Improvements in Animal Traps.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 31st July, 1894-4ccepted, 1st Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Animal Traps.
We NEWTON JASPER TANNER, Merchant, and JAMES HIRAM LEE, Orange
Grower, both of Oviedo, in the County of Orange, and State of Florida, United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
Our invention relates to improvements in what are known as steel traps such as
are used for catching small animals. As usually constructed these traps when
sprung have a tendency to throw out the foot of the animal springing them, and as
the animal naturally jumps at the same time, he frequently escapes.
The object of our invention is to produce a trap, which when sprung will jump
bodily upward, thus raising the jaws so as to make sure that the jaws catch on the
leg of the animal springing the trap, and also to provide a series of hooks which
extend outward beyond the free ends of the jaws and overlap, so that if by any
possible chance the animal should escape the jaws when they spring together, the
hooks would catch him by the body and hold him fast.
The trap is provided with a base plate and above and parallel with this is a
second plate which supports the trap proper, and the two plates are connected by
springs which are arranged near the ends of the plates and which are compressed
and fastened down when the trap is set, but which spring upward and raise the
trap bodily when it is sprung, all as hereinafter described.
The upper plate has secured to its upper side a cross bar which at one end
carries a depending clip to which is pivoted a locking arm, which arm when the
plate is depressed is adapted to be doubled beneath the base plate and fastened in
a horizontal position to hold the plates together. The free end of the locking arm
is engaged by a hook on the end of a tripping lever which is fulcrumed on the cross
bar, and the upper end of which extends into the path of one of the jaws of the
trap, as hereinafter described, so that when the trap is sprung, the lever is tilted
and the locking arm released.
The cross bar has secured to it, near one end, a clip or lug to which is pivoted
the shank of the tripping plate on which the animal steps to spring the trap, and
this shank has a shoulder to engage another locking arm which is pivoted to the
turned up end of the cross bar and which is adapted to lie across one of the jaws
in the usual way, and, by engaging the shoulder on the shank hold the jaw down
and the tripping plate up. When, however, the tripping plate is stepped on, the
depression of the said plate releases the said locking arm and permits the jaws to
close. The jaws are of the usual kind each being of approximately U-shape, and
they are pivoted at their ends in clips which are attached to the second plate above
mentioned.
The trap has the usual leaf spring, the ends of which slide on the adjacent jaw
members so as to normally press the jaws together. The trap is also provided
with rods which are arranged in pairs at each end, and these rods are hinged to
the base plate at the bottom, and they extend through guide slots in the jaws so as
to open and close with the jaws; their upper ends terminate in oppositely arranged
hooks, the points of which overlap when the jaws are closed, so that the hooks are
pressed firmly into the body of any animal which may be caught in the trap.
The trap is set by compressing the main spring and opening the jaws, throwing
the locking arm over one of the jaws into engagement with the shoulder of the
shank, and at the same time compressing the springs between the base plate and

page_text: second plate, swinging the locking arm of the second plate beneath the base plate,
and throwing the hook into engagement with the free end of the said arm. This
brings the upper end of the tripping lever into the path of one of the jaws.
When an animal steps on to the tripping plate, it releases the locking arm of the
jaws which immediately close in the usual way, and as soon as they start one jaw
strikes and trips the tripping lever so as to release the hook and arm, and allow the
springs to lift the entire trap with the exception of the base plate and rods hinged
thereto upward so that the trap is sure to catch the animal either between the jaws
or hetween the hooks.
We do not limit ourselves to the precise arrangement of springs for raising the
trap bodily, or to the particular mechanism which releases the springs and permits
them to act.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Animal Traps.
We, NEWTON JASPER TANNER, Merchant, and JAMES HIRAM LEE, Orange
Grower, both of Oviedo, in the County of Orange and State of Florida, United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of our invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to improvements in what are known as steel traps such as
are used for catching small animals. As usually constructed these traps when
sprung have a tendency to throw out the foot of the animal springing them, and as
the animal naturally jumps at the same time, he frequently escapes.
The object of our invention is to produce a trap which when sprung, will jump
bodily upward, thus raising the jaws so as to make sure that the jaws catch on the
leg of the animal springing the trap, and also to provide a series of hooks which
extend outward beyond the free ends of the jaws and overlap, so that if by any
possible chance the animal should escape the jaws when they spring together, the
hooks would catch him by the body and hold him fast.
To these ends my invention consists of certain features of construction and
combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in
both the views.
Figure 1 is a broken perspective view of the trap, showing it set; and
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the trap after it is sprung.
The trap is provided with a base plate 10 and above and parallel with this is a
second plate 11 which supports the trap proper, and the two plates are connected
by springs 12 which are arranged near the ends of the plates and which are
compressed and fastened down, as in Figure 1, when the trap is set, but which
spring upward and raise the trap bodily when it is sprung, all as hereinafter
described.
The plate 11 has secured to its upper side a cross bar 12, which at one end
carries a depending clip 13 to which is pivoted a locking arın 14, which arm when
the plate 11 is depressed is adapted to be doubled beneath the plate 10 and fastened
in a horizontal position, as shown in Figure 1, to hold the two plates 10 and 11
together. The free end of the arm 14 is engaged by a hook 15 on the end of a
tripping lever 16, which is fulcrumed on the cross bar 12, as shown at 17, and the

