CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001 ] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 15/287,417 filed October 6, 2016, which claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 62/376,061 , filed August 17, 2016, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE TECHNOLOGY

[0002] The disclosed technology regards a mountable feed bucket suitable for securing to a fence rail, and a method of securing a feed bucket to a fence rail.

[0003] Presently feed buckets may be mounted to fence rails to provide a comfortable way to feed horses. However, frequently the feed buckets are weakly secured to the fence rail, and the horse is able to knock it off of the rail and on to the ground, thereby requiring that an individual retrieve the feed bucket from within the fenced area, which can be dangerous. Alternatively, feed buckets may be permanently secured to the fence rail; however, cleaning the buckets is difficult when so secured, and eventually they fail, leaving exposed screws as a hazard to both humans and animals. Therefore, there is a need to develop a mountable feed bucket that may be easily positioned and removed from a fence rail, but is secured so that a horse cannot remove the same from its position on the rail.

[0004] The disclosed technology provides a mountable feed bucket that may be easily positioned and removed from the fence rail by a person, but is secured so that the horse cannot remove the same from its position on the rail. Further, the disclosed technology provides a method for mounting a feed bucket on a fence rail in a manner that allows it to be easily positioned and removed from the fence rail, but secures the feed bucket so that a horse cannot remove the same from its position on the rail.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED TECHNOLOGY:

[0005] The disclosed technology regards a mountable feed bucket suitable for securing to a fence rail. The mountable feed bucket includes a receptacle, one or more brackets affixed to the receptacle, and one or more affixation means.

l [0006] The receptacle is defined by a top rim, a base, and front, back, and a pair of side walls, with a trough formed on the front wall of the receptacle.

[0007] One or more brackets are affixed to the receptacle, each bracket having at least two legs, the first leg extending orthogonally from the back receptacle wall, and the second leg extending perpendicular to the first bracket leg, at a first end of the first bracket leg, thereby forming a vacuous area between the back receptacle wall and the second bracket leg. This vacuous area is suitable for receiving a fence rail. The bracket may further include a third leg extending perpendicular to the first bracket leg, at a second end of the first bracket leg opposing the first bracket end. When present, the third bracket leg is at least partially affixed to the back receptacle wall. Any or all of the bracket legs may have ribs with (or without) reinforcing structure between at least a portion of the ribs, and the ribs may be grouped in sets (with or without reinforcing structure between the rib sets).

[0008] One or more affixation means are provided, each including a pin (with or without a foot) for securing the mountable feed bucket to a fence rail. The second bracket leg includes one or more apertures sized and configured to receive the pin of the affixation means. The pin of the affixation means is designed and configured to extend through and beyond the aperture a distance to securely abut against an outer face of the fence rail when the mountable feed bucket is positioned on the fence rail. The affixation means may be a lever system, such as a push-pull toggle clamp having a lever handle rotatably affixed to a pin.

[0009] The receptacle walls and base, and in some embodiments the bracket, may be formed together in a single mold, or in separate molds with one or more of the components adjoined together by plastic welding, tape, or glue.

[0010] The disclosed technology further regards a method of mounting a feed bucket on a fence rail. The method includes the steps of providing a mountable feed bucket including a receptacle defined by a top rim, a base, and front, back, and a pair of side walls, and further having a trough formed on the front side of the receptacle. The feed bucket useful in this method further includes one or more brackets affixed to the receptacle, each bracket having at least two legs, the first leg extending orthogonally from the back side of the receptacle, and the second leg extending perpendicular to the first bracket leg, forming a vacuous area between the back receptacle wall and the

2 second bracket leg, the vacuous area being suitable for receiving a fence rail. In this method the feed bucket is further provided with affixation means, such as at least one push-pull toggle clamp comprising a pin and a lever for securing the mountable feed bucket to the fence rail. The second bracket leg comprises an aperture sized and configured to receive the pin of the affixation means, wherein the pin extends through the aperture a distance to securely abut against the outer face of the fence rail.

[001 1 ] The method further includes the step of securing the mountable feed bucket to the fence by positioning the bracket about a fence rail so that the rail is at least partially within the vacuous area between the back receptacle wall and the second bracket leg. Thereafter, the method is practiced by inserting the pin of an affixation means through the aperture of the second bracket a distance so that the pin rests securely upon the fence rail, rotating the push-pull toggle clamp to cause the pin to be secured against the fence rail, and the feed bucket to be secured to the fence rail.

