US3172229A

US3172229A - Frog catcher

Info

Publication number: US3172229A
Application number: US284138A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harold E Swanson; Kenneth R Swanson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-05-29
Filing date: 1963-05-29
Publication date: 1965-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 1982-03-09

Description

March 1965 H. E. SWANSON ETAL 3,

FROG CATCHER Filed May 29, 1963 FIG. 4

INVENTORS KENNETH R SWANSO/V Y HAROLD E. SWANSO/V ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,172,229 FROG CATCHER Harold E. Swanson and Kenneth R. Swanson, both of Waverly, Minn. Filed May 29, 1963, Ser. No. 284,133 3 Claims. (Cl. 43-65) This invention relates to means for capturing frogs; in particular, it concerns a new and improved device adapted to facilitate the easy and humane catching of frogs.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved frog catcher.

Another broad object of this invention is to provide a frog catcher that makes use of the natural jumping tendencies of a frog to bring about its capture and containment.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a frog catcher novel means for preventing the escape of the frogs that have been captured by the device.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a frog catcher that may be easily manipulated from a standing position and which does not require attention until it is full of frogs.

Another object of this invention is to provide a frog catcher that can be easily made of ordinary materials, is attractive in appearance, and rugged in design.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawing wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the invention, with parts cut away for purposes of clarity;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the invention; and

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, the invention A includes a body shown as cage-like in appearance although it may be made of solid material if desired. Body 16 is formed with a lower hollow cylindrical part 12 and an upper generally conical part 14 (shown as in the shape of a fr-ustum of a cone) integral therewith. The upper conical part 14 of body 10 is provided with a central opening 16 over which a flat cover member 18 is hingedly secured by means of hinges 19.

The bottom of lower part 12 of body 10 is equipped with an upwardly extending cone-shaped entrance or mouth structure 20, the lower end 21 of which is characterized by an enlarged opening 22 of approximately the same diameter as the diameter of lower part 12 of body 10. The upper end 23 of entrance structure is provided with a central opening 24 of relatively small diameter which is vertically spaced within body 10 at about the middle thereof. A frog-trapping annular shield 26 is secured to the upper end 23 of entrance structure 20 adjacent opening 24. Preferably shield 26 is sloped downwardly and radially outwardly as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. Shield 26 is made wide enough to prevent the frogs trapped in the area therebelow (indicated by the reference character 30) from jumping up into opening 24.

Further provided is a bracket member 32 that is secured to entrance structure 20 by means of bolts 34 attached to leg 36 thereof. Bracket member 32 has a leg 38 integral with leg 36 and extending outwardly therefrom through the side of body 10. A conventional elongated handle 40 is attached to leg 38 of bracket member 32 by means of bolts 42.

It has been found that frogs tend to jump towards a lighted area when they are enclosed in a dark area.

3,172,229 Patented Mar. 9, 1965 The device makes use of this tendency by virtue of the solid character of entrance structure 20 in combination with opening 23 at the top thereof together with the mesh-like construction of body 10, which permits light to pass through opening 23. If desired, body 10 may be made of a sheet of translucent or transparent material (such as plastic or nylon, for example) to accomplish a similar result.

In use, the device is placed over a frog as shown in FIGURE 1. The frog follows his natural tendency to jump up through opening 24 in entrance structure 20 and in so doing lands in area 34] between entrance structure 20 and the wall of body ltl. He is prevented from returning through opening 23 by shield 26. The process is repeated by placing the device over successive frogs until the area 30 is fairly well filled with frogs. Then the handle 40 is turned and device is tipped upside down and the frogs are discharged by gravity through opening 16 in body it When the device is tipped upside down cover member 18 rotates about its hinges 19 to release the frogs.

It is evident that changes within the skill of those versed in the art may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. In many instances, features may be added; in others, features may be omitted. In the case of the body it is clear that shapes other than those mentioned may be used without departure from the spirit of the invention. Where, as in the case of the body and the entrance structure, the same or similar results may be achieved by the use of equivalents, substitution of the equivalent may be made without departing from the inventive concept.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by summarization in the appended claims, all features of patentable novelty residing in the invention.

We claim:

l. A frog catcher including a hollow cage-like body having a generally cylindrical lower portion and a generally frusto-conical upper portion, said body having an open bottom and an open top, the said open top being of smaller radial extent than the said open bottom and being concentric therewith, generally frusto-conical opaque frog entrance structure within said body, said frog entrance structure having an enlarged open bottom secured to the bottom of said hollow body substantially coextensive therewith and having a diminished open top concentric with the open top of said body, a downwardly and outwardly sloping annular frog trapping shield secured to said frog entrance structure in surrounding relation to the open top thereof, a cover member hinged attached to the top of said hollow body, and handle means secured to said entrance structure and extending through said body, said conical structure, the adjacent cylindrical lower portion of the body and the shield defining a trapping space for a frog.

2. The frog catcher set forth in claim 1 wherein said handle means includes a bracket member, said bracket member having a first leg portion secured to said entrance structure and a second leg portion extending outwardly therefrom through the side of the said body, and a handle secured to said second leg portion outwardly of said body.

3. A frog catcher including a hollow cage-like body having a generally cylindrical lower portion and a generally frusto-conical upper portion, said body having an open bottom and an open top, the said open top being of smaller radial extent than the said open bottom and being concentric therewith, generally frusto-conical opaque frog entrance structure within said body, said frog entrance structure having an enlarged open bottom secured to the bottom of said hollow body substantially co-extensive therewith and having a diminished open top concentric with the open top of said body, a downwardly and outwardly sloping annular frog trapping shield secured to said frog entrance structure in surrounding relation to the open top thereof, a closure for the top of said hollow body, and 5 handle means secured to said entrance structure and extending through said body, said conical'structilre, the adjacent cylindrical lower portion of the body and the shield defining a trapping space for a frog.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 111,291 1/71 Williams 4365 X 684,867 10/01 Ripper 43-65 2,680,922 6/54 Welfl 43-1 ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

P. RAY 'CHAPPELL, Examiner.

Claims

1. A FROG CATCHER INCLUDING A HOLLOW CAGE-LIKE BODY HAVING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL LOWER PORTION AND A GENERALLY FRUSTO-CONICAL UPPER PORTION, SAID BODY HAVING AN OPEN BOTTOM AND AN OPEN TOP, THE SAID OPEN TOP BEING OF SMALLER RADIAL EXTENT THAN THE SAID OPEN BOTTOM AND BEING CONCENTRIC THEREWITH, GENERALLY FRUSTO-CONICAL OPAQUE FROG ENTRANCE STRUCTURE WITHIN SAID BODY, SAID FROG ENTRANCE STRUCTURE HAVING AN ENLARGED OPEN BOTTOM SECURED TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID HOLLOW BODY SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE THEREWITH AND HAVING A DIMINISHED OPEN TOP CONCENTRIC WITH THE OPEN TOP OF SAID BODY, A DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY SLOPING ANNULAR FROG TRAPPING SHIELD SECURED TO SAID FROG ENTRANCE STRUCTURE IN SURROUNDING RELATION TO THE OPEN TOP THEREOF, A COVER MEMBER HINGED ATTACHED TO THE TOP OF SAID HOLLOW BODY, AND HANDLE MEANS SECURED TO SAID ENTRANCE STRUCTURE AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BODY, SAID CONICAL STRUCTURE, THE ADJACENT CYLINDRICAL LOWER PORTION OF THE BODY AND THE SHIELD DEFINING A TRAPPING SPACE FOR A FROG.