Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01M—CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS; APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS
  • A01M23/00—Traps for animals
  • A01M23/24—Spring traps, e.g. jaw or like spring traps
  • A01M23/34—Spring traps, e.g. jaw or like spring traps with snares

Definitions

• the object of the present invention is to provide a snare thrower which in use applies a snare to the leg of an animal and does not require jaws for its opera- tion.
• Figure 2 is a side view of the device
• Figure 3 is a partial longitudinal section through the device
• Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4;
• Figure 5 is a side view of the loop of the snare
• Figure 7 is a schematic view showing the section of a snare elevating spring and post.
• the snare shown in the drawings comprises a snare thrower 2 for throwing a snare assembly 4.
• the snare assembly comprises a strand 6 of stainless steel wire rope formed into a snare loop 8 by means of a snare bracket 10 formed at one end of the strand.
• the other end of the strand is formed with a mounting loop 12.
• the loop 12 is connected to a chain 14 by means of a shackle 16.
• the other end of the chain is connected by means of a wire or the like to a stick or log 18.
• the snare thrower operates to project the snare loop 8 rapidly upwards about the leg of an animal and simultaneously close the loop about the leg so that the bracket 10 prevents the loop from being removed from the animal's leg.
• the snare and stick 18 constitute an encumbrance to the animal and prevent it moving a significant distance from the site of the snare. The animal can then be captured in a humane manner.
• the snare thrower comprises a generally cylindrical housing 20 rigidly connected to a support arm 22.
• the housing 20 is provided with an annular platform 24 beneath which is located a trigger plate 26.
• the platform 24 is located from about 6 to 12 mm below the top edge of the housing so that wall portion 27 forms a protective wall against which the snare loop 8 rests.
• the wall portion 27 slopes to the level of platform 2 at sloping edges 29 so that the ends of the loop 8 extending towards the arm 22 are not encumbered by the wall portion 27.
• the plate platform 24 is provided with eight drainage holes 25.
• the plate 26 is of slightly larger diameter than the opening in the platform 24 so that its edge underlies the inner periphery of the platform 24.
• the plate 26 is carried by means of an arm 28 which includes a narrow portion 30 which extends through an opening 34 in the housing 20.
• the inner end of the portion 30 is connected to a bush 36 which is mounted for rotation on a bolt which passes laterally through the arm 22.
• Extending upwardly from the arm 28 is a post which carries a hook member 40 which co-operates with a tongue 42.
• the hook .member 40 may be integrally formed with the arm 28.
• the post 43 passes through an opening 41 formed in the platform 24.
• One end of the tongue 42 is connected to a bush 44 which is mounted for rotation on a pivot shaft 46.
• the pivot shaft 46 in turn extends between two mounting brackets 48 and 50 which extend upwardly from the arm 2.2.
• One end of the shaft 46 is threaded and is received in a threaded opening in the bracket 50, the other bracket, 48 including a circular opening through which the shaft may pass.
• the other end of the tongue 42 has a downwardly inclined end portion 52 provided with a tapering rebate 54 which receives the hook formation 40 when the snare thrower is in its set position, as seen in Figures 1 and 3.
• the free end of the arm 60 is provided with a transverse leg 61 and a hook 64 which is formed by a downwardly extending leg 66, transverse leg 68 and upturned leg 70, as best seen in Figure 4.
• the hook 64 in use engages the snare strand 6 between the mounting loop 12 and the snare loop 8.
• the trap is set by rotating the throwing arm 60 anticlockwise (as seen in Figure 2) from the position shown in chain lines to the position shown in solid lines.
• the tongue 42 is then rotated from the position shown in chain lines to the position shown in solid lines so that it overlies the transverse leg 61 formed at the top of the throwing arm.
• the plate 26 and hook 40 are then rotated clockwise (as seen in Figure 3) from the position shown in chain lines to the position shown in solid lines whereby the end of the hook, 40 engages the rebate 54 of the tongue.
• the transverse leg is resiliently biased into engagement with the underside of the tongue 42 by the spring 62.
• the snare loop 8 is placed on the annular platform 28 adjacent to the outer periphery and the snare bracket is located on the arm 22 beneath the tongue 42.
• the loop 12 is mounted on the end of the shaft 46 and the adjacent ' strand 6 of the snare assembly lies in the hook 64 formed at the end of the arm 60.
• FIGS. 5 and 6 show in more detail the shape of the snare bracket 10.
• the bracket has three generally straight legs 72, 74 and 75 and a bifurcated loop portion 78.
• the legs 75 and 74 are inclined at an angle of about 50° to one another and the legs 74 and 72 are inclined at about 20° relative to one another.
• the snare wire is provided with a swaged abutment 80 at the end opposite to the loop 12 the axis of the abutment 80 being set about 75° to the axis of the strand 6 of the snare wire.
• the wire passes through a hole 82 formed in the leg 75 and the abutment 80 engages one side of the leg 75.
• the snare wire extending at an angle of about 75°, passes through the bifurcated loop portion 78.
• the wire then, forms the snare loop 8 and passes through a hole 84 formed in the terminal leg 72.
• the holes 82 and 84 are slightly countersunk on their inner faces i.e.
