Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02360869 2001-11-O1
HUMANE SMALL ANIMAL TRAP
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a trap for small fur-bearing animals. The trap
provides
access to bait only over a striker contact end of the trap ensuring that the
trap's strike lever delivers
an instantaneous and humane killing blow to the animal and generally avoids
having the trap
sprung by non-target species or avian scavengers.
Background of the Invention
Harvesting of fur bearing animals has little public support due to the
perceived
cruelty to the animals resulting from poorly designed traps. The efficiency of
most naps depends
upon the skill of the trapper for the proper placement of the trap and an
efficient kill of the animal,
thereby resulting in minimal damage to the animal pelt.
Traps which are set and left unattended for some time, such as when used on a
trap-
line, may catch non-target species or may be triggered by scavengers such as
Magpies or Ravens
resulting in unnecessary kills or a reduced target specie catch.
Traps must, therefore, be designed to kill only the target prey by restricting
the
access by non-target prey or scavengers. The kill to be efficient and humane,
should preferably be
accomplished by striking the animal a forceful, downward blow on the rear
portion of the skull or
on the neck of the animal.
CA 02360869 2001-11-O1
Summary of the Invention
'The present invention to provides a selective and efficient trap for killing
small fur
bearing animals such as Marten. Access to bait positioned within the trap is
by way of an
aperture, the size of which is generally species specific. The animal places
its head and neck
within the contact zone of a spring actuated strike lever when accessing the
bait. The strike lever
has primary and secondary strike bars designed to impact the skull and the
neck of the animal to
thereby humanely dispatch the animal. The trap may be firmly secured to the
trunk of a tree, by
nailing or the like. Setting the trap strike lever against the tension of its
spring actuator is
simplified when the trap is securely fastened to the tree. Once the strike
lever is set, a removable
cover is placed over the trap to restrict access by other than a target
species animal.
The trap may have a generally "U" shaped frame manufactured from 8 inch by 4
inch mild steel or other suitable material. The open end of the "U" shaped
frame has inwardly
directed, spaced apart arms, to which a trigger is rotatably mounted.
Supporting legs are secured
to the "U" shaped frame by welding or the like. Generally three such legs
prove sufficient to
firmly anchor the trap to a surface such as a tree trunk. A pair of supporting
legs is positioned
medially on opposite sides of the frame and one is positioned medially on an
end of the frame
opposite the releasable trigger. The supporting legs elevate the "U" shaped
frame above a surface,
2 0 such as the trunk of a tree, to which is secured. Side support legs are
apertured to accept upper and
lower pins, which secure a lower trigger release lever and an upper strike
lever in rotational
relation to the frame.
The lower trigger release lever is maintained in a centered aspect on the
lower pin
2 5 by a sleeve secured over the medial portion of the lower pin. The trigger
release lever is at one
end looped through an actuating arm secured to the trigger and at the other
end, adjacent the end
supporting leg, is openable to retain bait. The end supporting leg may have a
guard extending
parallel to and below the "U" shaped frame to prevent access to the bait from
under the frame.
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The upper strike lever has primary and secondary strike bars at its distal
end. The
strike lever is rotationally urged from a set position secured by the
releasable trigger to a strike
position impacting forcibly against the support frame by a coil spring.
A cover, which may be manufactured from 18 gauge galvanized sheet metal,
aluminium, plastic or the like is designed to fit snugly over the "U" shaped
frame. The cover is
closed by a top surface, a front wall and opposite side walls which are
coextensive with the top
and side walls. The open back wall area of the cover permits it to be placed
over the "U" shaped
frame in proximity to the surface on which the trap is mounted. A slight
resiliency in the material
from which the cover is made permits a slight outward deflection of the side
walls to enable the
upper pin to engage retaining apertures formed in the side walls of the cover
so as to hold it
securely in place over the trap.
The bottom wall of the cover, that is the wall opposite the top surface, has
inwardly
turned edges, which create an animal access opening which is generally species
specific to
minimize access to the bait to all but the target species, and to direct the
head and neck of a target
species specimen in a preferred contact zone wherein the primary and secondary
strike bars will
strike the neck and head of the specimen respectively upon triggering release
of the strike bar by
2 0 the specimen pulling on the bait.
In summary, the small animal trap of the present invention includes a housing
having an aperture at one end of the housing, the aperture sized to snugly
receive therethrough the
head of a target species animal. An elongate rigid strike bar has a base end
and an opposite strike
2 5 end. The base end is rotatably mounted within the housing for rotation
about an axis of rotation
passing through the housing so as to rotate the strike end of the strike bar
through an arc about the
axis of rotation between a set position and a sprung position. A first strike
member is mounted to
the strike end and a second strike member is mounted to the strike bar
adjacent the strike end. The
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base end is resiliently rotationally biased by resilient biasing means so as
to rotationally bias the
strike bar about the axis of rotation from the set position into the sprung
position.
