Patent ID: 12245582

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring first toFIGS.1,1A, and1B, a prior art trap-holding bracket10is shown according to my U.S. Pat. No. 10,492,485, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. Bracket10comprises a hollow body20having a top wall22, a bottom wall24, a front end wall or face26, and a rear end wall28. In the illustrated example the bracket is formed from sheet metal, for example a heavy gauge stainless steel, although other metals or non-metal materials such as durable polymers could be used. The illustrated example further has open sides29as a preferred option, so that a horizontal stake or equivalent may inserted through the bracket body along axis X to support the bracket horizontally from a riverbank, for example. Alternately, since the open sides29are larger than the vertical support apertures30, bracket10can be rotated and mounted vertically on a larger stake inserted vertically along axis Y through the re-oriented side openings29.

Further in the illustrated example, best shown inFIG.1B, bracket10is formed in two pieces21and26(blank26in the illustrated example comprises the front end wall). The top, bottom, and rear end walls20,22, and28are formed from flat blank21and bent or formed into the generally box-shaped or cuboid structure shown inFIG.1. Front end wall26is formed separately (also flat) and then attached to piece21in any known metal-joining manner (for example, welding, joint-forming adhesives, interference fit between parts, swaging, etc.) to close the front end of the hollow body20.

Top and bottom walls22,24include vertically aligned stake support apertures30so that a stake-like support P can be inserted vertically through hollow body20along axis Y. A bolt aperture34formed in the rear end wall28allows a bolt or similar stake-engaging member36to be inserted from the rear to clamp bracket10to the stake. Bolt aperture34may be threaded internally in order to draw and tension the bracket rearwardly against the stake as the bolt36is threaded forwardly through aperture34.

In the illustrated example ofFIGS.1,1A, and1B, stake support apertures30are generally square in shape, although their shape may vary, and the apertures may be formed with a wedge-shaped forward end defined by angled forward edges32. The wedge shape helps to center and lock the bracket against a round stake if a rectangular stake corresponding to the size of the apertures is not available, or against any other irregularly-shaped stake, as the clamping member36is urged forwardly.

Front end wall26may include an enclosed horizontal slot40for use in supporting a trap-mounting extension arm (described below). Top wall22and possibly other of the hollow body walls may also include an enclosed slot42for use with an extension arm in a manner described below when the bracket is in a different orientation or mounted on a different type of support.

Still referring toFIGS.1,1A, and1B, horizontal tab arms50extend outwardly from the sides of top and bottom walls22,24in horizontal planes generally aligned with the top and bottom walls22,24, respectively, and generally in a direction parallel to front end wall26and spaced from each other along the top and bottom walls to form open-ended jaw slots54. Jaw slots54are vertically aligned between the top and bottom walls on their respective sides of the bracket body, and are sized to receive the wire or rod-shaped inner ends of the jaws of a conibear type trap when the inner ends are squeezed together to a cocked or set position. While in the illustrated example a single vertically-spaced pair of jaw slots54is formed on each side of the bracket body20, it is possible to add additional tabs50to the sides of the top and bottom walls in order to form additional sets of jaw slots along the sides of the bracket body. The dimensions of tab arms50and jaw slots54may vary depending on the size or model of the trap being supported therein.

If front end wall26is wider than hollow body20, as in the illustrated example, the outer protruding ends of front end wall26may form or include some of the horizontal tab arms50to help define jaw slots54.

Bracket10is also provided with a small rectangular aperture60on the front end wall26, and optionally on other of the body walls, suitable for inserting supplemental fasteners such as screws, nails, or wire in order to attach bracket10to non-stake supports such as trees, logs, and rocks. It is also possible to provide one or more open notches27along the side edges of the front wall for use as fastening points, particularly if using wire.

FIG.1Ashows the trap-holding bracket10ofFIG.1, mounted on a stake P extending through the bracket, the bracket10capable of supporting an example leg-hold type trap of known type, in a manner disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,492,485, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. Stake P is inserted into firm ground or the bottom of a shallow body of water, the stake support apertures30are aligned over the stake, and bracket10is slid down the stake to the desired height. Bolt36is then threaded through bolt aperture34into clamping engagement with stake P to lock bracket10at the desired height.

Bracket10holds the set trap in a desired trapping position at a predetermined height and rotational angle on stake P, for example next to the entrance or exit of an animal's home, or along a route the animal is expected to travel.

Referring now toFIG.2, a modified bracket10′ is illustrated, similar to bracket10inFIGS.1,1A, and1B, but with a modified rear end wall128(and preferably a complementary modified front plate126) and modified vertical stake apertures or openings130through top and bottom walls22,24. Bracket10′ is secured to a stake S by a clamping member in the same manner illustrated and described above for bracket10inFIGS.1,1A, and1B.

