GB2523384A

GB2523384A - Humane dispatch trap

Info

Publication number: GB2523384A
Application number: GB1403193.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leslie Guy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-02-22
Filing date: 2014-02-22
Publication date: 2015-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 2034-02-22
Also published as: GB201403193D0; GB2523384B

Abstract

A humane dispatch trap comprising a box enclosure (1, fig 1), a spring loaded impact bar 7, a pendular triggering means 2 and a setting lever 8. The box enclosure includes an entrance opening (15, fig 1), a slot opening for a setting lever (17, fig 1) and a removable top wall (14, fig 1). Within the box enclosure, a rigid portal frame 22 supports a rigid spine member 4 which carries the pendular triggering means. The setting lever and the impact bar are energised by two strong torsion springs (5, 6, fig 4) pivoting about a fulcrum spindle 9 situated inside and adjacent to the bottom 13 and rear walls 11 of the enclosure.

Description

I

HUMANE DISPATCH TRAP

This invention relates to the provision of an animal dispatch trap and in particular to a trap with a high degree of certainty of killing quickly and humanely and which is easy and safe for the user to set.

Cage traps are effective for catching animals alive and non-target animals which are caught inadvertently may be released back into the wild unharmed. However, when target vermin animals are captured alive, the trap user may have the onerous task of dispatching the said vermin animal.

Alternatively, a lethal catching device may be employed. Several lethal traps currently in use, and which incorporate appropriately powerful springs, are difficult to set and to be effective and within the law, they must always be deployed within a natural or artificial tunnel. Another known device which is disclosed in US Patent Number 4425732 is effective but is unwieldy due to the large coiled spring positioned asymmetrically to one side of the entrance. This device also requires a separate tunnel to be employed in front of the entrance opening.

A humane dispatch trap constructed in accordance with the present invention is substantially free from the aforementioned disadvantages.

The advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers denote the figures in the various views and in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly cut away, of a humane dispatch trap box enclosure; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through a humane dispatch trap; Figure 3 is a plan section through a humane dispatch trap enclosure showing the fixed components therein; Figure 4 shows the fulcrum spindle assembly of a humane dispatch trap; Figure 5 shows the pendular trip means of a humane dispatch trap.

Description of the preferred embodiment

The humane dispatch trap of the present invention comprises a box enclosure 1, a pendular triggering means 2,3 depending from a rigid central spine member 4, a spring 5,6 loaded impact bar 7 and a setting lever 8 pivoting about a fl.ilcrum spindle 9.

The box enclosure 1 may be made of welded wire mesh, sheet metal or another suitable material.

The box enclosure 1 illustrated comprises a front wall 10, a rear wall II, two side walls 12, a bottom wall 13 and a removable top wall 14.

The front wall 10 is provided with an animal access opening 15.

The sides of the animal access opening 15 are defined by jambs 16 formed by bending the front edges of the side walls 12 inwardly through 90 degrees.

The rear wall 11 incorporates a vertical slot opening 17 for the deployment of the setting lever 8.

A removable top wall 14 is provided to allow access into the box enclosure 1 for setting and baiting purposes. The top wall 14 may have a plane parallel with the bottom wall 13. The top wall 14 is engaged in position by a suitable means.

The said triggering means includes a pendular trip means 2 and an impact bar release means 3 which may be a release pin 3.

The fulcrum spindle 9 is securely mounted adjacent to the junction of the bottom wall 13 and rear wall 11 with its axis normal to the side walls 12 of the enclosure 1.

inside the box enclosure 1 and adjacent to the junction of the bottom wall 13 with the rear wall 11 and side walls 12, two securely mounted brackets 18 are provided to support and stabilize the ends of the fulcrum spindle 9 about which the convolutions ola clockwise wound torsion spring 5 and an anticlockwise wound torsion spring 6 are coiled and both said torsion springs 5,6 having two tangential leg extensions 19,20 at right angles with each other and incorporating offset U bends 21 formed at the leg extremities in a manner to enable engagement with the impact bar 7 arms and setting lever 8 arms.

