GB2144020A - Apparatus for catching insects - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for catching insects has a frame (5) which mounts two spaced end portions (3, 4) between which is carried an elongate tubular catching body (2) which has a sticky surface. The body (2) is removably, replaceably mounted between the frame end portions (3, 4) by means of connecting devices (14, 14). The frame (5) may be slightly flexible so that the end portions (3, 4) may be moved apart for insertion and removal of the body (2). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for catching insects BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION and PRIOR ART STATEMENT The present invention relates to an apparatus for catching insects comprising a frame and an elongate catching body, the frame being provided for mounting the apparatus on a supporting base.

The Swiss patent specification No. 381 010 describes such a known apparatus, having as a frame a hollow cylindrical container with an open upper end portion and at its lower end portion a foot for mounting on a supporting base. This container is provided with inlet openings through which insects, in particular flies, can enter the container. A container-shaped body, in form of a hollow cylinder, is provided for insertion into the mountable container. This catching body is also provided with inlet openings for the entry of insects into the catching body. The container has axial guide ridges projecting inwardly, for which the catching body is equipped with matching grooves, which are arranged in such a manner relative to the inlet openings, that on inserting of the catching body into the container the inlet openings of the catching body coincide with those of the container.The inner wall of the catching body is covered by a layer of an adhesive material so that any insects that enter the catching body through the inlet openings remain stuck at the inner wall of the catching body. The catching body is equipped with a string at its upper end portion by means of which it can be extracted from the container. For closure an affixable cover lid is provided at the upper end opening of the said container.

This known apparatus is not suitable for catching any insects. It is known that insects fly always into the direction of light. Since the interior of the catching body of this known apparatus is dark, however, only in the rarest of cases would any insect go astray into the interior of the said catching body.

An apparatus for catching of insects is known by the German patent specification No.

143 311 which has no frame by means of which it could be placed upon a supporting base. The known apparatus has a hollow cylindrical catching body whose upper end portion is closed. Connected to the upper end portion of the catching body there is a funnelshaped neck, and connected to the lower end portion there is a disconnectible plate. Two equally-formed containers are connectible with the funnel-shaped neck and with the plate, respectively, by means of bayonet joints whereby the upper container faces with its opening downwards. For operation the upper container is filled with glue and suspended by means of an eyelet that is provided at its base so that the glue runs through the said funnelshaped neck onto the cylindrical outer surface of the catching body and alongside it into the plate and from there through holes in the plate bottom into the lower container.Any insects that have thus been caught at the catching body are conveyed into the plate by means of the glue and remain there at the perforated bottom. Apart from the fact that this known apparatus cannot be placed upon a supporting base, it has also the disadvantage that a continuous surveillance is required to establish when all the glue from the upper container has flowed into the lower container.

An apparatus for catching insects is further known by the German patent specification No.

212483 which consists of a frame and several catching bodies formed from wires.

The frame is designed as a hollow cylindrical container, having at its lower end portion a foot for mounting the apparatus. The hollow space of said container is filled with glue. At the upper end portion of the container there is a dish whose bottom is provided with holes for the passage of the wire-type catching bodies, which are connected to a piece that is guided inside the hollow space of the hollow cylinder and that can be moved up and down by means of a rod. The wire-type catching bodies have such a length, that, when the piece is depressed down to the lower end portion of the container, the catching bodies are retracted into the container.For operation the piece is pulled up into its upper position by means of the rod so that the wire-type catching bodies project outwards from the dish and expand due to inherent pretension and remain pulled up under the influence of their spring action. On pushing the piece into the container, any insects that are stuck to the catching bodies are removed from the catching bodies and remain deposited within the dish. On a following pull-up of the piece the catching bodies protrude through the dish, cleansed from any insects and only covered by the glue from the container.

This known apparatus has the disadvantage that the catching surface of such wires is very small, so that only a few insects can be caught at any one time.

An apparatus for catching insects is also known by the German patent specification No.

592 468, having as a frame a glue container which can be placed upon a supporting base.

A metal strip that is dished along its longitudi nal axis is retractable from the container in a vertical direction, forming the catching body.

The container contains glue which remains attached to the strip-type catching body on its being pulled out so that flies can be caught at the surface of the catching body.

