Method of making a tubular element and product, particularly bird feeder hopper, produced thereby

A method of making a hopper for a bird feeder including a peripheral wall having at least one feed port extending therethrough between an inside surface which defines an internal cavity for receipt of bird food, and an outside surface, with a semicircular cap member extending from the inside surface of the peripheral wall into the internal cavity from each of said feed ports, comprising injection molding a thermoplastic polymer to form a sheet-like element including a plurality of wall sections interconnected by integral hinges, said wall sections including first and second opposed end sections each having free edge portions, and at least one intermediate section interposed between said end sections, said wall sections having inner surfaces which together will define the inside surface of the peripheral wall, forming at least one feed port through said sheet-like member, forming a cap member integral with said sheet-like member and extending from said inner surface at each said feed ports, pivoting said wall sections of said sheet-like element about said integral hinges to juxtapose said edge portions of said end sections and thereby form said peripheral wall with said cap members extending into the internal cavity defined thereby, and connecting said edge portions of said end sections of said sheet-like member to each other to form the hopper.

A hopper for a bird feeder comprising a peripheral wall having at least one feed port between an inside surface which defines an internal cavity for receipt of bird food, and an outside surface, a semicircular cap member extending from said inside surface of said peripheral wall into said internal cavity at each feed port, said peripheral wall comprising a sheet-like element including a plurality of wall sections interconnected by integral hinges, said wall sections including first and second opposed end sections each having free edge portions, and at least one intermediate section interposed between said end sections, said wall sections having inner surfaces which together define said inside surface of said peripheral wall, said cap members being integral with said sheet-like element and extending from said inner surface of at least one of said wall sections, said sheet-like element being pivoted about said integral hinges to form said peripheral wall with said at least one cap member extending into said internal cavity of said peripheral wall, and said edge portions of said end sections of said sheet-like member being connected to each other to form the hopper.