An Improved Trap for Rabbits and other like Animals.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 1st Aug., 1896-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JOHN FRANCIS RYAN, of Lancefield Junction; in
the Colony of Victoria, Australia, Rabbit Trapper, and THOMAS JOSEPH
WHELAN, of 47 Dundas Place, Albert Park, near Melbourne, Victoria,
Australia, aforesaid, Clerk.]
An Improved Trap for Rabbits and other like Animals.
ALFRED WILLIAM WEBSTER of 41 Dalmeny Road, Tufnell Park N. in the
County of Middlesex, Traveller do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
:-
Heretofore rabbit traps have usually been constructed with their operating springs
fixed to a bar extending some distance away from the jaws of the trap but in
practice there are certain objectious to this construction.
1st. Because it necessitates a large excavation being made in the earth in order
to set the trap.
2nd. Because the animal in burrowing or scratching sometimes exposes the spring
without operating the trigger plate, and becoming alarmed, escapes.
3rd. Because, if an animal sits or rolls upon the earth covering the trigger
plate of an ordinary trap, it will probably release the trap without being caught.
This invention is devised to remedy these defects, and to provide a more compact
and efficient trap than any hitherto constructed. In this invention the main fixed
frame or base piece is constructed of two stout bars somewhat in the ordinary
manner, and I pivot or hinge the trigger plate, and retaining tongue to projections
in the longitudinal bar, and I adapt the end of the said tongue to be engaged
by a hook shaped catch in the ordinary manuer, whilst I pivot the ends of the
ordinary tooth shaped jaws to a turned up portion of said bar at one end, and
at the other end to a lug projecting upwardly therefrom.
The tongue is preferably arranged to bear directly upon the spring instead of
on the jaws as heretofore.
Instead of using a long flat operating spring I use an approximately rectangular
shaped cradle spring, and secure its ends to the turned over ends of the cross bar-
this spring is made of stout steel wire; and so constructed and arranged that its
sides are parallel and adjacent to the sides of the trigger plate and that when the
trap is set, they occupy a position slightly above the level of the said trigger plate,
Bo that they will support the weight of an animal in the event of it sitting or rolling
upon the earth covering the trap.
This spring is also provided with a small off set at about the centre of its length
passing under the ends of the jaws, and beneath the retaining tongue-the sides of
this off-set serve to bring the jaws into their closed position when the trigger plate
is released, and retain them in such position.
The advantage of arranging the sides of the operating spring as described, not
only prevents the trap being accidentally released by the animal sitting or rolling
on it, but it also prevents earth falling under the trigger plate, and interfering with
its operation.
To still further prevent the trap being accidentally released I provide a plate or
Ing projecting upwardly from the longitudinal bar to a level with, or slightly above
the free end of the trigger plate when in its set position. I claim that this

page_text: invention remedies the defects of ordinary traps for rabbits and other like animals
and provides a more compact and efficient trap than any hitherto constructed.
Dated this 11th day of February 1896.
ALFRED WILLIAM WEBSTER,
41 Dalmeny Road, Tufnell Park, London, N.
ац proveu парог IVANUIL али оног пле ашаю.
I, ALFRED WILLIAM WEBSTER, of 41 Dalmeny Road Tufnell Park, N.
Commercial Traveller-a communication from John Francis Ryan of Lancefield
Junction in the Colony of Victoria Australia, Rabbit Trapper, and Thomas
Joseph Whelan of No. 47 Dundas Place, Albert Park, near Melbourne
Australia, Clerk do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manuer the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
'
Heretofore rabbit traps have usually been constructed with their operating
springs fixed to a bar extending some distance away from the jaws of the trap
but I have found in practice that there are certain objections to this construction
partly because it necessitates a large excavation being made in the earth in order
to set the trap, and partly because the animal in burrowing or scratching the
earth over the trap sometimes exposes the spring without operating the trigger
plate and becoming alarmed escapes leaving the trap exposed so that another
animal will not touch it. Moreover with the ordinary construction of trap if an
animal sits or rolls upon the earth covering the trigger plate it probably will
release the trap without being caught. My invention has been devised partly
to remedy these defects and partly to provide a more compact and efficient
trap than any hitherto constructed.
Referring to the accompanying drawings.
