GB2131267A

GB2131267A - Bird feeding device

Info

Publication number: GB2131267A
Application number: GB08331557A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Wesche; Dr Fritz H Immeyer
Original assignee: IMMEYER GmbH; DR IMMEYER GmbH
Current assignee: IMMEYER GmbH; DR IMMEYER GmbH
Priority date: 1982-12-09
Filing date: 1983-11-25
Publication date: 1984-06-20
Also published as: JPS59113855A; NL190978B; GB2131267B; FR2537393B1; CH658768A5; ATA413283A; ZA838873B; DK538083D0; DK538083A; IT8368276A0; NL8304131A; GB8331557D0; AT393588B; CA1197739A; FR2537393A1; NL190978C; BR8306763A; IT1193436B; DE8234526U1; BE898385A

Abstract

The seed body 10 of a birdfood member is constructed in bulb-shaped manner and is provided with surface profiling 11 in the form of uniformly or non-uniformly recurrent indentations having the same or different sizes so that said member has a large surface area, in order to offer a larger pecking attack on surface for the bird. The body 10 is mounted on a plate and hung from portion 21. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Birdfood member The present invention relates to a birdfood member comprising a rod-like mounting plate with a blocklike shaped body surrounding the mounting plate and secured thereon and which comprises a seed food quantity in which the seed are held together by a binder and with a seed food-free section, constructed as a hanging device.

The most varied construction of birdfood members for birds kept in cages are known. They comprise a supporting core, e.g. a wooden bar with a fixing wire or the like and a sleeve surrounding the core consisting of seed food, such as millet, etc. held together by a binder.

According to one known construction, the birdfood member core comprises a rod with a flat, rectangular or approximately rectangular crosssection, the seed food sleeve having a correspondingly flattened cross-sectional shape which gives the bird food member a particular shape. This birdfood member also has a rod-like core and a seed food sleeve surrounding the same so that said member can be freely suspended in cages, so that the bird can peck the seeds therein from all sides (German Utility Model 75 35 591).

In addition, there are various forms of compressed objects comprising seed food, which are merely provided with a hanging device, but do not have a core. However, such birdfood members can only be constructed in small sizes and not as block-like or rod-like food members, because the food seeds held together by the binder employed do not have an adequate strength to make it possible to make a rod-shaped bird food member.

In addition, a block-like birdfood member comprising bird species-specific seeds and additives, such as vitamins, minerals, etc. is known, in which the seeds are held together by a binder. Water-glass is used as the binder here (German Utility Model 79 069).

Block-like or rod-like birdfood members comprising a core and a sleeve surrounding the core consisting of food seeds held together by a binder are produced by the dipping process. Such a process is labour-intensive and time-consuming, because the birdfood members producing require an adequare drying time during which the binder can harden and before such birdfood members can be delivered to sales points.

In addition, the retaining devices, e.g. in the form of wires bent in hook-like manner used in the known birdfood members do not permit reliable fixing to the bars of the cage, unless additional fixing means are employed. The known hanging devices are constructed in such a way that it is possible for the bird to uncouple the birdfood member.

Therefore the problem of the present invention is to provide a birdfood member of small size, but with a larger surface area, in order to make it easier for the bird to start pecking, to provide a larger pecking attack surface and to enable, as a result of the larger surface, a faster drying during the production of the birdfood members. The problem also covers a hanging device, which is economicto manufacture and which is secured against unhooking by the bird, so that such birdfood members can also be used in cages for parrots.

According to the invention this problem is solved by a birdfood member of the type described hereinbefore which, according to the invention, is constructed in bulb-shaped manner and has a surface profiling in the form of uniformly or non-uniformly recurrent indentations, which can be of the same or different sizes. For example, an undulating surface profiling can be provided, which is such that the indentations formed are arranged in annular manner around the longitudinal axis of the birdfood member.

