A Trap for Insects or other Animals.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 15th May, 1897-Accepted, 19th June, 1897
A Trap for Insects or other Animals.
I, HENRY WINTER SHEPPARD, of The Fira, Cambridge Road Bromley, in the
County of Kent, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists of an improved trap or device for use by naturalists, or for
use in agriculture, for destroying moths or other insects that may get into the trap.
At the present moment a considerable amount of trouble is entailed on naturalists
and others who wish to obtain specimens, whereas in my invention a chamber is set
apart for them which on their entering they are suffocated and the appliance entails
no labour on the part of the naturalist.
My invention briefly is as follows:-
There are three divisions or chambers in the appliance; the upper chamber contains
a clock or other mechanism which will give a release at stated intervals to a shutter
preferably fixed on the back of the appliance which will either open or close the
second chamber which is intended to receive the moth or insect. The lower chamber
is a destroying one and is filled with any form of poison which escapes by means of a
grating into the second chamber which on being closed will suffocate or destroy any
moths or insects that may be in it. Attached to the clockwork mechanism is any
form of device which will raise the shutter from its normal position, that is to say,
down, freeing the second chamber, to its worked position closing the second chamber,
and again on the release of the clockwork mechanism tho shutter falls by gravity to
free the second chamber, down to the third.
On the upper part of the shutter there is an inward flap which on the shutter falling
closes the aperture through which the poison escapes into the second or receiving
chamber.
The normal condition of the device is that the second chamber is free to receive for
a given period any moths or insects that might enter it and again after a specified
time interval the flap or shutter is moved upward closing the second chamber, a
sufficient time being allowed for the poison to escape from the lower chamber to
destroy whatever is in the second chamber. The alternate opening and closing of the
second chamber forms the action of the device.
Although I have referred in my specification to my invention as being applicable to
moths and insects yet it is obvious that an enlarged form of it might be used to catch
birds or animals.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
70 & 71 Palace Chambers, Westminster, S. W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.

page_text: I, HENRY WINTER SHEPPARD, of "The Firs," Cambridge Road Bromley, in the
County of Kent, Gentleman, do horeby 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:-
My invention consists in an improved trap or device for use by naturalists, or for
use in agriculture, for destroying noths and insects that may get into the trap.
At the present time a considerable amount of trouble is entailed on naturalists and
others who wish to obtain specimens, whereas in my invention a chamber is set apart
for them which on their entering they are suffocated, and the appliance entails no
labour on the part of the naturalist.
With my invention I provide a box or case divided into three chambers or compart-
ments, the uppermost chamber preferably containing clockwork mechanism which at
stated intervals operates a shutter or slide at the back of the apparatus to opon and
close a second or middle chamber which is intended to receive the moths or other
insects. The bottom chamber is the destroying one and contains any form of poison
which escapes by means of a grating or aperture into the second or middle chamber,
and which on said second chamber being closed, by means of the shutter, as hereinafter
described, suffocates or destroys any moths or insects that may be in it. Attached to
the clockwork mechanism is a device for moving the above mentioned shutter or slide
to close the second chamber and again releasing it so that it falls by gravity clear of
said second chamber. On the upper part of the shutter or slide there is an inwardly
projecting flap which when the shutter falls, opening the second chamber, closes the
aperture in the third or bottom chamber through which the poison escapes."
In order that my invention may be better understood and more readily carried into
effect I will now describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of any improved trap.
Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section.
Figure 3 is a back view.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are front, back and side views respectively of the clockwork
mechanism and the mechanism for raising and lowering the shutter to close and open
the second or middle chamber.
The same numbers refer to the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.
1 is the box or case comprising my improved trap, 2 is the upper chamber or
compartment in which the clockwork mechanism 3 and 3 is arranged. 4 is the
second or middle chamber for receiving the moths or insects and 5 is the third or
bottom chamber containing the poison; (Figure 2) is the framework of the shutter
or slido (which is preferably glazed) for closing the middle chamber 4. 7 is the
inwardly projecting flap which when the shutter 6 is down, freeing chamber 4 covers
the aperture 8 in the roof or top of chamber 5, which is preferably covered by a
perforated metal sheet or wire gauze. 10 is a door in the lower chamber 5 for the
purpose of inserting the poison. In Figure 2 the second chamber is shown open
the shutter or slide 6 being in the lowered position. 11, Figure 4, is a double cam
connected to the spindle 12 of ordinary clockwork mechanism, 13 is a pin or projection
on cam 11. 14 is an L lever pivoted or fulerumed at 15, the end 16 of which engages
a pivoted cross bar or arm 17. 18 is a lever or arm pivoted at 19 the end 20 of
which engagos or rests upon pin 13. 21 is a suitable spring resting when not in
compression against pin or projection 22. 23 is an arm keyed or otherwise rigidly
attached to a spindle 24, to the opposite cud of which spindle another lever or arm 25
(Figure 5) is rigidly attached. 26 is a nose or projection on lever 25 which engages
a notch 27 in the disc 28 mounted on shult or spindle 29 through which the bevel

