Improvements in and relating to Appliances for Feeding Pheasants, Poultry, and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 8th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Appliances for Feeding Pheasants,
Poultry, and the like.
I, THOMAS DOUGLAS, of Westerton, Balloch, Dumbartonshire, Gamekeeper,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved construction of
apparatus or appliances for feeding pheasants, poultry, and the like, with grain or
other granular food, in a more safe and efficient manner than heretofore whilst
preventing rats, squirrels, crows, or other vermin or small birds, from getting access
to the food.
Under one arrangement the improved appliances would consist of a hopper
or V shaped box with covered in top and hinged lid for filling in the grain or food.
This box inay be made of any desired length according to the number of pheasants
desired to be fed on one or both sides, along the lower open apex of the
hopper. For the single form to feed along the one side, the back would be vertical,
and the grain fall down into a narrow slit in the bottom of the V shaped vessel
and inte a narrow curved tray fitted below the open slit, into which the grain
would fall for the pheasants to feed out of the tray. In the double form of
V hopper for the pheasants to feed from both lower sides, a longitudinal central
division would be formed, to make a narrow slit at the bottom on each side of this
division, with the two angled sides of the hopper for the grain to run into the
longitudinal curved trays under each slit on opposite sides. The vertical ends
of the box would be plain and parallel the full width of the hopper, and the whole
made of galvanized sheet metal or wood, or a combination of both. This feeding
box or hopper would be erected on metal feet at a proper height for the pheasants
or poultry to feed out of the said curved trays along the lower sides, but the feet
would be formed so smooth that rats or vermin could not climb up on them to the
feeding trays. Divisional vertical plates would be formed projecting out from the
sides of the hopper parallel and in line with the ends, over the feeding trays,
preferably at about two or three inches apart, sufficient for each pheasant to feed
between each division along one or both sides. Between these divisions and below
or on a level with the trays, loose light revolving barrels would be fitted preferably
with vanes, rods, spars, or equivalent projections on them, and mounted on light
fixed spindles passing through them, or studs and centres at their ends in the
divisions, so that these vane barrels would turn freely by the weight of a small
bird, rat or other vermin jumping or landing on them, and which they would be
sure to do in trying to get at the feeding trays. The centres of these barrels may
be formed of wood, with the outer lougitudinal vanes or spars on which the vermin
would rest made of metal, or the whole be made of galvanized sheet metal to
stand the action of the weather. These rotating barrels would not obstruct the
pheasants from feeding as they would stand on the ground or on a board laid or
erected at the proper height for them to feed from. In some cases the single forms
of these feeding appliances may be erected or hung at the side of a wall, at a
height suitable for feeding the pheasants, but so that smaller birds or vermin could
not get at the feeding trays without landing on the rotating barrels, which would
frighten and throw them to the ground again.
Dated the 9th December 1891.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.

page_text: -
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Appliances for Feeding Pheasants,
Poultry, and the like.
I, THOMAS DOUGLAS, of Westerton, Balloch, Dumbartonshire, Gamekeeper,
.do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:―
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved construction
of apparatus or appliances for feeding pheasants, poultry, and the like, with grain
or other granular food, in a more safe and efficient manner than heretofore, whilst
preventing rats, squirrels, crows, or other vermin, or small birds, from getting
access to the food.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended au explanatory sheet of drawings, in which the same reference letters
are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation, and Figure 2 a transverse section of a
portable hopper chamber box as fitted with one arrangement of my improvements
suitable for feeding pheasants.
Figures 3 and 4 are a longitudinal section and end view respectively of a loose
.revolving sparred barrel as constructed in accordance with my improvements for
preventing vermin getting access to the pheasants' food. While Figures 5 and 6
are views corresponding to Figures 1 and 2 of a modified construction of revolving
sparred barrel.
Referring to these drawings:-Under this arrangement the improved appliances
would consist of a hopper or V shaped box A, with covered in top A, and hinged
lid A for filling in the grain or food. This box A may be made of any desired
length according to the number of pheasants desired to be fed on one or both
sides along the lower open apex of the hopper. In the double form of V hopper
for the pheasants to feed from both lower sides, as shown in these drawings, a
longitudinal central division a¹ would be formed; to make a narrow slit b at the
bottom on each side of this division a', with the two angled sides A' of the
hopper A for the grain to run into the longitudinal curved trays a under each
slit 6 on opposite sides of the division a'. For the single form to feed along the
one side, the back would be vertical, and the grain fall down into a narrow slit in
the bottom of the V shaped vessel, and into a narrow curved tray such as a fitted
below the open slit b, into which the grain would fall for the pheasants to feed out
of the tray a.
The vertical ends of the box would be plain and parallel the full
width of the hopper, and the whole made of galvanized sheet metal or wood, or a
combination of both. This feeding box or hopper A would be secured by bolts
at A to the upper end of metal feet or a standard frame A' at a proper height
for the pheasants or poultry to feed out of the said curved trays a a
along the
lower sides, but the feet would be formed so smooth that rats or vermin could not
climb up on them, to the feeding trays a a. Divisional vertical plates.61 61 would
be formed projecting out from the sides of the hopper A, parallel and in line with
the ends, over the feeding trays a preferably at about two or three inches apart,
sufficient for each pheasant to feed between each division along one or both sides.
Between these divisions and below or on a level with the trays a, by my improve-
ments loose light revolving barrels c would be fitted preferably as shown in
Figures 3 and 4, with vanes, or spars c', or equivalent projections on them, and
mounted on light fixed spindles c³, passing through them, or studs and centres at
their ends in the divisions; or as shown in Figures 5 and 6 longitudinal rods or
wires c¹ may be secured to end plate discs c which would be mounted on centre

page_text: These
spindles or end studs, all so that these vane or rod barrels would turn freely by the
weight of a small bird, rat, or other vermin jumping or landing on them, and which
they would be sure to do in trying to get at the feeding trays a. The centres c
or ends of these barrels may be formed of wood, with the outer longitudinal
vanes or rods c¹ on which the vermin would rest made of metal, or the whole be
made of galvanized sheet metal to stand the action of the weather.
rotating barrels c c would not obstruct the pheasants from feeding as they would
stand on the ground or on a board laid or erected at the proper height for them to
feed from. In some cases the single forms of these feeding appliances may be
erected or hung at the side of a wall, at a height suitable for feeding the pheasants,
but so that smaller birds or vermin could not get at the feeding trays a without
landing on the rotating barrels c which would frighten and throw them to the ground
again.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
The constructing of hopper chambers or feeding boxes for pheasants, poultry,
and the like, with revolving vane or sparred barrels or equivalent moving organs,
which will frighten or prevent access of vermin to the food, substantially as herein
described in reference to and by way of application shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated the stu
September 1074.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.