The invention also covers various constructional embodiments of hanging devices. According to one construction according to the invention, the seed food-free section of the mounting plate on the free end side passes into two parallel, spaced rod-shaped sections, whose free ends are constructed as facing, superimposed, circular arc-shaped sections, which supplement one another to form a ring. Such a hanging device is used in such a way that the two superimposed arc-shaped end sections either laterally bend apart or can be raised from one another at the free end of the seed food-free section of the mounting plate, so that the ring is opened.

According to a further development of a retaining device for birdfood members, the mounting plate comprises a shaped body made from plastic, metallic materials, wood or other suitable materials, with two round bars interconnected by means of a plate-like web, accompanied by the formation of an approximately dumbbell-shaped cross-sectional profile, the plate-like web being provided with spaced openings, such as slots or the like and the web-free end sections of the two round bars are constructed as facing, superimposed, circular arcshaped sections, which supplement one another to form a ring.The shaped body forming the mounting plate and/or the web-free end sections of the round bars of the mounting plate shaped body are made from resilient elastic materials, so as to permit effortless opening of the ring and to enable the birdfood members to be hung on a top lattice bar of a cage when the ring is open.

A birdfood member, whose food seed shaped body is constructed in bulb-shaped manner and which is provided with a surface profiling in the form of uniformly or non-uniformly recurrent indentations having the same or different sizes, offers the advantage that the birds can more easily start to peck, particularly in the transition area between the bulges and the indentations. In addition, the larger surface area leads to a faster drying of the birdfood member during the production process. The member can only be used and despatched when the binder holding together the seeds has set of hardened.

Further advantageous developments of the invention can be gathered from the subclaims. The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter relative to non-limitative embodiments and the attached drawings, wherein show: Figure 1 a birdfood member with a bulb-shaped food seed shaped body with a surface profiling in side view.

Figure 2 a mounting plate for the food seed shaped body and a hanging device shaped on to the mounting plate in a diagrammatic view.

Figure 3 another embodiment of a hanging device in a view from the front.

Figure 4 and 5further embodiments of a hanging device with a hook-like profile.

Figure 6a further embodiment of the mounting plate of a cruciform cross-section in a side-view.

Figure 7 a horizontal sectional view according line VII-VII in Figure 6.

According to the embodiment of a birdfood member 100 shown in Figure 1, this comprises a food seed shaped body 10, which is constructed in bulb-shaped manner and which is held on a rod-like mounting plate 20. The food seed shaped body 10 comprises a quantity of seed food held together by a per se known binder, said body being held on the mounting plate 20 by means of the binder holding together the seeds.

Although the food seed shaped body 10 has a bulb-shape, other shapes, such as e.g. a block shape or the like are possible.

In order to increase the surface area of the food seed shaped body 10 of the bird food member 100, the surface of said body is provided with a profiling 11, which is such that indentations 12 and bulges or projections 12a are obtained. This surface profiling 11 has uniformly or non-uniformly recurrent indentations 12, which can have the same or different sizes. However, it is important that the surface of the food seed shaped body 10 is profiled in such a way that, despite the predetermined size of the birdfood member 100, an enlarged surface area of body 10 is obtained.

Preferably the surface profiling 11 is undulating and the indentations 12 thereof are arranged in ring-like manner, approximately centrally with re specttothe longitudinal axis of the birdfood mem ber 100. However, it is also possible to use other surface configurations leading to an increase in the area thereof.

The rod-like mounting plate 20 holding the food seed shaped body 10 has at its free end 20a a seed food-free section 21, which is provided with a hanging device 30 (Figure 2). In the embodiment of Figure 2, the seed food-free section 21 of mounting plate 20 passes into two parallel, spaced rod-like sections 22, 23, whose free ends 22a, 23a are constructed as facing, superimposed, circular arc shaped sections 22b, 23b, which complement one another to form a ring 25. The free, arc-shaped bent end sections 22b, 23b of mounting plate 20, as shown in Figure 2, superimposed and constructed approximately congruently, so that said end sections form ring 25, which serves to receive the lattice bar of a cage.

