Grip Means for Catching Animals and Fish, applicable also for Saving Life from Fire or Drowning.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 28th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 18th Dec., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIF
ION.
Grip Means for Catching Animals and Fish, applicable also for
Saving Life from Fire or Drowning.
CHARLES CROSBY 29 Prospect Buildings Morley Nr. Leeds Yorkshire Engine Smith
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The arrangement is for catching Animals Reptiles or Fish and saving life in case
of Fire or drowning. It is made of Steel or other suitable metal. It is made with
a pair of folding jaws with levers to keep them open, and springs to close and hold
secure the object as soon as touched to be attached by means of spring or screw to an
ordinary walking Stick or other suitable Rod.
Grip Means for Catching Animals and Fish, applicable also for
Saving Life from Fire. or Drowning.
I, CHARLES CROSBY, of 29 Prospect Buildings, Morley, near Leeds; in the Connty of
York, Enginesmith, 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 relates to improvements in the means for catching or securing
animals, reptiles, fish, birds, or the like, but it may also be used for a variety of other
purposes, such as for instance, saving life from fire or drowning:
Its object is to construct simple, portable, light, readily actuated but yet effective
means or apparatus that may be easily attached say to a walking stick, rod, or other
article prepared for its reception.
The means or apparatus forming this invention consists essentially of a pair of
suitably shaped levers or jaws, hereafter termed jaws, made of any suitable material,
such as say steel or other metal. The jaws are hinged or jointed together at one
end, and their free ends, which may or may not be covered with india-rubber,
or other elastic or flexible material, may be made to abut, or to overlap each other.
In some cases when the free ends are not covered with india-rubber or the like they
may be serrated on their inner edges for retaining a better hold upon the animal or
other object to be secured: The jaws are held open by a pair of folding levers jointed
together at one end, and jointed at their opposite ends respectively to the jaws. As
soon as the central jointed or other portion of the folding levers comes in contact with
the animal or other object to be secured the jaws are made to close upon it by means
of a spring or springs. The jaws may be retained in a closed position by means of a

page_text: spring lever, which is jointed. to one of the jaws,-being made to engage with
ratchet or other teeth or recesses formed on or in the other jaw. A cord passing
through eyes, or over pulleys mounted on the jaws,, may be provided for enabling the
user to have more complete control over the apparatus when it is closed.
The apparatus may be screwed or otherwise seeured to the end of a walking stick,
rod, or other article.
In the drawings hereunto annexed I have shown three illustrations of carrying the
invention into practice, but I wish it to be understood they are to be taken merely
as examples.
Fig. 1 is an elevation and Fig. 2 an edge view of apparatus constructed according
to this invention with one of the jaws made a fixture.
Fig. 3 an elevation and Fig. 4 an edge view of apparatus with both jaws loosely
jointed to an attaching piece.
Fig. 5 an elevation and Fig. 6 an edge view of apparatus with both jaws loosely
jointed to an attaching piece adapted for catching small birds, fish, or the like.
Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively side aud end elevations of an arrangement for
actuating the apparatus in cases when used for rescuing persons from say burning
buildings.
Like parts in all the views are marked with the same letters of reference, and the
position as sumed when in a closed, or partly closed, position is indiented by dotted
lines at Fi gs. 1, 3, and 5.
A A¹ are the jaws which may be made of any suitable shape and material, such as
say steel. In the draw ings the jaws are shown shaped somewhat like a pair of
callipers, but the shape or contour, size, and strength thereof may vary according to
the purpose for which they are used.
The jaws are jointed together at a, and, in order to prevent the jaws injuring the
animal or other object they are made to embrace, their opposite and free ends may,
in some cases, be covered with india-rubber a¹, or other elastic or flexible material
which may be allowed to project beyond the ends of the jaws. In other cases the
jaws may be either plain and uncovered, or servated on the inner edges thereof as
shown at a Fig. 5.
When the jaws are closed, that is in their normal position, they may be arranged
so that their free ends overlap each other as shown in dotted lines at Fig. 3, or the
ends may abut as shown in dotted lines at Fig. 5, in which latter case the inner sides
of the jaws are made much closer together.
At Fig. 1 the jaw A (shown in dotted lines as heing partially closed) is shown
jointed to the jaw A which is made a fixture to the attaching piece B by which the
jaws are secured to the end of a walking stick, bamboo, rod, pole, or other article C,-
all of which are hereafter termed and included in the terin rod C.
