Patent Publication Number: US-10314289-B1

Title: Gravity-operated wildlife feeder with realistic tree stump appearance

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Pat. App. Ser. No. 62/253,584 filed Nov. 10, 2015. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to feeders used to attract wildlife. 
     When trying to attract wildlife by using a feeder, animals are often fearful of mechanical feeders. The sounds and appearance of the feeder can make the animals cautious and prevent them from approaching the area during daylight hours. 
     Prior art designs require multiple parts to create the feeder and its gravity delivery mechanism, leading to higher manufacturing costs. Because of the arrangement between the delivery mechanism and the feed openings, pockets or other areas are created that do not allow the feeder&#39;s storage body to fully empty. Some of the designs have a very distinct, unnatural appearance that can deter the animals the feed is intended to attract. More realistic appearing designs use materials that are not durable, especially when exposed to the elements, and are susceptible to damage from rodents or other animals. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In a preferred embodiment of a gravity-operated wildlife feeder, the feeder includes a cylindrical-shaped body that has a feed opening located toward a lower end of the body and at least two gravity operated delivery mechanisms (compartments or chutes) located in an interior space of the body above the lower end and sharing a common space with one another above the chutes. 
     The body and its lid has an outer surface that simulates a tree bark-like texture (at least in appearance) and color. The body, delivery chute, and feeder opening should be a single-piece, making the bottom of the delivery chutes the bottom of the wildlife feeder. Preferably, the feeder is formed using rotational molding and made of a polyethylene composite material or its equivalent. The feeder may rest on the ground or support extensions (not shown) with integrated feed trays could be added to elevate the feeder to avoid moisture wicking from the ground and into the feed, and to make it easier for deer to access the feed. 
     Because of the shape used for the delivery chutes, all of the feed stored in the body gets directed toward the feed openings and minimal amounts of feed collect in places where it cannot be discharged through the openings. Because no moving parts are used in the delivery chutes, manufacturing cost is reduced and durability is improved. 
     To improve the natural look and feel of the feeder, the feed openings located at the ends of “root protrusions” formed as part of the body. The openings may be oriented vertically or, in the case where support extensions are used, horizontally. Protective covers, preferably metallic, may be secured over the edges of the feed openings to prevent ingress to the feeder&#39;s interior by rodents or damage from rodents. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the gravity-operated wildlife feeder with its lid removed from the body. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the feeder of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevation view of the feeder of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section view of the feeder of  FIG. 1  taken along section line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a CAD-generated model of the feeder. 
         FIG. 6  is a view taken along section line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom view of a CAD-generated solid model of the feeder. 
         FIG. 8  is an isometric view of a CAD-generated solid model of a preferred embodiment that includes feeder openings located on the bottom of each root protrusion or leg. 
     
    
    
     ELEMENTS AND NUMBERING USED IN THE DRAWINGS AND DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     
         
         
           
               10  Feeder 
               20  Body 
               22  Interior space 
               21  Lowermost or bottom end 
               23  Anchor point 
               25  Feed opening 
               26  Edges of feed opening 
               27  Root protrusion 
               29  Central longitudinal axis 
               30  Central opening of body 
               31  Uppermost or top end 
               33  Latch-and-strap arrangement 
               35  Protective plate 
               37  Outer wall surface 
               39  Inner wall surface 
               43  Carrying handle 
               45  Cross-member 
               47  Upper end of cross-member 
               50  Base portion 
               51  Lowermost or bottom end of slide or chute 
               52  Common space 
               55  Delivery compartment or chute 
               57  Flat bottom surface 
               59  Slide 
               61  First curved and downward sloping surface 
               63  Second curved and downward sloping surface 
               69  Sides of slide 
               71  Uppermost or top end of slide or chute 
               80  Lid 
               81  Upper face surface of lid 
           