The inner leg extensions 19 of said torsion springs 5,6 engage with the arms of said setting lever 8 and the outer leg extensions 20 of said torsion springs 5,6 engage with the arms of said impact bar 7.

The impact bar 7 is in the form of a rectilinear U with an eye loop formed at the ends of both side arms. The impact bar 7 rotates around the fulcrum spindle 9 which passes through the said eye loops to form a pivoting connection thereof.

The height of the fulcrum spindle 9 above the bottom wall 13 is determined to produce the optimum striking height of the impact bar 7 distal from the fulcrum spindle 9.

Within the enclosure 1, mid-distance between the front wall 10 and rear wall 11, a rigid portal frame 22 is securely attached to the side walls 12 of the enclosure 1. The threshold of said portal frame 22 is defined by a striking bar 23 attached to the bottom wall 13 of the enclosure 1.

Centrally between the side waIls 12 within the box enclosure 1, a spine member 4 is provided to support a triggering means 2,3 and resist the downwards force exerted by the impact bar 7 when in the set position. The spine member 4 is preferably made from circular section metal wire bent into a U-shape, The arms of the V-shaped portion of the spine member being separated and parallel for a horizontal portion and united for a sloping portion. The lower sloping portion may incorporate lateral bracing 24.

The said spine member 4 having a horizontal portion adjacent to the removable top wall 14 and parallel with the bottom wall 13 and side walls 12 and a sloping portion generally parallel with said impact bar 7 arms in the set position.

The spine member 4 is securely connected at the front end of its horizontal portion to the rigid portal frame 22 tie beam member 25 and securely connected at the lower end of its sloping portion to the bottom wall 13 in front of the fulcrum spindle 9.

A setting lever 8 is included, The setting lever 8 is substantially U shaped with eye loops formed at the ends of both arms. In longitudinal cross-section the profile aligns generally with the spine member 4 profile and the eye loops enclose the fulcrum spindle 9 forming a pivoting connection thereof The setting lever 8 may be secured in its set position by a means 26 to the rigid central spine member 4 when the said springs 5,6 are under maximum stress.

A pendular trip means 2 depends from the sloping portion of the central spine member 4.

The said trip means 2 may be fabricated from stiff material such as coated steel wire and comprises an upper U component 27 having eye loops formed at the ends of both arms closed about a hinge pin 28 to form a pivoting connection. Distal from the said hinge pin 28 a rectangular shape trip wire 29 is rigidly attached onto two L shaped down-standing components 30 which are rigidly attached to the arms of the upper U component 27. Offset bends in the L shaped components 30 proximal the U component 27 allows the trip means 2 to be positioned normal to the bottom wall 13 when the trap is set.

An impact bar release pin 3 may be pivotally connected to the horizontal portion of the spine member 4.

Setting Procedure To set the humane dispatch trap, the removable top wall 14 must be taken off the enclosure 1 and set aside so that access is available to the setting lever 8, impact bar 7, release pin 3 and pendular trip means 2.

The force exerted on the impact bar 7 by the springs 5,6 can now be removed by releasing the setting lever 8 from the locked position and moving it upwards in an arc described about the ftilcrum spindle 9 and outwards through the opening 17 provided in the rear wall 11.

With the springs 5,6 now disengaged, the impact bar 7 is then raised in an arc described about the fulcrum spindle 9 up to a position adjacent to the underside of the spine member 4.

The release pin 3 is then positioned under the impact bar 7 with the free end supported on the U component 27 of the pendular trip means 2. The sensitivity can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the bearing length of the release pin 3 on the U component 27.

When the desired sensitivity adjustments to the mechanism are completed, the setting lever 8 is then returned to the locked position which re-engages and energises the springs 5,6.

The removable top wall 14 is then replaced on the enclosure I and the trap is now primed and ready for use.

The pendular triggering means 2,3 described allows the trap to be deployed horizontally on the ground, on a sloping surface and also on a vertical surface such as a fence or a tree trunk.

When an animal enters the trap and touches the trip wire 29, the release pin 3 will disengage from the U component 27 allowing the impact bar 7 to move downwardly with the velocity to create the impact and clamping action which exceeds the legal requirements.

