Improvements in Bird and other Cages to Render the Same Portable.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application 18th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 18th July, 1890-Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bird and other Cages to Render the Same
Portable.
1. WILLIAM THOMAS BUTLER. of 75 Greenwood Road, Dalston, in the County of
Middlesex, Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:
--
The object of this invention is to render bird and other cages portable, the
invention being specially adapted for parrot and other large cages which occupy
considerable space when packed for transportation.
According to this invention I divide the cage vertically into two halves or approxi-
mately so, by making one or more wires or the like on opposite sides and in
corresponding positions detachable from the frame. The base of the cage is
preferably made so that it may be taken entirely away from the sides of the cage
and can be packed separately, and may if desired be hinged so as to be folded over
on itself or may be made in sections to be taken apart when required for better
packing. In the case of circular or other cages of a curved shape the two halves
will easily rest one in the other no matter where the division is made, but with
square, rectangular, or similar angled shapes it will be necessary to divide the cage
across its diagonal i.e. by making the wires or the like of opposite corners reinovable.
so that the sections may rest one within the other. I may also hinge the corners of
the cages so that they may fold one over the other and when opened may be secured
in position by a rigid top and base.
Dated this 18th day of Sentember 1889
CASTLE SMITH,
Per F. W. Golby,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION:
Improvements in Bird and other Cages to Render the Same
Portable.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS BUTLER, formerly of 75 Greenwood Road, Dalston, in the
County of Middlesex, but now of 2 King William Street in the City of London,
Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to render bird and other cages portable, that is to
say, adapted to pack or fold into a small compass for stowage or transport, and the
invention is more especially applicable to parrot and other comparatively large
cages which as hitherto constructed occupy considerable space when packed for
transport.
According to one modification of my invention I divide the cage vertically into
halves or approximately so, these halves being securely connected together when the
cage is required for use, whilst for packing they are placed one within the other. The
base of the cage is preferably made so that it may be taken entirely away from the
sides of the cage and can be packed separately, and it may if desired be formed of
two or more parts hinged together so as to fold over on itself, or it may be made
in sections which can be taken apart when required for facility of packing.
A convenient way of connecting together the halves of the cage is to make one

page_text: or more of the wires on opposite sides and in corresponding positions detachable
from the frame; when these wires are in place, they hold the halves together and
when on the other hand these wires are detached the halves can be separated.
Another convenient method is to have hooks or analogous devices on the feed
cups to engage with corresponding devices on the halves of the cage frame so that
when the feed cups are in place they connect the halves together. In the case of
cages of circular or other curved shape the halves will easily rest one within another
no matter where the division is made, but with square, rectangular or similar
angled shapes the cage should be divided across its diagonal, that is by. making
the cage to separate at opposite corners so that the halves or sections may be placed
one within another.
According to another modification of my invention, instead of constructing the
cage so that it can be separated vertically into two parts or halves, 1 hinge the
cage at the corners or other parts so that it will fold up or collapse, a rigid top
and base securing it when in its normal or opened form.
The annexed drawings will serve to illustrate my invention.
Figure 1 is an elevation and
Figure 2 a plan of a circular parrot cage put together for use, the halves of the
frame or cage proper being secured together by two detachable wires at opposite
sides.
Figure 3 is an elevation and
Figure 4a plan of the halves of the frame when separated.
Figure 5 is an elevation of a circular parrot cage put together for use the halves
being secured together by the feed cups, only one of which is seen in the figure,
the position of the other being diametrically opposite.
Figure 6 is a transverse section on a larger scale of one of the cups and of one
of the horizontal bars of the cage frame showing how the cups can be attached to the
frame so as to secure the halves together.
Figure 7 is an elevation of a rectangular cage capable of being divided or separated
at digonally opposite corners.
Figure is a plan of this cage with the rigid top and base removed.
Figure 9 is a plan showing the separated halves of the cage frame placed one
within the other.
Figure 10 is a side clovation and
Figure 11 an end elevation (the base being omitted) of a rectangular cage the
body of which is hinged at the corners so as to be capable of folding up or
collapsing.
Figure 12 is a plan view of this cage without the rigid top.
Figure 13 represents it in the folded up or collapsed form.
Figures 14 to 17 are views similar to Figures 10 to 13 but showing a cage hinged
at the middle of each end as well as at the corners.
Referring first to Figures 1 to 4 the halves of the cage are each composed of
horizontal bars a a and of wires bb, the wires with the exception of the two
marked passing through and being permanently fixed to the bars a a and to the
discs or pieces ce at top. The frame fits into the base d to which it is secured in any
ordinary or convenient manner which will allow of its being readily detached when
required When the cage is put together the two discs cc slightly overlap each
other so that the holes e e (Fig. 4) in each correspond. The semi circular bars a of
the one half of the cage are shaped to fit at both ends into the ends of the corre-
sponding bars of the other half, and the ends of both have vertical holes ff (Fig. 4).
The two detachable wires are somewhat longer than the other wires so as to
extend up to the holes e e in the discs and they are each formed with an eye or loop g
(scc the fractional full sized view Fig. 1). When the cage has to be put together
the ends of the horizontal bars a of the one half are pushed into the ends of the bars
of the other half so as to bring their holes in line; the wires are then passed
down through these holes in all the bars thereby securing the bars together and the

