IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO TRAPS FOR CATCHING BEETLES, COCKROACHES, AND OTHER INSECTS; ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE CAPTURE OF RATS, MICE, AND OTHER VERMIN AND ANIMALS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Campbell Sweeney Lemon, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO TRAPS
FOR CATCHING BEETLES, COCKROACHES, AND OTHER INSECTS; ALSO APPLICABLE
TO THE CAPTURE OF RATS, MICE, AND OTHER VERMIN AND ANIMALS."
"
IM-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Campbell Sweeney Lemon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th January 1879.
CAMPBELL SWEENEY LEMON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
PROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO TRAPS FOR CATCHING BEETLES, COCKROACHES,
AND OTHER INSECTS; ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE CAPTURE OF RATS, MICE, AND
OTHER VERMIN AND ANIMALS."
This Invention relates to a novel construction of insect or vermin trap, which,
through the nature of its construction and the material of which it is composed,
allows free ingress to and excludes egress from the interior of the trap.
A trap constructed according to my Invention is by preference made of glass or
earthenware, although other material may be used for the construction, and consists
of a cenically or other shaped vessel with a flat base, and having the upper portion
or apex cut away, and provided with an inverted conical or other shaped mouth-
piece which forms the entrance into the interior of the vessel, being the trap. The
inclined sides of the vessel are of roughed surface by the raw nature of the
earthenware used, or by grinding the glass or otherwise producing a rough surface
on the material of which the trap is composed. The upper portion of the vessel
and the inverted conical mouthpiece are provided with a perfectly smooth surface
by enamelling, polishing, or otherwise, as likewise may be the interior of the vessel.
Where the inverted conical mouthpiece developes into the interior sides of the
vessel the concave space formed by such develloping is filled in, so that upon
inverting the vessel the contents can be emptied. To prevent mice, rats, and other
vermin or animals taking the bait from the trap when such is constructed for insects,
I form a perforated guard or shield above the mouthpiece sufficiently high to allow
the insects to pass under, and at the same time prevent the bait of the trap from
being removed. When the trap is constructed for rats, mice, and like vermin, the
D

page_text: guard is sufficiently high for such vermin to pass under, and at the same time
prevents the escape of the animal by jumping out of the trap, and also prevents
the removal of the bait by domestic animals.
A trap constructed according to my Invention may be modified so as to be
applicable to the capture of rabbits, hares, and other animals and birds. In the
case of constructing the trap for the capture of rabbits it may be formed in like
manner to that previously described; or it may consist merely of the upper portion
with the inverted conical or other shaped mouthpiece made with polished surface
and provided with a guard if necessary, the interior of the trap being formed by a
suitable excavation or hole in the earth or material or position in which the trap is
placed.
In operation the trap is set in the place infested by cockroaches, beetles, rats,
mice, as the case may be, and set with suitable bait. The cockroaches or other
vermin attracted by the bait walk up the inclined rough sides of the conical or
other shaped vessel, enter the vessel through the inverted glazed mouthpiece, and
are prevented from escaping by the formation and glazing of such mouthpiece. To
remove the capture the vessel may be emptied, or filled with boiling water and
emptied by inverting the same, the peculiar filling in between the mouth piece and
the interior sides of the vessel allowing the same to be easily emptied. If requisite
a side or bottom opening, which can be plugged up, may be provided for assisting
in cleansing and emptying.
The vessel may be formed in one or more pieces, but in either case by preference
the mouth piece must form part of the upper portion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Campbell Sweeney Lemon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th July 1879.
Campbell SweeNEY LEMON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. “IM-
PROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO TRAPS FOR CATCHING BEETLES, COCKROACHES,
AND OTHER INSECTS; ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE CAPTURE OF RATS, MICE, AND
OTHER VERMIN AND ANIMALS."
This Invention relates to a novel construction of insect or vermin trap, which,
through the nature of its construction and the material of which it is composed,
allows freo ingress to and excludes egress from the interior of the trap.
A trap constructed according to my Invention is by preference made of glass or
earthenware, although other material may be used for the construction, and consists
of a conically or other shaped vessel with a flat base, and having the upper portion
or apex cut away and provided with an inverted conical or other shaped mouth-
piece which forms the entrance into the interior of the vessel, being the trap. The
inclined sides of the vessel aro of roughed surface by the raw nature of tho
carthenware used, or by grinding the glass or otherwise producing a rough surface
on the material of which the trap is composed. The upper portion of the vessel
and the inverted conical mouthpiece are provided with a perfectly smooth surface
by enamelling, polishing, or otherwise, as likewise may be the interior of the vessel.
Where the inverted conical mouthpiece developes into the interior sides of the
vessel the concave space formed by such develloping is filled in, so that upon
inverting the vessel the contents can be emptied. To prevent nice, rats, and other
vermin or animals taking the bait from the trap when such is constructed for insects
I forin a perforated guard or shield above the mouthpiece sufficiently high to allow
the insects to pass under, and at the same time prevent the bait of the trap from
being removed. When the trap is constructed for rats, mice, and like vermin, the
guard is sufficiently high for such verinin to pass under and at the same time
prevents the escape of the animal by jumping out of the trap, and also prevents
the removal of the bait by domestic animals.
A trap constructed according to my Invention may be modified so as to be
applicable to the capture of rabbits, hares, and other animals and birds. In the
case of constructing the trap for the capture of rabbits it may be formed in like
manner to that previously described; or it may consist merely of the upper portion
with the inverted conical or other shaped mouthpiece made with polished surface
and provided with a guard if necessary, the interior of the trap being formed by a
suitable excavation or hole in the earth or material or position in which the trap is
placed.
In operation the trap is set in the place infested by cockroaches, beetles, rats,
mice, as the caso may be, and set with suitable bait. The cockroaches or other
vermin attracted by the bait walk up the inclined rough sides of the conical or
other shaped vessel, enter the vessel through the inverted glazed mouthpiece, and
are prevented from escaping by the formation and glazing of such mouthpiece. To
remove the capture the vessel may be emptied, or filled with boiling water and
emptied by inverting the same, the peculiar filling in between the mouthpiece and
the interior sides of the vessel allowing the same to be easily emptied. If requisite
a side or bottom opening, which can be plugged up, may be provided for assisting
in cleansing and emptying.
The vessel may be formed in one or more picces, but in either case by preference
the mouthpiece must form part of the upper portion.
That my Invention may be clearly understood I have hereunto annexed three
Sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof, marked with letters and figures of reference
corresponding with those in the following explanation. In all the Figures the

