Year: 1888

page_text: I DAVID GILMORE of 60 High Street, Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland,
Grocer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates principally to the well-known mouse trap composed of a block
of wood having one or more holes in it, and springs with loops attached to their ends,
requiring the troublesome and tedious operation when setting it of tying down the
springs with thread. My improvement does away with this objectionable mode of
setting by a simple device by which traps can be set without trouble and in an
instant.
The device is as follows:-
A staple, made of wire and narrow enough to go between the arms of the spring,
is driven into the wood a proper distance from the loop; a fork, made of wire, or
cut out of sheet metal, is hinged to the staple, and passes down through an aperture
in the wood to near the underside of the hole where the bait is placed; a wire catch,
long enough to engage with the fork, is attached to a pin inserted in the front of
the wood.
The arms of the spring are pressed down; the free end of the catch is put in its
place on the fork below where it is hinged to the staple, and this sets the trap. A
mouse, or other small animal, in order to get at the bait pushes its head against the
ends of the fork moving it back enough to release the catch, and the spring pulling
up the loop kills it.
1711 1888

page_text: Improved Small Animal Traps.
I DAVID GILMORE of 60 High Street, Belfast, in the county of Antrim, Ireland,
Grocer, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in the well-known mouse trap composed of
a block of wood, having one or more holes bored in it and springs with loops attached
to their ends, requiring the troublesome and tedious operation when setting it of
tying down the springs with thread. The most important part of my invention is a
device that does away with this objectionable mode of setting, and by which traps
can be set in an instant and without trouble; the said device also making this form
of trap applicable for larger animals than mice.
The other improvements, and the reasons for them, I will describe hereafter.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Fig. 1, is a perspective view of my trap,
unset Fig. 3, a similar view, set; Fig. 2, a vertical section, showing the arrange-
ment of the plug p, and wire bait-holder w; Figs. 4 and 5, show the parts of the
setting device, plug and bait-holder, all disconnected from the trap; A, B and F, in
Fig. 4, showing the process of making the fork f.
Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the drawings.
The setting device is as follows:-
A staple, s, made of wire, of the shape shown in the drawing, and narrow enough
to go between the arms of the spring, is driven into the wood, which forms the
body of the trap, a proper distance from the loop; a wire fork, f, is hinged to the
staples, and passes down through an aperture in the wood to near the underside of
the hole or chamber where the bait is placed.
As the fork, is peculiar I will describe how it is formed.
I take a piece of wire, of the requisite length, and bend it to the shape A, Fig. 4;
I bend it a second time a short distance from the first bend, and give it a set to
hinge upon the staples, which makes it the form of B; then I twist the fork, making
it similar to F; the second bend is then opened sufficiently to let it slip on the
staples, and closed again with pliers; the set allowing the fork to swing freely. A
second wire staple, h, of the shape shown, is driven into the front of the wood, just
above the hole or chamber; a holder or catch, c, made of flattened wire or sheet
metal, long enough to engage with the fork f, is hinged at one end to said staple.
I am aware that round wire holders or catches have been used prior to. my inven-
tion; but such have the disadvantage of getting entangled in the loops or springs,
but mine lying always at right angles to the traps can never get entangled in this
way, and are a decided improvement in the ease and rapidity of setting the traps.
Instead of cutting a slot in the wood for the loops to slide in, as obtains in the
unimproved form of these traps, I face the smaller-sized traps with grooved sheet
metal. m. and punch holes in it to correspond with the holes in the wood, and use

page_text: grooved castings for the largest oues. Metal grooved in this way is an improvement,
for, if the loops get elongated by snapping them against the staples h, the grooves
in the metal allow the loops to sink far enough for the holders or catches to bear on
the springs at their normal level, else they would not reach the forks.
Some mice more cautions than others instead of cutting the threads in the unim-
proved traps, or pushing back the forks in mine, clear out the bait with their paws.
In order to circumvent all such animals, I bore a smaller hole in the back of my
trap through to the larger hole and insert a removable plug, P, of wood, or one
formed of sheet metal, having attached to it a wire bait-holder, w; the bait being
fixed upon the hook of w, the mouse or other animal cannot pull it out with its
paws, and so is obliged to put its head into the trap and is by this means caught.
The above-described plug arrangement may be omitted in traps for animals that do
not pull out the bait with their paws.
I press down the spring, then bring the holder c, over the end of said spring
and push with a finger the fork, f, forward till the free end of c engages with
the first bend of the fork below where it is hinged to the staple s, and this sets
my trap.
An animal, in order to get at the bait, pushes its head against the ends of the fork f
moving it back enough to release the catch, c, and the spring pulling the loop up
kills the animal.
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:
1. In a setting device for small animal traps, the combination of a staple, s,
having hinged to it a fork, f, said fork passing down through an aperture in the body
of the trap to near the underside of the hole or chamber where the bait is placed, a
staple, h, having hinged to it a holder or catch, c, of flattened wire or sheet metal to
engage with the fork, all substantially as described.
2. A removable plug, p, having attached to it a wire bait-holder, w, the said plug p,
fitting into a hole in back of trap, substantially as shown and described and for the
purpose set forth.
3. In small animal traps a facing of grooved metal, m, with holes in it to corre-
spond with the holes or chambers in the wood of said traps substantially as shown and
for the object specified.
Dated this 1st day of December 1888.
F