Ant Trap. Page: 2 of 3
This patent is part of the collection entitled: Texas Patents and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
JESSIE LONZO KNOX, OF TOLAR, TEXAS.
ANT-TRAP.Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 12, 1911.
Application filed May 17, 1911. Serial No. 627,782.To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, JEssIE L. KNOX, a
citizen of the United States, residing at
Tolar, in the county of Hood and State of
5 Texas, have invented certain new and useful
Improvements in Ant-Traps, of which the
following is a specification, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings.
This invention relates to improvements in
10 ant traps, and has for its object to exter,
minate ants, and insects of the like nature
by catching them, and inclosing them in a
compartment where they can be easily de-
stroyed, by the use of water, oil or something
15 of the like nature.
Another object of my invention is to pro-
vide means in this trap, whereby the ants
will be prevented from escaping along the
sides of it, that is, they will be diverted
20 directly into the trap by having means
whereby the ants will be prevented from
escaping.
A further object of my invention is to
arrange my trap so that it can be easily and
25 cheaply manufactured.
Another object of my invention is to pro-
vide means whereby the trap will rest on
the earth where the ants congregate, and
have parts of it so arranged that the trap
3o will be kept securely in position, and at the
same time so -arranged that ants coming
toward the ant hill will be diverted directly
into the trap.
Other objects of my invention will become
35 apparent as it is more fully set forth.
There are many traps that have been con-
structed and designed for catching ants and
insects of a like nature, but the same have
the defect, that when they were installed or
40 inserted in the ground that they do not pre-
vent the ants from escaping along the outer
sides of the trap. It is, of course, well
known that the earth around a trap settles,
and this permits a small space to be left
45 between the outer sides of the trap and the
earth, which the insects readily make use of
as a means of escape, and increase the dis-
tance by burrowing in their usual man-
ner. In this invention there is provided
50 certain extensions on the edges of this trap
whereby the ants will be prevented to a
great extent from escaping, even when the
earth is settled, as it tends to do after the
trap has been inserted in the ground, which
55 means will be fully described in a later
part of the specifications.In the accompanying drawings which
illustrate by way of example an embodi-
ment of this invention, Figure 1 represents
a plan view of a trap embodying this in- 60
vention, Fig. 2 represents a sectional eleva-
tion of the trap; Fig. 3 is a detail of the
upper edge of the trap.
Similar reference characters refer to simi-
lar parts throughout the drawings. 65
In the drawings which illustrate the in-
vention 1 represents the outer sides of a
trap which has its upper end portion 2
flanged as it were, and which has its outer
edge portion 3 hooked, or bent on itself, 70
in order to prevent the insects from travel-
ing along the bottom of the trap and escap-
ing. With an edge turned downwardly as
indicated, the ant has presented to him an
impassable wall, which causes him to re- 75
turn to the ant hill, and generally causes
him to try to escape by way of the trap,
and thereby be caught. The bottom por-
tion 4 of the trap is formed by turning
the outer sides 1 inwardly as is clearly 80
shown in the drawings, the bottom portion
4 is provided with a hole through which
the insects tend to escape. Mounted on the
inner portion of the trap is an inverted
conical piece 5, which is connected in any 85
suitable manner to the bottom portion 4
and is so arranged that its lower edge 6
projects beyond the bottom portion 4 of the
outer side piece, as is clearly shown in the
drawing. The upper edge 7 of this conical 90
piece 5 is curved in order to prevent the
insects from climbing up from the interior
compartment 8, between the inner conical
piece and the outer side piece and escaping
from the trap. 95
When it is desired to use the trap, it is
inserted in an ant hill or the like, and the
dirt, or earth of the same, is compactly
pressed around the trap, as is clearly shown
in the drawings, so that there is no means of 100
escape for the insect except through the in-
terior portion 7' of the trap, because the
conical piece has its lower edge 6 projecting
into the earth of the ant hill, in such a way
as to form the only way for them. When 105
an ant tries to escape by climbing up the
side of the conical piece 5, he must pass over
the upper end edge 7, and into the inner
compartment 8 of the trap and thereby be
caught. This portion of the trap is pref- 110
erably filled with water or oil.
Ants coming toward the trap walk along1,002,919.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This patent can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Patent.
Knox, Jessie Lonzo. Ant Trap., patent, September 12, 1911; [Washington D.C.]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth510297/m1/2/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.