The birdfood member 100 provided with a retain ing device constructed in this way is hung in the top lattice bar of a cage by lateral bending aside of the two arc-shaped end sections 22b, 23b in the direc tion of arrow X. The two arc-shaped end sections 22b, 23b are laterally bent apart to such an extent that an insertion opening is obtained for the ring formed from the arc-shaped sections 22b, 23b. The latter are constructed in a resilient, elastic manner and as a result of the materials used in their manufacture have a recovery capacity, so that a lateral bending apart of the arc-shaped sections 22b, 23b for hanging a birdfood member 100 in a cage bar followed by the two sections 22b, 23b automatically springing back into the congruent position shown in Figure 2, in order to once again form the ring 25.

Thus, the birdfood member 100 is securely hend on the bar of the birdcage and is secured against unhooking or removal. It is also possible to force the two arc-shaped sections 22b, 23b away from one another in the direction of arrow X1, so that the opening for ring 25 for hanging in a cage bar is once again freed.

However, not only the arc-shaped end sections 22b, 23b of mounting plate 20 need be made from resilient, elastic materials. It is also possible to manufacture the complete mounting plate 20 from the materials, which make it possible to bend apart sections 22b, 23b, without them breaking off the actual mounting plate.

Apart from plastics, it is possible to use other suitable materials for producing mounting plate 20, e.g. metallic materials, wood, etc.

The mounting plate 20 in the embodiment of Figure 2 comprises a shaped body with two round bars 27, 28 interconnected by a plate-like web 26, so that a dumbbell-shaped cross-sectional profile is obtained. The plate-like web 26 is provided with spaced openings, such as slots, etc. 29. By means of openings 29 the food seed shaped body 10 is better held on mounting plate 20. The web-free end sections of the two round bars 27,28 are then constructed with facing, superimposed, arc-shaped sections 22b, 23b, which together form the ring 25.

Another embodiment of a retaining device 30 is shown in Figure 3, in which the seed foodfree section 121 of a plastic, metallic, wooden or other material mounting plate 120 is constructed in cliplike manner as its free end 1 20a and comprises two interengaging, resilient, elastic shaped body parts 122, 123, which supplement one another to form a closed ring 125. Parts 122, 123 are provided with shaped, grip-like handles 127, 128, which are used for opening ring 125 by laterally forcing away the two parts 122, 123 in the direction of arrow X2.

Above the opening area of ring 125, the two shaped body parts 122, 123 have gripping elements indi cated at 122a, 123a in Figure 3, which ensures that after hanging the birdfood member 100 on a lattice bar of a birdcage, the bar cannot slide out of ring 125.

The retaining device 30 for the birdfood member 100 shown in Figure 4 has a hook-like construction.

The seed food-free section 221 of mounting plate 220 for the food seed shaped body 10 is contructed in hook-like manner and its free end 220a. The construction of this hook-like hanging device is such that a reception ring 225 is obtained, which is closed by the resilient, elastic end section 222, which is also used for opening ring 225, by forcing said end section 222 away in the direction of arrow X3. In the area where the free end of the resilient, elastic end section 222 engages on the mounting plate end 220a, said end section 222 is provided with surfae profiling 222a. Preferably this surface profiling is undulating.

This surface profiling is such that bulges are formed, which prevent lifting off or disengagement of the birdfood member 100 hung in the bar of a cage. This hook-like hanging device for the birdfood member 100 is also made from resilient, elastic materials with a recovery capacity, so that after opening ring 225, the end section 222 of the hook can spring back into its initial, closed position.

In the case of the embodiment shown in Figure 5, on the seed food-free section 221 of mounting plate 220 are provided two hook-like hanging devices, whose resilient, elastic end sections 222, 223 closing the reception rings 225, 225a are provided with surface profilings in the engagement area with respect to the mounting plate end. Thus, after hanging the hanging device on a lattice bar of a birdcage, the bird cannot unhook or disengage the birdfood member 100. The surface profiling is indicated at 222a, 223a.

