US553372A - Animal-trap - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

E. 0'. WALDURFP.

\ ANIMAL TRAP.

N0. 553,372. w Patented Jan. 21, 1896.

NITED STATES PATENT QFFIcE.

EUGENE C. VALDURFF, OF BUFFALO, NE YORK.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,372, dated January 21, 1896.

Application filed May 22,1895. Serial No. 550,225. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EUGENE O. WALDUR F, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal-Traps and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in animaltraps of the class known as spoon traps; and it consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form in which I have contemplated embodying my invention, and said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of a trap embodying my invention, showing the trap set. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. e is a View similar to Fig. 3, but showing the trap sprung.

In the drawings, A represents the base-block of the trap, formed preferably of Wood and having a substantially circular opening a in the center and a slot a in the rear part of the block, extending from the said opening to the rear edge of the block, to receive the spoon.

B represents the spoon, formed preferably of wood somewhat thinner than the block A and fitting the opening a, said spoon having a tongue I) engaging the slot a. The spoon is pivoted to the block at its extreme end, and to accomplish this most cheaply and advantageously I prefer to form a horizontal groove or slot b in the rear face of the tongue I) and to drive a staple 71 into the rear face of the block A so that the cross-bar of said staple will engage the groove or slot 1), and thus form a pivotal connection therefor.

0 represents a vertical standard formed preferably of wood and secured to the baseblock A, adjacent to its rear edge, by suitable screws 0 c, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, or otherwise. The standard 0 is preferably provided with a horizontal recess 0' on each side adjacent to the base-block A, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2.

D represents the spring-jaw of the trap, which I prefer to form in the shape of a bail of resilient material, the ends of which are coiled into very stiff springs d d, which coils are driven into and secured in the recesses c c in the standard 0. The bail D is of such size as to lie upon the block A surrounding the spoon when the trap is sprung and to extend to a point near the top of standard 0 when the trap is set.

In the upper end of standard O the lockingplate E for the bail is pivot-ally secured in position to engage the same. I prefer to saw or otherwise form a groove or slit 0 in the top of standard (J, and to provide the upper face of said standard with a transversely-extending groove 0 The locking-plate E is placed in the slit 0 and secured in position by a pivot-pin lying in the groove 0 as shown. In order to hold this pivot-pin rigidly in place in said groove I prefer to form it in the shape of a staple having its horizontal cross-bar e engaging the pivotal aperture of the plate E and having downwardly-extending points a, which are driven into the standard C, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The locking-plate is provided adjacent to its upper front corner with a locking-recess e for engaging the bail D, the bottom of said recess being almost on a horizontal line with the pivot-pin e. The

lower edge of the plate E is provided with a downwardly-extending locking projection 6 which engages the tripping mechanism.

F represents a vertically-movable trip-rod secured to the standard 0 by a guide f and having at its upper end a cross-bar f, which extends across the slit e and is engaged by the locking projection a when the trap is set. The trip-rod is pivotally connected with the spoon at its lower end and is provided with a suitable impaling-point to receive the bait. I prefer to give the said rod a return-bend at the lower end to form a loop f to engage a staple b or other suitable device connected with the spoon and to carry the end upward and forward to form the impaling-point or bait-carrier f as shown, as this simplifies the construction.

To set the trap the bail D is raised until it engages the notch or recess-c 111 the locking' raises the triprod until the cross-bar f is inrear of the projection e of the locking-plate when the trap is set, as shown in Fig. 3. It is advantageous in setting the trap to turn it backward, so as to bring the standard 0 into a horizontal position.

It will be noted that the retaining-notch e being in substantially the same horizontal plane as the pivot-pin e the strain exerted upon the locking-plate, which is very considerable, is almost entirely borne by the pivotpin, only sufficient pressure being exerted upon the trip-bar by the projection e to hold the trip-bar and spoon in their raised positions, thus enabling the trap, to be sprung by a very light touch or pressure upon the spoon. It will also be noted that the point of pivot ing the spoon is considerably in rear of the point of attachment of the trip-rod,so that the trip-rod will be moved a sufficient distance to certainly disengage the locking-plate.

When the animal steps upon the spoon in endeavoring to reach the bait, the trip-rod will instantly release the locking-plate and the bail will descend with great force upon the animal, in most cases causing the extinction of life instantly.

It will be seen that this trap can be made very cheaply, and its construction is so simple that it will not be liable to get out of order.

What I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. In a trap the combination with the base block and the vertical standard, of the spring jaw secured to one of said parts, the spoon pivoted in rear of the spring jaw, the locking plate pivoted in the upper part of said stand ard, and having a locking recess substantially in the horizontal plane of its pivot, and a locking projection below said plane, and a trip rod secured to said spoon forward of its point of pivoting and having a part for engaging said locking projection, substantially as described. 7

2. In a trap the combination with the base block, and the vertical standard, of the spring jaw, secured to one of said parts adjacent to its point of intersection with the other, the spoon pivoted in rear of said spring and standard, and having its upper face in the plane of the upper face of said base block when the trap is set, the locking plate pivoted in the upper part of the standard, having a locking recess in a substantially horizontal line with its point of pivoting, and having a looking projection below said recess, and the trip rod secured to the spoon in front of its point of pivoting, having a sliding engagement with the standard and having a part for engaging said locking projection, said trip rod having a bait support secured thereto, substantially as described.

3. In a trap the combination with the base block provided with a pivoted spoon having its upper face in the plane of the upper face of the said block, a vertical standard provided with a slit in its upper end and a locking plate pivotally mounted in said slit and having a locking recess substantially in line with its point of pivoting and a locking projection, of a spring actuated bail adapted to engage said locking recess, and a trip rod secured to said spoon and having a portion lying across said slit and adapted to engage the locking projection of said locking plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE O. YVALDURFF.

Vitnesses:

FRANK I-I. CALLAN, J OSEPH E. KEAN.

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