Figure is a plan of my improved trap for rabbits and other live animals with
the parts in the positions they occupy when the trap is set, whilst
b
Figure 2 is a side elevation of said trap as it appears when released, and
Figure 3 is an end elevation of said trap with the parts in their set positions.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
According to my invention I construct the main fixed frame or base piece of
the machine of two stout bars A A¹ somewhat in the ordinary manner and I pivot
or hinge the trigger plate B to a lug or projection 6 upon the longitudinal bar A.
and pivot a retaining tongue C to the turned up end of said bar as shown and adapt
the end of said tongue to be engaged by a hook shaped catch or projection C¹
upon the trigger plate B in the ordinary manner whilst I pivot the ends of the
ordinary toothed shaped jaws D upon said bar A at one end to a turned up
portion of said bar and at the other end to a lug d projecting upwardly
therefrom. The tongue C is preferably arranged to bear directly upon the
spring E instead of on the jaws as heretofore.
Instead of using a long flat operating spring like that on the ordinary trap
I use an approximately rectangular shaped cradle spring E and secure its ends e to
the turned over ends of the cross bar A. This spring is preferably made of stout
steel wire or rod formed with one or more loops el near its ends and so constructed
and arranged that its sides are parallel and adjacent to the sides of the trigger
plate B as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 said sides of the spring being so arranged
that when the trap is set they occupy a position slightly above the level of the
trigger plate B so that they will support the weight of an animal in the event
of it sitting or rolling upon the earth covering the trap. This spring is also
provided with a small off set e' at about the centre of its length passing under the
ends of the jaws and beneath the retaining tongue C as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The

page_text: des of this off-set serve to bring the jaws D into their closed positions when the
rigger plate B is released and retain them in such positions. The ends of the
pring E might be secured to the longitudinal bar A and be arranged to extend
ompletely around the trigger plate B instead of only partially around it as
hown.
The advantage of arranging the sides of the operating spring as above
described is not only to prevent the trap being accidentally released by
he animal sitting or rolling on it but it also prevents earth falling under the
rigger plate B and interfering with its operation. To still further prevent
the trap being accidentally released by the animal sitting or rolling on it I provide
plate or lug F so that it projects up to a level with or slightly above the
free end of the trigger plate B when in its set position said plate or lug being
If preferred this
fixed to and projecting upwardly from the bar A as shown.
plate or lug F might be formed by turning up the end of said bar A
in which case the ends of the jaws D might be turned inwards instead of
outwards and be pivoted to said plate instead of to the turned up lug or end d
of said bar as in the example shown it being necessary with such construction
to arrange the lug d' inside said jaws D and to turn the other ends of said
jaws inwards to correspond.
A small hole, notch or recess ƒ may be formed in the upper edge of the plate or
lug F to receive the end of a pin or the like in order to support the trigger plate
whilst the trap is being set as will be readily understood by skilled trappers and if
preferred a swivel G might be passed through the end of the longitudinal bar A
for the chain to be attached to.
The operation of my improved trap for rabbits and other like animals is
substantially the same as those of ordinary construction the spring E being
released by the depression of the trigger plate B thus freeing the tongue C and
allowing said spring to bring the jaws D together and hold them in their closed
positions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare what
I claim is
First. The herein described trap for rabbits and other like animals consisting
essentially of a cross frame or base picce having the jaws and the retaining tongue
pivoted to the longitudinal bar of said france or base piece and a rectangular
cradle spring secured to the cross bar and arranged to extend around the trigger
plate substantially as herein described and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Second. In a trap for rabbits and other like animals a cradle spring secured to
the frame or base piece of the trap and extending around or partially around
the trigger plate substantially as herein described and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Third. In a trap for rabbits and other like animals a spring (such as E) having
its sides arranged parallel to and at a slightly higher level than, the trigger
plate substantially as herein described and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Fourth. In a trap for rabbits and other like animals, jaws (such as D); a trigger
plate (such as B) and a retaining tongue (such as C); all pivoted upon the
longitudinal bar of a fixed frame or base piece and said tougue being arranged to
0 bear directly upon the operating spring substantially as specified and as illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
ALFRED WILLIAM WEBSTER,
41 Dalmeny Road, Tufnell Park, N.