GB2085704A

GB2085704A - Animal traps and containers

Info

Publication number: GB2085704A
Application number: GB8034248A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-10-23
Filing date: 1980-10-23
Publication date: 1982-05-06
Also published as: GB2085704B

Abstract

A trap comprises an elongated body moulding 1, a door flap moulding 2 and a finger-operated moulded catch member 13. The flap 2 has projecting side pivot stubs 8 which engage pivot bores 9 in the body 1 at an upper level adjacent the top edge of an entrance opening at one end of the body 1. A central portion of the flap 2 projects above the body 1 through a cut-out end slot in a top wall 6 of the body. The catch member 13 is slidable on said central portion of the flap 2 between an inoperative position, in which it does not impede pivotal movement of the flap 2, and an operative locking position in which it fouls the wall 6 to block movement of the flap 2 from the locked closed or open position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Animal traps and containers This invention relates to animal traps and contain ers, of the type having an entrance door in the form of a hanging hinged or pivoted flap which is open able only in the inward direction. Thus the flap allows entry of an animal, but a trapped or contained animal cannot push the flap open to escape.

The invention will be described herein with par titular reference to traps, especially small animal traps, and all references to "traps" are where appropriate intended to be construed broadly as including containers also. Traps of the foregoing type are of particular interest because of the humane manner in which they function -the operation of the trap does not injure the trapped animal and conser vationists can trap an animal, transport it in the trap which then acts as a container, and release it unharmed at a different location. Furthermore, a trap of this type can be used as a field trap for trapping animals for investigation and to obtain specimens for laboratory purposes.However, traps which have been proposed with a freely swinging flap have the disadvantage that it is not easy to render the trap inoperative so that it can be left in position for some time before use so that animals become accustomed to its presence, nor is it easy to keep the flap closed while transporting an animal.

The main object of the invention is to provide a trap with a hanging hinged or pivoted flap with which the foregoing disadvantage is overcome.

To this end, according to the invention, an animal trap or container of the foregoing type has a finger operated catch movable between an inoperative position, in which the flap hangs so as to swing freely to permit entry of an animal, and an operative position in which it locks the flap against pivotal movement.

Preferably the catch is operable to lock the flap in either the closed or the open position, and it conve niently comprises a slidable catch member mounted on an extension of the flap above the pivotal axis thereof.

The trap or container of the invention preferably comprises a plastics body moulding and a plastics flap moulding, with moulded-on pivot stubs which also serve for snap-together connection of the body and flap mouldings. The projecting stubs are prefer ably moulded on the flap, and as disclosed in my co-pending patent application No. GB 2017477 A, the flap may have an inwardly-directed ledge dis posed along the bottom edge of the flap to contact a floor surface of the body beneath the flap when the latter is in the closed position.

The body moulding may be of closed form apart from a flap-controlled opening. However, it may alternatively be of elongate form with the flap mounted at the front and the rear end open. In this case an end cap moulding may be provided to close off the rear end of the body, this construction enabling the cap to be removed and two body mouldings connected back-to-back, by means of a simple outer plastics sleeve, to provide a double-ended trap configuration. Such an open-ended body lends itself to a variety of field trap adaptations; for example, it can be attached to a larger chamber to increase the internal capacity of the trap.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, a variety of embodiments and trap arrangements according to the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of one embodiment; Figure 2 is a front view thereof; Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line Ill-Ill in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a view of a flap moulding of this embodiment in the direction of the arrow IV in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a side view of a second embodiment; and Figures 6 to 11 illustrate various trapping arrangements utilising the second embodiment.

The trap of Figures 1 to 4, designed specifically for catching small rodents, consists of two transparent plastics mouldings, which are preferably of tinted polystyrene, namely a moulded hollow body 1 and a door flap moulding 2. The body moulding 1 has a flat floor 3, a closed rear end 4, vertical side walls 5 and a top wall 6 which is inclined downwards at a small angle from the open front end ofthe body. The flap moulding 2 has a main generally rectangular portion 7 which normally closes the front end opening of the body 1, with the flap 2 hanging freely in an inwardly and downwardly inclined position as shown more particularly in Figure 1. In this position a tapering and inwardly directed bottom edge ledge 7a contacts the body floor 3.Adjacent its upper corners and just below the level of the top wall 6 the flap portion 7 has laterally projecting pivot stubs 8 which turn in pivot bores 9 in the side walls 5, and the flap 2 is extended above the pivot axis by a central bifurcated tongue 10 which extends through a cut-out slot 11 at the front end of the top wall 6. The hinge arrangement provided by the pivot stubs 8 also provides for snap-in attachment of the flap 2 to the body 1, the flap portion 7 having cut-out slots 12 which extend downwardly on either side of the tongue 10, these slots being of sufficient width and length to allow inward flexing of the upper corners of the flap portion 7 to permit passage of the stubs 8 between the side walls 5 for fitting into the pivot bores 9.