The hook-like hanging device according to Figure 5 can be shaped on to the mounting plate 220, in such a way that the resilient, elastic end sections 222, 223, which close the rings 225, 225a are arranged horizontally on the same side of mounting plate 220, or assume an opposing position, as shown in Figure 5. The two hook-like hanging devices are arranged on mounting plate 220 in such a way that the rings 225, 225a formed by the hook-like hanging devices are congruent to one another.

The rod-like mounting plate 20, 120,220 are constructed as round or flat profile bars, which can also be provided with spaced, superimposed tori 40 (Figure 3). These tori make it possible to produce the surface profiling 11 of the food seed shaped body 10, when the bird food member 100 is produced by the dipping process. These tori 40 are displaceably arranged on the rod-like mounting plate, so that it is possible to establish beforehand the size and length of the indentations 12 of the surface profiling 11 for the food seed shaped body 10. As shown in Figure 6 and 7 the mounting plate 20 is constructed as bar 320 of a cruciform cross-section provided with a number of spaced mounting discs 330 which allow the undulated shaping of the food seed shaped body 10 as shown in Figure 1. In the upper end portion the bar 320 verges into the hanging device with the reception rings 225, 225a, as shown in Figure 5.

Claims

1. A birdfood member formed by a rod-shaped mounting plate with a block-like shaped body surrounding the mounting plate and held thereon and consisting of a quantity of seed food held together by a binder and with a seed food-free section constructed as a hanging device, wherein the food seed shaped body is constructed in bulb-shaped manner and is provided with a surface profiling in the form of uniformly or non-uniformly recurrent indentations having the same or different sizes.

2. A birdfood member according to claim 1, wherein the food seed shaped body has an undulating surface profiling, whose indentations are formed in circular manner in the bulb-shaped food seed shaped body.

3. A birdfood member according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the seed food-free section of the mounting plate passes as a hanging device at the free end-side into two parallel, spaced rod-like sections, whose free ends are constructed as facing, superimposed, circular arc-shaped sections, which supple mentoneanothertoform a ring.

4. A birdfood member according to claims 1 to 3, wherein the mounting plate comprises a shaped body made from plastic, metallic materials, wood or other suitable materials, with two round bars interconnected by means of a plate-like web, accompanied by the formation of an approximately dumbbell-shaped cross-sectional profile, the plate-like web being provided with spaced openings, such as slots or the like and the web-free end sections of the two round bars are constructed as facing, superimposed, circular arc-shaped sections, which supple mentoneanothertoform a ring.

5. A bird food member according to claims 1 to 4, wherein the shaped body forming the mounting plate and/or the web-free end section of the round bars of the mounting plate shaped body are made from resilient elastic materials.

6. A birdfood member according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the hanging device for the seed food-free section of the plastic, metallic, wooden or other material mounting plate is constructed in clip-like manner at its free end and comprises two interengaging, resilient, elastic shaped body parts, which supplement one another in the secured state to form a closed ring and with grip-like handles shaped on at the free end side.

7. A birdfood member according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the seed food-free section of the mounting plate has its free end at least one hook-like hanging device, whose resilient elastic end section closing the reception ring is provided in the facing engagement area with an undulating profile.

8. A birdfood member according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the seed food-free section of the mounting plate has two hook-like hanging devices at its free end and whose resilient, elastic end sections closing the reception rings are provided in the facing engagement area with undulating profiles.

9. A birdfood member according to claim 8, wherein the opening areas of the rings of the hook-like hanging devices are arranged horizontally on one side.

10. A birdfood member according to claim 8, wherein the opening areas of the rings of the hook-like hanging devices are arranged horizontally on bpposite sides.

11. A birdfood member according to claims 1 to 10, wherein the rod-like mounting plate is constructed as a round or flat profile bar.

12. A birdfood member according to claims 1 to 11, wherein tori are formed in spaced, superimposed manner on the rod-like mounting plate.

13. A birdfood member according to claims 1 to 12, wherein the mounting plate 20 is formed in a bar-like manner 320 of a cruciform cross-section and provided with a number of spaced mounting discs 330.

14. A birdfood member according to claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.