An Improved Mouse or Rat Trap.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mouse or Rat Trap.
We, JEREMIAH HURRELL, Coachman, Grange, Castlewellan, County Down,
and GEORGE STURGEON, Mechanic, Grange, Castlewellan, County Down, 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 follow-
ing statement:-
This invention relates to mouse and rat traps and it has for its object to
improve their construction.
In order that our said invention may be properly understood we have here-
unto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whereon,
Fig. 1 is a plan view of one arrangement of the trap.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line X-X Fig, 1.
Figs. 3 and 4 are views respectively of the entrance and rear ends of the
trap.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified construction of the trap.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section of same on the line Y-Y Fig. 5 whilst Figs. 7
and 8 are views of the ends of the trap Figs. 5 and 6.
On the drawings the same letters wherever repeated indicate the same or
similar parts.
C
In the arrangement shown at Figs. 1 to 4 of the annexed sheet of drawings
the trap consists of two wire spirals a laid horizontally one beside the other
on a base board or plate c. The spirals, at the one end, are soldered to a vertical
metal plate having bent back ends and secured to the base board by means
of nails or the like and which is provided with openings e (see dotted lines
Fig. 4) through which the vermin can be withdrawn. The openings e can be
opened and closed by means of a sliding door f which works in the bent over
edges at the top and bottom of the plate d. The spirals a, b, at the opposite
end, are soldered to a vertical plate i made with openings to correspond with
the openings in the spirals a, b. The plate forms the back and is also bent
over, at ¹, so as to form the top of two entering passages g, h. These passages
are formed by the wood uprights,,, in conjunction with the plate i
aforesaid.
j, k, are metal flap doors which are connected to the cross pins or wires 1
which latter can work freely in holes made for the reception of their ends in the
uprights,,. m, m' are spring catches (secured to the top part of the
plate ) which are capable of catching the upper ends of the flap doors j, k,
when in the vertical position (see dotted lines Fig. 2) and of holding them in
that position. Each catch has a bent hook n at its end. The front turned up
part of the plate i, is made with slots for the spring catches to work in.
The flap doors j, k, one for each passage, normally hang down freely in the
position shown in full lines at Fig. 2, with their upper ends resting against
the hooks n.
As the mouse or rat enters the passage of the trap it pushes up the flap
door ; which yields readily and, immediately the animal has entered, the door

page_text: falls down automatically into the normal position (full lines j Fig. 2). The
animal now tries to escape and pushes itself back against the flap door with the
result that the latter is forced backwards sufficiently to cause its upper end to
raise up and pass below the bent end of the spring catch m. When this has
taken place the spring catch m, at once resumes its normal down position with
the result that its bent end n catches the back of the flap-door and locks it
securely in the vertical position so that the animal cannot escape.
The spring-catch m and flap door jare shown in the set position i.e., in the
position ready for capturing the animal, whilst the spring-catch m¹ and flap
door are shown in the locked position i.e., in the position assumed after the
animal has been captured.
One, two, or other number of spirals may be used. When two or more spirals
are used the bait may be placed between the spirals.
is a
In the modified construction of trap shown at Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, the spirals
are dispensed with and the body of the trap made wholly of wood. In this
arrangement the uprights 2, 3, 4, are carried along from end to end of the
base e so as to form the side walls of two rectangular chambers g, h.
wood cover or top. The spring-catches m, m³ are secured in the top a³ of
the chambers g, h, as shown at Fig. 6, and work in the slots g'. The sliding
door f, in this case, is made of wood and works in the grooves fl, fl: s is a
stop pin.
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 consider novel and desire to claim is:-
1. The construction or arrangement and combination of parts of the mouse
or rat trap substantially as herein before described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4
of the drawings annexed.
2. The modified construction of the mouse or rat trap, substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figs. 5 to 8 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 26th day of October 1899,
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.