An Improved Animal and Bird Trap.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 24th June, 1895-Accepted, 24th Aug.,
1895
An Improved Animal and Bird Trap.
JOHN JACKSON and WILLIAM ALEXANDER, Manufacturers of Ronachon near
Ardrossan in the County of Ayrshire, N.B. do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
-
Our invention relates to the construction of a trap for catching animals and birds,
which can be readily set, and the removal of the dead animals effected without
touching them.
We construct our invention as follows; For a mouse trap we take a piece of wire
(about a yard in length) and in the centre we form a spring by coiling or bending
round. This leaves two extending arms which we cross, one over the other, and
then coil each end in the form of a conical round spring, and the extreme ends we
form as a ring or loop near the centre of the conical spring. We form the spiral
cones so that their larger circumferences will meet centrally and opposite each
other, and be pressed flush together by the extending arms from the first spring
formed. These larger coils form the jaws of the trap and are opened a distance
apart, by squeesing the crossed extending arms together. We form our trigger &
bait holder from a shorter piece of wire in the centre of which we form a loop or
coil to receive the bait, and near each end of this piece of wire we form a short
crank opposite and in the same direction as each other. We then place this
trigger formation between the jaws and pass a cranked end through each ring
formed near the centre of the conical jaws, and turn up to a right angle each
extreme end in the same direction as the cranks to prevent the trigger from
becoming released when the jaws are extended. Thus when the trap is held
perpendicularly (jaws downwards) and the crossed extending arms are pressed
together the jaws are opened to the extent of the turned end of the trigger and the
small cranks of which fall by their own gravity past the rings formed in the spiral
jaws which prevent them from closing until some object goes between the jaws and
touches the bait which causes the cranks to pass through the rings and so allow the
jaws to strike together and secure the object between them.
As a rat or larger animal trap we use thicker wire or other shaped metal with
serrated jaws, and as a mole trap we shape the jaws of the trap to suit their runs,
and form the centre of the trigger as a plate.
It is obvious that the jaws and spring may be shaped to meet the habits and
anatomy of different animals.
We JOHN JACKSON and WILLIAM ALEXANDER late of Ronachon, near
Ardrossan, in the County of Ayr N.B. both of 2 Culford Road Kingsland in the
County of Middlesex Manufacturers 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 the construction of traps for catching animals and birds

page_text: which can be readily set, and the removal of the animal or bird effected without
touching them.
In order that our invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect we will now proceed aided by the accompanying drawings fully to describe
the same.
Figs. 1 and 2 represent a mouse trap in its closed and set position respectively.
Fig. 3. is a rat trap drawn to a smaller scale.
Fig. 4. is a mole trap and
Fig. 5. is a rabbit trap drawn to smaller scale.
In constructing a mouse trap we take a piece of wire (about a yard in length)
and in the centre thereof we form a spring a by coiling or bending it round, this
leaves two extended arms bb¹ which we cross one over the other and then coil each
end in the form of a conical round spring cc the extreme ends d d' we form as a
ring or loop in the centre of the conical spring.
We form these spiral cones so that the larger circumferences will meet centrally
(see Figure 1) and opposite each other and be pressed flush together by the
extending arms b 6' from the first spring formed.
These larger coils c c' form the jaws of the trap, and are opened a distance apart
by pressing and springing the crossed extended arms bb¹ together.
The trigger and bait holder e is formed from a shorter piece of wire, in the
centre of which we form a loop or coil to receive the bait g and near each end of
this piece of wire we form a short crank or hook hh' opposite and in the same
direction as each other. We then place this trigger between the jaws c c and pass
the cranked ends h h¹ through each ring d d¹ formed near the centre of the conical
jaws and turn up to a right angle each extreme end in the same direction as the
cranks to prevent the trigger from becoming released when the jaws are extended.
Thus when the trap is held perpendicularly (jaws downwards) and the crossed
extended arms are pressed together, the jaws are opened to the extent of the
turned ends of the trigger and the small cranks of, which fall by their own gravity
past the rings formed in the spiral jaws and prevents them from closing until some
object goes between the jaws and touches the bait which causes the cranks to pass
through the rings and thus allows the jaws to spring or strike together and secure
the object between them.
For a rat trap (Fig. 3) we use a thicker wire and provide the conical round
spring jaws ce with rings to facilitate setting the same, these jaws may be
serrated or provided with short spikes.
C
For a mole trap we shape the jaws c c¹ to suit their runs and form the centre ƒ as
a ring or plate.
It is obvious that the jaws and springs may be so shaped as to meet the habits
and anatomy of the different animals.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the sune is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is.
1. The formation of traps for animals and birds having jaws (such as c c¹)
extended by means of the spring arms b b and held in position by the trigger e
such trigger having a central loop or coil to receive the bait and cranked or
hooked ends for engaging in eyelets formed in the jaws c c such trigger
automatically falling into position by its own gravity substantially as herein shown
and described.
2. The formation of traps for animals and birds substantially as herein shown
and described.
Dated this 24th dox of Luna 1905
JOHN JACKSON.
WILLIAM ALEXANDER.