Two-door cage trap with over-center set mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10172343-B2
Application number	US-201615234131-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2016
Priority date	Nov 16, 2006
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

A cage-type animal trap with two opposed animal access openings that can operate in a one-door-opening configuration or a two-door-opening configuration. The trap has a set mechanism for holding one or both doors open to allow access through the corresponding trap access openings. The set mechanism includes a set lever that is movable from a set position to a tripped position and that is coupled to the doors of the trap by an actuating member. Upon actuation, the set lever moves from the set to the tripped position to allow movement of the actuating member which enables one of the doors to move from an opened position to a closed position when the trap is operating in a one-door-opening configuration, and both of the doors to move from the opened position to the closed position when the trap is operating in the two-door-opening configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An animal trap comprising:
an animal enclosure having a roof and first and second animal access openings into an interior sized to receive an animal to be trapped;
a first door movably mounted at the first access opening, the first door operative in an opened position to reveal the first animal access opening and in a closed position to block the first animal access opening;
a second door movably mounted at the second access opening, the second door operative in an opened position to reveal the second animal access opening and in a closed position to block the second animal access opening;
a first elongated member having first and second ends, the first end being secured to the first door;
a second elongated member having first and second ends, the first end of the second elongated member being secured to the second door;
said trap configured to operate as either a one-door-opening trap with said first elongated member acting upon the first door to open said first door, or as a two-door-opening trap with said first and second elongated members acting upon said first and second doors for opening thereof, respectively;
a guide mechanism mounted to the animal enclosure and configured to engage said second elongated member when said trap is set for two-door-opening operation;
a set mechanism having a set position and a tripped position, the second ends of both of the elongated members being secured to said set mechanism, movement of said set mechanism to the set position exerting force on at least said first elongated member to open at least said first door; and
a trip mechanism associated with the animal enclosure and configured to actuate movement of the set mechanism from the set position to the tripped position in response to an animal inside the animal enclosure, said movement of the set mechanism from the set position to the tripped position releasing tension on at least the first elongated member to enable at least the first door to move from the opened position to the closed position thereby trapping the animal in the animal enclosure.

2. The animal trap of claim 1 , wherein movement of said set mechanism to the set position exerts force on both said first elongated member and said second elongated member to open both said first door and said second door, respectively, when the trap is operating as a two-door-opening trap.

3. The animal trap of claim 2 , wherein said trip mechanism, upon actuating movement of the set mechanism from the set position to the tripped position, which releases tension on both the first elongated member and the second elongated member, initiates closure of both doors substantially simultaneously.

4. The animal trap of claim 1 , wherein said guide mechanism is a wire-form hook having an opening facing the first door and a closed face nearest the set mechanism, said second elongated member entering said opening and being held against said closed face when said second elongated member is tensioned between its first and second ends.

5. The animal trap of claim 1 , wherein said set mechanism includes:
a set lever bracket mounted on the roof transverse to a longitudinal direction of the animal enclosure;
a set lever supported on said bracket so as to be movable between said set and tripped positions, said second ends of said elongated members being secured to said set lever.

6. The animal trap of claim 1 , wherein said trap further includes at least one elongated member management element mounted on the top of the trap to direct the second elongated member toward the guide mechanism.

7. The animal trap of claim 6 , wherein said trap includes a longitudinally extending handle having handle bases mounted on said set lever bracket, said elongated member management element including slots formed in said handle bases and extending longitudinally therethrough and in alignment with one another to receive said second elongated member which passes therethrough.

8. The animal trap of claim 7 , wherein said slots are substantially in longitudinal alignment with a point at which said second elongated member is secured to the second door.

9. The animal trap of claim 1 , wherein said set mechanism is pivotally movable.

10. The animal trap of claim 1 , wherein said first and second elongated members are cables.

11. An animal trap comprising:
an animal enclosure having a roof and first and second animal access openings into an interior sized to receive an animal to be trapped, said trap configured to operate as either a one-door-opening trap or as a two-door-opening trap;
a first door movably mounted at the first access opening, the first door operative in an opened position to reveal the first animal access opening and in a closed position to block the first animal access opening;
a second door movably mounted at the second access opening, the second door operative in an opened position to reveal the second animal access opening and in a closed position to block the second animal access opening;
a first elongated member having first and second ends, the first end being secured to the first door and acting upon the first door when the trap is configured to operate as either the one-door-opening trap or the two-door-opening trap;
a second elongated member having first and second ends, the first end of the second elongated member being secured to the second door but operative to act upon the second door only when the trap is configured to operate as the two-door-opening trap;
a set mechanism having a set position and a tripped position, the second ends of both of the elongated members being secured to said set mechanism, movement of said set mechanism to the set position exerting force on said first elongated member to open said first door when the trap is configured to operate as the one-door-opening trap or as the two-door-opening trap, and movement of said set mechanism to the set position exerting force on said second elongated member to open said second door only when the trap is configured to operate as the two-door-opening trap; and
a trip mechanism associated with the animal enclosure and configured to actuate movement of the set mechanism from the set position to the tripped position in response to an animal inside the animal enclosure, said movement of the set mechanism from the set position to the tripped position releasing tension on the first elongated member to enable the first door to move from the opened position to the closed position when the trap is configured to operate as the one-door-opening trap or as the two-door-opening trap, and movement of said set mechanism from the set position to the tripped position releasing tension on the second elongated member to enable the second door to move from the opened position to the closed position only when the trap is configured to operate as the two-door-opening trap.

12. The animal trap of claim 11 , further comprising a guide mechanism mounted to the animal enclosure and configured to engage said second elongated member when said trap is set for two-door-opening operation.

13. The animal trap of claim 12 , wherein said second elongated member is a cable and said guide mechanism is a cable guide mounted on the roof of the animal enclosure and configured to engage with and change a direction of said cable when said trap is set for two-door-opening operation.

14. The animal trap of claim 13 , wherein said cable guide is a wire-form hook having an opening facing the first door and a closed face nearest the set mechanism, said cable entering said opening and being held against said closed face when tensioned between its first and second end

Assignees

• Woodstream Corp

Inventors

• Radesky Joseph A
• Kamery Christopher J
• Lubic Marko Konstantin
• Rich Christopher T

Classifications

• A01M23/18 Primary

  with pivoted closure flaps · CPC title

• E05F1/002

  controlled by automatically acting means (for powered-operated mechanisms E05F15/70) · CPC title

• E05F1/123

  with a torsion bar · CPC title