Improvements in Animal Traps.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th July, 1889-Accepted, 10th Aug., 1889
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Animal Traps.
I, THOMAS MARK HOVELL of Boreham Holt, Elstree in the County of Herts,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to animal traps and more particularly to traps intended
to catch rats.
In my improved trap the doors which when closed form the ends of the trap are,
when in the set position, held open by means of mechanism connected with a treadle
within the trap, which treadle is depressed by the weight of the animal when on it.
The depression of the treadle releases the mechanism and consequently allows the
doors to close.
An important feature in the invention is that when the trap is set the treadle is
held in position by means of a weight which is overcome by the weight of the rat or
other animal as the case may he.
In carrying out my invention I construct a trap with a bottom and two sides, and
for convenience in manufacture prefer to join each half of the top with the corre-
sponding end so that each end and half the top formn one piece, which when hinged
or mounted on a horizontal pivot can be raised to leave that end of the trap open. In
other words each end with the corresponding half of the top forms a door. When
the trap is set the ends or doors are held up by means of the mechanism hereinafter
described.
Across the bottom of the trap is a treadle or board which moves on a hinge or
horizontal pivot and has fitted to it a weight which keeps it in the necessary position
when the trap is set. To this treadle is attached a catch which passes through a hole
in the side of the trap. The catch, when the trap is set, retains an arm which depends
from a rod running from end of the trap. The ends of this rod are bent so as in the
normal position to pass round the ends of the trap, and these bent-onds support the
doors when they are in the raised position. The weight of the doors which is borne
by the bent ends of the rod tends to force these ends down and therefore to turn.
the rod on its axis, but such turning is prevented by the catch before described;
when, however, the rat enters the trap and his weight depresses the treadle, the catch
is lowered and thereby releases the arm which depends from the longitudinal rod, the
result of which is that the weight of the doors causing the rod to turn, the bent ends.
thereof release the doors which at once fall and close the ends of the trap. The
bait may be placed in a receptacle in the top of the trap in such a position that the rat
in endeavouring to reach it will tread upon and depress the treadle.
I may provide for resetting the trap automatically after a rat has been caught;
this can be effected by forming the trap with an inner or supplementary chainber
which the caught rat will enter; in so doing he will push up or move a flap or
other piece, and thereby, through suitable connections, raise the end doors and set
the trap.
Although I prefer to construct the trap with a door at each end so that when the
trap is set it presents what is apparently a clear run for the rat which is therefore
not deterred from entering as is often the case with traps which have only one
opening, the trap may be constructed with one end closed and with the other fitted
with a door arranged and acting in the manner hereinbefore described.
Dated this 6th day of March 1889.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Animal Traps.
I, THOMAS MARK HOVELL of Boreham Holt, Elstree in the County of Herts,
Gentleman, 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 :-
My invention has reference to animal traps and more particularly to traps intended
to catch rats.
In my improved trap the doors which, when closed, form the ends of the trap are,
when in the set position, held open by means of mechanism connected with a treadle
within the trap, which treadle is depressed by the weight of the animal when on it,
and the depression of the treadle releases the mechanism and consequently allows the
doors to close.
An important feature in the invention is that when the trap is set the treadle is
held in position by means of a weight which is overcome by the weight of the rat or
other animal as the case may be.
In carrying out my invention I construct a trap with a bottom and two sides and
for convenience in manufacture prefer to join each half of the top or a considerable
portion thereof with the corresponding end so that each end and the corresponding
half or portion of the top form one piece, which, when hinged or mounted on a
horizontal pivot, can be raised to leave that end of the trap open. In other words
each end with the corresponding half or portion of the top forms a door. When the
trap is set the ends or doors are held up by means of the mechanism hereinafter
described.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a longitudinal section, Figure 2 an end
elevation and Figure 3 a plan of a trap constructed in accordance with iny invention,
each of the two ends being formed in a piece with a considerable portion of the top.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are similar views of a modification in which each end is formed in
a piece with one half of the top. The figures show the traps in the open or set
positions.
Referring first to the modification represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3 a is the bottom
and are the sides of the trap; these parts may be made of any suitable material
but for economy I prefer to make them of one piece of sheet iron bent into L-form
in section. The top is formed of the middle portion e fixed to the sides bb and of the
two portions d d which are pivoted to the sides at e e. Each of these portions d d is
formed in a piece with the corresponding end or door f. These pieces have sides or
cheeks 9 9.
Across the bottom of the trap is a treadle or board which moves on a hinge or
horizontal pivot 2. The treadle is for cheapness preferably made of a piece of sheet
metal with flanges j j through which the rod i forming its hinge or pivot passes. The
treadle h has fitted to it a weight which keeps it in the necessary position when the
trap is set. To this treadle is attached a catch which passes through a hole.m in
the side of the trap.
The catch when the trap is set retains an arm n which depends from a.rod p
running from end to end of the trap. The ends of this rod p are bent so as in the
normal position to pass round the ends of the trap, and these bent ends support the
doors f.when they are in the raised position as seen in the Figures. The weight of
the doors which is borne by the bent ends of the rod tends to force these ends down
and therefore to turn the rod p on its axis, but such turning is prevented by the
catch 7. When, however, the rat enters the trap and his weight depresses the
treadle to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, the catch is lowered
and thereby releases the arm n; the result of which is that the weight of the doors f
cuusing the rod p to turn in their bearings o, the bent ends r release the doors, which
at once fall and close the ends of the trap, the rod p then immediately returning to
its normal position so that the ends will prevent the doors being pushed open by
до

page_text: the rat. If necessary the arm n may be weighted to ensure the return of the rod p
to the normal position; the closed position of the doors is indicated by dotted lines
in Figure 1. The bait may be placed in a receptacle in the top of the trap in such a
position that the rat in endeavouring to reach it will tread upon and depress the
treadle h. This receptacle in the modification shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 is a
perforated holders fixed to the middle portion c of the top. It can be filled with
grain or other bait through a hole t in the side 6, this hole being normally covered
by a flap or escutcheonu. vvare sight and air holes in the top and ends of
the trap.
The modification shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 will be understood without further
description; the same letters of reference as those in Figures 1, 2 and 3 indicate
corresponding parts.
Although I prefer to construct the trap with a door at each end so that when the
trap is set it presents what is apparently a clear run for the rat which is therefore
not deterred from entering as is often the case with traps which have only one
opening, the trap may be constructed with one end closed and with the other fitted
with a door arranged and acting in the manner herein before described.
It is obvious that the mechanism for holding up the door or doors and for releasing
them when operated upon by the movement of the treadle can be considerably
modified; the essential point is that the movement of the treadle caused by the weight
of the rat or other animal shall release the devices that hold the doors open, so that
these may close by virtue of their own weight.
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 in respect of animal traps is :-
1. In a box trap, a weighted treadle or board within the trap in combination with
a door at one or both ends of the trap, and with holding and releasing mechanism
connected with the said treadle or board for normally holding the door or doors open
substantially as hereinbefore described, whereby, when the treadle or board is
depressed by the weight of a rat or other animal, the mechanism is actuated and
releases the door or doors which then fall and close by virtue of their own weight
as set forth.
2. Constructing animal traps substantially as herein before described and represented
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th day of July 1889