IMPROVEMENTS IN MOLE TRAPS
Year: 1884

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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
We, ARTHUR LANE, of Graiseley Lane, Wednesfield, in the County of Stafford,
vermin trap manufacturer, and JOHN CHESTER, of New Cross, Heath Town, in
the said County, vermin trap maker, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for, IMPROVEMENTS IN MOLE TRAPS, to be as follows :—
.
According to the usual method of manufacturing mole traps a bow spring is
employed to press the handles apart so as to close the trap, such spring being
simply held in notches in the handles and not riveted or otherwise rigidly fixed
thereto. The handles are curved outwards; and then inwards again towards their
outer extremity, so that they may be closed up around the spring, for setting the
trap. This bow spring is liable to fracture across the quickest part of the bend, as
the curve there is very sudden, and the strain severe owing to the shortness of the
spring necessary to enable it to be contained within the handles when closed; and
even if no actual fracture takes place the spring is liable to give way and lose
much of its elasticity. This spring is also liable to be knocked out of place, or fall
out owing to giving way and losing elasticity.
Now the object of this invention is to avoid the disadvantages above-described,
and also to cheapen the cost of manufacturing the handles.
According to this invention the handles are made quite straight, being simply
cut off from a bar of suitable section, and have each a rivet formed at their inner
ends for connection to the gripping jaws, and a rivet hole formed therethrough for
receiving the rivets on the ends of the hinge-pieces. Two plain feather springs are
employed, in lieu of the usual bow spring, one of which is riveted inside each
handle, at or near the hinge connection therewith, and the two outer ends of these
feather springs bear against one another.
By this arrangement, the springs are compressed into a narrow space as the
plain straight handles are pressed towards each other, thus enabling such handles
to be conveniently brought sufficiently close together to set the trap. The inner
ends of the springs are riveted to the bandles by means of oblong rivets which
prevent the springs from moving out of position sideways.
A mole trap constructed according to this invention avoids the disadvantages
above described, as incidental to the employment of a bow spring, and is cheaper
and more durable than a trap constructed in the ordinary mañner.

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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
We, ARTHUR LANE, of Graiseley Lane, Wednesfield in the County of Stafford,
vermiu trap manufacturer, and JOHN CHESTER, of New Cross, Heath Town in
the said County, vermin trap maker, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN MOLE TRAPS and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of
reference marked thereon (that is to say):-
According to the usual construction of mole traps, a bow spring is employed to
press the handles apart so as to close the trap, such spring being simply hold in
notches in the handles, and not riveted or otherwise rigidly fixed thereto. The
handles are curved outwards, and then, inwards again towards their outer extremity,
so that they may be closed up around the spring, for setting the trap. This bow
spring is liable to fracture across the quickest part of the bend, as the curve there
is very sudden, and the strain severo owing to the shortness of the spring necessary
to enable it to be contained within the handles when closed; and even if no actual
fracture takes place, the spring is liable to give way and lose much of its elasticity.
This spring is also liable to bo knocked out of place, and to fall out owing to giving
way and losing elasticity.
Now the object of this invention is to avoid the disadvantages above described,
and also to cheapen the cost of manufacturing the handles.
According to this invention, the handles are made straight, being simply. cut off
from a bar of suitable section, and having each a rivet formed at its inner end for
connection to a gripping jaw, and a rivet hole, or pair of holes, formed therethrough
for receiving a rivet or rivets on the end of the hinge piece. Two plain feather
springs are employed, in lieu of the usual bow-spring one of which is riveted inside
each handle, at or near the hinge connection therowith, and the two outer ends of
theso feather springs bear against one another.
By this arrangement the springs are compressed into a narrow space as tho plain
straight handles are pressed towards each other, thus enabling such handles to be
conveniently brought sufficiently close together to set the trap.
Figure 1 is an end elevation of a mole trap having the handles and springs
constructed and connected according to this invention Figure 2 is a vertical section
taken on line of figure 1. The trap is represented in its position when set and,
with the exception of the handles and, springs, is in every respect identical with
the ordinary mole trap.
Similar letters of reference in these views indicate corresponding parts.
A. A. are the bandles, which are formed straight, and B. B. are. the feather
springs Each spring is fixed at its inner end to the inside of one of the handles
by a rivet a-This rivet is formed oblong, as shewn by figure 2, so as to prevent
the spring from moving out of position sideways-The springs B. B. bear against
each other at their outer ends, and are interlocked by means of a projection b.upon
the outer end of the one entering a corresponding notch o formed in the outer end
of the other so that the one spring cannot readily slip out of position with the
other

page_text: A mole trap constructed according to this invention avoids the disadvantages
above described as incidental to the employment of a bow-spring, and is cheaper
and more durable than a trap constructed in the ordinary manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed; we declare that
what we claim, in respect of a mole trap, is
1. The employment of a pair of feather springs, riveted or fixed to the handles,
substantially as herein described and shown by the drawings herewith.
2. The feather springs riveted to straight handles, substantially as herein
described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
3. Interlocking the outer ends of the feather springs hereinbefore described,
substantially as and for the purpose herein described, and shewn by the, drawings
herewith.