Improvements in the Construction of Vermin Traps and other Animal Traps.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 25th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 31st Aug., 1888
Improvements in the Construction of Vermin Traps and other
Animal Traps.
I, WILLIAM HENRY TILDESLEY, of 88 Walsall Street, Willenhall, Staffordshire,
Curry Comb Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention bas reference to those vermin traps and other animal traps in which
a pair of jaws are caused to close together by the action of a spring, this spring as
ordinarily constructed having either a bowed or a flat shank which is fixed to the
trap frame, the free end of the spring being formed as an eye which embraces one
side of each of the jaws and causes them to close when the trap is set off. In the
larger traps two springs are sometimes used to act on both sides of the jaws.
These springs are ordinarily made by the eye part being cut out of sheet metal, or
forged into the required shape, and welded on to the steel shank and in this form they
are comparatively expensive to make, and moreover the steel shank part is liable to
become weak and to break through corrosion or constant use or exposure to frost and
then the whole spring has to be renewed.
The first part of this invention has for its objects to construct the said springs in
a cheaper manner and so that their shanks whether made bow shape or made flat
will be less liable to corrosion and when weakened or broken can be easily replaced
without renewing the eye part of the spring.
In carrying out this part of my invention as applied to those traps which have a
bow shaped spring or springs I make the eye part and the bow or bent part of the
spring separate from each other the eye part being of usual form and the bow or
bent part consisting of a strip of sheet brass bent into the U-shape. The meeting
ends of the eye and bow parts overlap each other and are connected together by bolts
or rivets passing through them or by other means and the other end of the bow is
connected to the trap frame by a rivet or bolt in the ordinary manner. The bow
part can thus be cut from sheet metal of the required thickness by dies worked in a
press or by other means and be rivetted, bolted or otherwise secured to the eye part
at much less than the cost of making a spring in the ordinary manner.

page_text: The bow part being made of brass is not liable to corrosion under ordinary circum-
stances and if it should become weakened or break it can readily be replaced by a
new how part being rivetted, bolted or otherwise secured to the old eye part. I
sometimes employ with one eye part two or more bow parts one within the other so
as to add strength to the spring. The bow parts may be made of sheet steel or other
suitable metal or alloy instead of brass.
In order that the bow part may be the more readily removed and replaced by a
new one it is by preference fixed to the trap frame by a cottar bolt passing through
it and through the frame and the bow part is secured to the eye part by a T headed
bolt or bolts which pass through a slotted hole or holes in the eye part so that by
turning the bolt or bolts through quarter of a revolution the bow part will become
detached.
My invention can be applied to those traps having a flat spring or springs similarly
as above described with reference to a bow spring except that in this case the shank
part of the spring is made flat instead of being bent into a bow shape.
The second part of this invention has reference to improvements in the mechanism
which holds the trap "set" when the jaws are open and which as ordinarily con-
structed consists of a tongue or catch-piece hinged to the trap frame which is passed
over one of the jaws, when the jaws are open, and which engages with a catch fixed
to a hinged plate or treadle between the jaws so as to hold down the jaw over which
the catch-piece or tongue passes.
In carrying out this part of my invention I dispense with the said tongue or catch-
piece and make the catch on the hinged plate or treadle long enough to pass over
the jaw when the jaws are lying open and the hinged plate or treadle is raised on its
hinge through a small space. The said catch is preferably hooked at its outer end so
as the better to hold the jaw.
Dated this 4th love of Ontal 1007

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Vermin Traps and other
Animal Traps.
I, WILLIAM HENRY TILDESLEY, of 88, Walsall Street, Willenhall, Staffordshire,
Curry Comb Manufacturer, 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 has reference to those vermin traps and other animal traps in which
a pair of jaws are caused to close together by the action of a spring this spring as
ordinarily constructed having either a bowed or a flat shank which is fixed to the trap
frame, the free end of the spring being formed as an eye which embraces one side of
each of the jaws and causes them to close when the trap is set off. In the larger
traps two springs are sometimes used to act on both sides of the jaws.
These springs are ordinarily made by the eye part being cut out of sheet metal or
forged into the required shape, and welded on to the steel shank and in this form
they are comparatively expensive to make, and moreover the steel shank part is
liable to become weak and to break through corrosion or constant use or exposure to
frost and then the whole spring has to be renewed.
The first part of this invention has for its objects to construct the said springs in
a cheaper manner and so that their shanks whether made bow shape or made flat will
be less liable to corrosion and when weakened or broken can be easily replaced
without renewing the eye part of the spring.
In carrying out this part of my invention as applied to those traps which have a
bow shaped spring or springs I make the eye part and the bow or bent part of the
spring separate from each other the eye part being of usual form and the bow or
bent part consisting of a strip of sheet brass bent into the U-shape. The meeting
ends of the eye and bow parts overlap each other and are connected together by bolts
or screws passing through them or by other means and the other end of the bow is
connected to the trap frame by a rivet screw or bolt in the ordinary manner.
bow part can thus be cut from sheet metal of the required thickness by dies worked
in a press or by other means and be screwed bolted or otherwise secured to the eye
part at much less than the cost of making a spring in the ordinary manner.
The
The bow part being made of brass is not liable to corrosion under ordinary circum-
stances and if it should become weakened or break it can readily be replaced by a new
bow part being screwed, bolted or otherwise secured to the old eye part. I sometimes
employ with one eye part two or more bow parts one within the other so as to add
strength to the spring. The bow parts may be made of sheet steel or other suitable
metal or alloy instead of brass.
In order that the bow part may be the more readily removed and replaced by a
new one it is by preference fixed to the trap frame by a cottar bolt passing through
it and through the frame and the bow part is secured to the eye part by a T headed

