Catching and Killing Animals.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 5th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 12th Aug., 1887.
Catching and Killing Animals.
We, CYRIL WALKER, of Temple Street, Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford,
Merchant, and WILLIAM ALLSOPP, of 36 Drayton Street, Wolverhampton, aforesaid,
Merchant's Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of vermin traps and other traps for catching or
catching and killing animals, which operate by means of a spring acting to close
together a pair of jaws. Such traps, as usually constructed, have to be set either
wholly or partially by hand, and require moreover considerable space in which to be
packed for transport, owing to the projection on each side of the main frame occasioned
by the fixed cross-bar usually employed to give a sufficient width of bearing upon
the ground when the trap is set.
Now, the object of this invention is to construct traps of the class referred to so
that the same may be set entirely by the foot, and also so that the space required for
packing them may be considerably lessened.
In constructing a trap according to this invention, the plate by which the pressure
of an animal is made to set-off the trap is hinged transversely at a point between its
ends, so as to be capable of being vibrated in a vertical plane lengthways of the trap.
This plate is made heavier on the side of the hinge which is towards the spring so
that when the plate is free to turn on its hinge the end of the plate on such side falls
and the opposite end rises. This plate carries on its upper side and immediately
over the hinged joint a backwardly projecting catch having the upper part of its
back edge formed of a curved, or slanted, shape.
To set the trap the spring is pressed down as usual, and this may be effected
entirely by the foot. The extreme end of the looped end of the spring presses against
the curved or slanted part of the catch, aforesaid, and as the spring is continued to
be pressed down the plate is turned forwards, by the pressure of the spring end against
the curved or slanted part of the catch, causing the heavier end of the plate to rise,
until the end of the spring passes below the catch, at which point the heavier end
of the plate falls again and brings the catch over the end of the spring; and when

page_text: the force tending to press down the spring is removed the end of the spring in rising
is retained by the catch; and thus the trap is set by simply pressing down the spring
by the foot, or in any manner, and then allowing it to return against the self-acting
catch.
The catch may, if desired, be pivoted within a sluice formed in a support fixed to
the plate, so that as the spring is pressed down the hinder end of the catch, or the
end towards the spring, which may be shaped as aforesaid or in any suitable manner,
is turned downward into the sluice until the end of the spring has been pressed down
sufficiently to allow of the turning back again of the catch over the end of the
spring. The forward end of the catch is carried some distance forward of the centre
of the hinge, and also in a downward direction, so as to balance up the hinder end of
the catch and, by bearing upon the plate, form a stop to the upward-movement
(independently of the movement of the plate itself) of the hinder end of the catch.
In this case there is a combination of movements of the plate and catch in setting
the trap.
As the plate is pressed down by an animal the catch is of course drawn clear of the
spring which is then free to close the jaws.
The cross-bar for giving width of bearing to the trap is swivelled or pivoted to the
longitudinal frame, and may be turned to lie parallel under the frame for packing for
transport, thus saving considerably in the space required.
Dated this Fourth day of October 1886.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Vermin Traps and other Traps for Catching or
Catching and Killing Animals.
We, CYRIL WALker, of Temple Street, Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
Merchant, and WILLIAM ALLSOPP, of 36 Drayton Street, Wolverhampton, aforesaid,
Merchant's Clerk, 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and the
letters of reference marked thereon (that is to say): :-
This invention relates to that class of vermin traps and other traps for catching,
or catching and killing, animals, which operate by means of a spring acting to close
together a pair jaws. To set such traps, as they are usually constructed, it is necessary
to compress a powerful spring so as to allow the jaws to fall open, and then, while
the spring is held down, to pass a catch-piece over one of the jaws, and raise a plate
situated between such jaws, until a catch thereon gears with the catch-piece and thus
retains the jaw over which it passes, and consequently prevents the spring from
rebounding, until the plate is depressed by the pressure of an animal, or otherwise,
and thus releases the catch-piece. The operation of setting the trap involves con-
siderable risk of getting the hand caught between the jaws, by the trap closing
accidentally; and the main object of this invention is to construct a trap of the class
referred to so that it may be set by simply pressing down the spring, by the foot,
or hand, thus avoiding any risk and materially facilitating the operation. Such traps,
also, as usually constructed, require considerable space in which to be packed for
transport, owing to the projection on each side of the main frame occasioned by the
fixed cross-bar employed to carry the catch-piece and also to give a sufficient width
of bearing upon the ground when the trap is set; and this invention has for a further
object means whereby the space required for packing traps provided with a cross-bar,
employed simply for giving a width of bearing upon the ground when the trap is set,
may be considerably lessened.
