Animal trap

Claim 1

AN ANIMAL TRAP COMPRISING A PLANE FLAT RECTANGULAR BASE; A TRAP MEMBER OF BENT WIRE CONSTRUCTION AND GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SHAPE; MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING ONE END PORTION OF SAID TRAP MEMBER ON SAID BASE APPROXIMATELY MIDWAY BETWEEN THE TWO ENDS OF SAID BASE PROVIDING FOR SUBSTANTIALLY ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DEGREES SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID TRAP MEMBER BETWEEN A SET POSITION AND A HOLDING POSITION; A HELICALLY WOUND TORSION SPRING ON THE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED END PORTION OF SAID TRAY MEMBER URGING SAID TRAP MEMBER INTO THE HOLDING POSITION; A RELATIVELY LARGE FLAT ARMATURE PLATE OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL RIGID WITH AND EXTENDING ACROSS THE END PORTION OF SAID TRAY MEMBER REMOTE FROM SAID PIVOT MEANS; A PERMANENT MAGNET RIGID WITH AN END PORTION OF SAID BASE AND POSITIONED TO BE ENGAGED BY SAID ARMATURE PLATE WHEN SAID TRAP MEMBER IS IN A SET POSITION, THE HOLDING FORCE EXERTED BY SAID MAGNET ON SAID ARMATURE PLATE WHEN THE ARMATURE PLATE IS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE MAGNET BEING AT LEAST ENOUGH GREATER THAN THE OPPOSING FORCE EXERTED ON SAID TRAP MEMBER BY SAID SPRING TO HOLD THE TRAP MEMBER IN SET POSITION; AND A TRIP LEVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE ADJACENT TO SAID MAGNET AND EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF SAID BASE OVER AND ACROSS SAID SPRING AND THE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED END PORTION OF SAID TRAP MEMBER, THE END PORTION OF SAID TRIP MEMBER REMOTE FROM SAID MAGNET BEING ADAPTED TO HAVE BAIT ATTACHED THERETO; AND MEANS CONNECTED WITH THE PIVOTED END OF SAID TRIP LEVER ADAPTED TO EXERT ON SAID ARMATURE AND SAID TRAP MEMBER A FORCE TENDING TO SEPARATE SAID ARMATURE FROM SAID MAGNET AND RELEASE SAID TRAP MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT THEREOF BY SAID SPRING FROM A SET POSITION TOWARD A HOLDING POSITION.