US354470A - Bear-trap - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

0. GRAVEL.

BEAR TRAP.

No. 354,470. Patented Dec. 14. 1886.

(5l/vi. knees@ UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

OCTAVE GRAVEL, OF SPALDING, MICHIGAN.

BEA R-T RA P.

SPECIFICATION formin art of Letters Patent No. 354,470. dated December 14,1886.

t i P Application filed August 3, 1856. Serial No. 209,803. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, OCTAVE GRAVEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spalding, in the county of Menominee and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bear-Traps, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to an improvement in bear-traps; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bear-trap embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view.

Arepresents a rod or shank, which is provided at its outer end with an eye, B. At the inner end of the said rod or shank isattached a transverse head-plate, 0,'fron1 which extends aforwardly-projecting arm, D. The inner end ofthe said arm, on the inner side of the plate, is bent at right angles, and is bifurcated, thereby forming ears d, between which is pivoted a trigger arm or lever, E. The outer end of the shank or rod A is provided with a slot, a.

F represents a U -shaped rod, having parallel needle-arms f and a condecting-yoke, f. The outer ends of the needle-arms pass through transverse openings which are made in the plates C, and the yoke connectingthe said arms extends transversely through the slot a, and is adapted to work back and `forth therein. A spring, G, is located in the slot, and bears against the front side of the yoke, and the function of this spring is to move the yoke normally to the rear end of the slot, so as to'.withdraw the outer ends of the needle arms in the openings in the plate C.

H represents a collar or hammer, which is placed on the shank A, and is adapted to slide thereon. A coiled spring, I, is placed on the shank or rod, and bears against the rear side.

of the said collar or hammer and forces the same normally against the yoke of the needlearms. This spring I is very much more powerful than the spring F.

K represents a series of three barrels,whieh are formed integrally, and the center barrel of the series is provided on one side with a lug or ear, k, which extends between the bifurcated ends of the arm Dand is pivoted thereto. The rear ends of the barrels bear normally against the front side ofthe plate C, and in the lower edge of the said plate is made a transverse opening, c', to receive a lock-pin, L, the function of which is to lock the inner ends of the barrels in place against the front side of the head-plate. The openings in the said headplate, in which the needle-arms work, register with the rear ends of the outer barrels of the series, and the said outerbarrels are adapted to receive the usual metallic cartridges.V In the central barrel of the series is located a triprod, M, the outer end of which is rst bent to form an eye, m, and is then extended rearwardly and bent to form a second eye, m.

N represents a rod, which connects the eye m' of the trip-rod with an eye which is made in the front end of the triggenlever E. At the opposite end of the said lever, on one side of the saine, is formed a shoulder, e, which is adapted to catch against the front side of the spring-actuated hammer or collar H, so as to lock the same when withdrawn upon the stem A out of contact with the yoke of the needlearms. To the eye a ofthe stem A isattached a suspending-rod, O.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The lock-rod is first removed from the headplate, and the series of barrels tilted in t-he position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and cartridges are inserted in the rear end of the barrels forming the outer sides of thelseries. The barrels are then returned to their normal position,(shown in solidlines in Fig. 2,) andthe lock-pin is reinserted in the opening c', so as to lock the barrels in place. The hammer or collar is withdrawn on the stein A, against the resistance of the spring H, and the triggerarm is caused to engage with the said collar, so as to lock it in place. A piece of meat or other suitable bait is attached to the eye m of the trip-rod M, and the trap is suspended from a tree or sapling in such a position that the lower end of the said trap will be at a height of about three feet from the ground. The bear is attracted by the bait, and when it pulls upon the same the trip-rod is drawn'outwardly in the central barrel of the series, thereby causing the rod N to disengage the triggenlever from the hammer or collar H, and the instant that the latter is released its spring I forces it downwardly upon the yoke of the needle-arms with such force as to cause the said needlearms to strike upon the percussion-caps of the cartridges and discharge the same, and as the head of the bear is directly under the trap, it follows that the bullets will take effect in its head and instantly kill it.

The function of the spring G is to keep the ends of the needle-arms Withdrawn ont of contact with the heads of the cartridges normally, so as to prevent an accidental discharge of the device;

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. Ina beantrap, the combination, with the shank A, having the head-plate C, provided with the arm D, of the barrels pivoted to the arm D, the pivoted trigger arm or lever, lthe hammer or collar H, sliding on the stem A, the spring I, bearing against the said collar or hammer, the tri p-rod for the attachment of the bait and connected to the trigger arm or lever, and the needle-arm arranged in the path of the collar or hammer and adapted to be forced by the same against the cartridges in the barrel- When the trigger-lever is tripped, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

2. In a bear-trap, the combination of the stem A, having the slot a, the head-plate attached to the slotted end of the stem and provided with the arm B, the barrels pivoted to the arm B, the needle-arms having the yoke Working in the slot a, the spring G, bearing rearwardly against the said yoke, the sliding spring-actuated collar or hammer H on the stem A, the pivoted trigger-lever adapted to engage the saidrcollar or hammer, the'trip-rod arranged for the attachment of the bait and connected tothe trigger-lever, and the lockpin or means to secure the barrel in place when loaded, substantially as described.

In' testimony that I claim the foregoingas my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

m OCTAVE -1- GRAVEL.

mark4 v fitnesses:

JNO. C. THUizs'roN,

B. J. N IoKLEs.

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