In constructing a trap, according to this invention, for the purpose of making it
self-setting on the compression of the spring which causes the closing of the jaws,
the plate by which the pressure of an animal is made to set off the trap is hinged on
a transverse axis at or near its end or side which is towards the usual spring, instead
of at one side of the trap as is usual, and such plate is counter weighted on the side
of its hinge which is towards the spring so that the plate itself may, when free, be
weighted up, and such plate is provided at its end which is towards the spring with

page_text: a backwardly projecting catch, and such catch and also the forward end of the bowed
part of the spring are so shaped that as the spring is depressed the forward or inner
end thereof pushes the catch until it is clear of the spring, whereupon the catch is
weighted back again so as to come over the end of the spring, and on the spring being
released it is caught in rebounding and retained by the catch. The catch may be
rigidly fixed to the plate, in which case the plate is depressed as the catch is pushed
in depressing the spring, and is afterwards moved up again by the counter weight to
bring the catch over the end of the spring; or the catch may be hinged to the plate
and be provided with a counter weight independently of the counter weight of the
plate, in which case the catch is turned down as the spring is depressed and is brought
back again so as to come over the end of the spring by its own counter weight. The
counter weight of the plate operates in this latter case to maintain the plate in its
upward position until the trap is set; and the catch is prevented, by a suitable stop,
from being turned forwards too far in relation to the plate.
This invention will be clearly understood on reference to the accompanying drawings,
of which those on sheet 1 illustrate a self-setting trap constructed according to one
modification of this invention, and those on sheet 2 illustrate another modification of
such trap.
Referring to the drawings on sheet 1 figure 1 is a plan of the trap when set, figure 2
a side elevation of figure 1, but with the nearer jaw removed in order more clearly
to shew the working parts; figures 3 and 4 are detached and enlarged views shewing
a side elevation and end elevation, respectively, of the catch, hinge piece, bracket
carrying the hinge-piece, and the part of the frame carrying such bracket, all herein-
after described. The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout
these views. The frame A, spring B and jaws CC, are all of the usual character.
The plate D is screwed or riveted to a hinge-piece a through ears bon such hinge-
piece, or is otherwise fixed to the hinge-piece, and the hinge-piece is carried upon
a transverse fulcrum c which is itself carried in a bracket d riveted or other-
wise fixed to or formed with the frame A. The upper end of the hinge-piece a is
jawed, as shewn, and within such jaw and upon a transverse pin e carried thereby
is mounted a catch-piece E having a backwardly projecting catch curved or
slanted on its upper side so that it may give downwards under the downward
pressure of the end g of the spring as the spring is depressed, and shaped on its
underside so that when it is brought over the end of the spring, as hereinafter described,
it will retain the spring; and such catch-piece is formed with a downward part h
on the forward side of the fulcrum to act as a counter-weight to the catch, and
also, by coming in contact with the forward side of the binge-piece a, to act as a
stop to the upward movement of the catch in relation to the plate D. The plate D
extends backward of the fulcrum on each side of the spring B, as shewn at F F,
and this part is either formed of sufficient weight, or is made sufficiently heavy
by the addition of weights i fixed thereto, to weight up the part D of the plate
when the plate is free to turn upon the fulcrum c. To set the trap it is necessary
only to press down the spring B until the forward end of the bowed part of
the spring has turned backwards and downwards the catch of the catch-piece' E
sufficiently to clear the point thereof, whereupon the part of the catch-piece
immediately weights up the catch fand brings it over the end g of the spring, and
as the spring is raised such part y catches under the point of the catch fand is retained
thereby, until pressure is brought by an animal or otherwise upon the plate D and
the catch left thereby free to be turned backwards by the pressure of the spring and
the trap thus set off by the jaws closing in the usual way. The part g of the spring
is, of course, suitably shaped to turn down the catch as the spring is depressed and
to be afterwards retained by such catch, that is to say, such part is preferably rounded
on its under side to give an easy bearing on the top of the catch, and is flat on its
upper side to be retained by the catch, as will be readily understood.
The object in weighting up the plate D in the manner shewn is to maintain the
plate in its upward position while the trap is being set.
