Patent ID: 7913448

Claim:
A trap for crabs or lobsters, comprising: a trap frame; a mesh extending over the trap frame; at least one inlet opening having a one-way inlet gate with a top and a bottom, the one-way inlet gate also having a pair of rectangular frame portions within it and having a top and a bottom, the rectangular frame portions having a pair of vertical frame members with at least two horizontal support bars joining each vertical frame member to the other of the at least two rectangular frame portions; an at least one horizontal connecting bar connecting the pair rectangular frame portions between the respective at least two horizontal frame support bars; an at least two pivot rods, the at least one horizontal connecting bar being parallel to and co-located with the at least two pivot rods, the at least one horizontal connecting bar and at least two pivot rods being connected between the at least two horizontal connecting support bars connecting each of the two vertical frame portions, the at least two pivot rods and the at least one horizontal connecting bar each forming the top of one-way inlet gate as part of the at least one inlet opening and each pivot member pivotably supporting an at least one set of pins above the at least one inlet gate, the at least one set of pins further forming the at least one-way inlet gate and extending from the top to the bottom of the one-way gate; and pin retainers at the bottom of the inlet gate collecting and preventing spreading of the pins apart from one another when the pins are in the closed position, wherein the at least one inlet opening is horizontally elongate and the at least two sets of pins independently rotate about the at least two pivot rods.