US152537A - Improvement in animal-traps - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets--Seet 1.

W. S. WEST.

Animal Traps.

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Animal Traps. l N0.l52,537. l PatentedJune30,1874.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM s. wEsT, or .rLATTsMoUTH, NEBnAsKA.

IM'P'RO'VEM ENT VI'N ANI'MAL-TRAPS. j

Speciieationforming part of Letters Patent No. 152,537, dated June 30, 1874 application filed October 24, 1873.

lb all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. WEST, of Plattsmouth, in the county of Cass and State of Nebraska, have invented a certain new and Improved Animal-Trap, of which the following is a complete description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings `for illustration.

Figures l and 2 are side views of the trap. Fig. 3'is a'plan view. Fig. 4 is an end view. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detached sections.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several views.

The nature of this invention relates to a rattrap, the construction, arrangement, and operationof which are as follows:

In the drawings, A represents the base of the trap, which'consists of a shallow oblong square box or harbor, in the end of which is a dropdoor, B, Fig. v4, held in position by the guides C. Along the edge of the upper side of the box is a pa-ssage or runway, D, which has communication with the box or harbor A by an open ing, E, Fig. 3, in the corner of the roof ofthe box. A part of the cover of the runway is shown as broken =away, to show the inside. E', Fig. 3, is a swing-door hung in the sides of the runway, and which closes the passage about two-thirds of the depth thereof. The

rest of the way is closed by a plate, F, Fig. 2,

excepting a narrow space, a, between the lower end ot' the doorV and upper edge of the plate, as shown in Fig.- 2. In said ligure the end of the runway is shown as removed, in order to show the inside thereof. The door E referred to opens in one direction only, and that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. On the floor of the runway is a trip or platform, G, Fig. 3, hung on the shaft b, whereon it vibrates. To the short end c of the platform is hinged the plate F, above referred to, so that on depressing the lower end of the platform said plate is raised upward above the open space a so far as to prevent the door from swinging. The purpose of said platform and door will hereinafter be shown. Section H, Fig. 4, is a continuation of the runway in a vertical direction. In the lower end of it is aguard, I, Fig. 7. Said guard consists of a pair of prongs hinged to the side of the section at d, to allow of their being pushed back against the side of the section, as indicated by the dotted lines e. The spring J is to prevent the guard from moving too easily, and to hold it inclined against the wall of the section, as shown in Fig. 7. The upper end ot' the -section H of the runway is open for the admission of light and air; the opening, however, is'secured by a grating, k, Fig. 3, to prevent the escape of the animals from the trap. Section L, Figs. 3 and 4, is a continuation of the runway in a horizontal direction transversely across the box or harbor A, which then Aturns at a right angle, forming the longitudinal section Mot' the runway. In section L ofthe runway is arranged a swing-door and platform, substantially the same as that described as being in section D, and for a similar purpose, a view of which is seen in Figs. 3 and 6. In Fig. 3 N is the platform, and 0 the top of the swing-door. A side view of the door is shown in Fig. 6; said door also opens forward in the direction through the runway indicated by the arrow, Fig. 4. An edge view of the platform and door is shown in Fig. 4. P, Figs. l and 2, is a reservoir, in which terminates the runway by means of a short tube, Q. In said reservoir is a revolving platform, It, Fig. 3. A portion of the top of the reservoir is shown as broken away, that the platform may be seen. A/ is a partition, extending from the top down to a little below the revolvin g platform,as indicated by the dotted line d in Fig. 2. Said partition divides the platform in two sections, as will bevseen in Fig. 3 5 the two sections revolve together. In the partition is an opening', G, Fig. 5; said figure represents a detached view of the partition. The opening -is guarded by bars c c, between which is a spring, D. The upper end of said spring is secured to the partition, whereas the lower end terminates in a hood, e, in which is held the edge of the platform, and thereby prevented from revolving. E, Fig. 3, is a pulley secured to the shaft of the revolving platform, from which may depend a weight, F, attached to the cord f, Fig. 1; or an elastic cord may be used instead of the weight hereinafter referred to.

The operation of the above-described trap is as follows: In the box or harbor is placed some straw, hay, or any material that will serve as a place in which the rat or other animal may hide. The drop-door B, above described, is held up in the position shown in Fig. 4 by a rod, It, Fig. 1. One end ofthe rod is attached to the upper end of a vibratory standard, F', pivoted in the foot G'; the opposite end passes through the hole fi, Fig. 4, in the door, and upon which the weight of the door hangs. 'Ihe rod rests upon the piece a, as shown, thereby leaving a large opening, H', for the admission of the animal into the box. To the lower end of the standard is secured a heavier rod, I', to which is hung loosely a small wire, m this descends through the top of the box to the bottom thereof, as indicated by the dotted line o. The bait is so placed in the box that the end of the rod or prop o will stand upon it, in which position the rod I' will be supported in a horizontal direction, as shown in Fig. 1. This will'hold the standard erect, and the rod h also in a horizontal direction, for holding up the door, as shown in said Fig. l. The animal is attracted into the box not only by the bait, but lnore seductively by the stuff by which the box is partially filled, and in which the creature seeks a hiding-place. On disturbing the bait or displacing the prop m, the rod I' will fall and thereby withdraw the rod h from out of the door the door will then drop, shutting the rat in the box. The animal seeks toescape by passing up into the runway through the opening E, Fig. 3. Seeing light through the space a, Fig. 2, under the door E', it seeks to escape thereby. The door yields to his pressure and he passes through, but cannot return, as the door will not swing back in the opposite direction, and, furthermore, no opening is seen under the door, for when the rat steps upon the'platform it raises up the plate F over the opening a., leaving no place to try to get through. The rat, seeing light ahead, goes forward and ascends section H ofthe runway, and in so doing pushes back the guard l, which, when the guard is passed, it falls back again by means of the spring J, thereby cutting off the retreat of' the animal, which still goes forward, hoping to escape through the space seen under the drop-door O and platform N, as was seen in section D of the runway, which in like manner opens to his progress and cuts off his return. The creature continues on to the reservoir, which it enters through the tube Q. 0n seeing the opening or window K' on the opposite side of the reservoir, it seeks to reach the same by crossing upon the revolving platform It. In its effort to force its way between the spring D' and the bar c of the partition to reach the window K', the hook e is pushed from its hold on the platform, which will immediately revolve by the weight of the rat upon it, thereby precipitating him into the water below, wherein the creature is drowned. The elastic cord f, or a weight and cord, will cause the platform to revolve in the opposite direction, and bring the edge thereof` into the hook e again, as before.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The harbor or box A and runways D, H, L, and M, in combination with the reservoir P, when said parts are constructed and arranged in the manner described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The swing-door E' and plate F, arranged in relation to the runway D, and in combination with the trip or platform G, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

3. In combination with the reservoir P, the revolving platform It, and section thereof, B', partitionA', spring'D', pulley E", and cord and weight f, or its equivalent, substantially in the manner as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the rod h, standard F', rod I', bait-wire on., door B, and harbor A, in the manner as described, and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM STAUGHION WEST.

Witnesses l WM. L. HoBBs, l). W. MoKrNNoN.

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