Improvements in Traps for Catching and Killing Vermin.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 15th June, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Traps for Catching and Killing Vermin.
I, THOMAS LUNT of Elworth Vicarage, Sandbach, in the County of Chester,
Clerk in Holy Orders, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
These improvements refer to that class of vermin trap in which a wire spring loop
or noose is used, and so arranged in relation to a hole or recess in which the bait is
situated, and with certain threads of fibrous material which pass across the hole, or
recess transversely and hold the aforesaid noose concentric therewith, that the
mouse or other animal attempting to reach the bait (by reason of having first to
remove the said threads) releases the aforesaid noose, and so becomes caught by
the neck and is throttled.
Each time the trap is set fresh threads are required to be placed across the
hole, and with the traps as at present made this operation is difficult and tedious to
perform and necessitates the use of a needle.
Now my invention has for its object to enable the placing of the threads
across the holes or recesses of the trap to be effected without a needle and with
greater facility than heretofore, and consists essentially in forming small saw-cuts
or slits in the front face of the trap body and across the recesses aforesaid into
which the threads may be readily placed by hand to form the desired barrier, and
of forming the front portion of the trap (which is usually fixed and rigid) separate
from the rear portion, and binging or otherwise temporarily attaching such front
portion thereto, so as to enable it to be removed for facilitating the placing of the
threads into said saw-cuts.
My invention also comprises an improved form of spring and wire loop or noose
whereby an economy of wire is effected, and the trapping and killing of the mouse
more completely effected.
And in order that my said invention shall be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect I have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings and will
now proceed to describe the same with the assistance of the various figures and
letters of reference marked thereon:-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vermin trap having six holes and constructed
in accordance with my invention.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section, and Fig. 3 a front view of one end of the improved
trap with the front portion turned down to shew my invention more clearly.
Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate modifications of details.
In accordance with my invention (A) is the body of the trap made of hard
wood and having a series of closed ended holes or recesses (B) in the usual manner.
The front of the trap which has hitherto been permanently fixed to, or made as
part of the hat body, is, according to my invention, made separate and only hinged
or connected thereto in a manner which will allow of its uncovering the front face
of the trap body when desired. In the trap shewn on the accompanying drawing
the front is shewn in two portions (C) and (C) and each portion working on an
independent swivel or centre (D). The free or unhinged ends are nearest
together, and are tapered and bevilled off, so that when closed against a tapered
and dovetail centre piece (E) and the trap is placed upon a floor or table with the
narrowest end of the said centre piece downwards, the said portions are locked in
position without any further fastening.

page_text: .
In the front of the trap body grooves or recesses are formed to produce the
usual cavity (F) for the loop or noose (G) of the wire spring (G) to take into.
In this same front face of the trap and across the entrance of each of the recesses (B)
small vertical and by preference parallel saw-cuts (H) are formed, extending, by
preference about a quarter of an inch into the wood. The ends of these slits or
cuts correspond to the position of the holes hitherto formed in the trap body for
the reception of the threads of cotton aforesaid and into these cuts or slits, when
the front portions (C) and (C¹) have been swung round to the position shewn in
Fig. 3, and the required bait has been put into the recesses (B) such threads are
placed, and after being passed over the springs (G) which always tend to assume
the position shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the ends of such threads are tied in a
knot to keep the springs in their lowest positions and concentric with the
openings (B). This done and the front portions (C), (C) swung back again the
trap is "set," or ready for use, and thus it will be seen that the use of a needle is
entirely dispensed with and the threading of the strands of cotton to form a barrier
to the bait is rendered a simple and straight-forward operation.
Instead of two saw cuts a single saw cut of T formation may be employed, ie, one
saw-cut terminating in another saw-cut at right angles therewith, the thread or
threads taking into the extremities of the latter.
As a further modification I may employ the saw cuts (I) shewn in Fig. 4, which
terminates in a small round or other suitably shaped openings (J). With these
saw-cuts and openings the tying of the ends of the thread together may be
dispensed with, as by forming a knot on each end of the thread and causing such
knots when the thread is holding down the spring to lie against the shoulders of
the saw cuts and as near the openings (J) as possible, the mouse or other animal
commencing to eat away the threads, causes the knots to slip off their abutment
and so release the wire noose without the thread being broken. In this way the
same thread may be used over and over again. If desired the saw cuts may extend
across the openings (J) and the knots be caused to engage with the shoulders of
such extension, or with notches or cuts in other parts of the openings.
0
In lieu of saw cuts I may substitute an opening (K) as seen in Fig. 5 and insert
in each opening a, by preference sharp "nosed" staple (L) so that the thread
which may be in loop form, or previously tied, may be easily slipped over it and
on being pressed into the opening (K) and pressed against the trap body will
.spread itself out and form the required barrier.
The spring (G) is made of one strand or length of wire from coil to coil, the
loop (G) being in the centre of its length.
To render the said loop more effectual in its work, I so bend the wire as to
form a spike or point at (M) which coming directly in line with the spike (N)
produces a double trap effect on the head of the mouse.
To further improve the loop two or three of such spikes may be formed in it,
one on either side of the point (M) or two at equal distances from the vertical.
Instead of the front portion of the trap being in halves and hinged from each
end, it may be in one piece and hinged from one end only, the block (E) being in
that case at the end of the trap body, or such front portion may be otherwise
rendered moveable, say by pin and socket, or dovetail connection only. The grooves
for producing the cavity (F) may be in the front portions (C) & (C) and the free
ends of such portions may abut against each other instead of against the centre
piece (E).
Such front portion may also be hinged by the ordinary hinge and turn in a
horizontal instead of a vertical plane.
It will be obvious that the threads might be placed in the saw cuts (H) without
removing the front portion or portions but it would be difficult and inconvenient to
do so, hence my reason for making such portion removable.
These improvements are equally applicable to rat and other similar traps made
on a larger scale.

page_text: Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it to be
understood that I do not claim saw cuts of themselves for facilitating the placing
of the threads as I am aware that they have already been used in the rear of the
trap but with the disadvantage of admitting light into the recesses, and of
weakening the trap body, and what I do claim and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is
1st. The improved construction of trap for catching and killing vermin,
substantially as set forth and illustrated.
2nd. In a trap for catching and killing vermin and of the type hereinbefore
described the trap body as aforesaid and forming saw-cuts or their equivalent in
the front face of the trap body for the reception of the barrier threads, and for
the purpose of facilitating the placing of such threads in said saw-cuts, making the
front portion or portions of the trap removeable substantially as set forth and
illustrated.
3rd. The improved single stranded wire spring (G) and improved construction
of loop or noose (G) as and for the purposes set forth.
4th. In a trap for catching and killing vermin and of the type hereinbefore
described, threading the cross threads through saw cuts (I) with openings (J) or
their equivalent and forming a knot or knots on the barrier threads to retain the
spring by abutment against the shoulders of the saw cuts as set forth.
Dated this 26th day of April 1895.
THOMAS LUNT,
By John G. Wilson & Co.,
Agents.