Improvement in the Construction of a Dead-fall Rat and Vermin Trap.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Dec., 1894-Accepted, 9th Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in the Construction of a Dead-fall Rat and Vermin
Trap.
ROBERT KING of Coombe Land Farm Pulborough in the County of Sussex
Farmer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The old fashioned dead-fall trap is made with a solid falling piece which blocks
the way through the trap when it is struck my invention is in constructing the trap
with a hollow falling piece (or dead-fall) so that when the trap is struck the rat or
other animal is crushed under the bottom of the falling piece which latter being
hollow above leaves the way through the trap open and the run is not stopped.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1894.
ROBERT KING.
Improvement in the Construction of a Dead-fall Rat and Vermin
Trap.
I, ROBERT KING of Coombe Land Farm, Pulborough in the County of Sussex
Farmer 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 an improvement in the construction of a dead-fall trap
for catching and killing rats mice weasels stoats, and such like vermin.
In carrying out my invention 1 make the body of the trap of wood and of suitable
size and shape according to the purpose for which the trap is to be used but it may
be made of other material.
First a board is taken for the bottom of the trap and is hollowed out in the centre
to receive the bridge or platform hereinafter mentioned then two other boards are
nailed to this to form the sides-these make as it were the botton and 2 sides
of a long box-the ends are left open for about 3 inches from the bottom but are
closed in at the upper part by boards nailed on to the ends of the sides and carried
about 2 iuches higher than the sides and a small block is fixed on to each of these
end pieces at the back side of the box so as to keep the dead-fall hereinafter
mentioned from tilting back when the trap is set. The foregoing portion of the
trap I will call the outer box-Fig. 1 in the annexed sheet of drawings is a plan
view thereof and also shews the bridge or platform A by which the trap is struck.
This bridge or platform A is hinged or hooked on at the back and the front is made
with a tail piece B which projects through a key hole made in the board forming
the front side of the outer box.
Then 3 more plain boards are nailed together to form the bottom and 2 sides
of another box of such a size as will fit into and work up and down easily in the
outer box the top of this inner box is filled in with a thick solid block of wood so
as to make it heavy but the ends are left open and the lower part is hollow from
one end to the other.
This part of the trap is the falling piece which kills the rats or other such like
animals and which I will hereinafter call the dead-fall. Fig. 2 in the said drawings

page_text: is a plan view of the dead-fall and Fig. 3 is the end elevation thereof. Fig. 4 is
the end elevation of the trap shewing the dead-fall as it appears in the outer box
when the trap is not set. Fig. 5 is the end elevation of the trap when set and shews
the setting apparatus which is worked as follows. The dead-fall is raised in the
outer box sufficiently to allow rats or other such like animals to pass under the
dead-fall and is held up by a flat strip of wood C (which I will call a rester) being
inserted into a notch made in the dead-fall and resting on the top of the board
forming the front side of the outer box; this rester is held in a horizontal position
by a piece of wire affixed to another strip of wood D one end of which is inserted
into a notch made in the front side of the outer box near the bottom and the other
end into a notch made in the face or upper side of the tail piece B by which means
the bridge or platform A is held slightly raised (so as to be on a level with the
surface of the bottom of the outer box) and kept suspended by the tension caused
by the weight of the dead-fall. Fig. 6 in the said drawings is the front side
elevation of the trap when set.
When the trap is set and a rat or other such like animal passes into it and treads
upon the bridge or platform A. the latter gives way under the weight, the tail
piece B is depressed, the setting apparatus before described gives way and the dead-
fall drops and crushes and kills the animal underneath the board forming the bottom
of the dead-fall. The dead-fall being hollow the road or way through the trap
still remains open and the rats or such like animals can then pass through the dead-
fall instead of under it until the trap is again set for action.
The dead-fall is fitted with a handle on the top so that when the trap is struck
the dead-fall can be lifted out of the outer box and the rat or other animal
removed.
The trap can be used either with or without bait and is particularly adapted for
being set in a run already existing or for forming a run for the rats or other
such like animals desired to be caught and the dead-fall can also be used in
brick or stone work without the outer box of wood if desired.
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 :-
1. The making of the dead-fall hollow instead of solid by which means the way
through the trap always remains open whether the trap is set or not.
Dated this 21st day of December 1894.
ROBERT KING.