• the snare wire comprises 3.2 mm 7/19 stainless steel wire rope in which case the holes 82 and 84 are 4 mm in diameter and the gap in the bifurcated loop 78 is 4 mm wide.
• the bracket 10 is preferably formed from zinc anneal flat plate 1.6 mm in thickness. The snare bracket 10 has an important bearing on the successful operation of the snare thrower and snare.
• an adjusting screw 92 is provided. It passes through the arm 22 and is threadedly received in a nut 94 fixed to the upper face of the arm 22. The end of the screw 92 bears against the underside of the tongue 42 with a force which depends upon the axial adjustment of the screw and the harder it bears against the tongue, the more force is required on the plate 26 in order for triggering to occur.
• the snare thrower also includes an arm support projection 96 extending upwardly from the arm 22, the height of the projection 96 being chosen so that the arm 60 engages the top of the projection when in the set position, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. This prevents unwanted triggering of the snare thrower by forces applied to the arm itself rather than to the plate 26.
• the snare thrower includes an elevating spring 97 and a post 99 which assist in giving the snare loop 8 a high vertical component of velocity shortly after triggering.
• Figure 8 shows the mounting of the spring 97 relative to the housing 20.
• One end of the spring is formed with a U-shaped connecting portion 101 which passes through a pair of holes in the housing 20.
• the spring then has a first cross portion 103 extending transversely across the housing and through an opening in its side wall. The spring then sweeps upwardly in a first curved portion 105 and then sweeps downwardly in a second curved portion 107 to a point near the bottom of the housing 20 on the other side thereof.
• the spring then has a second transverse portion 109 extending across the housing and terminating with a U-shaped connecting portion 111.
• the curved portions 105 and 107 join at a central kinked portion 113.
• the portion 113 is located beneath the tongue 42 in the set position of the snare thrower, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.
• energy is stored in the first and second portions 105 and 107 owing to their ' resilient deformation and in the cross-portions 103 and 109 which behave as tension springs.
• the snare loop 8 is located above the portions 105 and 107 of the spring. On triggering of the snare thrower the spring 97 will be released simultaneously with the throwing arm 60.
• the portions 105 and 107 will thus move rapidly upwardly and will impart a significant component of upward vertical movement to the loop 8.
• the spring 97 therefore stops the leg of the animal which has triggered the device from being pulled towards the release mechanism whereby the throwing arm 60 has a rigid object gate which to pull the snare loop tight. Further, the snare loop must rise over the highest point 113 of the spring thereby ensuring a catch well up the leg of the animal which has triggered the device.
• the sudden upward movement of the spring 97 also breaks soil on the platform 24 thereby allowing the snare loop 8 a clearer upward movement from the platform.
• the elevating post 99 is generally U-shaped and its legs pass through holes formed in the platform.
• the legs extend to the housing 20 and pass through opennings, where the ends 117 are bent upwardly so as to fix the post 99 in position.. It is inclined to the wall portion 27 as shown and preferably projects about 5 mm above the wall portion.
• the snare loop 8 passes between the post 99 and the wall portion 27. On triggering, the snare loop is moved *
• the post 99 thus momentarily forms a solid object against which the snare loop pulls thereby assisting in tightening of the loop. Further, the inclination of the post post 99 will assist in imparting an upward vertical component of velocity to the snare loop as the throwing arm 60 continues to rise.
• the housing 20 is about 180 mm in diameter and the inner periphery of the annular plate 24 is 100 to 110 mm in diameter.
• the housing 20 is about 180 mm in diameter and the inner periphery of the annular plate 24 is 100 to 110 mm in diameter.
• the arm 22 is about 280 mm in length and the arm 60 is about 300 mm in length.
• the arm 60 and spring 62 are formed from 4.5 mm spring steel.
• the spring 62 has about 5 right hand coils and an outside diameter of 33 mm, there being no spacing between the coils thereof.
• the force at a point on the arm 60 35__r ⁇ mfrom the centre of the spring 62 when the device is set, has been measured at 14. Nm.
• the arm 60 moves through an arc of about 140° from its set position to its release or rest position as shown in chain lines in Figure 2. It will be appreciated that the snare could be made larger or smaller according to the intended application of the device.
• the snare is set and positioned at a location where target animals are thought to be fo
• the release mechanism When an animal stands on the plate 26, the release mechanism will operate and the arm 60 will cause the snare loop 8 to move rapidly upwardly and tighten on the leg of the animal. After snaring, the animal will cause the loop 12 to slide from the end of the spindle 46 whereby the animal is not tethered to the snare thrower and is constrained only by the log 18.

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

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Family Cites Families (8)

• 1986
  • 1986-06-03 EP EP19860903154 patent/EP0225890A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1986-06-03 WO PCT/AU1986/000157 patent/WO1986007236A1/en unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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