Together with the previously-described apparatus this known apparatus has the disadvantages of a) that, on any tipping over the supporting base will be soiled by contact with the catching body as well as by the glue that might flow out of the container, and b) that, if it is placed on a window sill, it is unavoidable that the curtains are soiled by touching the catching body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide an apparatus for catching insects, particularly for catching flies, comprising a frame for mounting the apparatus upon a supporting base and for supporting an elongated catching body which is easily separable from the said frame.

This object is attained that way that the frame is provided with two end portions with the catching body being arranged between them, and having at least one extractable means of connection which is insertable at least through one of the end portions into the neighbouring end of the catching body. When it is covered by insects the catching body can be very easily replaced by a new one by means of the disconnectible connection of the catching body with the frame by pulling out of the means of connection.

Another object is to design the apparatus for catching insects in such a manner that it could not only be supported by a base but also suspended.

This object is achieved by the means of connection having a handle shaped as an eyelet by means of which the frame can be suspended.

A further object of the present invention is the prevention of contact of the catching body with any curtains when the catching body is placed upon a window sill or such like.

For achieving this object the two end portions are connected with each other by means of a connection portion at a distance from each other so that they define a longitudinal intermediate space with open sides. The flat connection portion forms then a side wall closing at least partly a portion of said open sides of the longitudinal intermediate space.

That way the apparatus according to this invention can always be mounted in such a way that any contact of the catching body with a curtain is prevented by the flat connection portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an axial longitudinal section of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a cross section along one of the lines Ill-Ill of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is an elevation in the direction of arrow IV of Fig. 2 on one of the ends of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a view of a stopper of the embodiment as shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a section along the line VI--VI of Fig. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODI MENT The embodiment of the apparatus for catching insects shown in Fig. 1 has a frame 1 and a hollow cylindrical catching body 2, whose external surface acts as catching surface by means of a coating layer of a sticky catching medium. The frame 1 has two end portions 3 and 4 which are connected with each other in a generally bending-stiff manner by means of a wall 5, which keeps the space between the end portions 3 and 4 open from the outside for allowing entry of insects, and within which space the catching body 2 is connected to the two end portions 3 and 4.

The two end portions 3 and 4 are equal and form in their plan view congruent octagons, each having a bottom 28, which is surrounded by an elevated continuous rim 10 at the side opposite to the catching body 2.

The wall 5 extends over three whole and two half sides of the octagons of the end portions 3 and 4, so that it surrounds only partially the space between end portions 3 and 4. It can be provided with openings not shown in the Figure.

In order to provide a definite support the elevated rim 10 of each end portion 3 and 4 is provided with three supporting embossments 11 (Fig. 4). That side of each end portion 3 and 3, which faces catching body 2 has a continuous elevated rim 1 2 (Fig. 2) for collecting any sticky catching media that might have become separated. The frame of the apparatus for catching insects can be prepared for fly catching by placing it on a supporting base on each of the end portions 3 or 4 or on any side of the octagonal circumference, either in an upright position or laid flat, respectively, whereby the frame can always be arranged in such a way, that wall 5 protects catching body 2 from contact with any curtain or such like.

For inserting of the catching body between the end portions 3 and 4 there are provided at those sides of bottoms 28 that face each other, guidance ribs 9 which are in parallel to each other, and abutment ribs 1 7 for positioning purposes (Fig. 3). The said guidance ribs 9 are arranged at such a distance from each other that, in being tangentially adjacent to the cylindrical surface of the circumference of catching body 2, they define a guidance track for catching body 2.

Catching body 2 is held at each of the end portions 3 and 4 by means of a stopper 14 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The said stopper 14 consists of a sleeve-shaped body 24 which changes over at one of its ends into a disc 25 whose side that is facing the sleeve-shaped body 24 forms the support surface for resting against the end portions 3 or 4. At the side opposed to the sleeveshaped body 24 of the disc 25 a handle is provided, also shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, which is designed in form of an eyelet 1 8 for suspension of the apparatus for catching insects.Separated by an intermediate space 26 from disc 25 there are two webs 1 5 and 16, integral with the sleeveshaped body 24, that cross each other at right angles and which project with their end portions beyond the external surface of body 24, and whose external edges run at first, at their end that is adjacent to disc 25, similarly in parallel to the wall of the sleeve-shaped body 24 and present contact surfaces for the cylindrical interior wall of catching body 2 and then narrow down towards the free end of the sleeve-shaped body 24. This facilitates the introduction of stopper 14 into the catching body 2.

