An apparatus for controlling animal pests has a housing having a passage extending into the housing, the passage having a front wall and a rear wall, an impacting member movable across the passage from the front wall to the rear wall, the impacting member having a slidable arm extending out from the rear wall and having a free distal end having an impactor extending downwardly from the free distal end of the arm at the front wall, a retraction mechanism having a first support and a second support with the first support being integral with the rear wall, and a spring connected to the second support and the arm, a sensor positioned within the passage for providing a signal representative of the sensing of the presence of the animal pest, and the impacting member is operable to be released to rapidly move across the passage.

An apparatus for controlling animal pests has a housing having a passage extending into the housing, the passage having a front wall and a rear wall, an impacting member movable across the passage from the front wall to the rear wall, the impacting member having a slidable arm extending out from the rear wall and having a free distal end having an impactor extending downwardly from the free distal end of the arm at the front wall, a retraction mechanism having a first support and a second support with the first support being integral with the rear wall, and a spring connected to the second support and the arm, a sensor positioned within the passage for providing a signal representative of the sensing of the presence of the animal pest, and the impacting member is operable to be released to rapidly move across the passage.

An animal trap, according to one embodiment, includes: a first portion having an upper and a lower end; a second portion in sliding relationship with the first portion, wherein the first and second portions are relatively positionable between a cocked position and a deployed position; a biasing mechanism for biasing the first and second portions towards the deployed position; two unique members extending from the lower end of the first portion; a bottom portion coupled to a distal end of each unique member, wherein a first end of each of the unique members is coupled to the first portion, wherein each of the distal ends are at a second end of each of the unique members, the second end being opposite the first end along a longitudinal length of each unique member; and a trigger mechanism for selectively locking the first and second portions in the cocked position.

An animal trap, according to one embodiment, includes: a first portion having an upper and a lower end; a second portion in sliding relationship with the first portion, wherein the first and second portions are relatively positionable between a cocked position and a deployed position; a biasing mechanism for biasing the first and second portions towards the deployed position; two unique members extending from the lower end of the first portion; a bottom portion coupled to a distal end of each unique member, wherein a first end of each of the unique members is coupled to the first portion, wherein each of the distal ends are at a second end of each of the unique members, the second end being opposite the first end along a longitudinal length of each unique member; and a trigger mechanism for selectively locking the first and second portions in the cocked position.

An animal trap may include a source of compressed gas; a trigger mechanism configured to be actuated by an animal, and a kill mechanism powered by compressed gas. The trap may include two or more trigger valves connected in series. At least one trigger valve may include an opening, a valve seat surrounding the opening, a valve member having a sealing surface, and an O-ring arranged to seal between the sealing surface and the valve seat. One or more flow paths may allow gas to flow along at least part of an internal periphery of the O-ring. The trigger may include a trigger rod extending in a rest position from a mount at or near a first end thereof. The trigger rod may be mounted for pivoting movement about the mount, and may have two rotational degrees of freedom. Pivoting movement of the trigger rod in any direction away from the rest position may result in actuation of the trigger.

An animal trap may include a source of compressed gas; a trigger mechanism configured to be actuated by an animal, and a kill mechanism powered by compressed gas. The trap may include two or more trigger valves connected in series. At least one trigger valve may include an opening, a valve seat surrounding the opening, a valve member having a sealing surface, and an O-ring arranged to seal between the sealing surface and the valve seat. One or more flow paths may allow gas to flow along at least part of an internal periphery of the O-ring. The trigger may include a trigger rod extending in a rest position from a mount at or near a first end thereof. The trigger rod may be mounted for pivoting movement about the mount, and may have two rotational degrees of freedom. Pivoting movement of the trigger rod in any direction away from the rest position may result in actuation of the trigger.

An animal trap according to one embodiment includes a first portion having an upper and a lower end; a second portion in sliding relationship with the first portion, wherein the first and second portions are relatively positionable between a cocked position and a deployed position; a biasing mechanism for biasing the first and second portions towards the deployed position; at least three unique members extending from the lower end of the first portion; a bottom portion coupled to a distal end of each of the unique members; and a trigger mechanism for selectively locking the first and second portions in the cocked position, the trigger mechanism having a trigger extending between the at least three unique members, wherein actuation of the trigger causes a release of the first and second portions from the cocked position. Additional embodiments are also disclosed.

An animal trap according to one embodiment includes a first portion having an upper and a lower end; a second portion in sliding relationship with the first portion, wherein the first and second portions are relatively positionable between a cocked position and a deployed position; a biasing mechanism for biasing the first and second portions towards the deployed position; at least three unique members extending from the lower end of the first portion; a bottom portion coupled to a distal end of each of the unique members; and a trigger mechanism for selectively locking the first and second portions in the cocked position, the trigger mechanism having a trigger extending between the at least three unique members, wherein actuation of the trigger causes a release of the first and second portions from the cocked position. Additional embodiments are also disclosed.

A mouse trap having a guillotine killing mechanism is provided. The trap includes a housing with a door, a guillotine positioned to extend at least partly into an interior of said housing, a trigger mechanism including a lever and catch to hold the guillotine in a raised position to set the trap, and a spring for biasing the guillotine to a lowered killing position when the trigger mechanism is activated to release the guillotine from the raised position.

An animal trap may include a source of compressed gas; a trigger mechanism configured to be actuated by an animal, and a kill mechanism powered by compressed gas. The trap may include two or more trigger valves connected in series. At least one trigger valve may include an opening, a valve seat surrounding the opening, a valve member having a sealing surface, and an O-ring arranged to seal between the sealing surface and the valve seat. One or more flow paths may allow gas to flow along at least part of an internal periphery of the O-ring. The trigger may include a trigger rod extending in a rest position from a mount at or near a first end thereof. The trigger rod may be mounted for pivoting movement about the mount, and may have two rotational degrees of freedom. Pivoting movement of the trigger rod in any direction away from the rest position may result in actuation of the trigger.