Insect trap

Claim 2

A collapsible insect trapping device, comprising: a single, flat, elongated, generally rectangular sheet of a flexible, semi-rigid material having at least five fold lines across the width of said sheet at right angles to the long axis thereof and located at intervals corresponding to about onesixth of the length of said sheet, the said sheet being folded upon itself in successive alternate directions on said fold lines and adaptable to being attached to itself at the point where said alternate folds meet to form a common axis, thus to form a collapsible or expandable structure having at least three projecting vanes extending from said common axis, having means to connect said projecting vanes to each other at at least one end to keep said vanes essentially equidistant from each other and to increase the structural stability of the trap; and a tacky, insect-entangling substance on at least a portion of the surfaces of said projecting vanes to hold insects to the trap upon contact with said substance.

Claim 3

A disposable, collapsible insect trapping device, comprising: a single, flat, elongated, generally rectangular sheet of a flexible, semi-rigid material having at least five fold lines across the width of said sheet at right angles to the long axis thereof and located at intervals corresponding to about one-sixth of the length of said sheet, the said sheet being folded upon itself in successive alternate directions on said fold lines and adaptable to being attached to itself at the point where said alternate folds meet to form a common axis, thus to form a collapsible or expandable structure having at least three projecting vanes extending from said common axis, and having generally triangularly shaped portions along one edge of said sheet, each portion bridging two adjacent areas defined by said fold lines, and including one fold line, the included fold line running to the apex of each triangular portion; a fold line extending the full length of said sheet parallel to the long axis thereof and adjacent to the base of all said triangular portions; and two fold lines in each of said triangular portions running from the junction of the said full length fold line and said included fold line to points on either side of said apex so that when said sheet is in folded, expanded position the said triangular portions can be folded outwardly between said vanes to a position at right angles to said common axis and substantially flat so as to hold said sheet in expanded position; the elongated sheet being folded so that adjacent surfaces of said vanes are in close proximity when said device is in a flat, collapsed position; a tacky, insect-entangling material disposed on the outer surfaces of said vanes and forming a substantially continuous layer thereon; whereby said structure may be manipulated to form a trap having at least three projecting vanes radially extending from a common central axis, the surfaces of said vanes having said tacky material disposed thereon for catching and holding insects.

Claim 4

A disposable, collapsible insect trapping device, comprising: a single, flat, elongated, generally rectangular sheet of a flexible, semi-rigid material having at least five fold lines across the width of said sheet at right angles to the long axis thereof and located at intervals corresponding to about one-sixth of the length of said sheet, the said sheet being folded upon itself in successive alternate directions on said fold lines and adaptable to being attached to itself at the point where said alternate folds meet to form a common axis, thus to form a collapsible or expandable structure having at least three projecting vanes extending from said common axis, and having generally triangularly shaped portions along one edge of said sheet, each portion bridging two adjacent areas defined by said fold lines, and including one fold line, the included fold line running to the apex of each triangular portion; a fold line extending the full length of said sheet parallel to the long axis thereof and adjacent to the base of all said triangular portions; and two fold lines in each of said triangular portions running from the junction of the said full length fold line and said included fold line to points on either side of said apex so that when said sheet is in folded, expanded position the said triangular portions can be folded outwardly between said vanes to a position at right angles to said common axis and substantially flat so as to hold said sheet in expanded position; the elongated sheet being folded so that adjacent surfaces of said vanes are in close proximity when said device is in a flat, collapsed position; a tacky, insect-entangling material disposed on the outer surfaces of said vanes and forming a substantially continuous layer thereon; whereby said structure may be manipulated to form a trap having at least three projecting vanes radially extending from a common central axis, the surfaces of said vanes having said tacky material disposed thereon for catching and holding insects.

Claim 5

The device of claim 2 further having an attractant thereon to draw insects to said trapping device.

Claim 6

The device of claim 2 wherein said structure is constructed of greaseproof and waterproof paper.