page_text: same letters of reference where they occur indicate the same or corresponding
parts.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an insect or vermin trap constructed according
to my Invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an outside view of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a modified arrangement of Figure 1 adapted for mice, rats, or like
vermin.
Figure 5 is a plan of Figure 4.
Figures 6 and 7 are sectional elevations of my Invention as applied as a field
trap.
Upon reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 it will be seen that the trap consists of a
conical shaped vessel A with a flat base B having the upper portion or apex C cut
away. The vessel A is provided with an inverted conical mouthpiece D which
forms the entrance to the interior E of the vessel A. The inclined sides F have a
roughed surface on the outside caused by the nature of the raw material used or by
grinding. The upper portion of the vessel a has a perfectly smooth surface which
is carried round and down the surface b of the inverted mouthpiece and the interior
of the vessel. Where the conical mouthpiece D developes into the interior sides of
the vessel the concave space g formed is filled in, so that by inverting the vessel
the contents can be emptied. To prevent rats, mice, and other like vermin and
animals from taking the bait from the trap I use a guard or shield H arranged so
that the insects can pass through the spaces J into the trap, and at the same time
mice and like vermin and animals are prevented from taking the bait.
When the trap is constructed for rats, mice, and like vermin the guard is a
constructed as shown at Figures 4 and 5, which is sufficiently high for such vermin
to pass through the spaces J and at the same time provent the vermin from jumping
out of the trap and escaping. The guard H also serves to prevent the removal of
the bait by domestic animals.
A trap constructed according to my Invention adapted to the capture of rabbits, a
hares, and birds is illustrated at Figuro 6. It will be seen that the trap shown
consists merely of the upper portion or inverted mouthpiece before described, which
is placed over an excavation M in the earth or other material or position where the
trap is situated. In lieu of the portion, namely, the mouthpiece B, being applied
as shown at Figure 6, a trap, such as shown at Figure 4, may be applied. In this a
case the base B is dispensed with and the sides F of the vessel A made to cover
the excavation M.
A further modification of my Invention as adapted to the capture of rabbits and
hares is illustrated at Figure 7, and consists of a hurdle enclosure A provided insido
with an inclined glass slopo D, and outside with an inclined grass bank or its
equivalent A'. In this arrangement the bait is put inside the enclosure. The
animal walks up the bank A' and down the glass incline D, and cannot return in
consequence of the smooth surface of the incline D. The hurdles are sufficiently
high to prevent escape by jumping.
Having thus fully described and illustrated the nature of my said Invention, and
how the same may be used and carried into effect, what I claim as my Invention
and secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid is,—
4
Firstly. Constructing traps (for catching cockroaches, beetles, and other insects)
with the sides, mouthpiece, and base in one piece, as illustrated at Figures 1, 2, and
3 of the accompanying Drawings, the part F having a rough surface, the part 5
marked a, b, having a smooth surface and the part g being filled in to facilitate
emptying, the whole substantially as illustrated and described.
Secondly. The construction and application of the guard, such as H, applied to
insect and vermin traps, as herein described and illustrated, or any modification
thereof.
Thirdly. The construction and arrangement of trap and guard, as shown at
5

page_text: Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying Drawings, adapted for rats, mice, and like
vermin, substantially as described and illustrated.
Fourthly. The construction and arrangement of trap, as shown at Figure 6 of
the accompanying Drawings, for trapping rabbits, hares, and other animals, substan-
tially as described and illustrated.
Fifthly. The construction and arrangement of trap, as shown at Figure 7 of the
accompanying Drawings, for trapping rabbits, hares, and other animals, substan-
tially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Campbell Sweeney Lemon, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
CAMPBELL SWEENEY (LS.)
(L.S.) LEMON.