In the set position the strike bar is latched stationary relative to the
housing by a
selectively releasable latch. The latch is mounted in the housing oppositely
disposed from the
aperture relative to the axis of rotation. In the sprung position the strike
bar has rotated about the
axis of rotation so as to sweep the strike end through the arc and across the
aperture. The arc
passes adjacent the aperture.
An elongate trigger member is mounted within the housing so as to extend
between
the aperture and the latch. A first end of the trigger member is adapted for
mounting bait thereon
and disposed adjacent the aperture, and spaced inwardly of the aperture so as
to be spaced
inwardly into the housing and inwardly of both the first and second strike
members when the
strike bar is in the sprung position. A second end of the trigger member
cooperates with the latch
so that a tug by the target species animal on the bait when the bait is
mounted on the first end of
the trigger member displaces the trigger so as to actuate the latch thereby
releasing the strike bar
when retained by the latch in the set position.
The housing may include a support frame. The trigger member may be a lever
2 0 pivotally mounted to the frame at a position along the length of the
lever. The latch may include a
latch lock mounted to a latch ann. The latch ann may be pivotally mounted to
the frame so that
elevation of the first end of the trigger member by the tug on the bait
rotates the second end of the
trigger member so as to depress the latch arm, thereby rotating the latch lock
from engagement
with the strike end of the strike bar. The resilient biasing means may be at
least one helical coil
2 5 spring, where the base end of the strike bar may be rigidly mounted to a
shaft and the shaft may be
rotatably mounted to the frame. The frame may be generally U-shaped and the
housing may
include a cover mountable over the frame.
CA 02360869 2001-11-O1
The trigger member may be pivotally mounted to the frame, generally medially
along a length of the frame. The shaft may be pivotally mounted to the frame
generally medially
along the length of the frame.
The strike bar may be generally U-shaped, with ends of legs of the U-shape
rigidly
mounted to the shaft. The first strike member may be the end of the U-shape
between the legs.
The second strike member may be parallel to the first strike member and may be
rigidly mounted
to, so as to extend between, the legs of the U-shape.
The bait, when mounted on the trigger member, and the first and second strike
members when the strike bar is in the sprung position, may be positioned
within a contact zone of
the trap, where the contact zone may be an area within the housing adjacent
the aperture within
which the target species animal is most likely to place its head when
attempting to take the bait.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective partially cutaway view of the trap of the present
invention
mounted to the trunk of a tree.
2 0 Figure 2 is a front elevational view of a sprung trap holding an animal,
the
trapcover sectioned.
Figure 3 is an exploded isometric view, partially cut-away, illustrating the
trap in
the sprung position.
Figure 4 is an enlarged front elevational view of the trap in the set
position.
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Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention
With reference to the drawing figures, similar characters of reference
referred to
herein denote corresponding parts in each view. Thus as seen in Figure 1, the
humane small
animal trap 10 of the present invention may be advantageously mounted to a
tree trunk 12. Trap
has a removable cover 14. Trap 10, when set for small animals such as Marten,
is generally
secured to trunk 12 approximately 3 to 4 feet above the ground.
As seen in Figure 2 and 3 trap 10 incorporates a trap mechanism 10a enclosed
10 within a cover or housing. The trap mechanism includes a "U" shaped frame
16 having a base leg
16a, parallel side legs 16b and inwardly turned arms 16c at the end opposite
to base leg 16a.
Fastened to the medial point on base leg 16a and side legs 16b, by welding or
the like, are
supporting legs 20a and 20b respectively. Leg 20a and a pair of legs 20b
extend perpendicularly,
for example downwardly, from "U" shaped frame 16 and terminate in apertured
end tabs 20c, so
that when positioned against trunk 12, frame 16 may be mounted to the trunk
surface. End tabs
20c are apertured for ease of fastening of frame 16 to a surface such as the
trunk surface by nails or
screws 22 driven through the holes in the end tabs. Leg 20a has a rigid guard
member 24
extending parallel to and below base leg 16a.
2 0 A trigger plate 26 functions as a latch lock and is mounted to one end of
an
elongated actuating latch arm 28. Trigger plate 26 is pivotally mounted to
inwardly turned arms
16c of frame 16, on a pin 30 mounted as by welding to arms 16c. Lateral
support for trigger plate
26 is achieved by mounting it to a sleeve 26a. Sleeve 26a is rotatably mounted
on pin 30 by
journalling pin 30 through sleeve 26a. Arm 28 may be formed of an elongate
member bent back
2 5 on itself in the form of a "V", with both free ends of the "V" mounted to
trigger plate 26.
