US3122857A - Rodent exterminating device - Google Patents

Description

March 3, 1964 H. YATES RODENT EXTERMINATING DEVICE Filed Oct. 27, 1958 Tiq.2.

INVENTOR. IL/E RJHE L 44 TE 5 BY W Y 7' TORNE Y S United States Patent C) 3,122,857 RGDENT EXTERNIINA'HNG DEVICE Hershel Yates, Rte. 1, Box 218, Vacaville, (Ialif. Filed Oct. 27, 1958, Ser. No. 769,629 2 Claims. (Cl. 43-131) This invention relates to apparatus for the killing of rodents and the like, and is more specifically directed towards a rodent exterminator in which all moving parts found in conventional traps or exterminators have been eliminated.

In most conventional devices of the above character, there are provided various mechanical arrangements for trapping and/ or killing a rodent. Due to such mechanical arrangement, the parts will, in many instances, become worn and inoperative; and in many such devices, even when in first class operating condition, it is necessary to reset the same after each rodent has been trapped or killed. In that type of rodent exterminator which employs a poison to be fed to the rodent, extreme care must be exercised to avoid spilling of the poison and to insure that the poison remains Within the device at all times to prevent serious illness or death to children and domesticated animals such as dogs, cats, fowl, etc. by contact with the poison.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rodent exterminating device of simple, compact construction in which all moving parts have been eliminated, and which may be efiectively operated over extremely long periods of time without any required servicing or maintenance.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rodent exterminator in which a quantity of rodenticide is provided, which is adapted to be contacted by the rodent, and in which means are provided for positively maintaining a quantity of the rodenticide available for contact by rodents over extended time intervals, whereby the exterminator may be utilized over such extended period without servicmg.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described which is readily convertible for use of either a liquid or a dry rodenticide, and wherein the liquid rodenticide can be fed into the exterminator at ditierent rates of flow by a simple conversion depending upon whether a slow acting or a very potent liquid poison is to be employed to thereby conserve unnecessary expenditure of the poisons while yet maintaining the apparatus continuously efiective.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide appara tus of the type described in which the rodenticide cannot be spilled from the apparatus, even when the apparatus is tilted or upended.

Still another and further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described which may be handled by children without danger of contamination by the poison.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted 3,122,357 Patented Mar. 3, 1864 within the scope of the invention as set forth in the the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus embodying one form of the present invention.

FIGURE 2. is an elevational view of one end of the apparatus of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional View showing a modified feed means accommodating a dry rodenticide.

In broad terms, the exterminator of the present invention is designed so as to permit a rodent to travel therethrough with a rodenticide contained within the apparatus and in the path of travel for attracting the rodent and subsequently killing it upon contact therewith, and so designed as to prevent spillage of the rodenticide therefrom in the event of tilting or upending. It will, of course, be understood that the invention is not directed to the poison or rodenticide per so as there are numerous rodent exterminating chemicals readily available on the market; but the present invention directed solely toward the means for containing such rodenticide, for preventing any spilling of the rodenticide and for properly dispensing the same in a novel form of device.

With reference to the drawing it will be seen that the device may be simply and economically formed of a hollow casing 10, preferably of rectangular shape, to provide a bottom wall 12, a top wall 14 having a circular opening 16 centrally therethrough, sidewalls l8 and 25) joined to and extending between said bottom and top wall, and a pair of end walls 22 and 24 closing opposite ends of the joined top wall, bottom wall and side walls. By way of example, the casing may be formed of a clear plastic material such as Lucite or the like with the length of the unit being approximately 7 /2 inches long and the cross-sectional size of the casing being approximately 4 inches high and 3 /2 inches wide. Each of the end walls 22 and 24 has a central circular opening 26 and 23 therethrough respectively for receiving therein one end of a short length of tubular conduit 3% and 32 respectively or which is preferably made of the same material as the casing and has the one end flush with the outer surface of the end wall. The conduits are in axial alignment longitudinally of the casing and terminate approximately haltway between the end wall in which it is carried and the mid-point bet-ween the end Walls. Conduits 3d and 32 define tubular inlets which provide passageways permitting the travel of a rodent longitudinally of the casing. The bore through the conduits may be of approximately 2 /2 inches diameter so as to permit ready entry into the bore of a rodent, but which is sufiiciently small to prevent cats, dogs, or other domesticated animals from entering thereinto.

