A New or Improved Bird Shooting and Ball Trap Combined or not.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 22nd May, 1890-Accepted, 28th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Bird Shooting and Ball Trap Combined or not.
I, JOSEPH GARDENER of 5 Castle Place Kentish Town in the County of London
Newspaper Correspondent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to produce traps for pigeons and other birds whereby
the bird is absolutely uncovered from the trap and free to fly as soon as the trigger of
the trap is pulled the bird at the same time is completely protected from the weather
while in the trap although air is freely admitted thereto and the bird is placed in the
trap with the greatest facility.
The invention primarily refers to the employment of a hood balanced in such
manner that as soon as the trigger of the trap is pulled the hood goes back and the
pigeon or other bird is wholly uncovered on the platform on which it was placed.
A convenient way of carrying my invention into effect is by mounting a hood or
cover on trunnions supported in bearings in the sides of a frame or platform, the hood
is without a bottom or base covered at the top and sides and provided with a grating
at front for the whole or a portion thereof; the back portion of the hood is weighted
by for example a bar of lead extending from one side to the other and inside the hood
so that the tendency of the hood is always to be overbalanced or to fall back or upside
down as it were; the lower part or front of the hood is provided at the side for
example and preferably there with a catch lever into which a spring lever or trigger
takes and so holds down the hood until the trigger line is pulled when the weight
aforesaid instantly causes the hood to fall over on its back and the bird is immediately
exposed on the platform. This platform is hinged to the front of the frame and rests
on a bracket piece connected to the said frame the back portion of which is turned up
at right angles to the base to prevent the bird escaping between it and the upper part
of the hood. At the back part of the frame and on a bar extending across saime there
is a balanced lever on one arm of which the back of the hood strikes as the latter
comes over; the other arm of this lever carries a rod with a cup or ring at the end
for the reception of a glass or other ball so that as the hood comes over the long arm
of the lever is thrown up and with it the ball in the air. In this manner arrangements
are provided whereby a double shot is obtained first at the ball and afterwards at the
pigeon from the trap. Thus a combined pigeon and ball trap is obtained in one and
the same machine and by removing the ball lever the trap may be used for birds only.
For practice the ball apparatus can be used alone when there is no bird in the trap
and a spring or springs may be applied to assist in giving movement to the ball
carrying lever.
In traps constructed according to my invention it is obvious that there is no lid
required as heretofore to be opened to place the bird in the trap and when the hood
has automatically gone back and exposed or liberated the bird as before described its
back flight is to a great extent frustrated by the front plate of the hood.
Dated this 23rd day of July 1889.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Bird Shooting and Ball Trap Combined or not.
I, JOSEPH GARDENER of Castle Place Kentish Town in the County of London,
Newspaper Correspondent, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to produce traps for pigeons and other birds whereby
the bird is absolutely uncovered from the trap and free to fly as soon as the trigger of
the trap is pulled; the bird at the same time is completely protected from the weather
while in the trap although air is freely admitted thereto, and the bird is placed in the
trap with the greatest facility.
The invention primarily refers to the employment of a hood balanced in such manner
that as soon as the trigger of the trap is pulled the hood goes back and the pigeon or
other bird is wholly uncovered on the platform on which it was placed.
The invention will be best understood by describing same with reference to the
accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a combined bird and
ball trap constructed according to my invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of
the trap shewn at Figure 1, both these views slewing the trap in its closed position;
Figure 3 is a view in sectional side elevation shewing the trap open, and Figure 4 is
a perspective view of the same. Figure 5 is a detail view of a portion of the floor;
Figure 6 is a detail view of the spring lever or trigger, and Figure 7 is a detail view
of a fixing for a wing-plate, all as hereafter described. Similar letters of reference
refer to like parts in all the figures.
