Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ANIMAL TRAP
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to new and useful improve-
ments in animal traps.
There are many animal traps in use and consider-
able effort has been extended in order to produce an effi-
cient, humane animal trap. One of the parameters of such a
trap is to design a trap which does not utilize the spring
loaded opposing jaws such as those used in so-called LEG
TRAP.
Steel rings have been used instead of the jaws,
but such traps are only humane and fully effective if the
animal enters them the right way so that the steel rings en-
gage the animal's neck.
Unfortunately, such traps can also operate in an
inhumane manner~
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes these disadvantages
by utilizing a snare type trap which incorporates a flexible
loop of snare wire or the equivalent. In order to prevent
slow strangulation occurring which is a fault of snare wires
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per se, a heavy duty spring arm type trap is utilized with
the snare loops being tightened by the expansion of the
arms by the spring therebetween, and one aspect of the
invention consists of an animal trap comprising in combina-
tion a lower arm and an upper arm connected together by one
end thereof for movement of said arms away from one another.
spring means reacting between said arms normally urging the
other ends of said arms apart, a snare loop connected to said
other end of said lower arm, means on the other end of said
upper arm through which said snare loop extends freely, the
closed loop of said snare loop being situated above said up-
per arm, and a trigger assembly operatively connected bet-
ween said other ends of said arms and movable from a trap
set position to a trap sprung position and vice-versa,
said snare loop being tightened above said upper arm when
said trap is in the trap sprung position, said snare loop
comprising a length of flexible wire, cord or the like, the
ends thereof being threaded freely through said means on
the other end of said upper arm and being secured to the
other end of said lower arm thereby forming a loop outwardly
of said upper arm.
Another advantage of the present trap is that al-
ternate trigger assemblies may be incorporated if desired
so that the trap can be used for land sets, or alternati-
vely, for water or trail sets.
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With the foregoing in view, and other advantages
as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which
this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the
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invention is herein described by reEerence to the accompany-
ing drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a descrip-
tion of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles
of the present invention, in which:
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of
the invention with the trap shown in the set position.
Figure 2 is an underside view of the bottom plate
portion of the distal end of the lower arm.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the securing plate for
the lower arm.
Figure 4 is an end elevation of the top plate per
se.
Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the
trigger engaging the upper arm.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of the trigger lever
per se.
Figure 7 is a top plan view of the release pan
per se.
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Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 1, but show-
ing the alternative trigger assembly.
Figure 9 is a fragmentary end view of the trigger
assembly.
Figure 10 is an isometric view of the trigger wire
holder per se.
In the drawings like characters of reference indi-
cate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Proceeding therefore to describe the invention in
detail, the principal construction of the two traps illustra-
ted in Figures 1 and 8 are similar so that the same numbers
have been given common parts.
This trap comprises an upper arm 10 and a lower arm
11 and in the embodiment illustrated, these arms are joined
by one end thereof, by means of a vertically situated heavy
duty coil spring assembly 12 and of course it is desirable
that the arms 10 and 11 together with the spring 12, are
formed integrally from heavy duty spring steel, so that the
spring 12 normally urges the other ends 13 and 14 apart.
The spring 12 can be formed of a partial loop or
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one or more loops, as desired. However, sufficient strength
should be provided that when the trap is released, the arms
fly apart with considerable force thus assisting in a humane
kill of the animal caught thereby.
Each other end 13 and 14 of the upper and lower
arms respectively is formed in a horizontal loop and in
this connection, a lower loop 14 is shown in Figure 2.
A snare assembly is provided collectively designa-
ted 15 consisting of a length of flexible snare wire 16 or
the equivalent. The ends of this snare wire pass freely
through apertures 17 formed in a plate 18 the ends l9A of
which are shaped to engage over the sides of the lower
horizontal loop 14.
A transversely extending lower plate 19 is bolted
to the plate 18 and sandwiches the loop 14 therebetween,
the extending ends 20 of the lower plate acting to stabilize
the snare and positioning it in the position shown in Eigures
1 and 8.
Nut and bolt assemblies 21 or the equivalent hold
the plate 19 and plate 18 together and the ends of the snare
wire are engaged around the bolts as illustrated by reference
character 22 in Figures 1 and 2 thus clamping the snare wire
by the ends thereof, firmly to the lower arm 11.
