Improvements in Rabbit, Vermin, Bird, and similar Traps.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 23rd Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 25th Mar., 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rabbit, Vermin, Bird, and similar Traps.
GEORGE DYER WOOD, Brass Lock Manufacturer North Street Wednesfield
Staffordshire do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The Trap's now in use has the bow of the Spring working inside the Trap when it
goes off has a tendency to throw out of the Trap the object it is intended to catch.
Secondly. It requires a great pressure on the spring to set it. This Trap on the
contrary has the Lever L or spring bearing on the end of the jaw's J the jaw's rest
on projections P of Standard S when set. When the Trap goes off the jaw's fall
between the projections which is on each side of Standard. When setting the
Lever lifts the jaw's from between the projections.
Dated this 20th day of M 1986
GEORGE DYER WOOD.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rabbit, Vermin, Bird, and similar Traps.
I, GEORGE DYER WOOD, of North Street, Wednesfield in the County of Stafford,
lock manufacturer, 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings
and the letters of reference marked thereon (that is to say)
:-
This invention relates to that class of traps known as "gin" traps, in which a pair
of jaws are closed together by means of a spring as the trap is set off by the weight or
pressure of an animal upon a falling plate. Such traps, as usually constructed, have
a bow formed on the end of the spring, and this bow flies up, when the spring is
released by the setting off of the trap, around parts of the jaws which become vertical
when the jaws are closed together, and the part of the bow which passes around
inside the jaws has a tendency, as it flies up, to throw up clear of the jaws, an animal
which it is desired to catch, but which if such tendency has effect, escapes. Moreover,
this class of traps, as usually constructed, requires considerable pressure to set them,
owing to the fact that the pressure of the hand upon the spring, to compress it, has to
be exerted some distance back from the bowed or free end thereof.
Now, the object of this invention is to avoid the risk of throwing an animal clear
of the trap in the manner above-described, and to very considerably facilitate the
setting of the trap by enabling the pressure necessary to compress the spring to be
exerted in the most advantageous manner.
According to this invention the journals of the jaws are carried at one end in a.
moveable support in such a manner that they can be raised against the pressure of a
spring which in reacting draws them down again.. When these journals are raised
and the trap set the parts of the jaws near to these journals rest on the top of a fixed
support on the frame, and when the trap is set off. these journals and the parts of the
jaws, adjacent thereto are drawn.suddenly down between the sides of such support by
the reaction of the spring, and the jaws are thereby closed sharply and firmly together.
The support being itself a fixture upon the frame and needing to be carried up only a
moderate height, has of course no tendency to throw out an animal from between the
jaws. The rising and falling journals of the jaws may be carried in the inner end of
a lever fulcrumed upon the frame and having a strong spring between its outer end
and the frame, or may be carried in a bar or link connected to a spring below the
frame tending constantly to draw it downwards, such bar or link passing up through
an opening in the frame to its connection-with the journals. In either case the lever
and framic, or the spring and frame, as the case may be, are each plain-ended, and the
trap is set by gripping together their outer ends just as a pair of blacksmiths' tongs
are gripped together, the pressure thus being exerted with the maximum amount of
leverage.
This invention will be readily understood on reference to the accompanying drawings,
of which those on sheet 1 illustrate one modification of a trap constructed according
to this invention, and those on sheet 2 another modification thereof.

page_text: Referring, first, to the drawings on sheet 1 herewith, figure is a side elevation of
the trap when set-off or closed; figure 2 a plan thereof when set or open; figure 3 a
section on. linear of figure 2, looking in the direction of the jaws; and figure 4
a corresponding section to figure 3, but shewing the jaws closed and with the lever
hereinafter described omitted. Corresponding parts are similarly lettered throughout
the views. The outer, journals of the jaws A A. are carried. in the usual manner upon
the frame B, but the inner journals a a are carried within the end of a lever C
fulcrumed at c upon the frame B, and with its outer end pressed outwards from such
frame by means of a spring D; so as to constantly tend to press down the end b of
such lever. A support E, carried upon the frame in position immediately inside the
journals a a. of the jaws, has guides or studs d d projecting therefrom, as shewn, so
that when the journals a a are drawn down the jaws will be drawn partially down
between the guides (see specially figure 4) and be thus firmly closed together, and the
guides are of such height on their upper surfaces that when the journals a a are raised
to set the trap, as they may be by pressing the outer end of the lever C towards the
frame, the jaws lie upon the tops of the guides (see specially figure 3). The part of
the frame supporting the outer ends of the jaws is shewn as turned up inside the jaws
to prevent them moving end ways towards the inner end of the trap, and the support E
prevents the jaws from moving endways in the opposite direction, but the frame may
be turned up outside the outer ends of the jaws and the journals be turned outwards
in the usual manner to fit therein, in which case the end of the lever C prevents the
jaws from moving endways towards the handle. The web or rib e, projecting from
the support E between the jaws, is merely to prevent the jaws from both falling over
onto the same side, and. is not essential.
