Improvements in Animal Traps.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 6th Apr., 1895
Improvements in Animal Traps.
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I ESTANISLAO CABALLERO DE LOS OLIVOS, of 34 West 15th Street, New
York City, in the County and Stato of New York United States of America,
Gentleman 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, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming
a part of this Specification :-
My invention relates to traps for catching rats and other animals, and has for its
object more particularly to improve that class of traps in which the animal caught
is thrown into a suitable receptacle, so that the trap proper is always set and free
to be entered by other animala.
The construction of parts which constitute my improvement will appear from the
description following hereinafter, and the features of novelty will be pointed out in
the claims.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my improved trap;
Figure 2 is a transverse section thereof on line 2-2 of Figure 1; and
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 and representing a modification.
Like lettere describe like parts in all the views.
The trap consists primarily of a base A adapted to be set on the top of a suitable
jar or other vessel B which is supposed to be filled with water or some other liquid.
At one end of the base A is an inclined plate C or an equivalent part whereby the
animals to be caught may find access to the inlet opening D of a channel E, which
extends substantially horizontal and is provided with one or more inwardly opening
gates F made of depending wires whose pointed ends are curved inward. The
innermost door F is located adjacent to the inner end of the bottom G of the
channel E, and as shown in Figure 1 in immediate proximity to the upper end of a
belt H which is mounted upon rollers 1. The bait is usually suspended upon a
hook J in an inclined chute K and the belt H is likewise located in said chute.
The latter extends through an opening in the base A and is open at the
bottom.
The rat or other animal, after passing through the channel E and the inner-
most gate or door F tries to reach the bait and in so doing steps on the belt H
which yields under the weight of the animal and travelling downward on the rollers I
causes the animal to be thrown down the chute and into the vessel below. It
is intended to place the bait out of the reach of the animal, so that the trap
is ever set.
The modification shown in Figure 3 differs from the heroinbefore described
Construction in that the chute K is inclined in the opposite direction and the belt H
is located at a distance from the inner end of the bottom G of the channel E. In
this case the rat in trying to reach the bait will jump on the belt, with analogous
results to those before described. It will be understood that the swinging gates F
prevent the rat from returning after entering the channel E, the innermost door
preventing the rat from gaining a hold on the inner end of the channel. It will be
further understood that the trap is entirely closed with the exception of the
opening D so that no other access is afforded to the bait.
1 do not confine myself to the exact construction shown in the drawings, as
it will be understood that various changes and additions may be made within
the scope of the appended claims. For instance, the bait may be located within
[D

page_text: the channel E but in an inaccessible position between two, doors or gates F
as the animal, when it finds out the bait is inaccessible, will try to get out of
the trap and thus come to step on the belt H. Or the bait may be located
below the channel E, in a box M, provided for that purpose, the box having a
renovable lid.
Having now partioularly 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. An animal trap, provided with an inclined belt adapted to travel downward
under the weight of the animal to throw the latter into a suitable receptacle,
substantially as described.
2. An animal trap, provided with an inclined belt adapted to travel downward
under the weight of the animal, and a channel leading to the said belt, substantially
as described.
3. An animal trap, provided with an opening for the entrance of the animal, a
channel leading from the said opening and provided with inwardly-opening doors,
au inclined chute connected to the inner end of the said channel, and an inclined
belt on the lower side of the said chute to form a movable bottom therefor,
substantially as described.
4. An animal trap, provided with a channel leading inwardly from an opening
in the trap, and provided with inwardly-opening doors, and an inclined belt located
adjacent to the inner end of the channel and adapted to travel downward under the
weight of an animal stepping thereon, substantially as described.
5. The combination of the apertured base, the chute leading to the aperture of
the base, the inclined movable belt in the chute, and the channel leading outward
from the chute to the inlet opening of the trap, substantially as described.
Dated this 5th day of March 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.