For introduction of the stoppers 14 into the ends of the cylindrical catching body 2, bottom 28 of each end portion 3 and 4 is provided with an opening 30 (Figs. 2 and 3) adapted to sleeve-shaped body 24, with radial slots 20, 20' for the ends of the webs 16 and 15, respectively. Slots 20 have a constriction at their radial external ends. The ends 19 of the web 1 6 are shaped to fit these slots 20, so that the stoppers can be introduced through the openings 30 into the ends of catching body 2, but only in such a position that the webs 1 6 engage with slots 20.

As can be seen from Fig. 3, a trapping or stopping burl 21 and an abutment 22 are provided between slots 20 and 20', so that stoppers 14 can be joined with their end portions 3 or 4 by inserting and turning, in a bayonet fashion.

After introduction of stopper 1 4 into opening 1 3 it is turned counter-clockwise according to Fig. 3, until the end of web 1 6 touches the abutment 22 beyond the stopping burl 21, so that the end of bar 1 6 engages between the stopping burl 21 and the abutment 22 and the stopper is held in an easily disengageable fashion in this indexed position. For exchange of the catching body 2 it is merely necessary to turn the two stoppers 1 4 clockwise from their indexed position until webs 1 5 and 1 6 arrive at matching positions with slots 20' and 20, so that the stoppers can be pulled out.After removal of the soiled catching body a new catching body 2 is introduced between end portions 3 and 4, whereby it is led by means of the ribs 9 and then exactly positioned by means of the abutment ribs 17, so that it can again be fixed within the frame by introduction of the stoppers 1 4. The stoppers 1 4 interlock, with clearance, with the ends of catching body 2, so that the catching body may be turned by hand within the frame around its axis as required.

In the assembled condition wall 5 simultanuously represents a protective device which prevents e.g. on the apparatus for catching insects being placed upon a window sill, that the curtain comes into contact with the sticky catching surface of catching body 2, and by its curvature a bending-stiff connecting body by means of which the end portions are held together in a bending-stiff manner, so that the frame consisting of the end portions 3 and 4 and the wall 5 forms a satisfactory mount for the catching body 2, which nevertheless can very easily be exchanged by means of the connecting stoppers 14.

The frame is designed in a conventional, known manner, so that it can be injection moulded in a single operation from plastics material.

All features mentioned in the above description, and also those that can be deducted from the drawings are to be considered as further embodiments and parts of the invention, even if they are not specifically emphasized and in particular if they are not mentioned among the claims.

Claims (9)

1. Apparatus for catching insects comprising a frame and an elongated catching body, said frame being designed for mounting said apparatus upon a supporting base and having two end portions which are connected by a connection portion at a distance from each other so that surfaces of said end portions facing each other define two ends of an elongated intermediate space which extends between said facing surfaces of said end portions and which has open sides, said connection portion forming a side wall closing at least partly a portion of said open sides of said elongated intermediate space, said elongated catching body having a sticky surface for catching the insects, two ends, a hole in at least one of said ends and a length of generally the same order of magnitude as said distance between said two end portions, so that said catching body is insertable into said longitudinal intermediate space through said open sides, whereby at least one of said two end portions is provided with an opening for inserting a connection means through said opening into said hole of said catching body for connecting said catching body to said frame in a disconnectible manner.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein both of said end portions of said frame are provided each with said opening and both of said ends of said catching body are provided each with said hole for inserting two of said connection means through said openings into said holes.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said catching body is a hollow cylinder.

4. Apparatus acdording to claim 1, wherein each of said end portions of said frame have a bottom and a rim surrounding said bottom, said rim projects over said bottom at the side opposed to said catching body in form of a wall which surrounds a space near said bottom and has a free edge spaced from said bottom, said free edge has three supporting embossments for supporting the frame, said opening for said connection means being provided in said bottom.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said connection means forms a handle for handling it, said handle protrudes into said space surrounded by said rim.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said handle has the form of an eyelet for suspension of said apparatus.

7. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of said facing surfaces of said end portions have guidance ribs for inserting of said catching body into said frame and at least one abutment for definite fixing of said catching body within said frame in a position for connection by said connection means.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said connection means is designed as a stopper and said bottom of said end portion has an edge surrounding said opening, said edge of said opening being adapted to said stopper and both are designed to form a bayonettype joint of said end portion and said stopper.

9. Apparatus for catching insects, the apparatus being substantially as herein described and shown in the drawings.