US1144545A - Animal-trap. - Google Patents

Description

B. F. HOFFMAN.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-16. 1915.

1,144,545. Patented June 29, 1915.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR THE NORRIS PETERS CQ. PHOTO-LITHO. WASHINGTON. D. C.

. BYRON F. HOFFMAN, OF BYRON, CALIFORNIA.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1915.,

Application filed March 16, 1915. Serial No. 14,713.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BYRON F. HOFFMAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Byron, in the county of Contra Costa and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Animal-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in traps designed for the destruction of noxious and burrowing animals and the like; and it consists in a novel construction and mounting of a gun and means by which it may be discharged by the movement of the animal from within the mouth of the burrow, at which point the gun is located, so that its shot will be directed to destroy the approaching animal.

It also consists in details of construction which will be more fully described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the trap set and ready for discharge. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical section.

In the drawings, A is the barrel of a gun, the rear end of which is secured to and removable from a breech piece B formed or secured upon a plate 1 which extends transversely between parallel side plates C, thus 30 forming a mounting for the operating mechanism. The breech piece may be made sufficiently deep to receive and guide a firing pin 1 slidable in line with a cartridge and normally retracted by a spring, as shown.

2 is a hammer having a thumb-piece 2 at the rear, and a trigger piece 2*, at the opposite side of the fulcrum point. The hammer is mounted centrally on a shaft 2 which is journaled between the side plates C in such a position that it may be turned by a surrounding coil spring to cause the hammer to strike the firing pin 1 and discharge the cartridge. The hammer may be retracted and when this is done the trigger 2 is caused to engage a plate 3 which is formed eccentrically on a shaft 3*, which shaft is journaled in the side plates C and has a downwardly turned arm 4 outside of one of 50 the plates. This arm may be turned so as to carry the plate 3 far enough to allow the trigger piece 2 to pass, after which this piece may be restored to a position to engage the trigger 2 and prevent its moving 55 to release the hammer. The lower swinging end of the arm 4 is engaged to lock it when the hammer is raised and the part 2) is engaged with the holding plate 3, by one arm 5 of a bell-crank lever, the angle of which is fulcrumed to a projection C from the bottom of the side plate C. The other arm 6 of this lever projects upwardly and has connected with it a rod 7 which is slidable through a guide 8 fixed to the end of the barrel A. The rod 7 is bent to form a loop or stop 9 in line with the barrel A.

When the hammer 2 is withdrawn and the trigger is engaged with the plate 3, the arm 4: may be engaged with the lever 5 and the stop 9 is moved away from the gun muzzle, thus holding the parts in place and the hammer retracted. The muzzle of the gun is introduced into the burrow with the parts in position, as stated, and the device may be secured by means of pins 10 extending from the sides C and capable of being forced into the ground to prevent movement of the trap. When the gopher or other animal approaches the trap, he pushes earth along the burrow and this earth contacting with the stop 9 causes the rod 7 to slide back and tilts the bell-crank lever so as to release the arm 4, and allow the plate 3 to turn and release the trigger 2 so that the hammer 2 may fall upon the firing pin and discharge the cartridge and kill the animal approaching within the burrow.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An animal trap comprising side plates and a transverse front plate, a breech block containing a firing pin and secured to the transverse plate, a gun barrel removably attached to the breech block and adapted to receive a cartridge, a hammer mounted upon a spring-actuated shaft journaled in the side plates, said hammer carrying atrigger, a second shaft having an eccentric cam adapted to engage the trigger when the of which said arm may engage, aaslidably guided rod parallel with the barrel and con-,

nected with the other arm of the bell-crank lever, and a stop plate carried by the outer end of the sliding rod acting under exterior pressure to move the rod and disengage the lever from the trigger retaining cam shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BYRON F. HOFFMAN.

Witnesses i R. R. HoUsToN, E. R. FREY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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