A sliding catch member 13, shown in section in the views of Figures 3 and 4, is a pad-like moulding of a coloured plastics material, such as polyprolylene or ABS material. This moulding 13 has a central aperture 14 by which it is a sliding interference fit on the bifurcated flap extension 10, and inwardly directed ears 15 cooperate with outwardly directed ears 16 on the tongue 10 for two purposes; firstly to provide for snap-on attachment of the pad moulding 13 to the flap 2, and secondly to limit the upward sliding movement of the pad on the tongue. The pad 13 provides a finger-operated catch which has two terminal positions and which enables the flap 2 to be locked either in the closed position or in the fully open positiOn.Figure 3 illustrates the operative locking position, the flap 2 being shown in this figure in full lines locked in the closed position and in broken lines as locked in the open position. When the pad 13 is in the operative locking position it engages the end of the top wall 6, where it projects on either side of the end slot 11, to prevent movement ofthe flap 2 from the position in which it is locked. With the pad 13 moved upwardly, to the inoperative position defined by abutment of the ears 15 with the ears 16, it allows free pivotal movement of the flap 2 without the pad 13 fouling the front end of the top wall 6.

When in the closed position the flap 2 divides the body into an outer vestibule-like entrance section 17 and an inner cage or container section 18, with the flap inclined so that it can only open by being pushed inwardly as by an animal entering the section 18 through the section 17. The vestibule section 17 is defined between the front ends ofthe side walls 5, which are inclined downwardly at an angle of about 45" from the front end of the top wall 6, and by the floor 3 which extends forwardly beyond the entrance opening.

The embodiment of Figure 5 uses the same general body and flap configuration as the earlier embodiment, except that instead of the radiused closed rear end 4 the body 100 terminates at an open rear end of rectangular shape. For use of this embodiment as a simple trap the open rear end is closed by a press-on moulded end cap 15. In this configuration it functions just as the simple trap of Figures 1 to 4, but it leads to various field trap adaptations examples of which are shown in the remaining figures.

Thus in Figure 6, a simple plastics sleeve 16 enables two bodies 100 to be joined together back-to-back, thereby providing a double-ended trap. In Figure 7 four tramp bodies 100 attach to a central chamber 17, thereby providing a multiple-entrance trap in which a considerable number of animals can be caught and contained.

Figure 8 illustrates the trap body 100 attached to a chamber 18 which is a plastics extrusion so that it can be cut to any desired length, a moulded adaptor/connector 19 on one side fitting to the trap body 100 and on the other side fitting to the chamber extrusion 18. The other end of the chamber 18 can be blanked off by a moulded end cap, or similarly connected to another body 100, or can be closed off in any desired manner.

Figure 9 shows a generally similar arrangement in which the trap body 100 is attached to a chamber 20 which, in this case, is a closed-ended moulding. The adaptor/connector 21, which interconnects the body 100 and the moulded chamber 20, incorporates a trap door 22, in the form of a sliding gate which can be raised for trapping and then lowered to close off the chamber 20 to contain the trapped animals which can be transported with the chamber 20 detached from the trap body 100. Figure 10 is a front view of this arrangement, and shows how the moulding 21 can be provided with vent openings 23 to provide ventilation for the chamber 20 when the trap door 22 is closed, and also with projecting lugs 24 apertured for pegging down to provide ground anchors. Figure 11 is a perspective view of a similar arrangement but without the trap door 22.

Claims

1. An animal trap or container of the type having an entrance closable by a door in the form of a hinged or pivoted flap which, when closed, is openable only in the inward direction, wherein the the trap or container has a finger-operable catch movable between an inoperative position, in which it does not impede movement of the flap, and an operative position in which it locks the flap against pivotal movement.

2. An animal trap or container according to claim 1, wherein the catch, when in said operative position, locks the flap against opening movement from the closed position.

3. An animal trap or container according to either one of the precedi ng claims, wherein the catch, when in said operative position, locks the flap against closing movement from the open position.

4. An animal trap or container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the catch comprises a slidable catch member mounted on an extension of the flap above the pivotal axis thereof.

5. An animal trap or container according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising an elongated body with said entrance at one end and said flap pivoting about an axis adjacent the top edge of the opening.

6. An animal trap or container according to claim 5, wherein said flap has projecting side pivot stubs for snap-in engagement with pivot bores in side walls of the body, said flap being slotted at the top edge inwardly of the pivot stubs to allow flexing which facilitates said snap-in engagement.

7. An animal trap or container according to claim 6, wherein said flap has two slots spaced inwardly of the side edges of the flap and, between these slots, extends upwardly to provide a central tongue on which the catch member is slidably mounted, when in the operative position the catch memberfouling the upper wall of the body to provide locking engagement therewith.

8. An animal trap or container according to claim 7, wherein said central tongue of the flap projects above the body thereof through a cut-out slot in said upper wall.

9. An animal trap or container according to claim 7 or 8, wherein locking member and the flap tongue on which it is mounted have projections which interengage to limit sliding movement of the locking member on the tongue and thus define the inoperative position of the catch.

10. An animal trap or container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body of the trap, the flap and the catch are all plastics mouldings.

11. An animal trap or container according to claim 10, wherein the flap is a pad-like moulding with a central aperture by which it is slidably mounted on the flap.

12. An animal trap or container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body of the trap is of elongated form and generally rectangular cross-section, is open at one end to provide the entrance and has an opening at the other end, this other end opening being alternatively closable by an end cap moulding or enabling the body to be connected back-to-back with a similar trap body or used in a field-trap adaptation.

13. An animal trap or container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flap swings freely under gravity, when the catch is in the inoperative position, to the closed position from which it is displaced inwardly by an animal entering the trap.

14. An animal trap or container substantially as herein particularly described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, or Figure 5, of the accompanying drawings.

15. An animal trap or container in an adaptation substantially as herein particularly described with reference to Figure 6,7,8 or 9, of the accompanying drawings.