US458493A - Mole-trap - Google Patents

Description

' (No Model.)

G. RICARDO; MOLE TRAP.

No. 458,493. Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE RICARDO, OF HACKENSACK, NElV JERSEY.

MOLE-TRAP.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,493, dated August 25, 1891.

Application filed February 12, 1891. Serial No. 381,178. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE RICARDO, of Hackensack, in the county of Bergen and State ot' New Jersey, have invented anew and Improved Mole-Trap, of which the following is a full, clear and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved mele-trap which is simple and durable in Construction and Very effective and certain in operation.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinationscf the same, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specificat-ion, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a front View of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the same, and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan View of the same on the line cc x of Fig. 1.

The improved mole-trap is provided with a frame A, having dow'wardly-extending parallel posts or prongs B and B', adapted to pass into the ground and connected at their upper ends with each other by abar 13 On top of the latter is erected a standard or post 13 carrying on its upper enda plate 13 in which are mounted to slide the handled arms C, rigidly connected at their lower ends on a plate D, on which are riveted or secured the downwardly-extending sets of pointed arms F and F', adapted to spear the animal. The upper ends of the handled arm C are connected with each other by a cross-bar C', on which is formed a finger-piece 0 for conveniently setting the trap. On this cross-bar C' is Secured one end of a spring E, extending downward and forward to connect atits lower end to the plate 13 of the main frane A. Each of the two sets of arms F and F' con tain s about three arms, arranged transversely, as is plainly illustrated in Figs. 3 and at, the said sets extending to the sides of the frame A. On the plate D are also secured two additional arms F extending parallel with the sets of arms F and F', but passing through apertures formedin the plate B so as to firmly guide the plate D in connection with the handled arm C. On the top of the plate D 's Secured or for-med a hook or catch G,adapted to be engaged by the V-shapcd end H' of a lever H, pivoted at H to one side of the stand ard B The lower end H of the lever H is adapted to abut against aproj ection I', formed on the trigger I, pivoted on the post B', and carrying a trigger-plate 1 extending between the two posts B and B' and between the two sets of arms F and F'. l/Vhen the trap is not used, the leverH is disconnected from the hook or catch G, the plate D resting on top of the plate 13 and the springiE being 'in a normal condition. The pointed ends of the arms F, F', and F reach to about the lower ends of the posts B and B'. Now when it is desired to set the trap the operator engages 'With one finger the finger-pece 0 then pulls upward, so as to cause the plate D to slide upwardly, being guided' by the handled arm C and the arms F The springE is thus stretched, and when the plate D nears the cross-bar B the hook or catch ,G passes under the V-shaped end H' of the lever H to finally engage the said end H', as shown in Fig. 1. hen the operator now releases the finger-piece 0 the downward pull of the spring E causes the catch G to press on the lever H, so that the lower end H engages the lug or prej ection 1', thus holding the trigger set, the plate I extending in a hori zontal line. hen the trap is in this position, the operator passes the posts B and B' into the ground transversely to the mole s burrow, so that the said posts pass down on the sides of the burrow until the plate I rests on top of the ground, usually over the hill thrown up by the mole. As the hill is slightly pressed inward into the 1nole s burrow When the mole passes through the burrow, it has to raise the inWardly-pressed ground, so that the plate 1 is moved upwardly, whereby the proj eetion I' is disengaged from the end 1-1 of the lever H,

the spring E causes the downward sliding of the frame'D, whereby the sets of arms F F' and the arms F pass into the ground and Vertically through the bur'ow, thus spearing the animal, which is now at or about between the two posts B and B'. As the sets of arms F and F( are arranged on the sides of the posts B and B', the animal has no chance whatever to escape. It is understood that the trigger-plate 1 is not raised until the mole is' between the posts B and B', so that either of the lever H is nnlocked, and the pressure of the sets of arms F or F' or both, in connection with the arms F must strike the animal.

Having thusfully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a mole-trap, the combnation, with the main supporting-hame, the verticallyqnovable frane carrying the inpaling-rods, and the trigger mechanism, of a spiral spring exterior to both frames and removably connected at its ends ther-eto to eXert a downward pull or the impaling-frane when the trigger is released, substantially as set forth.

2. A mola-trap consisting in the posts B B', a cross-piece B connecting the upper ends of the posts and provided with an apertured lug, the standard 13 having apertured plate B on its upper end, the verticaily-novable plate D above and at right an gles to the crosspiece 13 a catch G on top of plate D, vertical guide-rods C O, eXtending from plate D up through the apertures in plate 13 across-bar C', connecting the upper ends of the guiderods and provided on its under side with an apertnred lug, a spiral spring E exterio' to the guide-rds and connected at its ends to the apertured lugs on cross-pieces B C', the impaling-arms F, depending from piate D, the trigger I, pivoted to post B', and the lever H, pivoted'to the upper end of standard B to engage with its short arm the catch Gr and with the lower end of its long arm the outer end of the trigger, substantially as set forth.

GEORGE RICARDO. Witnesses:

ALEXANDER C. KELLY, E. E. POWELL.

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