Patent Publication Number: US-9848594-B1

Title: Animal trap stabilizer

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
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     REFERENCE TO APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the field of hunting, trapping, and catching animals, more specifically, an auxiliary device adapted for use with a long or coil spring trap. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The animal trap stabilizer is adapted for use in bedding coil and long spring traps. The animal trap stabilizer is a structure formed in the shape of a rectangular shell that provides a non-compressible surface upon which the coil spring or long spring trap can be set. The animal trap stabilizer has formed in the surface a recessed structure that is shaped to allow the coil spring or long spring trap to be placed within the animal trap stabilizer such that the coil spring or long spring trap will be flush to the surface of the animal trap stabilizers. 
     These together with additional objects, features and advantages of the animal trap stabilizer will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     In this respect, before explaining the current embodiments of the animal trap stabilizer in detail, it is to be understood that the animal trap stabilizer is not limited in its applications to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustration. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept of this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the animal trap stabilizer. 
     It is therefore important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the animal trap stabilizer. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. They are meant to be exemplary illustrations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure across  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure across  4 - 4  in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is an in use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT 
     The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments of the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. 
     Detailed reference will now be made to a first potential embodiment of the disclosure, which is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 . 
     The animal trap stabilizer  100  (hereinafter invention) further comprises a mounting platform  101  and a recessed structure  102 . The invention  100  is adapted for use in bedding a coil spring or long spring trap  151 . The invention  100  is a structure formed in the shape of a rectangular shell that provides a non-compressible surface upon which the coil spring or long spring trap  151  can be set. The invention  100  has formed in the surface of the mounting platform  101  a recessed structure  102  that is shaped to allow the coil spring or long spring trap  151  to be placed within the mounting platform  101  such that the coil spring or long spring trap  151  is flush to the surface of the mounting platform  101  when the spring coil trap  151  is in the set position. 
     The mounting platform  101  is a rectangular shell structure that is further defined with a first surface  121  and a second surface  122 . The second surface  122  of the mounting platform  101  is proximal to the ground when the invention  100  is used normally. 
     The recessed structure  102  is a cavity that is formed in the first surface  121  of the mounting platform  101 . The recessed structure  102  is designed to receive and act as the bed for the setting of the coil spring or long spring trap  151 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the recessed structure  102  further comprises an inner cylinder  111 , an outer cylinder  112 , a first lever lobe  113 , a second lever lobe  114 , a slot  115 , and chain channel  116 . The inner cylinder  111  is a cylindrically shaped hole that is formed in the first surface  121 . The inner cylinder  111  is sized to receive a frame  157 , a base plate  158 , and a pad  159  of the coil spring or long spring trap  151 . The inner cylinder  111  is further defined with an inner cylinder diameter  141  and an inner cylinder depth  142 . The outer cylinder  112  is a cylindrically shaped hole that is aligned with the inner cylinder  111 . The outer cylinder  112  is further defined with an outer cylinder diameter  143  and an outer cylinder depth  144 . 
     The span of the outer cylinder diameter  143  is greater than the span of the inner cylinder diameter  141 . The span of the outer cylinder depth  144  is lesser than the span of the inner cylinder depth  142 . The outer cylinder diameter  143  is sized to receive the jaws of the coil spring or long spring trap  151  when the jaws are set position and engaged for trapping. The first lever lobe  113  is a cylindrically shaped cavity that connects to but projects away from the face of the outer cylinder  112 . The first lever lobe  113  is sized to receive a first spring lever  160  of the coil spring or long spring trap  151 . The second lever lobe  114  is identical to the first lever lobe  113  and is positioned diametrically opposite the position of the first lever lobe  113  along the outer cylinder  112 . The second lever lobe  114  is sized to receive a second spring lever  161  of the coil spring or long spring trap  151 . 
     The chain channel  116  is a channel that is formed from the face of the outer cylinder  112  to the edge of the mounting platform  101 . The purpose of the chain channel  116  is to provide a channel within which to place a chain  162  that is used to secure the coil spring or long spring trap  151 . 
     To use the invention  100 , a hole is dug in the ground such that: 1) a recessed portion of the invention  100  fits in the hole, and 2) the depth of the hole is such that the coil spring or long spring trap  151  will be at or below ground level when the coil spring or long spring trap  151  is set. The invention  100  is the pressed into the hole to insure that the invention  100  is solidly set into the hole. The coil spring or long spring trap  151  is then set in the invention  100 , and a pan cover and other natural cover are placed over the coil spring or long spring trap  151  and the invention  100 . 
     The first surface  121  of the mounting platform  101  may include securing holes  188 . The securing holes  188  are provided adjacent to corners of the first surface  121 . Moreover, the securing holes  188  are optionally used to secure the invention  100  to a ground surface via stakes  189  as needed. 
     The intersection of the outer cylinder  112  with the inner cylinder  111  includes the slot  115 . Moreover, the slot  115  may be a plurality of slots  115  that are equally spaced around the inner cylinder  111 . The plurality of slots  115  is included where the coil spring or long spring trap  151  has additional components that necessitate the plurality of slots  115 . In other words, different traps have different parts, which may require the plurality of slots  115 . 
     The invention  100  is molded as a single unit from plastic. Alternately, the invention  100  can be machined into a rectangular shell of plastic. Suitable plastics include, but are not limited to, poly (methyl methacrylic), high density polyethylene, or polyoxymethylene. Polyoxymethylene is preferred. 
     The following definitions were used in this disclosure: 
     Center: As used in this disclosure, a center is a point that is: 1) the point within a circle that is equidistant from all the points of the circumference; 2) the point within a regular polygon that is equidistant from all the vertices of the regular polygon; 3) the point on a line that is equidistant from the ends of the line; or, 4) the point, pivot, or axis around which something revolves. 
     Center Axis: As used in this disclosure, the center axis is the axis of a cylinder like structure. When the center axes of two cylinder like structures share the same line they are said to be aligned. When the center axes of two cylinder like structures do not share the same line they are said to be offset. 
     Cylinder: As used in this disclosure, a cylinder is a geometric solid defined by two identical flat and parallel ends that are circular in shape and connected with a single curved surface wherein when the cross section of the cylinder remains the same from one end to another. The axis of the cylinder is formed by the straight line that connects the center of each of the two identical flat and parallel ends of the cylinder. In this disclosure, the term cylinder specifically means a right cylinder, which is defined as a cylinder wherein the curved surface perpendicularly intersects with the two identical flat and parallel ends. 
     Exterior Screw Thread: An exterior screw thread is a ridge wrapped around the outer surface of a tube in the form of a helical structure that is used to convert rotational movement into linear movement. 
     Interior Screw Thread: An interior screw thread is a ridge wrapped around the inner surface of a tube in the form of a helical structure that is used to convert rotational movement into linear movement. 
     With respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationship for the various components of the invention described above and in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function, and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the invention. 
     It shall be noted that those skilled in the art will readily recognize numerous adaptations and modifications which can be made to the various embodiments of the present invention which will result in an improved invention, yet all of which will fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.