Referring now to the drawings on sheet 2 herewith, figure 5 is a side elevation of the
trap when set off; figure 6 a plan of the trap when set; fig. 7 an end view of the trap
when set, looking from the inner or handle end thereof; and figure 8 a plan of a short
length of the spring lever hereinafter described showing the opening therethrough
through which the bar or link hereinafter described is passed for attachment thereto.
Corresponding parts are similarly lettered throughout the views, and the parts upon
sheet 2 corresponding to those on sheet 1 are correspondingly lettered. According to
this modification, a spring lever C₁ is rigidly connected at its back end with the
underside of the back end of the frame B. A bar or link is connected at
its lower end with the spring lever C₁, and passing up through an opening F in the
frame carries in its upper end the inner journals a a of the jaws. A mounting E is
fixed upon the frame, and corresponds to the support E of the first modification
having vertical (or approximately vertical) sides d d which answer the same purpose
as the guides d d of the first modification. The spring lever C₁ tends constantly to
draw down the bar b, with the same effect as is produced by the pressing down of the
end of the lever C of the first modification, and the jaws are opened for setting the
trap by pressing the outer end of the spring lever C towards the frame. For con-
venience of ready detachment and attachment, in case of the renewal of a
spring, the
lower end of the bar is shaped as clearly shewn by figure 7, that is with a niche on
each side thereof, and the opening therefor in the spring is shaped as shewn by
figure 4 so that the bar may be passed flat ways through the hole and then turned a
quarter turn to bring it into position and to allow the upper and lower edges of the
niches to clip the spring. The bar bis guided in grooves ff in the mounting E and
thus prevents the jaws from moving endways towards the handle, and the support
carrying the outer ends of the jaws prevents the jaws from moving endways in the
opposite direction, but it will be obvious that the journals may be turned inwards at
each end instead of outwards as shewn, the position of the mounting E, bar b, and
support carrying the outer ends of the jaws, being also reversed in position, or
modified, to suit such arrangement.
The end of the lever C (first modification) and the upper end of the bar b (second
modification) are shewn each to have a slotted opening therein for the reception of the
journals a a. Such an opening, however, is not essential as two plain circular holes

page_text: would answer the purpose as well; the slotted opening is employed because it is
convenient to punch out.
The details of the invention may be varied considerably without departing from its
nature; for instance, in the second modifications the sides d d may be dispensed with
and the jaws closed by drawing thom, partially down between the sides of the hole
through the frame, the shape of the parts being of course modified, as will be apparent,
to suit such arrangement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim, is :-
1. A rabbit, vermin, bird, or similar trap of the class referred to, in which the jaws
are carried at one end in a movable support by which they are drawn down between
guides to close the trap and by which they are raised to set the trap, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
2. A rabbit, vermin, bird or similar trap, of the class referred to, in which the outer
or unconnected end of the handle or projecting end of the frame and the outer end of
a lever, or the outer or unconnected end of the handle or projecting end of the frame
and the outer end of a spring, are drawn together to permit of the opening of the
jaws in setting the trap, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. A rabbit, vermin, bird or similar trap, constructed and operating substantially as
described with reference to the drawings on sheet 1 herewith, for the purpose set
forth.
4. A rabbit, vermin, bird or similar trap, constructed and operating substantially as
described with reference to the drawings on sheet 2 herewith, for the purpose set
forth.
FTT