A cross-bar G may be employed for the purpose of giving a sufficient width of

page_text: bearing upon the ground when the trap is set, and such cross-bar is, according to
this invention, pivoted to the frame A by means of a bolt, pin, or rivet j so that it
may be turned into position longitudinally under the frame, as shewn by broken lines
figure 2, in order that the trap may be packed in considerably less space than when a
rigidly fixed cross-bar is employed.
The drawings on sheet 2 herewith illustrate a modification of this invention in
which the catch is fixed rigidly to the plate instead of being hinged or swivelled
thereto as in the modification shewn by the drawings on sheet 1, and show also a
modified arrangement for weighting up the plate. Figures 5 and 6 are corresponding
views, respectively, to figures 1 and 2; figure 7 is a section through the frame and
elevation of the inner face of the support carrying the inner ends of the jaws; and
figure 8 is a section through the frame and elevation of the inner face of the support
carrying the outer ends of the jaws. The frame A', spring B' and jaws CC, are
in this case also all of the usual character. The plate D₁ is carried upon a hinge-
piece a carried upon a transverse fulcrum 6¹ near the inner end of the spring, and
having an extension c¹ made sufficiently heavy to weight up the plate. A catch d¹ is
formed on the hinge-piece and the end e' of the spring is shaped to gear with, and be
retained by, the catch when the trap is set. The top of the catch is curved (or
slanted back) as shewn; and, as the spring is pressed down to set the trap, the end e¹
of the spring, bearing upon the part f¹, pushes outwards the catch, and depresses
the plate D¹, against the counteracting weight of the extension c¹ of the hinge-piece,
until it passes immediately below the catch, whereupon the extension c¹ weights up
the plate again and brings the catch over the end of the spring, and retains it upon
the withdrawal of the force by which it has been compressed, and thus the trap is set.
If the trap is thus set too hard the extension c¹ may be carefully raised until the trap
is set as lightly as may be desired.
The support E' for the inner ends of the jaws is slotted down from the top for the
passage therethrough of the extension c¹ of the hinge-piece.
A lug g' is formed to project from the inner face of the support Fl carrying the
outer ends of the jaws so as to prevent the jaws from both falling on the same side as
the spring is compressed.
It will be seen that, by the employment of this invention, there is no need to pass
the hand over the trap when the jaws are opened.
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 in
respect of vermin traps, and other traps for catching or catching and killing animals,
which operate by means of a spring acting to close together a pair of jaws, is :-
1. A hinged plate normally weighted up by the action of a counter weight, in
combination with a catch which is automatically moved into gear to retain the spring
as the spring is compressed, and which is unlocked from such gear, to allow the
spring to close the jaws, by the downward movement of the plate as such plate is
pressed upon by an animal or otherwise, substantially as described for the purpose
set forth.
2. A plate carried upon an axis transverse to the longitudinal frame and near to the
inner end of the spring and weighted up by a weight on the opposite side of such
axis, in combination with a catch-piece which is hinged or swivelled thereto and is
formed with a backwardly projecting catch capable of being pressed downwards but
which catch is normally maintained in its upward position and is immediately and
automatically returned to such position on the removal of any force pressing it down-
wards, such catch-piece and catch being constructed and operated in combination
with the inner end of the spring and of a suitable stop connected with the plate as
that as the spring is compressed in setting the trap it turns the catch on the catch-
piece downwards to allow the spring to clear such catch and is automatically retained
thereby, so as to effect the setting of the trap, as the force employed to compress the
spring is removed, all substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
.

page_text: 3. A plate carried upon an axis transverse to the longitudinal frame and near to
the inner end of the spring and weighted up by a weight on the opposite side of such
axis and provided with a catch which is pushed back (together with the plate) by
the spring as it is compressed to set the trap, and is moved over the end of the spring
to retain it (by the re-action of the counter weight of the plate) substantially as described
for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination of parts constructed and operating substantially as described
with reference to the drawings on sheet 1 herewith for the purpose of making the
trap self-setting on the compression of the spring.
5. The combination of parts constructed and operating substantially as described
with reference to the drawings on sheet 2 herewith for the purpose of making the
trap self-setting on the compression of the spring.
6. A cross-bar G pivoted to a longitudinal frame A, substantially as and for the
purpose described and shewn.
Dated this Second day of L 1007