page_text: wheel 30 is rovolved as horeinafter described. 31 is another bevel wheel mounted to
slide on shaft or spindle 32 being thrown ont of gear with wheel 30 by means of
spring 38 when the shutter or slide 6 falls to open middle chamber 4. 34 and 85 are
pulley wheels on shaft 32 to which suitable flexible connections from the shatter or
slide 6 are attached. 36 (Figure 6; is a drum or case containing a clock spring.
which is wonnd up by a key in tho ordinary manner. 87 is a cog wheel rotated by
the spring in drum 36 said wheel 37 gearing with pinion 38 on cog wheel 39
which lattor gears with another pinion 40 on shaft 41, said shaft 41 carrying at its
outer end bevel wheel 30. 42 is a toothed or cog wheel on shaft 41 gearing with
wheel 43 on shaft 29 which latter carries the before mentioned notched disc 28, 44 is
an onlinary steadying device for the mechanism just describod, the pin 45 on spindle.
or shaft 41 engaging and stopping said device when the shutter 6 is raised as herein-
after described. 46 (Figure 4) is an ordinary ratchet wheel on the winding shaft or-
spindle 46. 47 is a pawl engaging toothed wheel 45.
The action of my invention is as follows:-
Assuming the shutter or slide 6 to be in the lowered position (as indicated in
Figure 2) the pin 14 (Fig. 4) will be in the position shown, in the stepped or cut,
away portion of the cam 11, bevel wheel 31 being out of gear with hevel wheel 30;
on the clockwork mechanism being wound up and set in motion cam 11 is rotated in
tho direction of the arrow and pin 14 bearing against the edge of the inner half of the
cam 11 (shown in dotted lines) lover 14 carrying pin 14 is depressed its end 16 being.
moved in the direction towards the left consequently moving that end of the pivoted
bar 17 also towards the left, the opposite end of said bar 17 (which carries a friction
roller) being moved to the right (to the left referring to Figure 5) and bearing against
bevel wheel 31 moves the latter into gear with bevel wheel 30, which action,
compresses spring 83 (Figure 5), bevel wheel 31 remaining in goar with wheel 80
until the cam 11 has made a complete revolution and pin 14 again comes into the-
stepped portion of the cam. During the movement or revolution of the cam as above
described the pin 18 being in tho position shown in Figure 4. under the end 20 of
lever 18 gradually raises that end of said lever the opposite end being moved down-
wards towards spring. 21, and when the cam 11 has moved a certain distance pin 13
gets boyond the end 20 of lever 18 the opposite end of which is then moved sharply-
upwards under the influence of spring 21 and striking against pin 23* o arm 28
moves arm 23 upwards and turns its spindle 24, arm 25 (Figure 5) on the opposite.
end of said spindle 24 also moving upwards the projection or nose 26 on said arm
being lifted free of notch 27 in disc 28 a pivoted hood or cover piece 48 being
immediately moved over said notch by means of spring 49 the object of this piece 48
being to ensure that the nose 26 re-enters notch 27 when the disc has completed its
revolution, said diso 28 being rotated through cog wheel 37 (Figure 6) gearing with
pinion 38 of wheel 39 which latter gears with pinion 40 on spindle 41 carrying
gear wheel 42 which in turn gears with toothed wheel 43 on the same spindle (29) as
the disc 28, this notched dise 28 being simply for the purpose of stopping the winding
mechanism when the shutter 6 is ruised to close the middle chambor 4. Bevel
wheel 30 being on the same spindle (41) as pinion 40 is of course revolved and bevel
wheel 31 (which is splined to shaft 32) having been moved into gear with wheel 30-
as above described, through the action of cam 11 (Figure 4), is also revolved motion
being communicated through shaft or spindle 32 (Figure 5) to pulleys 4 and 35.
which wind or draw up, the shutter or slide 6 (Figure 2) by means of flexible connec-
tions. As before mentioned bevel wheol 31 is held in gear with wheel 80 until the
cam 11 (Figure 4) has completed its revolution and when this takes place spring 33
(Figuro 5) pressing against bevel wheel 31 pushes it out of gear with wheel 30 thus.
allowing the slide 6 to fall by gravity irce of chamber 4 down to the bottomn
chamber 5, Hap 7 closing the opening 8 between the two chambers. The movement
of bovel wheel 31 out of gear with wheel 30 by means of spring 33 as described, also-
moves, through the pivoted bar 17, the end 16 of lever 14 (Figure 4) to the right.
thereby moving pin 14 at the opposite end of said lover into the stepped or cut away-
portion of cam 11, when the above described action recommences.

page_text: The action of my invention as above described continues until the clockwork
mechanism has run down.
Although I have described ordinary clockwork mechanism as the means of operating
the mechanism for raising and lowering the shutter or slide 6 yet it is obvious that
other means may be employed. Modifications of the raising and lowering mechanism
may also be made without departing from my invention. The case 1, divided into
three compartiments forming my improved trap as described may be made of any
suitable material preferably metal, and the position of the compartments with regard
to each other may be varied to suit different circumstances.
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 :-
1. A trap for moths and other insects or animals, in which a shutter or slide is
automatically operated at intervals to open and close a chamber or compartment into
which the moths or insects have entered, the closing of said shutter opening a passage
or aperture to another chamber thereby allowing the entrauce of destroying fumes or
vapours to the chamber containing the moths or insects, substantially as herein
described for the purposes specified.
2. A trap for moths and other insects or animals in which a shutter or slide is
automatically operated to close a chamber or compartment (into which the moths or
insects may have entered) at a certain point in the revolution or movement of a cam
such as 11 (Fig. 4) or its equivalent, said slide or shutter moving by gravity to open
said chamber at another point in the revolution of said cam, substantially as herein
described with reference to Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings annexed.
Fated this 18th day of May 1897.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
70 & 71 Palace Chambers, Westminster, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.