         
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawing figures, a preferred embodiment of a gravity-operated wildlife feeder  10  includes a molded, tree-stump-shaped body  20  that can store wildlife feed or attractant; at least two delivery compartments or chutes  55  that form the base portion  50  of the body  20  and direct feed to a respective feed opening  25 ; a molded lid  80  sized to cover the body&#39;s central opening  30  in a removable snap-, press-fit, or twist-lock manner; and one or more removable (optional) protective plates  35  to cover the peripheral edges  26  of the feed openings  25 . 
     Preferably the body  20  and lid  80  are made of a polyethylene composite material (or its equivalent) and formed using rotational molding. The inner surfaces of the rotational mold components for the body  20  and lid  80  have a reverse geometry and texture similar to that found on a tree or tree stump. Therefore, the outer surfaces  37  appear similar to that of a tree stump, with the upper face surface  81  of the lid  80  simulating growth rings. The composite material should not be a single color, but rather a blend of numerous colors, including but not limited to black, gray, green, white and brown, in order to simulate the various natural colors found in tree bark. A latch-and-strap arrangement  33  or its equivalent may be used to further secure the lid  80  to the body&#39;s central opening  30 . 
     The protective plates  35  may be made from sheet metal forming, machining, casting, or forging and secured to the body  20  using screws received by molded-in threaded inserts. In an alternate embodiment a metallic plate  35  could be molded into the body  20  (encased in the composite material). 
     The body  20  may include integrated geometry located toward its uppermost end  29  that provides a set of carrying handles  43 . Anchor points  23  may be included at the lowermost end  21  of the body  20  and arranged to receive stakes, spikes, or tethers (not shown) to anchor the feeder  10  to the ground or other surroundings. Similar anchor points  23 , which may be molded as part of the body  20 , could be added one or more support extensions (not shown) which may be used to raise the feeder  10  above ground level. 
     The base portion  50  of the body  20  provides a unique shape that directs the feed or attractant toward each of the feed openings  25  and minimizes the amount of feed collecting in places where it cannot be discharged through the openings  25 . This base portion  50  forms the body&#39;s bottom end  21  which, when viewed from the bottom, is flat toward the feed openings  25  but otherwise curving inward and away from those flats. These curving surfaces are the feed delivery compartments or chutes  55  located inside the body  20 . These chutes  55  are formed by a cross-member  45  located at an uppermost end  71  of the chute  55 , a slide  59  with at least one curved and downward sloping face  61 ,  63 , and, at the lowermost end  51  of the slide  59 , a flat bottom  57  that extends to a respective feed opening  25 . 
     Cross-member  45  is arranged coaxial to the central longitudinal axis  29  of the body  20 . In a preferred embodiment, cross-member  45  is X-shaped, defining four separate feed delivery compartments or chutes  45  that correspond to one of the feed openings  25 . In another embodiment, cross-member  45  is Y-shaped, defining three delivery chutes  55 . In yet another embodiment, cross-member  45  is I-shaped, defining two delivery chutes  55 . Other cross-member shapes may be used, depending on the number of chutes  55  desired and whether equal-sized chutes  55  are desired. 
     A divider panel (not shown) may be added above the cross-member  45  to allow multiple type of feed to be used. Regardless of whether a divider panel is used or the number of chutes  45  defined, the chutes  55  share a common space  52  with one another above the cross-member  45 , with each chute  55  exposed along its entire length to the opening  30 . Feed or attractant being dumped into the body  20  through the opening  30  can fall directly onto any portion of the chute  55 . 
     The upper end  47  of cross-member  45  should be rounded so feed rolls toward the chutes  55  and does not collect on the cross-member  45 . This rounded upper end  47  may narrow toward the body&#39;s central longitudinal axis  29  to form, with an adjacent rounded upper end  47 , a first curved and downward sloping surface  61  of a slide  59 . This first curved and downward sloping surface  61  merges into a second curved and downward sloping surface  63  of the slide. The surfaces  61 ,  63  may have a same downward slope or a different downward slope toward the feed opening  25 . 
     The width of the slide  59 —and therefore the width of delivery compartment or chute  55 —narrows toward the feed opening  25 . The sides  69  of the slide  59  connect to the inner wall surfaces  39  of the body  20  lying directly opposite the sides  69 . At the lowermost end  51  of the slide  59  is a flat bottom surface  57  that terminates at the feed opening  25 . When viewed from the top, the lowermost end  51  of the slide  59  may form an arcuate-shape where its meet the flat bottom surface  57 . In another embodiment, the bottom surface may slope downward or form a curved surface (or both). 
     The feed opening  25  preferably lies at the end of a “root protrusion”  27  formed as part of the body  20 . This arrangement places the opening  25  at a greater distance from the central longitudinal axis  29  of the body  20  than the outer wall surfaces  37  of the body  20  that lie adjacent to the opening  25 . In one embodiment, the feed opening  25  lies in a vertical plane. In another embodiment, the feed opening  25  lies in a horizontal plane, with one or more support elements used to raise the feeder  10  above ground level. Preferably, no portion of the respective feed opening  25  is located below the lowermost end  21  of the body  20 . A protective plate  35  sized to cover the peripheral edges  26  of the feed opening  25  may be included. 
     When in use, the feeder  10  is placed in a desired location. The lid  80  is removed and wildlife feed—in grain, pelletized or otherwise granulized form—is poured into the body&#39;s interior space  22  to the desired level. Some of the feed will spill out of the feed openings  25  and onto the ground. As wildlife consumes the feed on the ground, more feed will spill from the openings  25  until the body  20  is empty. A wildlife feeder made according to this invention is defined by the claims that follow below. Those claims cover the full range of designs to which the recited elements are entitled by way of equivalents. Because the feeder uses only the force of gravity to deliver the feed, and because the feeder has a natural appearance, it is less threatening to the wildlife it is intended to attract. The feeder may be used to feed domesticated livestock or pets, and can be used as a storage vessel for common gardening-related items, such as irrigation hoses or other tools.