Openings130in modified bracket10′ have flat forward edges131generally parallel to the bracket front wall26extending inwardly toward a middle portion of the bracket, interrupted by angled forward edges132defining a small triangular forward projection134. Larger square stakes S1will fit flat against the forward edges131outside triangular projection134. Smaller diameter round stakes S2(or a corner of a non-round smaller stake) will be centered in the triangular forward projection134for a secure lock between the bracket10′ and the stake when the clamping member36(FIG.3) is engaged with the stake through the rear aperture34in the bracket as described above.

FIG.2Ashows the modified bracket10′ with second modified vertical stake openings230in the top and bottom walls22,24. Flat forward edges231are interrupted toward the middle of the bracket, first by stepped edges231a,231bdefining a shorter-width rectangular pocket233for receiving a flat face of a stake S3having a width less than the width of the opening230. The rectangular pocket is interrupted between stepped edges231bby angled forward edges232defining a small triangular pocket234at the center of the aperture. The function of triangular forward pocket234is the same as triangular forward pocket134inFIG.2, namely to receive a smaller-diameter round stake S2(or a corner of a smaller stake) therein and center it securely in the aperture230when clamped from behind by clamping member36.

Still referring toFIGS.2and2A, modified rear wall128on bracket10′ comprises two side notches129whose inner ends129aare generally aligned with the inner ends127aof side notches127in front wall126. In the illustrated example this alignment is achieved with a wider rear wall128and more-deeply cut notches127in the front wall on modified bracket10′ relative to the prior bracket10. The aligned notches129and127are configured to secure the lower ends of the wire legs of a conibear trap in a “vertical” mount on the bracket10′, as described and shown better below with reference toFIGS.3and3A.

Modified rear wall128on bracket10′ further comprises two vertical tabs140extending above and below central rear clamping member aperture34, so that in the formed bracket10′ (FIG.3) the tabs140provide fastener apertures141above and below the top and bottom walls22,24of the box-like body of the formed bracket. These apertures allow the bracket10′ to be secured to a vertical mounting surface (stake, tree, board, etc.) with rear wall128flat against the vertical mounting surface and short fasteners inserted through apertures141into the vertical mounting surface.

While bracket10is generally illustrated herein as being mounted on either a vertical or horizontal stake P (FIGS.1-1B) or S (FIGS.2-3), bracket10′ may be mounted in a “vertical” orientation with front end wall126facing upwardly or downwardly, and one of the top or bottom walls22,24held against the side of a tree or stump by either a wire or similar wrap device wrapped around the tree and through one or more of the apertures in bracket10′, or by a fastener F such as a screw or nail inserted through an aligned set of supplemental fastener apertures60formed in the top and bottom walls22,24of the hollow body20. Bracket10′ may also be mounted on a horizontal log L (FIG.3A) in different orientations, also with a screw or nail fastener F inserted through aligned supplemental fastener apertures in the top and bottom walls22,24of the bracket's hollow body20. The flat faces of the top and bottom walls, and the aligned tab arms50extending from the sides of the top and bottom and front end walls, provide a wide, flat, stable support for the bracket against various mounting surfaces in different orientations.

Referring now toFIGS.3and3A, conibear traps such as the representative example shown at80inFIG.3Aare well known in the art, and generally include inner ends or legs82made of stiff rod or wire (hereafter “wire”) capable of being forced inwardly toward one another under spring tension and locked in place by a known type of wire-and-dog trigger mechanism in known manner to set the trap. With bracket10′ secured on a generally horizontal mount such as a log L by a fastener such as a screw or nail F, the inner wire ends82of trap80can be squeezed together into aligned front and rear notches129and127to the trap's set position, and then locked in the set position in known manner. The horizontal spacing of notches129on the rear wall128and the aligned horizontal spacing of notches127on the bracket front wall126is such that the inner wire ends82in the trap's set position rest within the notches in a secure, level, generally horizontal position without tilting or rocking. The trap accordingly cannot be moved any significant amount either horizontally or vertically relative to bracket10′ until the trap is sprung, releasing inner ends82to open outwardly and exit the notches129and127. At that point the trap80may fall free of bracket10′, but may be retained by a chain or similar connected to the bracket, or connected to the mounting surface such as log L, in known manner.

It should be understood that the vertical trap supporting orientation shown inFIG.3Acould be reversed, with bracket10′ mounted on the bottom of log L and facing downwardly to suspend trap80vertically downward rather than holding it vertically upward above the log.

Also shown inFIG.3is an anti-spin bar, comprising a vertical body190with an inward-facing horizontal tab192at its upper end and an outward-facing horizontal tab194at its lower end. The vertical bar body190is secured to the conibear trap with a bolt assembly B through a hole (not visible) in the vertical bar body. The bolt assembly B, which may be a nut and bolt or equivalent type connection, simply replaces the normal rivet that pivotally secures the wire legs82on each side of the trap, as shown in other Figs. The upper tab192fits between the spaced upper wire leg portions of the trap when the trap is set, while the lower tab194can be inserted in the slot40in the face of bracket10′. The upper tab192prevents the set trap as a whole from rotating out of the vertical position while set, by stopping the upper portions of the wire legs from rotating in an inward direction past the tab, and is especially useful with the trigger-setting pan172described in more detail below with respect toFIGS.5and5A.