To provide means for holding a rodenticide within the apparatus and readily available for contact by a rodent, in its path of travel therethrough, a receptacle in the form of a cup 34 having a concave rodenticide holding well 36 opening through the top thereof is secured onto the bottom wall 12 centrally intermediate the ends thereof in vertical alignment with opening 16 in top wall 14.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGURES l and 2, a container 37 made of a plastic material, or of glass such as a conventional mason jar, is adapted to hold 3 a liquid poison therein and is inverted so that its externally threaded neck 33 threadingly engages mating internal threading in an upstanding annular collar 4% integrally formed with top wall 14 and disposed concentrically about opening 16 through the top wall to permit gravitational flow of the poison from the container. The diameter of the collar is slightly greater than the diameter of the opening 16 so that an annular shoulder of flange 42 is provided around the opening. A circular plate 4-4 is removably supported upon the shoulder 42 to effectively close the opening and prevent how of poison from the interior of container 37 through neck 33 and opening 16.

Means for interconnecting the well 36 with the container 37 includes plate 44 and feed and vent pipes 46 and 48 respectively carried by plate 44 to function in a manner which will presently appear, so that the liquid poison can be fed in a metered flow to the Well and insuring continuous replenishing of the well when filling is required either by reason of consumption by a rodent, evaporation or the like. Thus, a rodent entering the apparatus through one of the conduits 3t), 32 will either eat some of the liquid or contact the liquid with one of its feet and subsequently result in the extermination of the rodent. There are numerous types of liquid poisons available on the open market which by odor or taste are attractive to rodents, and it is this type of poison that would be used in the container and the well.

The means for actually transferring the liquid in container 37 to well 36 comprises feed pipe 46 carried by and opening at one end through the plate 44 to communicate with the interior of the inverted container carried by collar &6. Feed pipe 46 extends from plate as to a point where its other end is slightly above the bottom of well 36. However, with the container being'sealed, the mere use of the feed pipe will not result in a gravitational flow of liquid therethrough, and therefore, a vent opening providing communication between the interior of the container and the atmosphere is required. To this end, plate 44 carries vent pipe 48 passing therethrough parallel to feed pipe 46 and projecting into the container 37 to a point above the liquid level therein and has its other end terminating in the same horizontal plane as the end of feed pipe 46 Within well 36 adjacent the bottom thereof provides the necessary venting of the container to atmosphere. As shown, the diameter of the base of feed pipe 46 is such that approximately eight drops of the liquid poison will flow gravitationally therefrom into the well 36 every three or four minutes to provide an intermittent flow. The poison used is of a highly potent type requiring'only about four drops to provide a fatal dose for a rodent. Thus, the apparatus has the potent poison supply constantly replenished on an intermittent basis to conserveunnecessary expenditure of this expensive poison and yet have a substantially constant supply of the poison available .for consumption by rodents enticed by the odor and/or taste of the liquid into the casing of the apparatus.

Where a faster feed of poison is desired, the plate 44 will carry a feed tube of a proportionately larger bore so that the liquid is supplied from the container 37 togthe Well 36 in a continuous supply as fast as it is depleted.

' Thus, a slow acting poison can be elfectively employed.

Since, the vent tube has its lower end terminating in a common horizontal plane with the lower end of the feed tube, liquid will flow from feed tube 46 until the level of liquid in well 36 is such as to effectively seal the vent tube to cut oif further flow. As the level of liquid in the well is lowered by rodent consumption, evaporation or the like, the vent tube will again become effective to permit gravitational flow of liquid from container 37 through feed tube 46 to again raise the liquid level to where the vent tube 48 is again blocked.

In the modified feed means shown in FIGURE 3, a dry feed such as poisoned grain, mash, pellets, etc., is used in place of a liquid rodenticide employed in the construc- 4 tion of the apparatus of FIGURES l and 2. To utilize dry feed the removable plate 44 and the feed and vent pipes carried thereby is omitted'and is replaced by a funnel 5% carried at its upper hopper-like end portion 52 snugly fitted Within the throat of the container 37 which now carries a supply of dry feed. The free end of the discharge portion 53 terminates a short distance above the bottom of well 36 in cup 34 so that dry feed from the container will gravitate therethrough to fill Well 36. As the dry feed in well 36 is consumed by rodents, it will be replenished by the gravitational fall of additional feed through the funnel 59 from the container.

