Support for formed bird treat and method therefor

#This invention relates generally to the field of bird feeders, and particularly to structures which can be utilized to hang wild bird treats formed from grains, seeds, fruits and/or nuts.

#Bird treats such as bird bells which are formed from a combination of seeds (i.e. white millet, sunflower, red millet, milo), grains, bits of fruit and/and or nuts, and which are held together by a dried sticky material such as honey or dextrose, are commonly used to feed and attract wild bird species. Bird bells present a particularly difficult problem to support properly, in that they are loosely “glued” together since they are designed to feed birds. In the past, form-fitting net-type sacks have been utilized for hanging the treats.

#In accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,708 to Brue et al., another type of bird treat support has been used which includes a disk for supporting the bottom of a bird bell, and a separate hanging tab that is connected to the disk and inserted into an axial slot within the bird bell. A top portion of the tab extends out above the bird bell for hanging. The hanging tab includes an aperture by which the bell support and bird bell may be hung. Centrally located in the disk is a slot into which a widened lower end of the hanging tab may be inserted and twisted to thereby connect to the disk. It has been found, however, that this two-piece construction can be comparatively expensive, and it is possible for the hanging tab and disk to become separated if they rotate with respect to each other, thereby allowing the bird bell to fall. Additionally, the bird bell cannot be molded around the support as it is formed, thus requiring a two-step manufacturing process of filling the mold and attaching the support to the molded treat.

#FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the support structure of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of a birdseed product formed around the support structure of FIG. 1;

#FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the support structure and birdseed product shown in FIG. 2;

#Referring more particularly to the drawings, the support structure of the present invention is designated generally by the numeral 10 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the support structure 10 is operable to support an object of interest which may take on the form of a source of food for pets, wild birds or small animals, such as the bell-shaped birdseed product 12. The support structure 10 is operable to position the object of interest in a selected, suspended position relative to another supporting surface or structure such as a branch of a tree, or other structure (not shown).

#For illustrative convenience only, the support structure of the present invention is shown and described herein as it would be configured if it were utilized to support a source of food for pets, small animals and/or wild birds such as the birdseed product 12, shown in FIG. 2. However, it should be recognized that the apparatus of the present invention can be utilized in a variety of different environments for purposes of displaying or supporting various objects of interest for various commercial or other purposes.

#As best seen by reference to FIG. 1, the support structure 10 of the present invention includes a substantially T-shaped body, with a stem 16 having a first end 18, and an opposite second end 20. Located at the first end 18 is a substantially planar disk 22 positioned in any plane that is transverse to stem 16, and preferably, substantially perpendicular to stem 16. Disk 22 could be of any shape (i.e. heart, square or triangle), and the mold described herein shaped to accommodate the disk shape.