Patent ID: 8104222

Claim:
An animal trap comprising: a base having an upper surface, a bottom surface, a front portion, a portion and opposed sides; a jaw frame pivotally mounted on the upper surface of the base for pivotal movement between a cocked position proximate the rear portion of the base and a sprung position proximate the front portion of the base; a spring means for biasing the jaw frame towards the sprung position; a gear system mounted proximate one of the opposed sides of the base comprising a drive gear and driven gear cooperatively engaged with each other, wherein the driven gear is releasably engaged to the jaw frame when the jaw frame is in the sprung position; a lever means for selective engagement with the drive gear; a means for selectively engaging and disengaging the lever means from the drive gear; whereby when the lever means is selectively engaged to the drive gear and is rotated from the rear portion to the front portion of the base, the drive gear is rotated toward the front causing the driven gear to rotate toward the rear to thereby pivot the jaw frame to the cocked position proximate the rear portion of the base; whereby when the lever means is selectively disengaged from the drive gear, the lever means can be freely rotated from the front portion of the base to the rear portion of the base for repositioning the lever means for selective engagement with the drive gear; a catch means for releasably engaging the jaw frame when the jaw frame is rotated to the cocked position, wherein when the jaw frame is engaged by the catch means, the jaw frame is cooperatively disengaged from the driven gear; a trigger member mounted to the upper surface of the base proximate the front portion of the base and adapted for operative association with the catch means to force the catch means to release the jaw frame permitting the jaw frame to move to the sprung position when an animal steps on the trigger member to thereby trap the animal between the jaw frame and the upper surface of the front portion of the base and to releasably engage the driven gear; whereby when the lever means is again selectively engaged with the drive gear, the jaw frame may be pivotally moved to the cocked position to simultaneously release the animal from the trap and cock the jaw frame; an enclosure means having an interior and an exterior surface mounted to the base for enclosing the trigger member and the catch means in the interior and having an opening in the enclosure to the interior, the enclosure being proximate the trigger member to permit the animal to enter the interior of the enclosure and step on the trigger member to spring the jaw frame to trap the animal between the jaw frame and the upper surface of the front portion of the base.