A release lever 34 is pivotally supported on a lower support pin or shaft 36.
Support pin 36 is mounted through holes in support legs 20b, and is positioned
immediately below
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"U" shaped frame 16. Lever 34 is maintained centered on pin 36 by a sleeve 36a
mounted on pin
36. End 34a of release lever 34 is looped through the "V" of actuating arm 28.
The opposite end
34b of release lever 34 forms a skewer for holding bait 35. The free end 34d
of the skewer is
resiliently held within latch 34c so as to hold the bait on the skewer and to
prevent the bait falling
off End 34b may be resiliently deformed to unlatch free end 34d from latch
34c. Solid bait 35
such as meat or the like may thus be skewered and retained on end 34b of lever
34.
A strike lever 40 is generally "U" shaped, having legs 40a and a closed end
40b.
Lever 40 is rotationally mounted on an upper support pin 42. Pin or shaft 42
is mounted through
holes in support legs 20b so as to position strike lever 40 immediately above
"U" shaped frame 16.
The closed end 40b of strike lever 40 acts as a primary strike bar to strike
an animal grasping bait
35. A secondary strike bar 42 is mounted to arms 40a, positioned radially
inwardly of closed end
40b of strike lever 40, for example between 1 to 1 %z inches inwardly
therefrom, radially inwardly
relative to pin 42. Strike lever 40 is rotationally urged from a set position
as seen in figure 4,
wherein closed end 40b is held by trigger plate 26 within latching notch 26b,
to a strike position
such as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 wherein the strike lever has been
rotated generally 180
degrees from its set position. Such rotation is forcefully biased by the
tensioning of a pair of coil
springs 44. Springs 44 are also mounted on upper support pin 42.
2 0 Coil springs 44 each have a live arm 44a and an anchor arm 44b. Live arms
44a
engage the legs 40a of strike lever 40. Anchor arms 44b engage lower support
pin 36. As strike
lever 40 is rotated in direction A, that is toward trigger plate 26, anchor
arm 44b resists rotation of
springs 44 thereby increasing the springs' potential energy as the springs 44
are rotated. Springs
44 are at maximum tension when strike lever 40 is in its set position with
closed end 40b mated
2 5 within latching notch 26b of trigger plate 26.
Removable cover 14 has a top surface 50, side surfaces 52, a front surface 54
and a
bottom surface 56 which define an interior space within which the trap may be
housed. Reference
CA 02360869 2001-11-O1
to "top", "bottom" and "front" surfaces refer to the spatial orientation of
the housing when the trap
mechanism 10a is mounted to a tree trunk and the cover installed over the trap
mechanism.
Bottom surface 56 has an animal access opening or aperture 58. Top surface ~0
and side surfaces
52 of cover 14 fit snugly around the "U" shaped frame 16 of trap 10. Front
surface 54 is spaced
away from the enclosed trap mechanism a sufficient distance to permit rotation
of strike lever 40
between its set and sprung or "strike" positions. Holes 60 in side surfaces 52
engage the ends of
upper support pin 42 releasably mating cover 14 over the trap mechanism.
When set and baited, trap 10 requires that a small fur bearing animal have
access to
bait 35 skewered on end 34b of release lever 34 from only within a preferred
contact zone (CZ) of
the actuated strike lever 40. The head of the animal must be inserted through
animal access
opening 58 and over base leg 16a of "U" shaped frame 16 in order to reach the
bait. As the bait is
grasped and pulled by animal 62 in direction B, release lever 34 is pivoted on
lower support pin 36
so as to depress actuating arm 28 in direction C. Depressing arm 28 in
direction C rotates trigger
plate 26 in direction D which unlocks a latch, in particular releases closed
end 40b of strike lever
40 from notch 26b. Strike lever 40 then snaps into its strike position by
quickly and forcefully
rotating in a direction opposite to direction A. Closed end 40b of strike
lever 40 acts as a first
strike member and secondary strike bar 42 acts as a second strike member, both
acting to ensure
that any animal 62 grasping bait 35 in its mouth is dispatched by a crushing
blow to the head and
2 0 neck of the animal in a humanely efficient manner. In the case where the
trap is mounted to a tree
trunk, the animal is then held hanging against the tree. Closed end 40b and
bar 42 may each be
linear and may be parallel to another spaced apart by the anticipated
distance, for example, of the
skull and neck of the target species of animal.
2 5 As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the
foregoing
disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of
this invention
without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of
the invention is to be
construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.
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