Panels for lobster traps

A lobster trap having top, bottom sides and ends forming a rectangular box like structure. The top, bottom, one end and one side wall each being made of spaced laths. The other end wall may be made of reticulated wire mesh having an entrance opening therein. The other side wall has laths and a detachable plastic panel which is the subject matter of this invention. The panel is constructed of dark blue or black rigid water resistant plastic material and have narrow rectangular slots therethrough adjacent the top edge and bottom edge. One of the panels has two large rectangular openings therethrough to allow undersized lobsters and crabs to escape from the trap. An alternate panel has relatively large circular vents therethrough to permit undersized lobsters to escape but not crabs.

My invention relates to lobster and crab traps, more particularly to panels 
or plates for lobster and crab traps. 
One of the objects of my invention is to so modify a lobster trap to permit 
undersized lobsters and if desired crabs to escape from the traps. 
A further object of my invention is the elimination of labor and time spent 
in removing manually the undersized lobsters from lobster traps. 
A further object is to provide a durable panel for lobster traps. 
A further object is to provide a panel for lobster traps which allows 
undersized lobsters but not crabs to escape from the trap.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lobster trap, in normal usage at present, 
constitutes a rectangular box like structure having a bottom, top, sides, 
and one end wall each of which is made up of spaced hard wood laths and 
the open end is a screen like rectangular pyramid shaped element extending 
into the box like structure and having its inner end open to form an 
entrance passage into the trap. One of the side walls is hinged or 
removably attached to the box like structure to allow removal of the 
trapped lobsters and or crabs. 
The hinged or removable side wall of my trap indicated at (1) in FIG. 1 
shows one of my panels (2) attached to the lower end of the side wall (1) 
after two of the lower laths of this side wall (1) have been removed. 
An enlarged view of panel 2, illustrated in FIG. 2 shows this panel to have 
two large rectangular openings or vents (10) therethrough. These openings 
(10) are approximately 6 to 61/4 inches long and 13/4 to 17/8 inches wide 
and have rounded ends. Such openings permit undersized lobsters and crabs 
to escape from the trap. 
My panels are constructed of very durable gray or black plastic material 
such as polyethylene or polypropanol which is resistant to salt water. 
They are rigid and approximately 1/8 inch in thickness, about 4 inches in 
width and from 20 to 22 inches in length. Each panel has two reinforcing 
ribs (11) and (12) adjacent their outter longitudinal edges. The inner 
ribs (12) have slot openings (13) therethrough to allow water to pass into 
and out of the trap. The ends of each panel are flat and plane and are 
attached to the trap by nails, screws or wire, not shown. 
An alternate panel is made of the same material and design but has two or 
more spaced circular openings 20 therethrough. These openings are 
approximately 21/4 to 27/8 inches in diameter and allow undersized 
lobsters but not crabs to escape from the trap. 
It is noted that my panel is substantially rigid yet because of the nature 
of its material and size of the panel it may be flexed to bend and be 
wired to a curved trap as well as to a rectangular trap wall.