I just discovered that someone took my treadle feeder plans and is mass producing them in China and selling them in Pet Club stores. It makes me sick.
Look at the bright side, more people will benefit from your design.
Been there, that is why you need to do a kettle planing a head. Draw up your idea, take pictures at all angles, have it notarized, take 7 envelopes, put copy's of documentation in each. Them mail yourself 6 back, by special handling were you need to sign for them when you get them back. This is enough to take claim to a patent. I have a box of them in my dads storage VALT, I will never see. When he died his wife took clam to everything and moved everything into her storage. No one will see anything again.