An Appliance for the Self Feeding of Pheasants, Poultry, and other Kept or Partly Kept Game and Birds.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Appliance for the Self Feeding of Pheasants, Poultry, and other
Kept or Partly Kept Game and Birds.
I, EDWIN SMITH, of "Picklewood," Longframlington, in the County of Northum-
berland, Game Keeper, 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 :-
This invention relates to self feeding appliances for pheasants, poultry and other
kept game and birds, either in a tame or semi-tame state.
In pheasantries and like breeding and rearing erections, park lands, woods, and
enclosures, great loss and waste to the owners is occasioned, in consequence of large
quantities of the food supplied being stolen by wild birds.
In consequence of this, keepers or attendants have to supply the game or birds
to be fed, with small quantities of food at a time, hence a considerable trouble in
feeding.
The object of my invention is a feeding appliance, containing a store of food, from
which kept or partially kept birds can help themselves at will, by exercising
certain instinctive circumvention.
Thus, birds, particularly of the pheasant tribe, are, by their prevailing and
natural habits, addicted to the picking up of beady-like objects, and particularly
when of certain colors, such as light blue or amber tints.
Now, this habit of picking up, or pecking at such like beady objects, is taken
advantage of, and the same made a means whereby food is intermittently supplied
every time the same is laid hold of, or pecked by the kept fowl, hence the
feeding of themselves, by the pulling of a cord, to which such objects are threaded
or connected.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, represents a longitudinal vertical section
of a self-feeding appliance, constructed, arranged and operated substantially as
described and set forth.
The said appliance consists essentially of a supported hopper, terminated at its
lower part, by a delivery spout, which is closed by a spring or weighted valve, in
the form of a plate, which closes the mouth of the said delivery spout, and is
operated by a suspended cord, chain or their equivalents, terminated by beady-like
objects, which may be in imitation of wheat, corn or other cereals.
Figure 2 represents upon a reduced scale, the said appliance in use, and with a
bird shown in the act of pulling the string, and opening the valve, hence the falling
from the throat of the spout, through the mouth, a quantity of cereal, which
immediately on falling directs the attention of the bird, who immediately
relinquishes his hold on the cord, in order to feed.
Figure 3 is an underside plan of the lower part of the appliance.
Figure 4 is a transverse section upon the dotted lines A B Figure 1 looking
downwards, while
Figure 5 is a back elevation of the said appliance, showing the closing spring of
the flap or valve, which by the former pressing upon the heel of the latter, the
mouth to the spout is closed.
The same letters of reference, indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawing.
a is a hopper or store receptacle, wherein grain or other cereals are placed, and
which hopper is terminated by a depending spout or throat b, whose mouth or lower

page_text: open end 2, is kept closed by a spring valve or flap c, hinged at c³, and with its rear
extension or heel c³, pressed upon by a roller 2, at the free end d³, of a spring d,
secured at its fixed.end, to the rear of the spout as aforesaid.
The valve or flap c, which is a thin metal plate, has a forward extension c³, (to
increase the leverage of the said valve) to which extension a flexible cord, chain or
their equivalents e, is suspended, and which cord, chain or the like, has preferably
at its extremity, beads or beady-like objects e³, which are pecked or taken hold of
by the birds when they require food.
By force of habit, birds acquire a knowledge that by the pulling of the said cord,
they are supplied with food.
Directed up the throat of the said spout, is a teazer or easer f, for preventing
the choking of the orifice of the said spout during use.
The lower end of the said
last named appliance is loosely connected at f³, to the valve or flap c, while its
upper end, is loosely connected to an incline directed cross plate g, partially
crossing the entrance to the spout, and adapted to relieve the pressure of the grain
within the interior of the hopper, which is closed by a lid a³, from choking the
spout, so that by the pulling down of the valve, the said teazer or easer eases the
grain within the throat of the spout, so that the same can freely drop through
the mouth, so long as the mouth remains open.
The appliance is supported by a bracket a³, and if necessary by supplementary
brackets connected to the body of the same, or the appliance may be supported upon
a pedestal, directed from the back of the same.
The flap or valve may be made self closing, by making the grain teazer or easer
within the throat with an belix in the centre, or in the form of a coiled spring,
which automatically closes the flap, after the releasing of the same, thus dispensing
with the independent spring and heel part c³, up the curve of which the roller d³,
rolls.
The valve or flap may be made to close by a counterpoise weight.
The front of the valve is protected by a guard h, for preventing the lodgement
of birds upon the same, which might keep it open for a considerable period with a
considerable loss of grain, which may be not eaten, but spoiled by exposure.
Instead of beads at the end of a string or chain, other decoys or attractive means
may be employed.
The spring of the valve or flap is of such a tension, that the smaller wild birds
are unable to operate the appliance, even should they acquire the necessary know-
ledge or instinct to open the valve.
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 is :-
First: In a self feeding appliance for pheasants, poultry and other kept birds,
consisting of a hopper or receptacle, terminated at its lower end by a spout, which
is closed by a spring or counterpoised valve, having connected with it, a cord, chain
or their equivalents, terminated by beady-like articles or objects, whereby the
pulling of such objects supplies food intermittently by the opening of the valve,
which again closes on the cord or decoy or the like, being released, substantially as
described and set forth.
Secondly The combination with a vessel, hopper or the like, of a self-closing
and jointed valve, provided with a cord, chain or the like, terminated by, or
having connected to it, beady objects, substantially as and for the purpose as set
forth.
:
Thirdly The combination with a hopper, or the spout of a feed hopper, of a
cereal easer or teazer, to prevent choking, as set forth.
Fourthly Protecting the valve or flap, or a leverge extension of the same, by
a sloping guard, hence the preventing of the lodgements of birds, and the keeping
of the valve open,

page_text: Fifthly-A self feeding apparatus for pheasants, poultry and other kept game
and birds, substantially as described and set forth.
Dated this 28th day of October 1801
EDV
By Henry Skerrett,
SMITH.
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.
EDWIN SMITH.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.