A New or Improved Automatically Self-setting Game and Vermin Trap, also suitable for Catching Larger Animals.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr.,
1897
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Jan., 1898-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1898
A New or Improved Automatically Self-setting Game and Vermin
Trap, also suitable for Catching Larger Animals.
I, JOHN DAVIDSON, of Holkham, in the County of Norfolk, Chief Clerk to the
Earl of Leicester, K.G., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
-
For this purpose the body of the trap is composed of two or more rectangular
or other shaped rotary pivoted plates a and a revolving in eyes 6 made in, or
affixed to the frame c.
These plates are weighted on the outer side of their axial line d to keep the
plates in a horizontal position; this weighted portion is indicated by the letter e.
A pivoted rod f revolves in eyes y made in, or affixed to the frame c, on which
rod a strip of metal or other material is made or attached opposite plate a
with a slot h¹, in which a pin i attached to the plate a, rests a small projection J
prevents the plate a rising above the slot has shewn in Fig. 3. A second strip
of metal or other material is also made on, or attached to the rod f opposite
plate a beneath which it projects as shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and in
Fig. 2.
The sides of the trap may be provided with raised caps or covers to protect the
bearings, and to form an adjustable broad or narrow gangway to the feeding box
according to the size of the animal to be caught. The trap is then placed upon a
cistern or tank which may or may not contain water or other fluid to accelerate
the animal's death. When no liquid is used a run or tunnel provided with a
falling door opening outwards into a wire or other enclosure, may be attached to
the cistern or tank from which game or animals may be taken alive. The food
is placed in a wire or other enclosure at the further end of the plate a¹ and fits
between the caps or covers so that the animal cannot reach the food or bait except
by passing over plate a.
The action of the trap is as follows:-
-
Birds or animals attracted by food or bait placed in the feeding box pass over
the entrance plate a, which is held immoveable by its attached pin i resting in the
slot ', but immediately they reach plate a' and depress it, the strip k is forced
backwards and acts as a lever to turn the rod and thus to force back the strip /
with it's slot h¹, so that the entrance plate a is deprived of it's support and
both plates, under the weight upon them, revolve rapidly and precipitate what-
ever is upon them into the cistern or tank beneath. The balanced plates and a¹
then resume their normal horizontal position and the trap is automatically reset
by the rod f and it's attachments, which fall again into their original position,
as shewn in the drawings. As many plates as desired may be used in line by
lengthening the rod f and affixing to it an additional strip for each extra plate.
The novelty of the invention consists in:—
1. An automatically self-setting trap in which the entrance plate or plates are

page_text: held immoveable by means of the rod f and it's attachments, or by any other con-
trivance or mechanical arrangement suitable for this purpose.
2. An automatically self-setting trap in which the entrance or intermediate
plates are released by the depression of the furthest plate acting in conjunction
with the rod f and it's attachments, as shewn herein, or by any other contrivance
or mechanical arrangement suitable for this purpose.
A New or Improved Automatically Self-setting Game and Vermin
Trap, also suitable for Catching Larger Animals.
I, JOHN DAVIDSON, of Holkham, in the County of Norfolk, Chief Clerk to the
Earl of Leicester, K.G., do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
Fig. 1 is a view of the trap with plates pivoted in a frame in a lateral
direction; Fig. 2 shews the plates pivoted in a frame in a longitudinal direction.
In the drawings which form part of this Specification the separate parts are
designated by the same letters of reference throughout.
In Fig. 1, the trap is shewn to be composed of three rotary pivoted plates
marked a, a¹ and a², preferably rectangular in shape, revolving in eyes which
are made in or affixed to a frame c. These plates are weighted beyond the axial
line to keep them in a horizontal position, the said weighted portion being
indicated by the letter e. Two bent strips hh preferably composed of metal are
pivotally hung at f, f, in suitable supports g, g, opposite the junction of the
plates a, a¹ and a² and project beneath them, each strip hh, being provided with
a slot to receive a pin i attached to the corners of plates a and a respectively.
Raised sides formed of wire netting or other material may be fixed to the
frames c of either trap to form a gangway between which the bird or animal must
pass to the feeding box.
In Fig. 1 the food may be suspended, or placed in a trough over the centre of
plate a, between, and at right angles to, the raised sides of the gangway and
covered with wire netting or other material, so that the animal can only reach
the food by passing over either plate a or a².
In Fig. 2 the food or bait is preferably placed in a wired enclosure beyond
plate a, which the animal cannot reach without first passing over plate a through
the gangway.
The traps may stand on a tank or box which may or may not contain water or
other fluid to accelerate the animal's death. When no fluid is used a run or
tunnel provided with a drop door opening outwardly only into a wire or other
enclosure may be attached to the tank or box from which inclosure game or
animals may be taken alive.
By the use of varnish, or other adhesive mixture, a coating of soil or sawdust
may be spread over the plates.
In practice the action of either trap is as follows:-Birds or animals attracted
by the food or bait placed in the feeding box or wired enclosure pass over the
entrance plates or a³, which are held immoveable by means of the attached pins i
which rest in the slots ¹ cut in the pivoted strips h, but immediately they reach
either plate and by their weight depress it, the strips are forced backwards,
and the pins i being thus deprived of their support all the plates under their

page_text: superincumbent weight revolve rapidly and precipitate whatever is upon them
into the tank or box beneath the plates then resume their normal horizontal
position and the trap is automatically reset by the strip falling again into the
position to receive the plates as shewn by the drawings.
The arrangement for setting and springing the trap as described in my Pro-
visional Specification may if desired be adopted, in which case it will be apparent
that any number of plates may be used in line by lengthening the rod f therein
described and affixing an additional strip for each extra plate; in this case the
plate a which springs the entrance plates may be either at the centre or the
end of the trap.
It will also be apparent that the arrangement for setting and springing the trap
as shewn in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 is only a simple modification of the arrangement
described in my Provisional Specification obtained by combining the pivoted
strips of metal h and k of the Provisional in one piece which then answers the
purpose of the two strips.h and k.
It will thus be seen that the operation of the trap is entirely automatic and that
any number of animals may be caught therein without any attention whatsoever
being given to the trap. My improved trap is simple in construction and
operation and it will be apparent that changes in and modifications of the con-
struction herein described may be made without departing from the spirit of the
invention or sacrificing its advantages.
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:-
A game and animal trap consisting of two or more rotary pivoted plates sus-
pended in a frame and weighted so as to be normally held in a horizontal position,
and consisting also of a pivoted bent strip or strips of metal or other material
which project beneath the said plates and which are provided with a slot to
receive a pin attached to the entrance plate or plates whereby they are held
immoveable, and from which they are released by the depression of an inner
plate which rests above the bend of the said strip of metal or other material, the
said plates being hung in any desired position -All the said parts being con-
structed, combined and arranged substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this Thirty-first day of December 1897.