page_text: eyes at the top of the wires are next brought above (or below if preferred) the
holes e e of the discs and these wires and discs are then connected together by means
of the eyes and holes. The preferred means of connecting them is by the screw loop
or ring of the bell i, the shank or stem of the screw being passed upwards through
the holes ee of the discs and through the eyes g g of the wires bb and then screwed
into the cross-piece; of the bell.
In the modification shown in Figures 5 and 6 the horizontal bars a a of the two half
frames fit together at their ends in the same way as in the modification shown in
Figs. 1 to 4 or in any other analogous manner and the halves are connected together
by the feed cups on diametrically opposite sides, these feed cups having each two
hooks one of which fits into a catch or staple m on a bar a of the one half frame
and the other into a like catch or staple on a bar of the other half frame. It is
obvious that instead of these hooks and catches various other devices can bo employed
for securing the feed cups to the two half frames so that the cups constitute the
connection between these frames.
In the modification shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 when the cage is to be put together
the half frames are fastened together so as to form a rectangular frame by means
of hooks and eyes or loops at diagonally opposite corners as shown; a rigid top p
is next fitted on the frame and secured by hooks q, and vertical wires at the corners
of the frame are then fitted into holes in the base d, the lowest bars a being
fastened down to the base by hooks n. If the top p be made in one with the cage
frame instead of being detachable as shown it should be divided diagonally one half
being permanently attached to one half frame and the other half to the other half
frame. In this case when the cage is put together the two half tops can be connected
together by means of discs like those seen at cc (Figs. 1 to 4) and of the screw loop
of the bell, while the two half frames can be connected together by means of
detachable wires or otherwise.
In the modification shown in Figs. 10 to 13 the cage frame when in its norinal
form is secured to a base and fitted with a rigid top as in the modification shown in
Figs. 7, 8 and 9, while the four corners of the frame are hinged so that when it is
detached from the base and top it will fold or collapse into the form seen in Fig. 13.
The hinges are best made by simply passing the outside vertical wires of the ends
of the frame through loops or eyes in the horizontal wires or bars of the sides of the
frame.
In the modification shown in Figs. 14 to 17 the cage frame in addition to being
hinged at the four corners as in the modification shown in Figs. 10 to 13 is also
hinged at the middle of each end so that the frame will fold or collapse into the form
seen in Fig. 17.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim
in respect of bird and other cages is :-
1. A cage frame divided vertically into halves or approximately so which halves
are securely connected together when the cage is required for use and can be
separated and placed one within the other for stowage or transport, substantially as
set forth.
2. A cage frame divided vertically into halves or approximately so, the said halves
when the cage is required for use being connected together substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the annexed drawings.
3. A cage frame divided vertically into halves or approximately so, the said halves
when the cage is required for use being connected together substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figs. 5 & 6 of the annexed drawings.
4. A cage frame divided vertically into halves or approximately so, the said
halves when the cage is required for use being connected together substantially as
bereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 7, 8 and 9 of the annexed drawings.
5. A cage frame hinged so that when required it will fold up or collapse substantially

page_text: as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs: 10 to 13 and Figs. 14 to 17 of the
annexed drawings.
6. A cage frame hinged so that when required it will fold up or collapse substan-
tially as bereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 10 to 13 and Figs. 14 to 17 in
combination with a rigid top or rigid base or with a rigid top and a rigid baso substan-
tially as set forth.
7. Constructing cages as hereinbefore described for the purpose set forth?
Is Loth day of July 1890.
J. C. MEWBURN;
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.