page_text: upper end of which extends into the path of one of the jaws of the trap, as herein-..
after described, so that when the trap is sprung, the lever is tilted and the arm 14
released.
The cross bar 12" has secured to it, near one end, a clip or lug 19 to which is
pivoted the shank 20 of the tripping plate 21 on which the animal steps to spring the
trap, and this shank 20 has a shoulder 22 to engage the locking arm 23, which is
pivoted to the turned up end 24 of the cross bar and which is adapted to lie across
one of the jaws 25 in the usual way, and, by engaging the shoulder 22, hold the jaw
down and the plate 21 up. When, however, the plate is stepped on, the depression
of the plate 21 releases the arm 23 and permits the jaws 25 to close. The jaws 25
are substantially of the usual kind, each being of approximately U-shape, and they
are pivoted at their ends in clips 26 which are attached to the plate 11.
The trap has the usual leaf spring 27, the ends of which slide on the adjacent
jaw members so as to normally press the jaws together. The trap is also provided
with rods 27 which are arranged in pairs at each end, and these rods are hinged to
the base plate 10 at the bottom, as shown at 28, and they extend through guide
slots 29 in the jaws 25 so as to open and close with the jaws; their upper ends
terminate in oppositely arranged hooks 30, the points of which overlap when the
jaws are closed, so that the hooks are pressed firmly into the body of any animal
which may be caught in the trap.
The trap is set by compressing the spring 27 and opening the jaws, throwing the
arm 23 over one of the jaws 25 into engagement with the shoulder 22 of the
shank 20, and at the same time compressing the springs 12, swinging the arm 14
beneath the base plate 10, and throwing the hook 15 into engagement with the
free end of the arm. This brings the upper end of the lever 16 into the path of
one of the jaws, as shown clearly in Figure 1.
When an animal steps on the plate 21, it releases the arm 23 and jaws 25, which
immediately close in the usual way, and as soon as they start one jaw strikes and
trips the lever 16 so as to release the hook 15 and arm 14, and the springs 12 lift
the entire trap, with the exception of the base plate 10 and rods 27ª, upward so
that the trap is sure to catch the animal either between the jaws 25 or between the
hooks 30.
We do not limit ourselves to the precise arrangement of springs for raising the
trap bodily, or to the particular mechanism which releases the springs and permits
them to act.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,
1. An animal trap having its spring-actuated jaws pivoted upon a spring-pressed
plate which is released from a support and rises bodily when the trap is sprung,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In an animal trap, the combination of a vertically-movable and spring-pressed
plate upon which the usual spring-actuated jaws are pivoted, a jaw locking and
tripping mechanism, and means for releasing the plate when the trap is sprung, to
allow the plate with its jaws to rise bodily, substantially as described.
3. The combination with an animal trap, of springs arranged beneath the trap
and adapted to lift it bodily, locking mechanism for holding the trap down and the
springs compressed, and means for releasing the locking mechanism by the springing
of the trap, substantially as described.
4. In an animal trap, the combination with a support and pivoted and spring-
actuated jaws carried by the support, of springs arranged beneath the support,
means for holding the jaws open and the springs under the support compressed,
and a spring releasing mechanism operated by the springing of the trap, substantially
as described.
5. The combination, with an animal trap having the usual jaws, a locking and
tripping mechanism and a plate beneath the jaws, of a base plate, springs between

page_text: the base plate and the jaw supporting plate, a locking arm supported above the
base plate and adapted to swing beneath the base plate, and a tripping lever
supported above the base plate, said lever having one end formed into a hook to
engage the locking arm and the other adapted to extend into the path of one of
the open jaws, substantially as described.
6. In an animal trap, the combination, with a base plate, and pivoted and spring-
actuated jaws, of hooks pivoted to the base plate and projecting through apertures
in the jaws, substantially as described.
7. The combination with an animal trap having the usual swinging jaws and a
supporting plate for the jaws, of a base plate arranged beneath the supporting
plate, springs between the base plate and supporting plate, adapted to lift the trap
bodily, a locking device to hold the springs in a compressed position, means for
releasing the springs by the springing of the trap, and a plurality of hooks hinged
to the base plate and carried by and projecting beyond the free edges of the jaws,
substantially as described.
Dated this 31st day of July 1894.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.