Humane animal trap

Claim 1

An animal trap comprising an elongate generally rectangular housing formed of air impervious material and having an open front end, said housing including substantially parallel side walls an upper wall and a top wall, a generally rectangular air impervious trap door, means hingedly connecting the trap door on said housing for vertical swinging movement of the door between opened and closed positions about a horizontal transverse axis located adjacent the upper portion of the housing, said trap door when in the closed position engaging the front end of said housing in sealing relation and when in the open position being disposed forwardly of the front end of said housing, resilient means engaging said housing and said Door to normally urge said door to the closed position, an elongate latch element having one end thereof pivotally connected to the inner surface of said door, a latch retaining member mounted in said housing and having a latch engaging element engaged by the other end of said latch element to releasably hold the door in an open position, a trigger cam shiftably mounted on said latch retaining member and underlying and engaging said latch element when the latch element is disposed in engaging relation with said latch engaging surface, a treadle plate pivotally mounted within said housing for pivotal movement about a horizontal transverse axis between release and set positions, an elongate actuating link having one end thereof pivotally connected with said treadle plate and having its other end pivotally connected with said trigger cam, for shifting the trigger cam to release said latch element from engaged relation with the engaging element when the treadle plate is depressed whereby said trap door will swing to the closed position, a valve on said housing intercommunicating the interior of the housing with the exterior, and an acutating handle for opening and closing said valve to permit introduction into the housing of an anesthetizing fluid such as chloroform.