Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1886
Complete Left, 21st Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 22nd Mar., 1887.
We, THOMAS RANDOLL CATTELL, of Forde Hall, Wootton Wawen, Warwickshire,
Farmer, and ALFRED HENRY SUMMERS, of Tanworth, Warwickshire, Millwright, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our Invention has reference to those traps for catching quadrupeds, birds, men and
other animals which are closed by the action of a spring or weight when a catch is
released by pressure being applied to a treadle or plate which holds the said catch in
position our object being to provide means whereby such traps can be set to close
only when a certain pressure is applied to the treadle thereby ensuring the trap
against being let off by a smaller animal than which it was set to catch.
We will describe, as an example, our Invention applied to an ordinary spring rabbit
trap consisting of a pair of spring jaws which, when the trap set, lie open, one of such
jaws being held down by a clip which is prevented from rising by a catch on the
treadle. On the treadle being depressed the catch is withdrawn from the end of the
clip and the spring jaws close. As the treadle is only maintained in its "set" position
by friction set up between its catch and the end of the said clip, a small pressure
applied to the treadle, as for instance a field mouse running over it, might be great
enough to release the catch and allow the trap to close.
According to one arrangement of our Invention we apply a spring to the treadle so
as to require a certain pressure to compress it before the trap is "let off." This we
prefer to arrange as follows:-Between the under-side of the treadle and the trap
frame we provide a coiled or other spring which can be compressed and shortened for
instance a quarter of an inch by a pressure of one pound on the treadle. The said
treadle is made without the above named usual catch which keeps the trap open such
catch being provided on a lever situated underneath the treadle and pivotted at or near
one end to the trap frame. When the trap is set there is a short space of say for
instance a quarter of an inch between the top of the lever and the underside of the
treadle through which therefore the latter will have to be moved against the one pound
pressure of the said spring before it will touch and depress the lever and release the
catch to "let off" the trap. It will be seen that any animal incapable of exerting a
pressure of one pound on the treadle will be unable to "let off" the trap.

page_text: We sometimes provide an adjustable screw in the lever or in the treadle by means
of which the distance through which the treadle will have to move before depressing
the lever can be regulated so as to make the trap adjustable to catch animals of
different weights.
As a modification of our Invention instead of forming the catch on a lever beneath
the treadle as above described the catch may be formed on the treadle in the ordinary
manner and the said lever may be dispensed with.
Our Invention can be applied to traps for catching other quadrupeds, birds, men
and other animals whether such traps are provided with a single treadle and catch or
two or more treadles and catches similarly as above described with reference to a
spring rabbit trap such variations only being made in the parts as will be required to
adapt them to the various traps to which they are applied.
As a further modification of our Invention instead of employing a spiral or other
spring which has to be compressed to "let off" the trap as above described a counter-
weight may be employed and arranged to be raised when a certain pressure is exerted
on the treadle.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
128, Colmore Row, Birmingham,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Traps for Catching Animals.
We, THOMAS RANDOLL CATTELL, of Forde Hall, Wootton Wawen, Warwickshire,
Farmer, and ALFRED HENRY SUMMERS, of Tanworth, Warwickshire, Millwright,
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:
Our Invention has reference to those traps for catching quadrupeds, birds, men and
other animals which are closed by the action of a spring or weight when a catch is
released by pressure being applied to the treadle or plate which holds the said catch in
position our object being to provide means whereby such traps can be set to close
only when a certain pressure is applied to the treadle thereby insuring the trap against
being let off by a smaller animal than which it was set to catch.
We will describe, as an example our Invention applied to an ordinary spring rabbit
trap consisting of a pair of spring jaws which, when the trap is set, lie open, one
of such jaws being held down by a clip which is prevented from rising by a catch on
the treadle. On the treadle being depressed the catch is withdrawn from the end of
the clip and the spring jaws close. As the treadle is only maintained in its "set"
position by friction set up between its catch and the end of the said clip, a small
pressure applied to the treadle, as for instance a field mouse running over it, might be
great enough to release the catch and allow the trap to close.
The
According to one arrangement of our Invention we apply a spring to the treadle so
as to require a certain pressure to compress it before the trap is "let off." This we
prefer to arrange as follows:-Between the under-side of the treadle and the trap
frame we provide a coiled or other spring which can be compressed and shortened for
instance a quarter of an inch. by a pressure of one pound on the treadle.
said treadle is made without the above named usual catch which keeps the trap open
such catch being provided on a lever situated underneath the treadle and pivotted at or
near one end to the trap frame. When the trap is set there is a short space of say for
instance a quarter of an inch between the top of the lever and the underside of the
treadle through which therefore the latter will have to be moved against the one pound
pressure of the said spring before it will touch and depress the lever and release the
catch to let off the trap. It will be seen that any animal incapable of exerting
a pressure of one pound on the treadle will be unable to "let off" the trap.
We sometimes provide an adjustable screw in the lever or in the treadle by means
of which the distance through which the treadle will have to move before depressing
the lever can be regulated so as to make the trap adjustable to catch animals of
different weights.
On the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents a rabbit trap constructed
according to our Invention the parts being in the positions which they would occupy

