An Improved Animal Trap.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 21st Sept., 1891-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Animal Trap.
1
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communi-
cation to me from abroad by George Andrews, of South Shore, South Dakota,
U.S.A., Inventor,) to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide a trap more especially applicable for
catching mice, and the like, and the invention has for its object to provide a trap
which is continuous in its action, and which will be constantly reset to catch
another animal after one has been caught.
The trap consists of a casing, preferably of square section, and of convenient
size. This casing has an upper and lower compartment, and a partition near the
rear end thereof, which supports it from a rear upper and lower compartment. In
the front upper compartment is a preferably circular opening, which can be opened
or closed by means of a swinging door, which is pivoted to the front of the case.
A portion of the floor of the upper compartment is hinged, and is adapted to be
kept horizontal by a depending weight. Extending rearwardly from this portion
of the floor is an arm, which is connected to the swinging door and the opening
aforesaid. By this means an animal which enters the opening brings its weight to
bear upon the hinged and balanced floor, and the arm connected thereto shuts the
opening, until the animal, moving forward to obtain the bait, treads upon another
balanced trap-door, which giving way, precipitates the animal into another
compartment where it cannot return owing to the doors opening inwards.
Dated this 20th day of December 1890.
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Animal Trap.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Cieorge Andrews, of South Shore, South Dakota,
U.S.A., Inventor,) and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to traps of that class which are set by the animal in the
act of passing from one compartment to another.
The object of the invention is to dispense with all springs and have the trap-
doors weighted and operated in a positive manner, so that an entrapped animal
cannot possibly escape.
The improvement consists of the novel features which will be hereinafter
more fully described and claimed, and which are shown in the annexed drawings,
in which
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a trap embodying. my invention, showing the
operation of the several doors by dotted lines.
Fig. 2 is a top plan, the cover being removed and the cage broken away.
Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view showing the operation of the door for closing
the entrance.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the device for supporting and releasing the
trap which traps the animal from the upper to the lower compartment.
Pain Q17

page_text: Fig. 5 is a reverse side view of the trap, the housing being removed, and the
operation of the weighted parts being shown by dotted lines.
Fig. 6 is a cross section of the trap about on the line X X of Fig. 1.
The
The case is oblong in form and is composed of the bottom A, sides B and C,
ends D and E, and the hinged cover F, and is divided by platform G and the trap-
doors HI and into an upper and lower compartment. The trap doors H and I
are hinged at their front ends to rods which are supported at their ends in the sides
of the case.
The rod i to which the trap-door I is secured is journalled in the
sides of the case, and is extended downward and outward, and weighted at one end,
as shown at ', to hold the said trap-door in a horizontal position. This door I is
limited in its upward movement by the stop, and is supported on the catch & on
the weighted elbow-lever K against the weight of the animal. The trap-door J is
hinged at its rear end, and is engaged by the horizontal arm of the weighted
elbow-lever K, which arm extends through a slot in the side of the case.
bait-box L is placed above platform J in such a position that an animal will tread
on the platform J in attempting to get at the bait, and is composed of a series
of L-shaped rods or bars radiating from an approximately common centre.
The
trap-door H is limited in its movements by the stops and on the side of the
case, and is provided with the arm that is adapted to engage with and support
the pivoted door M, and is held in a normal position by the weighted arm . The
pivoted door M has an extension in the rear of its pivotal support, which is engaged
by the end of the lever N which is pivoted between its ends to one side of the case,
the front end of the lever being expanded and adapted to be struck or engaged by
the bent end of the rod o to which the inclined door O is secured. The free end
of the door M is held from inward displacement by the guard-rail m' and is limited
in its downward movement by the stop m² thereon engaging with an offset m³ in
the guard-rail.
The weighted lever K, weighted end of rod i, lever N, and the bent end of rod o,
are on the same side of the case and exterior thereto, and are closed in by the
housing P. The cage P has an upper and lower compartment that are in com-
munication by reason of the opening pin the horizontal partition pl, and which
cage Pis removably held to the case by the hooks-p which enter-openings in the
latoral cars pand by the tongue p-which-is- inserted-in-a-keeper ps on the bottom.
of the case. The passage Q between the trap and the cage is provided on its
entrance or inner end with the inclined wire door O, and at its outer end with the
wire guard R, which latter is mounted on the rod that is journalled in the sides
of the passage, one end-of the-rod-7 being-bent at to-engage with the_stop_1²,
whereby the guard is prevented from swinging in the passage.
An
The operation of the trap is as follows: The door M being held open by arm /*
and the bait-box supplied with the proper bait, the trap is ready for action.
animal enters the trap and advancing to the bait-box depresses trap-door H and
disengages arm / from door M, which closes behind the animal. In his endeavour
to get at the bait the animal perches on platform I and presses with his fore-feet
on trap-door J, which latter descending or tilting withdraws the catch k from
beneath the trap-door I and precipitates the animal into the lower compartment.
In passing from the trap to the cage through the passage Q the animal raises the
door O and through the bent end of the rod o and the lever N resets the trap by
opening the door M. The wire guard K prevents the animal from passing from
the cage back into the trap.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In an animal trap, the combination, with the movable door M, having stop m²,
of the guard-rail m', having offset m³, and the weighted platform H, having arm '
to engage with and support the said door when open, substantially as and for the
purposes described.

page_text: 2. In a trap, the combination, with the movable door, of the trap-door having
an arm to support the door, of a second door connected with the entrance-door
to open the same after being closed, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
3. In a trap having an upper or lower compartment, the combination, with the
trap-doors I and J of a weighted elbow-lever having a catch to support the trap-
door and engaging with the trap-door J to retain it in a normal position, and
which is operated when said trap-door J is depressed to withdraw the catch from
beneath the trap-door I, substantially as described.
4. The combination, with the case having an entrance, a movable door to close
said entrance and a trap-door having an arm to engage with and support the said
bar, of a second door and a connection between the two doors, whereby the
operation of the second door opens the entrance-door, substantially as specified.
5: The combination, with the case, the door M, the trap-doors H, I, and J, and
the door O, of the weighted rod i, the lever N, the weighted lever K, and the bent
end of the rod o on the same side of and exterior to the case and the housing P,
substantially as specified.
6. A trap comprising a case, the platform G, and trap-doors H, I, and J,
dividing the case into upper and lower compartments, the pivoted door M, the
arm ², attached to the trap-door H for supporting door M, the weighted lever K,
having catch for supporting trap-door 1, the lever N, and the door O, having
rod o bent and adapted to operate lever N and reset trap, substantially as
described.
Dated this 20th day of September 1801
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.