Referring now toFIG.4, the improved bracket system further includes a wide-jaw adapter plate160comprising a top wall162with a vertical stake opening162a, the top wall having a lateral front slot162band a lateral rear slot162copening on an un-walled or open side164of the adapter plate. The adapter plate has a shorter front wall166, a longer (wider) rear wall168, and another side169which may be open/un-walled or closed with a wall, the opposite side of the adapter plate being the un-walled or open side164. The rear wall168includes rear jaw-receiving notches168awhose inner ends are aligned with the side edges166aof the front wall of the adapter plate. The front wall166is wide enough that its side edges166aare located over a mid-portion of the front jaw-receiving notches127on the front wall of the bracket10′, effectively widening the interior ends of the front jaw-receiving notches127. The adapter plate160slides laterally over the bracket10′ via the un-walled or open side164, with lateral slots162band162clong enough to admit the front and rear raised tab portions150and140of the bracket until the stake apertures162aand230and the vertical fastener apertures162dand60on the adapter plate and bracket are aligned. A rear bolt aperture34′ in the rear wall168aligns with the bolt aperture34in the bracket10′ when the adapter plate is mated fully with the bracket.

Adapter plate140may be formed from a flat blank of metal, similar to the construction of bracket10′. While the adapter plate140is shown with a vertical stake opening162ahaving a pointed forward edge to match or approximate the point on the underlying aperture stake aperture in bracket10′, the adapter plate's upper stake aperture could have a straight forward edge or a different shape or size than the underlying bracket stake aperture.

Referring next toFIGS.5and5A, the inventive system further includes an improved trigger-setting device170for a conibear-type trap, comprising a generally flat pan172having a hook member or pawl174on the bottom surface172bof the pan, the pawl comprising a spring clip end176extending outwardly from a first side of the pan172to rotatably engage a lower end82aof one of the wire jaws in a conibear trap80, and an upwardly-facing trigger arm178extending partway along the bottom of the pan toward the opposite wire jaw, the trigger arm178having a trigger hook end178bspaced from the bottom172bof the pan to receive the opposite wire jaw lower end82bunder tension.

To set the trap, the pan172is rotated downwardly relative to the “free” wire jaw end82b, and free wire jaw end82bis squeezed to slide along the bottom172bof the pan toward wire jaw end82auntil end82bclears trigger hook end178bsufficiently to be captured by the hook. The pan172is then rotated upward to catch and hold wire jaw end82bwith trigger hook178band set the trap. When an animal places weight on the pan172, the pan rotates downwardly around wire jaw end82aon spring clip176to free opposite wire jaw end82bfrom trigger hook178band spring the trap.

Referring now toFIG.6, the inventive system further comprises a bait holder configured to be slidably and adjustably mounted on a vertical stake above a trap mounted on the stake by the bracket. In a first form, a bait holder300comprises an open-ended tubular body302with a pair of aligned stake apertures304through top and bottom sides of the tubular body adjacent a rear end306of the tubular body so that the tubular body302can be mounted to extend perpendicularly from the stake P. A pair of vertically aligned slots308is formed through the top and bottom sides of the tubular body rearwardly of the stake apertures304, and a vertical bearing plate310with a bolt aperture312is inserted through the slots308to locate the bolt aperture312centrally in the bore of the hollow tubular body. A clamping bolt36inserted in the open rear end306of the tubular body (or through an aperture if the rear end306is closed) is centered by the bearing plate310adjacent the rear side of the stake P to engage the rear side of the stake and lock the bait holder300at a desired vertical position on the stake. The longer front portion314of the tubular body extends farther from the stake than the rear open end306, and bait can be inserted into the hollow tubular body through the open front end316.

In a second form, a bait holder400comprises a body402formed from a metal plate or blank, with a vertical stake passage defined by openings404in the top and bottom sides406,408of the body. A bait-holding arm410extends horizontally forward from a front edge of the body402, and a stake-engaging bolt36extends through an aperture412in the rear wall of the body against the rear side of stake P to selectively lock the bait holder400in place in a desired vertical position on the stake.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the various portions of the bracket and other system components described above can generally be formed from metal, for example heavy gauge stainless steel, although other metals or non-metal materials such as durable polymers could be used.

It will finally be understood that the disclosed embodiments represent presently preferred examples of how to make and use the invention, but are intended to enable rather than limit the invention. Variations and modifications of the illustrated examples in the foregoing written specification and drawings may be possible without departing from the scope of the invention. It should further be understood that to the extent the term “invention” is used in the written specification, it is not to be construed as a limiting term as to number of claimed or disclosed inventions or discoveries or the scope of any such invention or discovery, but as a term which has long been used to describe new and useful improvements in science and the useful arts. The scope of the invention supported by the above disclosure should accordingly be construed within the scope of what it teaches and suggests to those skilled in the art, and within the scope of any claims that the above disclosure supports in this application or in any other application claiming priority to this application.