# US 5,701,841 A · Bird feeder

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- Number: US 5,701,841 A
- Document ID: US5701841A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/598,683
- Filed: 1996-02-08
- Granted: 1997-12-30
- Earliest claimed: 1996-02-08
- Inventors: Victor Fasino
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5701841A

## CPC

- A01K 39/012: filling automatically {, e.g. by gravity from a reserve}
- A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS

## Abstract

A cylindrical-body bird feeder has an open bottom with a pair of cut-outs on opposite sides of the bottom. Slits, extending from the cut-outs latchingly receive a flexible floor for the body. The floor is only latchingly secured in the bottom, to facilitate cleaning of the feeder. In one embodiment of the feeder, the floor is latchable in either one of two pairs of slits, to accommodate the feeding of small seeds, or the feeding of large seeds, via window apertures, or via open troughs below the windows.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A bird feeder, comprising:
a body; wherein
said body has wall means therein cooperative with said body for forming a feed chamber within said body; and
floor means for forming a bottom of said feed chamber; wherein
said floor means is only latchingly engaged with said body, and unlatchingly removable from said body;
said body has openings formed therein on opposite sides thereof;
said wall means comprises walls generally paralleling, and recessed from, said openings;
said walls have lowermost terminations;
lowermost portions of said openings are cooperative with said terminations for forming voids for providing external access into said body and said feed chamber;
said body further has (a) an open base, and (b) cut-outs formed on opposite sides thereof at said base;
said body also has first slots, communicating with said cut-outs and extending laterally from sides of said cut-outs, in a given horizontal plane;
said body additionally has second slots, communicating with said cut-outs and extending laterally from sides of said cut-outs, in a differing horizontal plane;
said floor means comprises a sheet of flexible material having oppositely-extending tabs; and
in a first mode of operation, first portions of said tabs are engaged with said slots in said given horizontal plane, and second portions of said tabs project outwardly from said cut-outs; and
in a second mode of operation, first portions of said tabs are engaged with said slots in said differing horizontal plane, and second portions of said tabs project outwardly from said cut-outs.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A bird feeder, according to claim 1, wherein:
said sheet of material has panels which close off said voids, in said first mode of operation with said first portions of said tabs engaged with said slots in said given horizontal plane; and
said panels cooperate with said walls to form a feeding trough, in said second mode of operation with said first portions of said tabs engaged with said slots in said differing horizontal plane.

### Claim 3

A bird feeder, comprising:
a body; wherein
said body has wall means therein cooperative with said body for forming a feed-chamber within said body; and
floor means for forming a bottom of said feed chamber; wherein
said floor means is only latchingly engaged with said body, and unlatchingly removable from said body; wherein
said body further has (a) an open base, and (b) cut-outs formed on opposite sides thereof at said base;
said body also has slots communicating with said cut-outs and extending laterally from sides of said cut-outs, in a given horizontal plane;
said floor means comprises a sheet of flexible material having oppositely-extending tabs; and
first portions of said tabs are engaged with said slots, and second portions of said tabs project outwardly from said cut-outs.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A bird feeder, according to claim 3, wherein:
said body has opening formed therein on opposite sides thereof; and
said walls have lowermost terminations;
lowermost portions of said opening are cooperative with said terminations for forming voids for providing external access into said body and said feed chamber; and
said sheet of material has panels which close off said voids.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

A bird feeder, according to claim 3, wherein:
said sheet of flexible material has panels which comprise ramps for directing feed from said chamber outwardly to opposite sides of said body; and
said body has openings formed therein on said opposite sides thereof for providing external access into said body and said feed chamber.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

A bird feeder, according to claim 3, wherein
said second portions of said tabs project outwardly from said cut-outs, as aforesaid, in said horizontal plane, to define perches for feeding birds.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

A bird feeder, according to claim 3, further including:
means coupled to said body for shielding said openings from precipitation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

A bird feeder, according to claim 3, wherein:
said body has openings formed therein on opposite sides thereof; and
said wall means comprises walls generally paralleling, and recessed from, said openings.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A bird feeder, according to claim 8, wherein:
said walls have lowermost terminations; and
lowermost portions of said openings are cooperative with said terminations for forming voids for providing external access into said body and said feed chamber.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

A bird feeder, according to claim 8, wherein:
said walls have a plurality of apertures formed therein.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

A bird feeder, according to claim 8, wherein:
said walls are transparent.