Improvements in Animal Traps.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Animal Traps.
We, EUGENE CLINTON WALDURFF, Physician, and FRANK THOMAS
REYNOLDS, Contractor, both of No. 496 Porter Avenue, Buffalo, County of Erie,
State of New York, U.S.A., do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The trap of this invention comprises a base block having a circular aperture and
leading from this aperture to the back of the block a slot for the reception of a
pivotted spoon shape plate which upon being depressed disengages a spring jaw
which falls upon the animal in the trap. The spring jaw is mounted to turn on
the bottom of a standard fixed or pivotted to the base block and the top of the
spring jaw is when in the open position held upon a hook of a locking plate
pivotted on the top of the standard. The spring jaw is made of wire and is coiled
to form the required springs. To the spoon shaped plate is pivotally connected a
trip rod provided with a point to hold the bait. The trip rod has at its upper end
a cross wire which is engaged by another hook on the locking plate which is
released when the spoon shaped part is depressed so as to allow of the fall of the
spring jaw.
Dated this 8th day of May 1896.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in Animal Traps.
We, EUGENE CLINTON WALDURFF, Physician, and FRANK THOMAS
REYNOLDS, Contractor, both of Buffalo, County of Erie, State of New York,
U.S.A., 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 of the class known as "spoon" traps.
In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a top view of a trap embodying the
invention and shewing it set. Fig. 2 a front view. Fig. 3 a sectional view.
Fig. 4 a view similar to Fig. 2 but shewing the trap sprung.
A is the base block of the trap formed preferably of wood and having a
substantially circular opening a in the centre and a slot a¹ in the rear part of the
block extending from said opening to the rear edge of the block to receive the
spoon.
B is the spoon, formed preferably of wood somewhat thinner than the block A
and fitting the opening a said spoon having a tongue & engaging the slot a¹. The
spoon is pivotted to the block at its extreme end, and to accomplish this most

page_text: cheaply and advantageously, we prefer to form a horizontal groove or slot in the
rear face of the tongue and to drive a staple 62 into the rear face of the block A
so that the cross bar of said staple will engage the groove or slot 61 and thus
form a pivotal connection therefor."
C is a vertical standard formed preferably of wood and secured to the base
block A adjacent to its rear edge, by suitable screws c (Figs. 1, 3) or otherwise.
The standard C is preferably provided with a horizontal recess c¹ on each side
adjacent to the base block A as shewn in dotted lines in Figs. 1, 2.
D is the spring jaw of the trap, which we prefer to form in the shape of a bail
of resilient material, the ends of which are coiled into very stiff springs d which
coils are driven into and secured in the recesses c' in the standard C. The bail D
is of such size as to lie upon the block A surrounding the spoon when the
trap is sprung and to extend to a point near the top of standard C when the trap
is set.
In the upper end of standard C the locking plate E for the bail is pivotally
secured in position to engage the same. We prefer to saw or otherwise form a
groove or slit 2 in the top of standard C and to provide the upper face of said
standard with a transversely extending groove c. The locking plate E is placed
in the slit c² and secured in position by a pivot pin lying in the groove as shewn.
In order to hold this pivot pin rigidly in place in said groove we prefer to form
it in the shape of a staple having its horizontal cross bar e engaging the pivotal
aperture of the plate E and having downwardly extending points e' which are
driven into the standard C as shewn in Figs. 3, 4. The locking plate is provided
adjacent to its upper front corner with a locking recess e for engaging the bail D,
the bottom of said recess being almost on a horizontal line with the pivot pin e.
The lower edge of the plate E is provided with a downwardly extending locking
projection which engages the tripping mechanism.
Fis a vertically movable trip rod secured to the standard C by a guide fand
having at its upper end a cross bar f' which extends across the slit e and is
engaged by the locking projection e3 when the trap is set. The trip rod is
pivotally connected with the spoon at its lower end, and is provided with a
suitable impaling point to receive the bait. We prefer to give the said rod a
return bend at the lower end to form a loop f² to engage a
suitable device counected with the spoon and to carry the end upward and
staple or other
forward to form the impaling point or bait carrier f³ as shewn, as this simplifies
the construction.
To set the trap the bail D is raised until it engages the notch or recess e in the
locking plate. The spoon is then raised into a position to bring its upper face
exactly in the plane of the top of the block A and this raises the trip rod until
the cross bar fis in rear of the projection e³ of the locking plate when the trap
is set, as shewn in Fig. 3. It is advantageous in setting the trap to turn it
backward, so as to bring the standard C into a horizontal position.
It will be noted that the retaining notch e² being in substantially the same
horizontal plane as the pivot pin e the strain exerted upon the locking plate, which
is very considerable, is almost entirely borne by the pivot pin, only sufficient
pressure being exerted upon the trip bar by the projection. to hold the trip bar
and spoon in their raised positions, thus enabling the trap to be sprung by a very
light touch or pressure upon the spoon. It will also be noted that the point of
pivotting the spoon is considerably in rear of the point of attachment of the trip
rod, so that the trip rod will be moved a sufficient distance to certainly disengage
the locking plate.
When the animal steps upon the spoon in endeavoring to reach the bait, the trip
rod will instantly release the locking plate and the bail will decend with great
force upon the animal, in most cases causing the extinction of life instantly.
It will be seen that this trap can be made very cheaply, and its construction is
so simple that it will not be liable to get out of order.

page_text: 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:
1. In a trap the combination with the base block and the vertical standard, of
the spring jaw secured to one of said parts, the spoon pivotted in rear of the
spring jaw, the locking plate pivotted in the upper part of said standard and
having a locking recess substantially in the horizontal plane of its pivot, and a
locking projection below said plane, and a trip rod secured to said spoon forward
of its point of pivotting and having a part for engaging said locking projection,
substantially as described and shewn.
2. In a trap the combination with the base block, and the vertical standard, of
the spring jaw, secured to one of said parts adjacent to its point of intersection
with the other, the spoon pivotted in rear of said spring and standard, and
having its upper face in the plane of the upper face of said base block when the
trap is set, the locking plate pivotted in the upper part of the standard, having a
locking recess in a substantially horizontal line with its point of pivotting, and
having a locking projection below said recess, and the trip rod secured to the spoon
in front of its point of pivotting, having a sliding engagement with the standard
and having a part for engaging said locking projection, said trip rod having a bait
support secured thereto, substantially as described and shewn.
3. In a trap the combination with the base block provided with a pivotted spoon
having its upper face in the plane of the upper face of the said block, a vertical
standard provided with a slit in its upper end and a locking plate pivotally
mounted in said slit and having a locking recess substantially in line with its
point of pivotting and a locking projection, of a spring actuated bail adapted to
engage said locking recess, and a trip rod secured to said spoon and having
portion lying across said slit and adapted to engage the locking projection of said
locking plate, substantially as described and shewa.
Dated this 6th day of February 1897.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.