Rat Trap Page: 2 of 3
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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
LYCURGUS S. TURNBO, OF MAUD, TEXAS.
RAT-TRAP.944,926.
Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 28, 1909.
Application filed January 4, 1909. Serial No. 470,739.To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, LYCURnGus S. TUIUNBO,
a citizen of the United States, residing at
Maud, in the county of Bowie and State of
s Texas, have invented certain new and useful
Improvements in Rat-Traps; and I do here-
by declare the following to be a full, clear,
and exact description of the invention, such
as will enable others skilled in the art to
io which it appertains to make and use the
same.
This invention relates to improvements in
traps, and particularly to traps for catching
rats, mice and the like, and has for an object
is the provision of means for causing the ani-
inal to enter the trap after having once
started to do so.
A further object of the invention is the
provision of a trap having a chamber for. re-
20 ceiving and holding an animal, an inter-
nediate chamber, and an entrance chamber,
together with means for closing the entrance
chamber after the animal has entered there-
in, and at the same time opening the inter-
25 mediate chamber for permitting the animal
to enter from the entrance to the interme-
diate chamber, and from thence to the
chamber for receiving and holding the ani-
mal.
30 With these and other objects in view the
invention comprises certain novel construc-
tions, combinations and arrangement . of
parts as will be hereinafter more fully de-
scribed and claimed.
35 In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1
is a longitudinal vertical section through a
trap embodying the features of the inven-
tion. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the en-
trance chamber and moving parts that close
40 the entrance chamber. Fig. 3 is a section
through the structure shown in Fig. 2 on
line 3-3.
In constructing a trap according to the
present invention a housing 1 is provided
45 having chambers 2 and 3. A partition wall
4 constructed of wood or metal is provided
in housing 1 for dividing the same into
chambers 2 and 3, and secured to the parti-
tion wall 4 are a plurality of rods 5 that
50 converge inwardly toward the center of
chamber 2, and constitute a funnel-shaped
passageway. By this construction when an
animal enters into chamber 3 the same may
pass on through into chamber 1 with little
55 or no trouble, but if attempting to pass backinto chamber 2 will engage the ends of rods
5 which are preferably sharpened. Also
rods 5 if desired may be made flexible so
that in entering the same may be forced
slightly apart, but such action cannot take 60
place if the animal attempts to return that
way. A door or lid 5a is provided for cham-
ber 2 in order to present means by which the
animal may be readily removed. A door 6
is also provided for chamber 3 for removal 65
of the animal from that chamber if it is de-
sired or should become necessary.
Connected with housing 1 is a housing 7
that is formed with a reception or entrance
chamber 8. Mounted in housing 7 is a piv- 7
otally arranged tilting board 9 that at the
inner end normally engages a cross board or
top 10 and at the outer end rests against
the floor of housing 7. Board 9 is pivotally
mounted on rod 11 and has arranged below 75
the rod 11 a filling block 12 in order to
prevent any escape of the animal beneath
board 9. Board 9 extends outward to near
the end of housing 7, and is formed with a
groove or runway 13 in which is mounted a 80
ball 14 that is adapted to fill or close entrance
15 formed in partition 16. A stop 17, pref-
erably of some stiff wire or rod is arranged
near the outer end of board 9 for preventing
ball 14 from moving off the board. 85
As will be clearly seen from Figs. 1 and
3 ball 14 remains on one side of pivot 11 so
that board 9 is always over-balanced, except
when an animal has passed through opening
or entrance 15 into chamber 8. When an 90
animal has passed into chamber 8 the board
is tilted as seen in Fig. 3 and ball 14 moves
down under gravity and closes opening 15.
Ball 14 remains in this position until the
animal has stepped out of the chamber en- 95
trance into the intermediate chamber 3. Im-
mediately upon the removal of the weight of
the animal from the inner end of board 9
ball 14 will over-balance the board and move
under gravity to the position shown in Fig. 100
1. This will cause the inner end of the
board to move up against stop 10 and ef-
fectually prevent the animal in the interme-
diate chamber 3 from returning through
opening 15. Though the animal cannot en- 105
ter chamber 8 it may pass through the rods
5 into chamber 2, and from thence may be
removed out by lid 5a. If desired lids 5a
and 6 may be secured positively in a closed
position by a hook or other means. If the 110
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Turnbo, Lycurgus S. Rat Trap, patent, December 28, 1909; [Washington D.C.]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth513803/m1/2/: accessed July 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.