Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~9~77~3
BIRDFOOD MEMBER
The present invention relates to a
birdfood member comprising a rod-like
mounting plate with a block-like shaped body
surrounding the mounting p~ate 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, cons-tructed
~ as a hanging device.
The most varied construction o~ birdfood
: members ~r birds kept in cages are knownO 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,
; 15 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
: cross-section, the seed food sleevehaving a
correspondingly flattened cross-sectional shape
which gives the bird food member a particular
shapeO This birdfood member also has a rod-like
core and a seed food sl.eeve surrounding the same
; so that said member can be freely suspended in
cages, so that the bird can peck the seeds there-
in 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
:~ 30 do not have a core. However, such birdfood
members can only be constructed in small sizes
773~
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 addition9 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 17 069).
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 adequate drying time
during which the binder can harden and be~ore
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 no-t
as permit reliable fixing to the bars of the cage,
unless additional :~ixing 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 economic to 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 uni-formly or non-uniformly recurrent
indentations, which can be of the same or
dif`ferent sizes. For example, an undulating
surf`ace prof`iling can be provided, which is
such that the indentations formed are arranged
in annular manner around the longitudinal axis
of the bird~ood member.
The invention also covers various construct-
ional 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 f`acing, superimposed, circular
arc-shaped sections, which supplement one
another to ~orm a ring. Such a hanging device
is used in such a way that the two superimposed
arc-shaped end sections either laterally bend
773~
. apart or can be raised from one another at
`' the free end of the seed food-free section of
` the mounting plate, so -tha-t 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, me-tallic materials, wood or
other suitable materials, with two round bars
. 10 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
openi.ngs, such as slots or the like and the
.5 web-free end sections of the two round bars
are constructed as facing, superimposed,
circular arc-shaped sections, which supplemen-t
~` one another to form a ring. The shaped body
` forming the moun-ting 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
member to be hung on a top lattice bar of a
cage when the ring is open.
A birdfood member, whose ~ood seed shaped
body is constructed in bulb-shaped manner and
which is provided with a surface profiling in
the form of uni*ormly or non-uniformly recurren-t
indentations having the same or different sizes,
offers the advantage that the birds can more
easily start to peck, particularly in -the
s
transition area between the bulges and the
indentations. In addition9 the larger surface
area leads to a faster drying of the birdfood
member during the production process. The member
can onl~ be used and despatched when the binder
holding together the seeds has set or 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 embodi-
ments and the attached drawings, wherein show:
Fig. 1 a bird:food member with a bulb~shaped
food seed shaped body with a surface
profiling in side view.
15 Fig. 2 a mounting plate for -the food seed
shaped body and a hanging device
shaped on to the mounting plate in a
diagrammatic view.
Fig. 3 another embodimen-t of a hanging
device in a view from the front.
Fig , 4 further embodiments of a hanging
and 5 device with a hook-like profile.
Fig. 6 a further embodiment of the mounting
plate of a cruciform cross-section
in a side-view.
Fig. 7 a horizontal sectional view according
line VII-VII in Fig.6.
~ ccording to the embodiment of a birdfood
member 100 shown in Fig. 1, this comprises a food
seed shaped body 10, which is cons-tructed in
bulb-shaped manner and which is held on a rod-
like mounting pla-te 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.
f~
Although the food seed shaped body 10
has a bulb-shape, other shapes, such as e.g.
a block shape or the llke 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 pro-
Jections 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 bird-
food 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 respect to the longitudinal
axis of the birdfood member 100. However, i-t
~` is also possible to use o-ther surface config-
urations 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 (Fig. 2). In
the embodiment of Fig. 2, the seed food--free
section 21 of mounting plate 20 passes into two
parallel, spaced rod-like sections 22~ 23, whose
'7~
-free ends 22a, 23a are constructed as facing,
superimposed, circular arc-shaped sections
22b 7 23b, which complement one another to form
a ring 25. The free, arc-shaped ~ent end
sections 22b, 23b of mounting plate 20, as
shown in Fig. 2, superimposed and constructed
approximately congruently, so that said end
seetions form ring 25, which serves to receive
the lat-tice bar of a cage.
The birdfood rnember 100 provided with a
retaining 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 direction 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 are-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
i capacity, so that a lateral bending apart of
the arc-shaped seetions 22b, 23b for hanging a
birdfood member 100 in a eage bar is followed
by the two seetions 22b, 23b automatieally
springing back into the eongruent position shown
in Fig. 2, in order to onee again form -the ring
25. Thus, the birdfood member 100 is seeurely
hend on the bar of a birdeage and is secured
against unhooking or removal. It is also possible
to foree the two are-shaped seetions 22b, 23b
away from one ano-ther in the direction of arrow
f 7~
Xl~ so that the opening for ring 25 for
hanging in a cage bar is once again freed.
~ owever, not only the arc-shaped end
sections 22b, 23b of mounting plate 20 need
be made from resilient, elastic materialsO
It is also possible to manufacture the complete
mounting plate 20 from the ma-terials, which
make it possible to bend apart sec-tions 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 Fig. 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 Fig. 3, in which the seed food-
free section 121 of a plastic, metallic, wooden
or other material mounting plate 120 is con-
structed in clip-like manner at its free end
120a and comprises two interengaging, resilient,
3~
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, w'nich
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 indica-ted at 122a,
123a in Fig. 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 Fig. 4 has a hook-like
construction. The seed food-free section 221
of mounting plate 220 for the food seed shaped
body 10 is constructed 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 surface profiling 222a
Preferably this surface profiling is undulating.
:
;~ 30 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 bordfood member 100
is also made from resilient, elastic materials
with a recovery capacity 9 SO -that after
opening ring 225, the end section 222 of ~he
hook can spring back into its ini-tia], closed
position.
In the case o~ the embodimen-t shown in
Fig. 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
i 15 to the mounting pla-te end~ Thus, after hanging
the hanging device on a lattice bar of a bird-
cage, the bird cannot unhook or disengage the
birdfood member 100. The surface profiling is
indicated at 222a, 223a.
The hook-like hanging devices according to
Fig. 5 can be shaped on to the moun-ting 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 Fig. 5. The
two hook-like hanging devicesare 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 plates 20, 120, 220
are constructed as round or flat profile bars,
1 1
which can also be provided with spaced,
superimposed tori 40 (Fig. 3). These tori
make it possible to produce the surface
profiling 11 of the food seed shaped body
lO, when the bird food member lOO is prGduced
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 lO.
As shown in Fig. 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 lO
as shown in Fig.l. In the upper end portion
the bar 320 verges into the hanging device
with the reception rings 225,225a, as shown
in Fig.5.
