An Improved Electric Apparatus for Alluring and Destroying Insects.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Electric Apparatus for Alluring and Destroying
Insects.
1, HEINRICH COUNT VON PUCKLER, of Oberweistritz, Silesia, in the Empire
of Germany, 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:-
My invention relates to an electric apparatus which serves for alluring and
destroying injurious insects. This apparatus comprises a net which is preferably
made of platinum wire and included in the circuit of an electric battery, the current
from which is sufficiently powerful to render and keep the wires of the net incan-
descent. After sunset or before sunrise this net is put up at the infested place so as
to be insulated from the ground, and heated to incandescence by the electric
current; the light emitted by the net then allures the insects, which fly against the
net, have their wings singed and thus become harmless.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and
Figure 2 a section on the line x, x, representing an arrangement of the apparatus
constructed according to my said invention.
A, Figure 1, designates the net made of platinum wire. It consists of two
systems of wires a' and a² which cross one another at right angles and are insulated
from each other. The system of horizontal wires a' is electrically connected at the
sides to vertical rods &¹³, one rod being in connection with the positive pole c¹ and
the other with the negative pole of a battery placed upon the ground. The
system of vertical wires a² is in like manner connected above and below to two
horizontal rods d¹ d², these rods being also in connection with the poles of the
battery c.
1 insulate the rods d' d² from the rods b¹ 62 at e, and by means of the lower rod d¹
secure the frame b¹² d¹ d² carrying the net al a' in an upright position to the upper
end of two wooden stakes which are driven into the ground g.
On leaving the positive pole c¹ the current divides into two parts, one of which
passes through the rod b', horizontal wires a¹ and the second rod 62, whilst the other
part flows through the rod d¹, vertical wires a² and the second rod d. From the
rods 62 and d³ the current returns to the battery, the said rods being each connected
by a wire to the negative pole c².
The net formed by the wires a' and a' must present such fine meshes that the
insects cannot fly through the same.
It is expedient to arrange the two systems of wires a¹ and a² as shown in
Figure 2, in order that the wires of one system shall not come in contact with those
of the other.
The two systems of wires a' and a³ may also cross each other at oblique angles
and be combined to form a net in a different manner to that hereinbefore described.
Further, the net may consist of only one of these wire systems.
In lieu of a battery I sometimes use a dynamo-electric machine, and in either
case include the net in the circuit so that only a single undivided current shall flow
through it.
One or more incandescent or arc lamps may be provided in the middle of the net
either in front or at the rear of the same, in order to better attract the insects if
the net alone should not emit sufficient light.

page_text: 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 :-
An electric apparatus for alluring and destroying insects, characterized by a
net A, preferably made of platinum wire, which is put up so as to be insulated from
the ground and is connected to a source of electricity in such a manner that the
wires of the net are rendered and maintained incandescent.
Dated this 12th day of November 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.