to a pole, wherein periodic resupply of feed is accomplishable without need of a ladder by lowering the bird feeder slidably in relation to the pole. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Bird feeders not only provide sustenance for birds, they provide endless hours of entertainment for those persons who provide them. The many kinds of beautiful birds that come to feed are a delight to watch and hear them sing, and their antics while feeding are added visual bonus. 
     There are several different kinds of bird feeders, for example: a hopperfeeder (having a house-like configuration), a tube feeder (having a vertically oriented tube shape), a suet feeder (having a box-like shape with a matrix of “pigeon holes”) a nectar feeder (having a number of liquid orifices at the bottom of a vessel) a window feeder (having a clear plastic, open box configuration), and a platform feeder (having a planar base configuration). 
     Bird feeders are generally kept at an elevated location via a pole. The pole is vertically oriented and supported in or on the ground. The bird feeder is usually connected to a top end of the pole, as for example described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,584. Other modalities for elevating bird feeders are also possible, however, such as by hanging from a spirally shaped arm, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,852. 
     In time, the bird guests will eat the supply of feed contained in the feed reservoir of the bird feeder, necessitating feed replenishment. This usually necessitates someone getting out a ladder, setting it up, climbing it with care, filling the bird feeder with feed while keeping one&#39;s balance, climbing down, and then putting the ladder away. The need to have a ladder and the effort and danger associated with using it to replenish the feed reservoir are problems for many people, and is no doubt a major reason why some people do not have a bird feeder even though they would love to have one in their backyard. 
     While it is possible to have a bird feeder mounted low to the ground (for example by being mounted atop a short pole), this is unwise because it subjects the birds to the danger of being caught (as for example by a cat), and runs contrary to a bird&#39;s nature to roost in high places. On solution to the problem of using a tall pole to mount a bird feeder is present in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,583, wherein the pole is provided with an articulation feature midway along its length. While this may at first seem like an excellent solution, the pivoting of the upper portion of the pole at the articulation point results in the bird feeder orientation similarly tilting, as for example about 90 degrees, which complicates how to replenish feed in the reservoir. However, U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,583 solves this problem by mounting the bird feeder pivotally in relation to the pole, but this is a complication, and still involves a rather awkwardly effected tilting down and tilting up of the upper portion of the pole (which could be hard to accomplish by physically challenged persons and senior citizens). 
     Accordingly, what remains needed in the bird feeder art is a bird feeder apparatus which provides height adjustment of the bird feeder which is simple, safe and easy to accomplish. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a height adjustable bird feeder apparatus which allows for the selective lowering and raising of a bird feeder relative to a stationary, vertically oriented pole. 
     The height adjustable bird feeder apparatus according to the present invention includes a pole, a sleeve concentrically mounted to the pole so as to be slidable therealong, an article mounted to the sleeve, and a selectively operable sleeve retention mechanism. 
     The article is preferably a bird feeder which may be of any type, as for example a hopper feeder (which is most preferable, a tube feeder, a suet feeder, a nectar feeder, a window feeder, a platform feeder or any fanciful design, such as an old fashioned delivery truck. However, the article may be any desired object, as for example a bird house, a wind vane, etc. In a preferred form of the present invention, the sleeve extends entirely through the article, most preferably through a region at or near the center of gravity of the article. The sleeve has in inside diameter which is just larger than the outside diameter of the pole, whereby the sleeve is readily slid along the pole. The preferred sleeve retention mechanism is in the form of one or more sets (pairs) of diametrically opposed holes formed in the pole which receive therethrough a removable pin. It is preferred to include further a critter guard located at the bottom of the sleeve, wherein a radially extended shape inhibits critters, such as cats and squirrels from gaining access to the article via the pole. 
     In operation, a user erects the pole into a vertical orientation by either placing one end firmly in the ground, or by mounting the pole upon the ground via a base. If the sleeve is not already mounted onto the pole, the user next places the sleeve onto the pole at the distal end of the pole (which is closed or capped to keep out precipitation). The pin is inserted into a set of diametrically opposed pole holes, and the sleeve rests thereupon. The user may then select an orientation of the article by rotating the article relative to the pole, the allowed rotations may be infinitely selectable or discretely predetermined, such as for example by notches on the sleeve engaging the pin. 
     In the case of the article being a bird feeder, the user will have filled, or now fills the bird feeder reservoir with feed (inclusive of nectar, etc., as may be appropriate) and then delights in watching the bird guests come and go. When the feed becomes depleted, the user need merely grab the relatively light bird feeder and sleeve combination, gently remove the pin and let the sleeve slide down the pole to the bottom. At this height, the bird feeder feed reservoir is now easily and quickly replenished while the user stands on the ground and works comfortably. After filling the feed reservoir, the user lifts the bird feeder and sleeve combination to a location on the pole so that the pin can be reinserted into a set of pole holes below the sleeve. The sleeve is then gently allowed to come to rest on the pin and the orientation of the bird feeder is then adjusted, if necessary. 
     Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a height adjustable bird feeder apparatus, wherein the height of a bird feeder is easily effected by a vertical sliding movement along a pole. 
     This, and additional objects, advantages, features and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the height adjustable bird feeder apparatus according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a detail side view of the height adjustable bird feeder apparatus according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a is a partly sectional view, seen along line  3 — 3  of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a is a partly sectional view, seen along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of the height adjustable bird feeder apparatus, seen at a first operational position of the bird feeder. 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of the height adjustable bird feeder apparatus, seen at a second operational position of the bird feeder. 
     FIG. 7 is a detail side view of an alternative embodiment of the height adjustable bird feeder according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a partly sectional view, seen along line  8 — 8  of FIG.  7 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the Drawing FIG. 1 depicts an example of a height adjustable bird feeder apparatus  10 , including a post  12 , a sleeve  14 , slidably mounted on the post, a retention mechanism  16  for selectively retaining the sleeve at a selected location of the post, an article in the form of a bird feeder  18  mounted to the sleeve, and an optional critter shield  20  which is mounted to the sleeve. 
     The post  12  is an elongated, structurally rigid member, having preferably a hollow construction. The post  12  may be of a cylindrical cross-section, or may be otherwise, as for example of a square cross-section. The diameter of the post  12  may be any suitable diameter, as for example between one and three inches. The wall thickness of the post  12  is selected to render rigidity thereto consistent with the strength of the material composition thereof. Examples of preferred materials of the post  12  include rust protected steel, which is preferred (preferably painted and/or galvanized) and aluminum (preferably painted and/or anodized). Other compositions are possible, as for example plastic (preferably UV stabilized) and wood (preferably pressure treated, wherein the post cross-section is not hollow, but solid). The length of the post  12  is any desired length consistent with the intended elevation of the bird feeder  18 , as for example between six and eighteen feet. While the post  12  may be of single piece construction, it may be of a segmented, interconnecting construction. 
     In operation, a near end portion  12   a  of the post is secured vertically relative to the ground  22 . This is conventionally accomplished by digging a hole in the ground G, placing the near end portion  12   a  into the hole, and then filling the hole with concrete  24 . Alternatively, the near end portion may be held vertically by a base resting upon the ground, as for example of the kind of base conventionally used to support posts for basketball hoops atop driveways. 
     The sleeve  14  has a hollow cross-section forming an interior hollow  26  into which the post  12  is received. In this regard the interior cross-section of the sleeve  14  at the interior hollow  26  is sized to exceed the exterior cross-section of the post  12  sufficient to provide easy slidability of the sleeve along the post without an undue amount of play, and wherein the shape of the interior surface  14   s  of the sleeve  14  complements the shape of the exterior surface  12   s  of the post. The length of the sleeve  14  is sufficient to pass through the bird feeder  18  and extend a selected amount therebelow (discussed further hereinbelow), and is in general much shorter than the post  12 . The sleeve  14  may, for example, be composed of aluminum (preferably painted and/or anodized), steel (preferably painted and/or galvanized, as the post  12 , or a plastic material (as for example formed by a blow molding process, and preferably UV stabilized). 
     The sleeve  14  is slidable on the post  12 , but the sliding is selectively restricted by the retention mechanism  16  so as to vertically support the sleeve at a selected location of the post. While the retention mechanism may have any known interferingly engageable form, a preferred form of retention mechanism is a pin  28  which is removably received into a diametrically opposed set (pair) of holes  30  of the post  12 , wherein the pin extends outwardly from each of the opposed holes, such that the exposed pin serves as sleeve abutments for the near end  14   a  of the sleeve. In this regard, it is preferred for the near end  14   a  of the sleeve to have a plurality of diametrically opposed notches  32  formed thereat which provide a concave resting location for the exposed pin, and wherein the resting serves to provide a selected orientation for the sleeve relative to the post (which, as a consequence serves as a bird feeder orientation provision). It is further preferred for a number of opposed sets of holes  30  to be provided along the post so that the height of resting of the sleeve on the post may be selected by choice thereof for placement therein of the pin  28 . It is preferred for the lowest set of opposed holes  30  to be about 48 inches above the ground so that children&#39;s fingers will not be accessible to them. The pin  28  preferably has a tapered hole entry end  28   a  and an opposite finger pull ring  28   b.    
     The bird feeder  18  is of any conceivable design, shape and construction, as for example a hopper feeder (which is most preferable, a tube feeder, a suet feeder, a nectar feeder, a window feeder, or a platform feeder, and is composed of any building material, as for example wood and/or plastic and/or metal. The sleeve  14  passes entirely through the bird feeder  18 , and the bird feeder is fixedly mounted to the sleeve by any known type of affixment modality, as for example fasteners, an interference fit or an adhesive. While not a requirement, it is preferred for the sleeve  14  to pass generally through the center of gravity of the bird feeder so as to provide over-all stability. 