Whether liquid or dry poison is used, the poison cannot spill from the apparatus even though the device is.

tilted, tipped over or upended. [his safety feature is apparent from the hereinbefore described construction since the only openings into casing 10, with container 37 attached, is by way of the passages defined by conduits 30 and 32, and these passages open into the casing along its longitudinal axis centrally thereof and well into the interior of the casing. Therefore, where a liquid rodenticide is used and the casing is tilted, tipped over or upended, and liquid in the well 36 and additional liquid which may flow from feed tube 46 will gravitate into the interior of the casing about the outer surface of the conduit St} or 32, depending upon the direction of tilt, tip or upending, and the level of the liquid will never reach a height to enter the end of a conduit opening into the casing. Thus, each conduit along with the surrounding Walls of the casing defines a closed compartment in which spilled liquid will be contained in the event the apparatus is upset so that no spillage of liquid from the apparatus can occur. Where a dry rodenticide is used, the same result will obtain preventing spillage from the device in the event of tilting or upending of the casing.

From the'foregoing, it will be appreciated that there has been provided a rodent exterminating device of simple yet rugged construction, requiring no maintenance so long as a rodenticide supply remains in the container to be metered in either a slow or fast flow, in the case of liquids, to well 36 and in the case of the dry poison until all dry poison in the funnel has been exhausted. Also, due to the construction of the device, all danger of any person or household pet contacting the rodenticide has been eliminated because spillage from the device is efiectively prevented.

What is claimed is:

1. A rodent exterminator comprising a casing having a top wall with an opening therethrough, a bottom wall, side walls fixed to and extending between said top wall and said bottom wall, and end walls closing opposite ends of said joined top wall, bottom Wall, and side walls, a tubular conduit carried by each of said end walls and projecting into said casing along the longitudinal axis of the casing to terminate at a location between the end wall by which it is carried and the mid-point between the end walls to define a passageway into the interior of said casing, a cup carried by and extending upwardly from said bottom wall within said casing, means on said top wall about said opening for receiving a container and including an inwardly extending annular shoulder, a container adapted to hold a rodenticide carried by said top wall means and disposed in said opening, and means car ried by said top wall disposed within said opening and including a delivery conduit extending from said container to said cup for supplying rodenticide from said container to said cup.

2. A rodent exterminator comprising a casing having a top wall with an opening therethrough, a bottom Wall, side walls fixed to and extending between said top'wall and said bottom Wall, and end walls closing opposite ends of said joined top wall, bottom wall and side walls, a cylindrical conduit carried by each of said end walls opening at one end thereof through the end wall and opening at its other end interiorly of said casing to define a passageway through which a rodent may enter into the casing, a cup carried by said bottom wall within said casing, an upstanding annular cellar formed on said top wall concentrically about said opening, an annular flange projecting inwardly of said opening concentrically thereof to define an annular shoulder, a liquid poison-containing container having a pouring neck received into said collar to be supported on said top Wall, and means for supplying the liquid poison from said container to said cup comprising a plate supported on said annular shoulder be- 10 tween said container neck and said opening to close said opening, a feed pipe carried by said plate opening at one end into said container and at its other end into said receptacle, and a vent pipe carried by said plate to extend therethrough into said container and into said receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 812,761 Meier Feb. 13, 1906 937,108 Smith Oct. 19, 1969 2,328,591 Weil Sept. 7, 1943 2,860,445 Yates Nov. 18, 1958 FORETGN PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 20, 1946

Claims (1)

1. A RODENT EXTERMINATOR COMPRISING A CASING HAVING A TOP WALL WITH AN OPENING THERETHROUGH, A BOTTOM WALL, SIDE WALLS FIXED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID TOP WALL AND SAID BOTTOM WALL, AND END WALLS CLOSING OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID JOINED TOP WALL, BOTTOM WALL, AND SIDE WALLS, A TUBULAR CONDUIT CARRIED BY EACH OF SAID END WALLS AND PROJECTING INTO SAID CASING ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE CASING TO TERMINATE AT A LOCATION BETWEEN THE END WALL BY WHICH IT IS CARRIED AND THE MID-POINT BETWEEN THE END WALLS TO DEFINE A PASSAGEWAY INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING, A CUP CARRIED BY AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM WALL WITHIN SAID CASING, MEANS ON SAID TOP WALL ABOUT SAID OPENING FOR RECEIVING A CONTAINER AND INCLUDING AN INWARDLY EXTENDING ANNULAR SHOULDER, A CONTAINER ADAPTED TO HOLD A RODENTICIDE CARRIED BY SAID TOP WALL MEANS AND DISPOSED IN SAID OPENING, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID TOP WALL DISPOSED WITHIN SAID OPENING AND INCLUDING A DELIVERY CONDUIT EXTENDING FROM SAID CONTAINER TO SAID CUP FOR SUPPLYING RODENTICIDE FROM SAID CONTAINER TO SAID CUP.

Images