Patent ID: 8096078

Claim:
A trap for live animal capture, the trap comprising: (a) an enclosure having a horizontally forward end and comprising upper, lower, and lateral walls, and further comprising a horizontally rearward wall, said walls defining a forwardly opening containment space; (b) a door fitted for covering the containment space's forward opening; (c) hinge means operatively positioning the door for motions between first and second positions, the door covering the containment space's forward opening while in the first position, the door being angularly displaced rearwardly from the first position while in the second position, the door being pivotable toward the first position upon righting the enclosure, and the door being counter-pivotable toward the second position upon inverting the enclosure; (d) a bar having front and rear ends; (f) slide means operatively positioning the bar for reciprocating motions between third and fourth positions, while the bar is in the third position its front end being engageable with the door for resisting pivoting from the second position, while the bar is in the fourth position its front end disengaging from the door for permitting door counter-pivoting or pivoting to or from the second position, said means alternatively horizontally sliding the bar toward the third position upon lowering the enclosure's forward end and for sliding the bar horizontally toward the fourth position upon raising the enclosure's forward end; and (g) an animal contact member rigidly attached to the bar's rear end for, upon the bar's reciprocating motions between the third and fourth positions, movement of the animal contact member in unison with the bar's front end, the animal contact member extending into the containment space.