     The bird feeder includes a cavity thereinside which serves as a feed reservoir  34 . An access port  36  is preferably provided, and the feed  35  which is in the feed reservoir  34  exits therefrom via one or more outlets  38  suitable for the type of feed (which may be a liquid feed, such as nectar). In this regard, where the feed reservoir  34  extends to the location of the sleeve  14 , the sleeve can serve as a feed retention wall  40 . Roosts  42  may be included with the bird feeder  18 . 
     The optional critter guard  20  is connected with the sleeve  14  and has a radially extended configuration preferably in the form of a dish  44  concavely shaped from the bird feeder and concavely shaped toward the near end  14 a of the sleeve  14  so as to serve as an impediment to critters such as cats, racoons, squirrels, etc. from gaining access to the bird feeder by climbing of the pole  12 . A flange  46  is connected with the dish  44  for stably connecting the critter guard  20  to the sleeve  14 . While the flange  46  may be permanently affixed to the sleeve  14 , as for example by an adhesive, soldering, brazing, welding, to fasteners, it is preferred for the flange to be removably connected to the sleeve. An example of a removable connection modality is in the form of a boss  48  radially extending from the sleeve  14  which pass through a serpentine slot  50  formed in the flange  46 , the slot including an entry  50   a  and a rest  50   b  (see FIG.  2 ). The flange  46  and dish  44  may be composed of any suitable material, as for example aluminum (painted or anodized) or injection molded plastic (UV stabilized). 
     In operation, a user erects the pole  12  into a vertical orientation by either placing one end onto the ground G via a base, or by digging a hole, putting the near end portion  12   a  thereinto and filing it with concrete  24 . If the critter guard  20  is not already installed on the sleeve  14 , this should be done prior to the sleeve being installed on the pole. If the sleeve  14  is not already mounted onto the pole, the user next places the sleeve onto the pole at the distal end of the pole (which is closed or has a cap  52  to keep out precipitation). The pin  28  is inserted into a selected set of diametrically opposed pole holes  30 , and the sleeve rests thereupon via the notches  32 . The user may then select an orientation of the article by rotating the article relative to the pole, the allowed rotations may be infinitely selectable or discretely predetermined, such as for example by notches on the sleeve engaging the pin. 
     With the feed reservoir already filled (inclusive of nectar, etc., as may be appropriate) the user and others can now delight in watching the bird guests come and go (see FIG.  5 ). When the feed becomes depleted, the user need merely grab the relatively light bird feeder and sleeve combination, gently remove the pin and let the sleeve slide down the pole to the bottom (see FIG.  6 ). In this regard, the sleeve extends downwardly from the bird feeder a distance determined to allow for the feed filling to be at waist to shoulder height of an average user, with the near end  14   a  of the sleeve resting on the concrete  24 , ground, base etc. At this height H, the bird feeder feed reservoir is now easily and quickly replenished while the user stands on the ground and works comfortably. After filling the feed reservoir  34 , the user lifts the bird feeder and sleeve combination to a location on the pole so that the pin can be reinserted into a set of pole holes below the sleeve. The sleeve is then gently allowed to come to rest on the pin and the orientation of the bird feeder is then adjusted, if necessary. Now the bird feeder has returned to the operative position of FIG.  5 . 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 show an alternative embodiment of the present invention, wherein the pole  12  and retention mechanism  16  are as described hereinabove, but wherein the sleeve  14 ′ is modified so as to have connected thereto at least one support arm  60 , Each support arm  60  is connected to the sleeve via a bracket  62 ,  62 ′ which is glued, sonic welded, brazed or otherwise appropriately connected to the sleeve consonant with the materials of choice of the sleeve and each support arm so that each support arm has a fully supported radially outward orientation relative to the sleeve  14 ′. In this regard, it is preferred for an angularly positioned brace  64 ,  64 ′ to be interconnected between the respective bracket  62 ,  62 ′ and the support arm  60 . The sleeve  14 ′ may have identical ends  14   a ′ so that it may be oriented either way on the pole  12 . 
     As shown at FIG. 8, it is preferred for a cross-bar  66  to be pivotally connected to the support arm  60 , as for example via a rivet or threaded fastener  68 . Accordingly, the cross-bar  66  may be pivoted relative to support arm  60  from a parallel position relative to the support arm (as shown at the lower support arm of FIG. 7) to a perpendicular position relative to the support arm (as shown at the upper support arm of FIG.  7  and as shown at FIG.  8 ). It is preferred for both the support arm  60  and the cross-bar  66  to be provided with a plurality of holes  70 , the purpose of which being for attaching articles, such as one or more flower pots, bird feeders  18 ′ and bird houses thereto via a hook  72  or other attachment device. 
     While the foregoing preferred example detailed an article in the form of a bird feeder, other articles may be substituted therefor and would, in general, be connected with the sleeve as described. 
     To those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, the above described preferred embodiment may be subject to change or modification. Such change or modification can be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.