A convenient way of carrying my invention into effect is by mounting a hood or
cover A on trunnions A¹ supported freely in bearings in the sides of a frame B; the
hood A is preferably made of the shape shewn without a bottom or base covered at
the top and sides as shewn and provided with a grating or slotted front A2 at front
for the whole or a portion thereof. The curved shape of the trap causes the bird to
naturally stand with head to tho grating. The lack portion of the hood A is weighted
by, for example, a bar of lead extending from one side to the other and inside the
hood A so that the tendency of the hood is always to be overbalanced or to fall back
The lower
or upside down as it were into the position shewn at Figures 3 and 4.
part of the front of the hood A is provided at the side for example and preferably
there with a catch D into which a spring lever or trigger E shewn detached at
Figure 6, takes and so holds down the hood A until the trigger line is pulled when
the weight C aforesaid instantly causes the hood A to fall over on its back from the
position shewn at Figures 1 and 2 to that shew at Figures 3 and 4 and the bird is
immediately exposed on the platform G. This platform is hinged to the front of the
frame at G and rests on a bracket piece or bar G2 connected to the said frame B the
back portion of the platform G is turned up at or about right angles to the base to
prevent the bird escaping between it and the upper part of the hood A.
'
I is a block pivotted at H so that when turned from the position shewn at
Figure 1 to that shewn at Figure 3 the lower part of the back of the hood A on falling
strikes this block H and causes the platform to rise or jump and thereby to start the
bird. The indentations H2 on the platform G keep the block in position as required.
When the block is in the position shewn at Figure 1 it is inoperative and therefore
its being brought into use is entirely optional.
At the back part of the frame and on a bar J extending across same there is a
balanced lever J, on one arm of which the back of the hood A or arm J2 on same
'strikes as the hood A comes over; the other arm of this lever J¹ carries a rod J³ with
a cup or ring at the end as shewn for the reception of a glass or other ball so that a
the hood A comes over the long arm J³ of the lever J₁ is thrown up and with it th
ball in the air. In this manner arrangements are provided whereby a double shot i
obtained first at the ball and afterwards at the pigeon from the trap. Thus a combine

page_text: pigeon and ball trap is obtained in one and the same machine and by removing the
ball lever the trap may be used for birds only. For practice the ball apparatus can be
used alone when there is no bird in the trap and a spring or springs may be applied to
assist in giving movement to the ball-carrying lever.
The front plate A' of the hood may be inclined inwards as shewn at Figures 12 and 4
and thereby the height of the lower edge of the front A² is reduced when the hood A
has fallen back as shewn at Figures 3 and 4 and the hood is thereby scarcely visible
when it has gone back and there is nothing to impede the sight of the shooter. The
same effect may be obtained as shewn at Figure 3 by inclining the front inwards at
the lower edge only, which offers the advantage that the useful space in the interior
of the hood is not decreased.
The spring lever E shewn at Figure 6 is at one end El secared to the frame B and
near the other end of this lever is the catch E while the extreme outer end has the
cord E secured thereto which may pass over a guide pulley F' and so to any distance
required.
K Figure 3 is an india rubber spring connecting the lower back part of the hood A
and the frame B for increasing, if necessary, the fly back of the hood A.
L Figure 4 indicates a wing-plate which may be placed at either side of the frame
into which it may be slid, when it is desired to direct without controlling the birds
flight in any desired direction.
L'L' shew the slides into which the wing-plates may be slidden, for example by
placing the trap with the back of the hood to the shooter and fitting a wing-plate on
both sides, the birds flight will be directed in a straight forward direction away from
the shooter, or by erecting a wing-plate say on the right hand side, the bird will be
inclined to take a course towards the left hand side, and so on.
I may form a groove L³ in the side of the frame as is shewn in perspective at
Figure 7; in the groove L' I fix two cranked pins L³. The plate or shields being
fitted with loops Las shewn detached are placed so that the loops L fit into the
slot L and are then slidden on the cranked pins L³ whereby the plate is held as
indicated by dotted lines.
In traps constructed according to my invention it is obvious that there is no lid
required as heretofore to be opened to place the bird in the trap; and when the hood
has automatically gone back and exposed or liberated the bird as before described its
back flight is to a great extent frustrated by the front plate of the hood.
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 :-
First In bird shooting and ball traps combined or not, the balanced hood A
constructed and acting substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
:
Second In bird shooting traps, the combination with the frame B, trigger E,
cord F, and platform G, of the balanced hood A, trunnions A', weight C and catch D
substantially as set forth.
Third In bird shooting and bali traps, the combination with a trap such as claimed
at claim 1, of the lever J carrying ball arm Ja whereby the falling back. of the
balanced hood causes the ball to be thrown all substantially as and for the purposes
herein described.
Fourth: The general arrangement construction and combination of parts composing
the bird shooting and ball traps, combined or not, and all substantially as and for the
purposes herein before described.
Dated this 22nd day of Nov 1890.