But at Figs. 3 and 5 both jaws A A are shown loosely jointed to the attaching
piece B.
The rod C is armed with a nozzle or socket D into which the attaching piece B is
sorewed, and to prevent it working loose it may be locked, if so desired, by a pin E
passing through the socket D and secured to the end of a flat spring F fixed by a
set screw G to the outer periphery of the said socket.
The jawa A A' are held or retained open by a pair of folding levers H and I jointed
together at or about the centre J. The folding levers are also joiuted to the
jaws A A¹ respectively.at ki. When the folding levers are in an open or extended
position as shown by the full lines at Figs. 1, 3, and 5, the central joint J
is carried slightly beyond the centres of the pius that joint the outer ends
of the folding levers to the jaws. To prevent the folding levers from being
extended too far, one of the levers may be armed with a stop K. As soon
soon as the central or other portion of the folding levers touches or comes in contact
with the said animal or other object and they 'are pressed inwards, that is, in the
direction of the arrow, the jaws A A' are immediately closed upon the animal or other
object to be secured by means of a spring or springs L. In the drawings the spring
is shown in the form of an india-rubber one, but I do not limit myself to this

page_text: particular form, as a helical or other spring would act equally as well. The spring
may, if required, be coated or covered with asbestos or other equivalent material or
hard drying solution to render the same incapable of being damaged by fire or water.
But in some cases, instead of, say, covering the spring with asbestos, I may use a
rubber spring or springs enclosed within the casing T either alone or in addition to.
a helical one, also enclosed within the said casing as shown at Figs. 7 and 8. That
is to say to the rod C may be fixed by lugs t a metal case T, made say of tin, in which
a spring, consisting of a piece of india rubber Tx, connected to the cord P, is placed.
The case T may be attached to the rod C'at any suitable distance from the jaws A A¹,
so that when the latter are opened the rubber spring within the casing will be
expanded and the helical spring, if used, compressed by the end T2 of the casing
sliding towards the jaws. On the jaws being released the springs Tx T resume their
normal positions as well as aiding in closing the jaws. Through the centre of the
spring T the wire cord P passes to and through the eyes 00 on the jaws.
This arrangement does not necessarily dispense with the rubber spring L, and by
the use of the arrangement the jawa may he easily and readily closed.
On the joint portion of the jaw A when it is a fixture may be cut or otherwise.
formed ratchet or other teeth M (see Fig. 1) and to the jaw A¹ may be jointed at as
& spring lever N, the inner end of which forms a pawl for engaging with the ratchet
teeth. The ratchet teeth and pawl are employed for preventing the jaws being forced
open after they have been once closed upon an animal or other object, unless the
outer end of the spring lever is pressed inwards towards the jaw A¹.
When the ratchet teeth and spring lever are not used, or if desired, in addition
thereto, the jaws may be armed with the rings or eyes 00 through which is passed
a cord or wire P, one end of which is secured to one of the eyes O, say the one on
the moveable jaw A¹. The free end of the cord or wire P may be armed if desired
with a ring, snap hook, or its equivalent, not shown in the drawings at Fig. 1, but it
may be passed through a casing T similar to that shown at Fig. 7 for the purposes
described. When the ratchet teeth and spring lever are not employed, and when
both jaws are jointed to the attaching piece B, then the cord or wire P may be used
for steadying or controlling the jaws after they are closed on to the animal or other
object, as well as for keeping them closed!
The apparatus may be used for catching or securing mad dogs, ferocious, wild, and
other animals, fish, birds, or securing animals to be slaughtered, aud dragging them
by the rod C or cord or wire P into position for poleing or killing, as well as rescuing
persons from drowning or from burning buildings, and for a variety of other
purposes;.
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:-
The means or apparatus for catching animals, fish, birds, and the like, applicable
also for saving life from fire or drowning substantially as described, consisting of
a pair of jaws, such as A A!, jointed to an attaching piece, such as B, by which
they are secured to a rod, such as C, said jaws being provided with (or without) a
spring lever, such as N, ratchet teeth, such as M, cord or wire, such as P, and held
open by levers, such as II, I, which are jointed together at one end, attached at
their opposite ends to the jaws, and adapted to fold inwards by contact with the
animal or other object to be secured, a spring or springs such as L, for closing the
jaws, all arranged and combined substantially as described, and as illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.