page_text: when the trap is set; Fig. 2 represents part of the same trap illustrated by Fig. 1. the
treadle having been removed and Fig. 3 represents an inverted view of the treadle of
the same separately; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are cross sectional elevations of the same trap
illustrating its action as hereinafter fully described and Fig. 7 is a part end elevation
of the same.
A, A, are the two jaws of the trap, B is the spring by which the said jaws are
closed, is the bottom" piece or trap frame to which the jaws are hinged, D is the
cross-piece connected to the bottom piece C and carrying the clip E for maintaining
one of the jaws open all of the ordinary construction. F is the treadle pressed
upwards by the coiled spring G which acts between the underside of the treadle Fand
the bottom part of the frame C. The treadle F may be hinged to the trap frame in
the ordinary manner so as to be capable of an up and down motion but we prefer to
hinge it to the frame by the arrangement of mechanism represented on the drawings
so that it will have the same effect in releasing the clip E no matter on whatever part
of the treadle a downward pressure, as caused by an animal running over it, may be
applied. The said arrangement of mechanism consists of four levers, the
two latter are, preferably formed together, each pivotted to a bracket h fixed to or
formed with the frame C. The levers are hinged at their outer ends to ears
"fff", formed on the treadle underneath and their inner ends are pinned
loosely together. The distances from the fulcra of the levers to the points where they
are jointed to the treadle are equal and so are the distances from the fulcra to the
points where they are joined together. By this arrangement of levers the treadle will
move up and down in parallel planes. Underneath the treadle F is a lever K pivotted
to the trap frame at and preferably provided with a set screw at its outer end.
When the trap is set (see Fig. 4) there is a short space of say for instance a quarter
of an inch between the top of the lever (or when a set screw is used between the end
of the set screw ) and the underside of the treadle. The trap is "let off" when the
lever K has moved low enough for the catch to release the lever (see Fig. 6). It will
be seen that in this case the treadle F must be moved downwards against the pressure
of the spring G through the space of a quarter of an inch before it will come into
contact with the set screw and begin to move the lever K downwards to let off the
trap. The set screw may be carried by the treadle to act upon the end of the lever
instead of being carried by the lever to act upon the treadle. By adjusting the set
screw the distance through which the treadle F will have to move and the
amount the spring G is compressed before depressing the lever K and releasing the
lever E can be regulated so as to make the trap adjustable to catch animals of
different weights.
Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a modification of the mechanism for giving a parallel motion
to the treadle the meeting ends of the levers, being formed as toothed
sectors and gearing together instead of being pinned together. The treadle is
represented in its highest position in Fig. 8 and its lowest position in Fig. 9.
As a modification of our Invention instead of forming the catch on a lever beneath
the treadle as above described the catch may be formed on the treadle in the ordinary
manner and the said lever may be dispensed with. In this arrangement of our
Invention we simply provide a spring or counterweight underneath the ordinary
treadle to prevent its going off until a certain pressure has been applied to it.
Our Invention can be applied to traps for catching other quadrupeds, birds, men
and other animals whether such traps are provided with a single treadle and catch or
two or more treadles and catches similarly as above described with reference to a
spring rabbit trap such variations only being made in the parts as will be required to
adapt them to the various traps to which they are applied.
As a further modification of our Invention instead of employing a spiral or other
spring which has to be compressed to "let off" the trap as above described a
counterweight may be employed and arranged to be raised when a certain pressure is
exerted on the treadle. This is illustrated by Fig. 10 in which a lever M is jointed to
the frame at m and provided with a counterweight N at one end. The other end of
the lever acts upon the treadle which is thus kept pressed upwards by the counter-

page_text: weight N which is preferably made adjustable on the lever M so that the pressure on
the treadle at which the trap will go off can be varied as desired.
In conclusion we wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the
precise details herein described and illustrated as the same may be varied without
departing from the nature of our Invention but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
The improvements in traps for catching animals substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings whereby such traps can be set
to go off" only when a certain pressure is applied on the treadle as herein
described.
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