US 4,356,655 AGranted

Animal trap

OwnerAlberto T. Morante, Roger Moranteinventors

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

A mechanically operable animal trap which traps and disposes of small animals, such as rodents, in an environmentally safe manner and including a housing having a one-way entrance actuated by a treadle adjacent an inaccessible source of food and a ladder leading to a one-way chute connected to a source of disposal, such as water, for disposing of the animal in an economical, pesticide-free manner requiring little attention and supervision.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An animal trap for trapping and disposing of an animal comprising:

an enclosed housing;
an entrance leading into said housing;
a normally opened door closing off said entrance selectively movable between a first position opening said entrance and a second position closing off said entrance to thus provide or prevent access into the interior of said housing;
a partition wall dividing the interior of said housing into first and second compartments, said first compartment communicating with said entrance;
a bait holder removably mounted on said partition wall on the side thereof in said first compartment;
a first weight-actuated actuating means in said first compartment adjacent said bait holder and remote from said door for actuating said door to close said entrance when a predetermined weight is placed on said first weight-actuated actuating means;
access means communicating said first compartment with said second compartment, said access means being accessible by the animal and having a first portion having means thereon preventing reversal of the path of an animal leading into the interior of said second compartment;
including releasable latch means associated with both said door and said housing, said latch means including a latch member extending from said door and a latch on said housing engageable by said latch member having latch member retaining means thereon for retaining said latch member and said releasable latch means also including spring-biased means holding said latch in a first position and elongated means extending from, and connected to, said spring-biased means to a second weight actuated actuating means in said second compartment and actuated thereby to release said latch when said second weight actuated actuating means is moved by the weight of an animal thereon, said elongated means being adapted to release said latch simultaneously with the opening of said door by the engagement of said second weight actuated actuating means with an operatively interassociated first flexible means;
and animal disposing means associated with said second compartment communicating with the second portion of said access means for receiving an animal therein.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

An animal trap for trapping and disposing of an animal comprising:

an enclosed housing;
an entrance leading into said housing;
a normally opened door closing off said entrance selectively movable between a first position opening said entrance and a second position closing off said entrance to thus provide or prevent access into the interior of said housing;
a partition wall dividing the interior of said housing into first and second compartments, said first compartment communicating with said entrance;
a bait holder removably mounted on said partition wall on the side thereof in said first compartment;
a first weight-actuated actuating means in said first compartment adjacent said bait holder and remote from said door for actuating said door to close said entrance when a predetermined weight is placed on said first weight-actuated actuating means;
access means communicating said first compartment with said second compartment, said access means being accessible by the animal and having a first portion having means thereon preventing reversal of the path of an animal leading into the interior of said second compartment;
including releasable latch means associated with both said door and said housing, said latch means including a latch member extending from said door and a latch on said housing engageable by said latch member having latch member retaining means thereon for retaining said latch member and said releasable latch means also including spring-biased means holding said latch in a first position and elongated means extending from, and connected to, said spring-biased means to a second weight actuated actuating means in said second compartment and actuated thereby to release said latch when said second weight actuated actuating means is moved by the weight of an animal thereon, said elongated means being adapted to release said latch simultaneously with the opening of said door by the engagement of said second weight actuated actuating means with an operatively interassociated first flexible means;
and animal disposing means associated with said second compartment communicating with the second portion of said access means for receiving an animal therein.

6 more elements