Platform bird feeder with an adjustable wobbling baffle

1. A platform bird feeder comprising: a center pole; a base platform connected to a bottom end of the center pole; a baffle having a central aperture, said baffle being spring-biased on the center pole to provide tilting movement of the baffle relative to the center pole when a weight is applied to the baffle off-center; and an adjustable securing mechanism for movably mounting the baffle on the center pole at a plurality of different heights so that a height of the baffle on the pole relative to the base platform is adjustable by a user, said adjustable securing mechanism including a locking bolt, a locking nut and a spring, the bolt having a head and a threaded shaft, the threaded shaft passing through the aperture in the baffle and being inserted through a center of the spring, the head of the bolt being on a top side of the baffle, the nut being secured to the threaded shaft and in abutment with the spring on an underside of the baffle, tightening of the nut compressing the spring against the underside of the baffle.

2. The platform bird feeder as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the base platform includes a seed tray with an upwardly curved rim, a top edge of the rim having a lip that forms a ledge, the feeder further comprising a grate mounted on top of the ledge on the base platform above the tray.

3. The platform bird feeder as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the threaded shaft of the bolt has at least one axially extending relief cut that divides a lower part of the shaft into at least two sides having tapered ends, the relief cut enabling the sides to be squeezed toward one another to pinch the pole when the nut is tightened on the shaft.

4. The platform bird feeder as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the nut has an axial bore extending through the neck and the base, an inside diameter of said bore tapering in the base, the tapered ends of said symmetrical sides being received in said tapered base bore when the feeder is assembled.

5. The platform bird feeder as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the underside of the baffle has a ridge around the central aperture, a top end of said spring encircling the ridge.

6. The platform bird feeder as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the nut has a base and a neck, the base having a greater outer diameter than the neck so that an upper surface of the base forma a ledge, a lower end of said spring being compressed against the ledge when the feeder is assembled.

7. The platform bird feeder as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the bottom end of the pole is threaded, said base platform including an upwardly directed boss having a threaded central aperture for threadedly being coupled to the bottom end of the pole.

8. The platform bird feeder as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the tightening of the nut compresses the spring directly against the underside of the baffle but does not fully compress said spring, said central aperture in the baffle being larger than an outer diameter of the shaft to create a gap allowing the baffle to tilt relative to the center pole and further compress one side of the spring when sufficient weight is applied to one site of the baffle.

9. A platform bird feeder comprising: a center pole; a base platform connected to a bottom end of the center pole; a tiltable baffle having a central aperture; and an adjustable securing mechanism enabling the user to movably mount the baffle on the pole at any desired height above the base platform, said adjustable securing mechanism including a vertically movable height adjustment component and a spring mounted between an underside of the baffle and the height adjustment component, the vertically movable height adjustment component including a squeezable member and a tightening member both of which have openings to receive the pole, the squeezable member including a locking bolt with a threaded shaft having an axially extending relief cut that divides a lower part of the shaft into two sides having tapered ends, the relief cut enabling the sides to be squeezed toward one another to pinch the pole when the tightening member is tightened on the shaft to constrict the squeezable member so that the squeezable member is frictionally secured at a specific height on the pole and held there by the tightening member; and upward vertical movement of said height adjustment component toward the baffle partially compressing the spring while allowing the baffle to wobble when mounted at said height, said partial compression of the spring allowing one side of the spring to be further compressed when weight is applied to a first side of the baffle so that the first side of the baffle tilts downwardly relative to the center pole while a second side of the baffle opposite the first side tilts upwardly relative to the center pole.

10. The platform bird feeder as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the squeezable member has a head with an outer diameter larger than the baffle central aperture and a shaft, the shaft extending through the central aperture in the baffle, the tightening member being engaged with the shaft of the squeezable member on the underside of the baffle.

11. The platform bird feeder as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the baffle rides on an upper end of said spring, said upper end being in abutment with the underside of the baffle.

12. The platform bird feeder as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the tightening member includes a nut having a base and a neck, the base having a greater outer diameter than the neck so that an upper surface of the base forms a ledge, a lower end of said spring being compressed against the ledge when the feeder is assembled.

13. The platform bird feeder as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the squeezable member includes a locking bolt, the shaft of which is threaded, the threaded shaft of the locking bolt having an axially extending relief cut that divides a lower part of the shaft into two sides having tapered ends, the nut having an axial bore extending through the neck and the base, an inside diameter of said bore being smaller in the base than in the neck, the tapered ends of said sides being received in said base bore when the feeder is assembled.