[0012] These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 is a peripheral view of an embodiment of the disclosed technology.

[0014] Figure 2 is a front view of the embodiment of the disclosed technology shown in Figure 1 .

[0015] Figure 3 is a side view of the embodiment of the disclosed technology shown in Figure 1 .

[0016] Figure 4 is a peripheral view from the back of the embodiment of the disclosed technology shown in Figure 1 .

[0017] Figure 5 is a side view of a portion of the second bracket leg and affixation means of the embodiment of the disclosed technology shown in Figure 1 .

[0018] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the disclosed technology shown in Figure 1 , installed on a fence rail in accordance with the method of the disclosed technology.

3 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED TECHNOLOGY:

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 -4, an embodiment of the mountable feed bucket 1 of the disclosed technology is formed from a high density polyethylene or polypropylene, comprising a receptacle 10 defined in some embodiments by a declining internal area from its top rim 1 1 to its base 12, and from its back wall 16 to its front wall 13, with a trough 14 formed on the front wall of the receptacle. The receptacle 10 at its top rim 1 1 may have (a) a width of between about 10-12", or in some embodiments 10.5", which width may vary from the back wall to the front wall; and (b) a length from its back wall to its front wall of between about 10-12", or in some embodiments 10.4". In this embodiment the receptacle 10 is further defined by a declining height from its back wall (between about 1 1 -13", or in some embodiments 10.261 ") to its front wall (between about 7"-9", or in some embodiments 8.322"); wherein the front wall extends outward from the base 12 by an angle of 10-20 degrees from perpendicular, or in some embodiments about 15.83 degrees from perpendicular.

[0020] This embodiment of the receptacle 10 further comprises side walls 15 which may be slightly angled outward from the base wall 12 to the top rim 1 1 at an angle of 1 -10 degrees from perpendicular, or in some embodiments about 5 degrees from perpendicular, and may be angled inward from the back wall 16, by 0.005 to 3 degrees from perpendicular, or 0.025 degrees from perpendicular. The trough 14 may extend with a radius of curvature R from the rim at the front side of the bucket, with a radius of curvature R of about 4"-6", or in some embodiments about 5".

[0021 ] The receptacle 10 may have a reinforced top rim 1 1 , extending about the top surface of the receptacle, extending through the trough 14 on the front receptacle wall 13.

[0022] The walls of each of the front 13, back 16 and sides 15 of the receptacle may be about 0.2" to 0.75" thick; in some embodiments the wall thickness is about 0.445".

[0023] In some embodiments the edges 17 among the walls 13, 15 and 16 of the receptacle, and from its walls 13, 15 and 16 to its base 12, are curved, with a radius of curvature of 1 " to 2", or in some embodiments 1 .25".

4 [0024] As shown in Figures 1 -4, affixed to and extending along and from the back 16 of the receptacle 10 is a bracket 2, comprising two or three bracket legs. In some embodiments, the first bracket leg 22 extends orthogonally from the back receptacle wall 10. A second bracket leg 23 extends perpendicular to the first bracket leg 22, at a first end, forming a vacuous area between the back receptacle wall 16 and the second bracket leg 23, the vacuous area being suitable for receiving a fence rail as shown in Figure 6.

[0025] In some embodiments the bracket includes a third bracket leg 21 , extending perpendicular to the first bracket leg 22, at a second end of the first bracket leg opposing the first bracket leg end, wherein said third bracket leg is at least partially affixed to the back receptacle wall 16. The third bracket leg 21 may include a plurality of ribs 21 A. The ribs 21 A may number from 2 to 16, or more, and are affixed to or extending from the back wall 16 of the bucket, from the rim 1 1 to about or beyond half the depth of the back wall 16. The ribs 21 A may be grouped together in two or more corresponding sets; these sets may be separated by a greater distance than the separation among the individual ribs 21 A, by 1 .5"-3", or about 2.150". The ribs may be between 0.25"-1 " wide; in some embodiments the ribs are about 0.425" wide.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 -4, a second plurality of ribs 21 B, numbering between 2 and 16, may extend in a u-shaped elbow to form the first bracket leg 22, beginning at or near the rim of the bucket to a distance above the plane of the rim of the bucket, extending orthogonally out from the back receptacle wall 16 to a first end, and perpendicularly traversing therefrom to a position relatively parallel to the back wall 16 of the bucket to form the second bracket leg 23, concluding at a position parallel to about or beyond the midpoint of the height of the ribs 21 A; in some embodiments this second leg is between 3-7", or about 4.750", from the top of the first bracket leg 22. In some embodiments the first bracket leg 22 formed by the ribs 21 B and corresponding support structure preferably extends above the top rim 1 1 of the receptacle by 0.2" to 2", or in some embodiments 0.7", with a relatively rectangular interior shape, the first bracket leg having a length of about 1 " to 3", or in some embodiments 1 .2", so that the bracket is sized, configured and affixed to the receptacle 10 so that the mountable feed bucket can be positioned on a standard square fence rail. In some embodiments the interior shape of the first bracket leg 22 (alone or in combination with the first bracket

