AN IMPROVED TRAP FOR CATCHING MICE, RATS, AND OTHER VERMIN OB ANIMALS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Baker Colbran and William Pollard, both
of Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED TRAP FOR CATCHING MICE, RATS, AND OTHER VERMIN OB
ANIMALS."
Scaled the 15th September 1870, and dated the 23rd March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Baker Colbran
and William Pollard at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 23rd March 1870.
We, Joux BAKER COLBRAN and WILLIAM POLLARD, both of
Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED TRAP FOR CATCHING MICE, RATS,
AND OTHER VERMIN OR ANIMALS," to be as follows:--
This trap is usually to be made in the form of a long case, one end to
be fitted with small bars, and the top is to have two openings one to be
closed by a sliding door, and the other by a plate of perforated zinc or
other metal, the end not fitted with the bars is left open for the entrance
of the mouse, rat, or animal to be caught, and this end will be closed

page_text: from time to time by the action of the mechanism now to be described,
that is an inclined moving bottom or floor is hung upon pivots working
in bearing plates secured to the sides of the trap, and over this a flap
is suspended by pivots also working in the said bearing plates, such flap
being connected by a small bar to the moving bottom or floor. At the
end of this moving bottom or floor nearest the bars and inside the top
of the trap a small crib or receptacle for grain is situate, between which
and the bars at the end of the trap space is left to imprison the mouse,
rat, or animal, and beneath the crib are swinging bars which are provided
with a slanting pin.
The action of this trap is thus:-The animal attracted by the scent of
the grain enters at the open end, but upon getting nearer the grain, by
his weight causes the end of the moving bottom or floor to fall, and the
end of the flap to fall also. The end of the moving bottom or floor is
then fastened by the end of the pin attached to the swinging bars,
and here the animal will be imprisoned unless (as he will most probably
do,) he pushes on against the swinging bars, in which case the moving
bottom or floor will be released, will resume its first position, and the
animal will be imprisoned (without ability to return), in the part of
the trap near the barred end, and the trap will be "set" or ready for
another animal to enter and be caught.
By means of the sliding door the animals may be taken out and
destroyed, and if at any time it may be necessary to supply fresh
grain it may be done by unfastening the perforated cover over the grain
crib.
The shape and the arrangements of the details of working parts may
be varied to suit the trapping of different kinds of animals so long as
the moving floor trap and bars are retained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Baker Colbran and William Pollard in the 30
Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd September 1870.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Baker Colbran and William Pollard in the 30
Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
BAKER COLBRAN, and WILLIAM POLLARD, both of Holloway, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
6 give and grant unto us, the said John Baker Colbran, and William
Pollard, Her special licence that we, the said John Baker Colbran,
and William Pollard, our exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said John Baker Colbran and William Pollard, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
O and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
TRAP FOR CATCHING MICE, RATS, AND OTHER VERMIN OR ANIMALS," upon the
5 condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Baker Colbran, and
William Pollard, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Baker Colbran and William
Pollard, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This trap is usually to be made in the form of a long case, one end of
which is to be fitted with wire bars, and the top to be provided with an
opening or openings (when more than one, then one of these is to be
closed by a sliding door, but as we generally prefer this opening. with
sliding door should be at the bottom of the case). To one of the openings
a plate of perforated zinc, or other perforated metal is fitted and secured
so as to cover the same. That end of the trap not fitted with the bars as
aforesaid is left open for the entrance of the mouse, rat, or animal to be
caught, which end is to be closed from time to time by the action of the
mechanism now to be described, namely:-An inclined platform hung
upon pivots working in bearing plates secured to the sides of the trap,

page_text: a flap being suspended above this platform by pivots also working in the
said bearing plates, which flap is connected by a small bar to the moving
platform. At the end of this moving platform nearest to the bars and
inside the top of the trap a small crib or receptacle for grain is situate,
between which and the bars at the end of the trap space is left to
imprison the mouse, rat, or animal, and beneath the crib are swinging
bars which are provided with a slanting pin as hereafter more fully
described with reference to the Drawings which accompany these Presents.
The action of this trap is as follows:-The animal attracted by the
scent of the grain enters at the open end, but upon getting near the grain
(some of which we prefer to place on the platform itself and secure it
there by gluing), will by weight of own body cause the end of the
moving platform to fall and the end of the flap to fall also. Upon this
happening the platform is then fastened by the end of the pin attached
to the swinging bars, and here the animal will be imprisoned, unless (as
most probably will be the case) by pushing on against the swinging bars
the moving platform is released by that act, when such moving platform
resumes its first position and the animal will be imprisoned (without
ability to return) in that part of the trap near the barred end, and the
trap will be "set" or ready for another animal to enter and be

page_text: Fig. 1, partial longitudinal section showing the trap set ready for use;
Fig. 2, partial longitudinal section showing the trap with the moving
platform and flap in the position they assume when the animal has
reached the swinging bars, but not pushed through them; Fig. 3 partial
top view and view of interior of trap from top; Fig. 4, elevation of
entrance end of trap; Fig. 5 clevation of prison bars end of trap.
A denotes the case or body of the trap usually made of wood;
B denotes fixed metal wire bars of the prison at the further end of the
trap; C denotes the sliding door for shutting one of the of the openings at
the top of the trap. This sliding door and opening, although shown in
the Drawings at the top of the trap, might be at the bottom; D denotes
perforated zinc tacked to the top of the trap so as to cover the other
opening at the top of the trap; E, moving platform; G, G, pivots on
which the platform works, such pivots working in the bearing plates II,
H, secured to the interior of the sides of the trap, the tops of these
bearing plates have also bearings for the pivots I, I, of the flap K;
L, bar connecting the flap with the moving platform in order to ensure
the sympathetic action of them; M, the crib for grain; N, the swinging
bars beneath the said crib, the same swinging from a top bar having its
bearings in the sides of the trap; these bars being of sufficient length
and slanted that way will open towards the prison and not towards the
entrance end of trap; O, slanting pin attached to the swinging bars so
as to fasten the prison end of the moving platform.

page_text: of the said trap except when adopted and used in manner herein-
before set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Baker Colbran and William
Pollard, have hereunto set our hands and scals, this Twenty-
third day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
THOMAS MORGAN,
J. B. COLBRAN.
WILLIAM POLLARD.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)
Secretary to the
Inventor's Patent Right Association Limited,
21, Cockspur Street,
Charing Cross.