Claims

CLAIMS1 A humane dispatch trap comprising an enclosure 1 and; (a) an entrance opening 15 in a front wall 10 of the enclosure 1 together with a vertical slot opening 17 in a rear wall 11 thereof for the deployment of a setting lever 8.

(b) a fulcrum spindle 9 within the enclosure 1 located adjacent the junction of a rear wall 11 and a bottom wall 13 and having an axis normal to the side walls 12 thereof (c) a substantially U shaped setting lever 8 having arm extremities pivotally connected to said fulcrum spindle 9; (d) a rectilinear U shaped impact bar 7 having arm extremities pivotally connected to said fulcrum spindle 9; (e) a clockwise wound torsion spring 5 and an anticlockwise wound torsion spring 6 coiled about said fulcrum spindle 9 and said torsion springs 5,6 having tangential leg extensions 19,20; (f) the inner leg extensions 19 of said torsion springs 5,6 formed at their extremities to engage with the arms of said setting lever 8; (g) the outer leg extensions 20 of said torsion springs 5,6 formed at their extremities to engage with the arms of said impact bar 7; (h) a rigid portal frame 22 within the enclosure I supporting a rigid spine member 4; (i) a striking bar 23 within the enclosure 1 defining the threshold of the rigid portal frame 22.a rigid spine member 4 within the enclosure I adjacent a top wall 14 and having a horizontal portion parallel with a bottom wall 13 and a sloping portion generally parallel with said impact bar 7 arms in a set position; (k) a pendular trip means
2 depending from said sloping portion of said spine member 4; (1) an impact bar release means 3 depending from said horizontal portion of said spine member 4; 2 A humane dispatch trap as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the setting lever 8 is secured in its set position by a means 26 onto a central spine member 4 when the said springs 5,6 are under maximum stress.
3 A humane dispatch trap as claimed in Claim I, wherein the enclosure 1 has a removable top wall 14 so that access is available to a setting lever 8, impact bar 7, release pin 3 and trip means 2.
4 A humane dispatch trap substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.I. Amendments to the claims have been filed as followsCLAIMS1 A humane dispatch trap comprising an enclosure 1 and; (a) an entrance opening 15 in a front wall 10 of the enclosure 1 together with a vertical slot opening 17 in a rear wall 11 thereof for the deployment of a setting lever 8.(b) a fulcrum spindle 9 within the enclosure 1 located adjacent the junction of a rear wall 11 and a bottom wall 13 and having an axis normal to the side walls 12 thereof; (c) a substantially U shaped setting lever 8 having arm extremities pivotally connected to said fulcrum spindle 9; (d) a rectilinear U shaped impact bar 7 having arm extremities pivotally connected to said fulcrum spindle 9; (e) a clockwise wound torsion spring 5 and an anticlockwise wound torsion spring 6 coiled about said fulcrum spindle 9 and said torsion springs 5,6 having tangential leg extensions 19,20; (0 the inner leg extensions 19 of said torsion springs 5,6 formed at their extremities to engage with the arms of said setting lever 8; (g) the outer leg extensions 20 of said torsion springs 5,6 formed at their extremities to engage with the arms of said impact bar 7; (h) a rigid spine member 4 within the enclosure 1 adjacent a top wall 14 and having a horizontal portion parallel with a bottom wall 13 and a sloping portion generally ° parallel with said impact bar 7 arms in a set position; (i) a pendular trip means 2 depending from said sloping portion of said spine member 4; C) an impact bar release means 3 depending from said horizontal portion of said spine ". : member4; * (k) a rigid portal frame 22 within the enclosure 1 supporting the rigid spine member 4; * (1) a striking bar 23 within the enclosure 1 defining the threshold of the rigid portal frame 22.2 A humane dispatch trap as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the setting lever 8 is secured in its set position by a means 26 onto a central spine member 4 when the said springs 5,6 are under maximum stress.3 A humane dispatch trap as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the enclosure 1 has a removable top wall 14 so that access is available to a setting lever 8, impact bar 7, release pin 3 andtrip means 2.4 A humane dispatch trap substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.