A New or Improved Automatically Re-setting Trap for Vermin and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1896-Accepted, 6th Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Automatically Re-setting Trap for Vermin
and the like.
I, ALBERT PFLUEGER, of 5, New Oxford Street, London, W.C., Manufacturer,,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me from abroad
by Carl Bender I of Dotzheim near Wiesbaden in the Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for object a new or improved trap for vermin, especially rats
and mice, which is so arranged in its constructive parts as to automatically re-set
itself after one animal has passed on to the final stage of the procedure, the bodily
weight of said animal effecting the re-setting in a simple manner by means of a
contrivance which cannot easily get out of proper working order by wear or any
damage arising from efforts to escape made by the entrapped animal.
The new or improved trap essentially consists of two parts, the first being the
trap proper, the second a device for precipitating the entrapped animal into a
vessel partly filled with water, (or any suitable chemical preparation adapted to
accelerate the animals death) from which it cannot escape; or, into cage or other
receptacle wherein it can be kept alive and which is capable of receiving a number
of animals caught until it is convenient to empty it. The trap is compactly.
constructed and built up on a base board; it can easily be moved by means of a
handle attached to the top board or in any other convenient place.
In order to make this invention more readily understood and carried out in
practice, I have hereunto attached one sheet of drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a side view of the complete apparatus,
Fig. 2 a plan of the same and
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate details hereinafter described.
The first portion A of the trap consists of a suitably shaped framework covered
with wire netting or the like and having at its front end two upright bars f,
provided with grooves f¹ in which the trap door d, made of sheet metal or the like,
can easily and unimpededly slide up and down. The bridge a, pivoted at bisi
provided at its front end with a flat upright bar a' bevelled or rounded off at the
top towards its front edge as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The bridge is so constructed
or weighted as to be heavier at its front end, whereby this portion of the bridge'is
held down against the base board as long as the other lighter portion is not acted'
upon by the weight of the animal entering the trap and passing over the bridge.
The upright bar a', which preferably rises at right angles to the surface of bridge a,
will, owing to the pivot being raised above the surface of the base board, be
removed from the perpendicular and tilt forward overlapping part of the slide
groove and engaging with its bevelled or rounded off top edge under the trap
door d keeping the latter raised. As soon however, as the rear part of bridge a
becomes loaded with the weight of the animals, it will come down on the base
board raising the front portion and bar a', thereby disengaging the latter from trap
door d, which is now free to slide down within grooves f
The animal which is in this manner entrapped in part A of the apparatus has no
other way of escaping from it but a suitably arranged aperture in the upper part
of A, through which it can pass into the vertical shalt N, made of wire netting or
the like which may be bent into semi-circular shape or disposed in other manner

page_text: suitable to the purpose. At or near the top of shaft B a double armed lever
device consisting of a funnel or trumpet shaped conical tube C, made of sheet
metal or the like, and a hoop or arm C extending outwardly towards the front of
the apparatus, is pivoted in brackets p in such manner as to cause the narrow end
of the tube C, formed into an elbow piece, to open into shaft B. The foremost
part of hoop or arm C' is connected with the trap door by means of the, preferably,
bow-shaped elastic wire rod e (Figs. 1 and 3). The entrapped animal climbing up
the shaft B will soon find its way into the tube C and, the rear end of the tube
opening on to a glass pane n, try to escape through said tube. As soon as the
weight of the animal displaces the centre of gravity of the lever device, the rear
end of the tube will tilt over precipitating the animal, which is unable to gain
foothold or other support on the smooth inner surface of the said tube, into the
water contained in the vessel D, where the animal is left to drown. Owing to the
tube portion of the lever device tilting downward, the hoop or arm C is made to
tilt upward, raising the trap door d, the bridge a resumes its normal position and
the bar al again engages under the trapdoor so as to keep it open. The apparatus
is thus reset and ready for another animal.
In order to prevent any possibility of the animal escaping when the conical tube
is tilted over, the arm Craised and the narrow opening of said conical tube
displaced outwardly from shaft B, a metal plate K corresponding in shape to the
said narrow opening of the tube may be provided on the outside of the wire netting
of the shaft, to keep the opening closed when so displaced, and a suitably shaped
piece of sheet metal h may be hinged within the shaft adapted to be easily pushed
back by the animal climbing towards the top of the apparatus, and to return by its
own momentum to its normal position, thus preventing the animal from returning
to chamber.A.
Suitable receptacles g (Figs. 1 and 2) guarded with wire netting or the like are
provided in convenient places at the sides of and above the chamber A for the
reception of bait 9'. The sides of chamber A are hinged and adapted to be held
in position by suitable catches (Fig. 1.).so that the trap can easily be cleaned when
required, and access can be had to the receptacle intended for the bait. A mirror m
is or may be placed at the rear end of the chamber A-so that the animal looking
from the entrance into said chamber and seeing its own image reflected may inore
readily enter the trap under the impression that another specimen of its tribe is
already there and at liberty.
The arrangements of the apparatus can be varied according to the class (of
animals for which it is intended, the trap illustrated in the drawings being specially
designed for rats.
Instead of the water vessel D a suitable cage or similar receptacle may be
provided having flap or the like adapted to open when the animal drops down on it
allowing it to enter the receptacle, and to close again automatically or by means of
suitable springs or other suitable device, if it is desired to preserve the animals
alive and kill them afterwards in more expeditious manner or use them for sporting
or like purposes.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim 'is :-
A new or improved trap for rats, mice and other vermin wherein one animal
caught resets the apparatus in readiness for another animal, substantially as set
forth, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of December 1896.
ALBERT PFLUEGER.