An Improved Trap for Animals.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Trap for Animals.
ROBERT CHARLES MEEKREN 6 Brassey Square Shaftesbury Park Lavender
Hill S.W. Clerk do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a trap that will catch all kinds of
animals little or big and that will be continuous in its action returning immediately
to the set or ready position after catching an animal..
The trap consists mainly of three parts-
1. A tip-up board or trap-door turning or falling on an axle or hinges, and.
weighted at one end with an adjustable weight, or worked by a spring, and fitted
at the same end with a plate of iron or steel. 2. Of a frame or body constructed
to hold the tip-up or trap-door in a working position. 3. Of a permanent magnet
and (in catching large animals) of an electro-magnet.
The magnet is fixed so that when the trap is set, the plate of iron or steel
together with the weighted end of the tip-up or trap-door to which it is fitted shall
rest upon its ends or poles.
It may be worked with bait, or by being placed over a pit in the runs of
animals &c.
By this means there is no enclosure of roof and sides to excite the caution of the
animal, and perfect firmness of the tip-up or trap-door is obtained until the magnetic
contact is broken which is of so sudden a nature that its capture is certain.
June 1905
R. C. MEEKREN.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Trap for Animals.
I ROBERT CHARLES MEEKREN of 12 Hambalt Road, Abbeville Road,
Clapham S.W. Clerk, and formerly of 6 Brassey Square, Shaftesbury Park,
Battersea S.W. do hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 animal traps and more particularly to that class which
are self-setting.
The object of this invention is to provide a trap that will be simple and
efficient and which will catch animals either by tempting them by a bait or by
placing the trap in their path or run. The trap is placed or fixed over any suitable
receptacle for holding animals such as a box cage barrell or pit and the animal is
precipitated into the receptacle provided through a trap-door on to which it
unsuspectingly runs or is lured by a bait.
The improvement consists of the novel features which hereinafter will be more
fully described and claimed and which are shown in the accompanying drawings in
which
Fig. 1 is a top plan view embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is a bottom plan detail view.
Fig. 3 is a vertical central longitudinal section showing the operation of the trap-
door by dotted lines.
Fig. 4 is an end plan view of the weighted end of the trap-door.

page_text: The trap comprises the body or magnet-holder A, the magnet B, the sides or
arms C, the trap-door D, the iron or steel plate or keeper to the magnet E, the
adjustable weight F, and a support for the bait G.
The sides are fixed to the body A in such a manner that the trap-door D can
readily turn between them, they project beyond the trap-door D so as to support
the bait just clear of it, and they are pierced with holes lined or otherwise, to act as
bearings to the axle or journals upon which the trap-door turns.
One end of the trap-door D is weighted, preferably with an adjustable weight F,
to which weighted end is fitted the keeper E, the bottom edge of which slightly
projects.
The magnet B is fitted to the bottom side of the body A with slightly projecting
pole or poles. The trap-door D) is so arranged that when it is at rest or set it shall
be about on a level with the body A, and the sides C, its weighted end shall almost
touch the inner end of the body A at the same time that the keeper E shall rest
upon the pole or poles of the magnet. The magnetic contact thus formed cannot
be broken by the weight of an animal until its body is well over to the falling end
of the trap-door and its sudden fall into the receptacle provided is ensured.
The trap-door is brought back again to the set or ready position by the
weight F.
When the trap is placed in the path or run of small animals as over a pit two.
traps are preferably used having the outer ends of the trap-doors facing and just
clear of each other and if necessary braced together at the sides C.
A permanent magnet is usually employed but in cases where this trap is used
for heavy animals weighing say 20 or 30 lbs. and upwards an electro magnet may
be substituted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a trap for animals the combination with the body or magnet-holder,' of a
magnet either permanent or electro, two sides or arms and also a support for the
bait substantially as described.
2. In a trap for animals the combination with the trap-door of an adjustable
weight under and near one end of it together with an iron or steel plate at the
same end substantially as described.
3. In a trap for animals the combination of the body, magnet, sides, and bait-
holder with the trap-door pivotally supported by the sides substantially as and for
the purpose described.
4. The herein-specified trap composed of the body A having the sides C, the
bait-holder G and the trap-door D, about on the same level and forming nearly an
unbroken flat surface. The magnet B below the body A, the adjustable weight F
below the trap-door D and near that end of it fitted with the iron or steel plate or
keeper E, substantially as specified.
Dated this 7th dow of March 1802