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The snare wire passing freely through apertures
17 in the upper plate 18, then forms the loop 16A which is
normally situated in a substantially vertical position above
the trap as clearly shown.
It should also be noted that a rear extension 23
of the lower plate 19, extends under the arm 11 and supports
a pair of vertically situated plates 24, one upon each side
of the upper and lower arms 10 and 11. Only one plate is
shown in the drawings, but it will be appreciated that with
the arms being situated between these plates, the upper arm
is guided to a certain extent as it is released and further-
more a detachable lock pin 25 can be engaged through aper-
tures 26 in the upper ends of the guide plates 24 to act as
a safety pin when the trap is being set, it being understood
that the trap cannot be sprung with the safety pin in posi-
tion.
As mentioned previously, two trigger assemblies
have been provided and dealing first with the trigger assem-
bly illustrated in Figure 1, reference should be made also
to Figures 5, 6 and 7.
A trigger lever collectively designated 27 is aper-
tured adjacent the lower end as indicated by reference cha-
racter 28 and this freely engages the lower loop formed on
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the other end 14 of the lower arm 11 so that it can swing
in the direction of double-headed arrow 29. A substantially
semi-circular notch 30 is formed on one edge 31 of the lever
adjacent the upper end 31 thereof and this notch freely en-
gages the front portion 13A of the upper loop formed on the
other end 13 of the upper 10 and the configuration of the
notch 30 is such that engagement of same over the portion
13A will normally maintain the trap in the "set" position
illustrated. A substantially circular pan 32 is provided
and is bolted to a release lever 33 through apertures 34
in the pan. Alternatively, rivets or other fastening means
can be used, all of which are illustrated by reference
character 35.
This release lever terminates in a loop portion
36 freely engaging around the horizontal loop portion 13A
and the front side of this loop portion 36 is cut away as
illustrated in Figure 5 by reference character 37 with the
upper end 31 of the trigger lever engaging the portion 13A
of the upper horizontal loop within this cut-away portion
as clearly shown in Figure 5.
It will therefore be seen that with the safety pin
25 removed, and the trap in the set position, the open loop
16A extends upwardly from the trap, which may be placed in
any desired position.
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Downward pressure upon the pan 32 as by an animal
entering the loop 16A, will immediately disengage the notch-
ed portion of the trigger lever from the horizontal loop por-
tion 13A thus allowing the spring 17 to move the upper arm 10
upwardly thus tightening the loop around the neck of the ani-
mal with sufficient force to kill the animal in a humane
manner.
The trigger assembly illustrated in Figure 8 is
specifically designed under water or upon trails. As men-
tioned previously, the majority of the trap is similar to
that hereinbefore described with the exception of the trig-
ger assembly. In this embodiment, a pair of rods or pins
38 and 39 are secured as by welding to a plate 39 which in
turn is secured to the upper plate 19 so that the pin or
rod 38 extends slightly below and as an extension of the
upper arm 10.
The lower rod or pin 39 is secured to a forward
extension 40 of the lower plate 20 and also extends below
and as an extension of the lower arm 11 substantially imme-
diately below the upper pi-n or rod 38 as clearly illustra-
ted.
The trigger lever 27A is similar in configuration
to the aforementioned trigger lever 27 and is pivoted via
apertures 28, around pin or rod 39 being retained in posi-
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tion by means of cotter pin 41 or the equivalent.
The upper end 3]Aof the trigger lever 27A, free-
ly engages the upper pin or rod 38 in a manner similar to
the engagement of the previously described trigger lever
with the portion 13A.
A pair of relatively thin trigger release wires
42 extend upwardly from an encircling clip or holder 43
which freely engages around the upper pin 38 and these
wires extend across the snare wire 16A when in the posi-
tion illustrated in Figure 8.
The encircling sleeve or holder 43 is provided
with a cut-out portion 44 on one side thereof and the trig-
ger lever engages the pin 38 within this cut-out portion.
It will therefore be appreciated that movement of the wires
42 either fore or aft relative to Figure 8, will release the
trigger lever 27A from the upp~r pin 38 thus allowing the
trap to be sprung in a manner similar to that hereinbefore
described in the previous embodiment.
Since various modifications can be made in my in-
vention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely
different embodiments of same made within the spirit and
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scope of the claims without departing :Erom such spirit and
scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the ac-
companying specification shall be interpreted as illustra-
tive only and not in a limiting sense.
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