5 leg 21 and/or the second bracket leg 23) is differently shaped to accommodate and correspond with differently shaped fence rails or other support structures.

[0027] In some embodiments the number of ribs 21 A is equal to the number of ribs 21 B; in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 -4, the ribs 21 A differ from the number of ribs 21 B (in the embodiment shown there are eight ribs 21 A, grouped in two groups of four, and six ribs 21 B, grouped in two groups of three). Each rib has a width of between about 0.25"-1 ", or about 0.425", and a thickness of between 0.25"- 0.5", or about 0.375".

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, a reinforcing structure 24 may connect the tops of the ribs 21 A at the back receptacle wall 16, below the rim 1 1 , wherein the reinforcing structure may have a depth equal to the depth of the ribs 21 A to form a solid surface collar at this portion of the first bracket leg 21 . The reinforcing structure 24 may further extend down a portion or along the entire length of the third bracket leg 21 , between ribs within a group of ribs, and/or between groups of ribs. Likewise or alternatively, the reinforcing structure 24 may extend between the ribs 21 B, about the first bracket leg 22, and to a portion of or all of the length of the second bracket leg 23. The reinforcing structure 24 of the first and second bracket legs may have a thickness less than the ribs 21 B, so that the ribs protrude from the surface of the reinforcing structure 22. In some embodiments as shown in Figures 1 -4, the reinforcing structure may exist between two or more groupings of ribs 21 B through their length of the first bracket leg 22, and in some embodiments extend into a portion or all of the length of the rib groupings of the second bracket leg 23.

[0029] Each of the groupings of ribs 21 B may comprise an aperture 25 for receiving a securing mechanism 30, such as a lever system or a push-pull toggle clamp comprising a lever handle 31 rotatably affixed to a pin 32, as shown in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 4, the aperture 25 may have a thickness equal to the thickness of the ribs 21 B, so as to form a flat surface to support the securing mechanism 30. The pin 32 extends through and beyond the aperture 25 a distance to securely abut against the outer face of the fence or other support structure. The center of the apertures may be positioned about 2"-3", or 2.5", from the bottom of the ribs 21 C.

6 [0030] The elements of the receptacle, with or without the bracket, may be formed together in a single mold, or in any number of separate molds with one or more of the components adjoined together by plastic welding, tape, or glue.

[0031 ] The disclosed technology further regards a method of mounting a feed bucket on a fence rail. The method includes the steps of providing a mountable feed bucket including a receptacle defined by a top rim, a base, and front, back, and a pair of side walls, and further having a trough formed on the front side of the receptacle. The feed bucket useful in this method further includes one or more brackets affixed to the receptacle, each bracket having at least two legs, the first leg extending orthogonally from the back side of the receptacle, and the second leg extending perpendicular to the first bracket leg, forming a vacuous area between the back receptacle wall and the second bracket leg, the vacuous area being suitable for receiving a fence rail. In this method the feed bucket is further provided with at least one push-pull toggle clamp comprising a pin and a lever for securing the mountable feed bucket to the fence rail, wherein the second bracket leg comprises an aperture sized and configured to receive the pin of the affixation means, allowing the pin to extend through the aperture a distance to securely abut against the outer face of the fence rail. Suitable mountable feed buckets for this method include the feed buckets described above in this disclosure.

[0032] The method further includes the step of securing the mountable feed bucket to the fence by positioning the bracket about a fence rail so that the rail is within the vacuous area between the back receptacle wall and the second bracket leg. Thereafter, the method is practiced by inserting a pin of the affixation means through the aperture of the second bracket a distance so that the pin rests securely upon the fence rail, rotating the push-pull toggle clamp to a locked position (as shown in Figure 5) causing the pin to removably secure the feed bucket to the fence rail.

[0033] The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention; in particular, the dimensions aforedescribed are intended for illustration. Further, since numerous modifications and changes readily will occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

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