Patent ID: 6564501
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: A01M

Abstract:
A small animal trap that is capable of capturing the animal alive and without injury, said trap comprising:a tubular chamber having a front opening and a rear opening and being composed of two contiguous segments, a first forward segment and a second rearward segment, each of said segments being defined by an upper surface, a lower surface, and two side walls, and said segments being joined such that the lower surfaces of the two segments form an obtuse angle; two pivot pins, each situated on an upper exterior surface of one of the side walls adjacent to the front opening; a rear closure panel having an interior surface and an exterior surface and being dimensioned to reversibly and securely close the rear opening; a bait receiving element integral with the interior surface of the rear closure panel and situated at point off center on said interior surface so as to permit different positioning of bait; a transverse locking channel situated on an exterior lower surface of the first segment; and a front door assembly comprising: a front closure panel having an upper edge and a lower edge and being dimensioned to securely close the front opening; two ears situated on opposing upper corners of said front closure panel, integral therewith, and projecting rearward at right angles therefrom, each of said ears having an aperture dimensioned to pivotally receive the pivot pins and enabling the front closure panel to be pivoted upward to a horizontal orientation when the trap is set and downward to close the front opening when the trap is activated; two support legs integral with said front closure panel and projecting downward at right angles from opposing corners of the lower edge thereof such that the support legs maintain the front closure panel in the open horizontal orientation while providing substantially unobstructed accessibility to the front opening when the trap is set; a locking member situated at the bottom of each support leg and projecting rearward at right angles therefrom for cooperation with the locking channel when the trap is activated; whereby when the trap is set the forward segment is in a substantially horizontal orientation, the front closure panel is in the horizontal orientation, and bait is placed on the bait receiving element to entice an animal to enter the trap through the front opening and move rearward activating the trap, at which time the chamber tilts rearward and the rearward segment is in a substantially horizontal orientation, the front closure panel pivots downward to close the front opening, the legs come to rest under the forward segment, and the locking members engage the locking channel securely entrapping the animal.