page_text: bolt or bolts which pass through a slotted hole or holes in the eye part so that by
turning the bolt or bolts through quarter of a revolution the bow part will become
detached.
My invention can be applied to those traps having a flat spring or springs similarly
as above described with reference to a bow spring except that in this case the shank
part of the spring is made flat instead of being bent into a bow shape.
The second part of this invention has reference to improvements in the mechanism
which holds the trap "set" when the jaws are open and which as ordinarily con-
structed consists of a tongue or catch-piece hinged to the trap frame which is passed
over one of the jaws, when the jaws are open, and which engages with a catch fixed
to a hinged plate or treadle hetween the jaws so as to hold down the jaw over which
the catch-piece or tongue passes..
In carrying out this part of my invention I dispense with the said tongue or catch-
piece and I make the catch on the hinged plate or treadle long enough to pass over
the jaw when the jaws are lying open and the hinged plate or treadie is raised on its
hinge through a small space. The said catch is preferably hooked at its outer end so
as the better to hold the jaw.
Figs. 9
On the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents in side elevation a rabbit trap
closed embodying my invention Fig. 2 is a plan of the same trap open and Fig. 3 is
a cross section of the same. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a self setting rabbit trap
closed embodying my invention; Fig. 5 is a plan of the same trap open and
Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are cross sections of the same illustrating its action.
and 10 illustrate in longitudinal section and in plan respectively the bow and part of
the spring of a trap connected together according to this invention and Fig. 11 shows
the same parts separately; Figs. 12, 13 and 14 are like views of a modification of the
same Figs. 15, 16 and 17 illustrate a rat trap embodying my invention and Fig. 18
shews the treadle of the same separately.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the Figures.
Referring firstly more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a a² are the two ordinary
jaws of the trap turning in the trap frame bat c c² as usual. is the bow part of
the spring made by preference of sheet steel or brass and e is the eye part thereof
made separate from the bow part d and secured thereto by the screws The bow
part is secured to the trap frame by the screw g. When the bow part, d breaks
or becomes weak it can be removed by taking out the screws ff and g and replaced
by a fresh bow part.
When extra strength is required in the bow part d one or more additional bow
parts may be added inside thereof. A is the hinged plate or treadle which on being
depressed sets off the trap and which is fixed to the catch piece which latter is
hinged at to the trap frame b. The catch piece i is made long enough at to pass
over the jaw a when the trap is open (see Fig. 3) and is by preference hooked
underneath as shewn so as the better to hold the jaw and to the same end the
fulcrum of the treadle h is set back and lies between the end and the centre of
the trap. A trap made in this way is very sensitive and as the usual tongue is
dispensed with the trap is less expensive and more readily set.
Moreover this part of my invention admits of the trap being made self setting as
illustrated by Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 where a lower projecting part is formed on the
catch piece and the lower end a³ of the jaw a¹ is prolonged and turned sideways so
that on
depressing the spring the bowe will come into contact with the part a thus
causing the jaw a to turn down and strike the projection 3 (see Fig. 6) and raise the
treadle to the position shewn by Fig. 7. On the spring being allowed to rise as far
as it will go the jaw a' comes into contact with the end of the catch piece (see
Fig. 8) and the trap is set.
Figs. 9, 10 and 11 illustrate a modification of the method of detachably fixing the
bow spring d and the eye e together; in this example one screw is employed in
combination with a peg k which is rivetted to the eye part e and fits in a hole / in
the bow part: Figs. 12, 13 and 14 illustrate a further modification in which two
T-headed bolts or rivets m m are employed and rivetted to the eye pari e so as to be

page_text: capable of being turned round after passing through oval holes nn in the spring d
When these bolts are turned to the position shewn by Fig. 14 their T heads will
pass through the holes n n in the bow part when they can be turned round through a
quarter of a revolution as shewn by Figs. 12 and 13 thus securing the bow part d
and the eye e together.
In the rat trap illustrated by Figs. 15, 16, 17 and 18 the catch which keeps the
jaw a down and maintains the trap set is formed by an extension 2 of the treadle h
instead of being made with the lower part i.
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:
1st. In rabbit or other like traps making the eye part markede of the spring
separate from the bow or clastic part d thereof and fixing the said eye part to the
bow or elastic part in any of the several ways substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in combination with a removable
connection of the tail of the spring to the trap frame, substantially as set forth.
2nd. In rabbit or other like traps and in combination with the jaws thereof arranged
to be closed by the action of a spring, the hinged treadle h having a catch piece
which when the trap is set engages with one of the jaws of the trap as described and
shown by Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 8 and permits of the jaw rising when the treadle is
depressed, substantially as set forth.
3rd. In rabbit or other like traps and in combination with the jaws thereof arranged
to be closed by the action of a spring, the hinged treadle / having an extension /²
forming a catch piece which when the trap is set engages with one of the jaws of the
trap as described and shewn by Figs. 16 and 17 and permits of the jaw rising when
the treadle is depressed substantially as set forth.
1
. 32 17
CT1
1000
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.