Patent ID: 7779574

Claim:
A mole trap comprising, an inverted U-shaped frame including parallel spaced vertical legs adapted to penetrate the ground and rigidly connected by a handle member, a spike plate supported by said legs for vertical movement between an upper set position and a lower released position, a plurality of parallel spaced elongated spikes having upper end portions secure to said spike plate for movement therewith and projecting downwardly parallel to said legs, a set of elongated helical coil compression springs with a compression spring surrounding each of said legs and biasing said spike plate and said spikes downwardly toward said released position, a releasable latch member securing an edge portion said spike plate outside the area encompassing said legs in said set position compressing said springs and connected to a trip member adapted to engage the ground to release said latch member in response to upward movement of said trip member, a hand operated cocking mechanism including a rotatable member supported by said spike plate for rotation between said legs on an axis and moveable vertically with said spike plate, an elongated flexible member extending around said rotatable member and having one end portion secured to said frame and a second end portion adapted to be gripped by a hand of an operator, and said cocking mechanism being operable to move said spike plate from said lower release position upwardly to said set position compressing said springs in response to an upward hand pulling force on said second end portion of said flexible member while holding downwardly on said handle member and with a hand pulling force substantially less than a force exerted by said springs on said spike plate.