It is bulky and has no adjustment and must be tethered to the trap and another support to prevent loss. This invention is primarily used to hold bodygrip style traps in only an upright position on the ground.
Another which is a wire form is also for bodygrip style traps. The wire is not durable and can be easily deformed beyond use, and must also be tethered to another object to prevent lost. It also is solely for use on the ground and lacks adjustability.
Other type supports are made of heavy and bulky steel which also lack adjustability.
For foothold style traps there has been numerous type stamped devises that require screws to hold them in place and lack adjustability, and often fail to let the trap to free itself once an animal is caught.
Another style that was used for quite some time was constructed with a series of nuts welded together with 2 legs that went through the coils of the trap and was bolted onto a pole. The problem here was that the trap frequently would fall off the holder and the bolt would rust tight. Also it was difficult to construct because of the multiple pieces had to be welded together.
The present trap support (TRAP CLIP™) is very light weight, durable, and easy to use. It is composed of carbon spring wire, and is of one piece construction. Generally formed in the shape of a U and wound (1) coils located and centered at the base of the U-shape. A plurality of (2) legs forming the U shape both support and hold firmly the selected trap being used. The said legs can have (3) loops located along them to hold body grip style traps. To better understand the advantages of this product I will describe how it is made and used. First it is determined what size rod it is to be used on, then a predetermined hardened steel dowel is selected to wind the (1) coils on. Allowances must be made for heat treating or it will be too tight or loose. After the (1) coils are wound then the (2) legs are bent to form the U-shape. To use the TRAP CLIP you simply squeeze the (2) legs together at the base of the U which unwinds the biased (1) coils, and then slide the TRAP CLIP into the desired position on the (4) pole. When the TRAP CLIP is released it locks down onto the pole. To install a set foot trap such as a coilspring style trap, the trap is first set, then a first (2) leg is placed just outside of the coilspring of the trap between the lower frame portion and the upper spring lever, you then push outwardly on the first (2) leg with the trap to spread the U-shape, then place the opposite said (2) leg outside the opposite coil between the frame and spring lever, then slide the trap completely onto the (2) legs. The trap chain can be attached to the (4) pole if not already done so. The entire setup can now be place into the water at the desired location. And bait or a lure can be place on the pole above the trap. When an animal is caught the trap is released from the TRAP CLIP and slides down the pole. Other traps are installed in a similar manner and in some cases the (2) legs apply outwardly pressure on the jaws of the trap such as in the case of the BODY GRIP CLIP. Whereas the jaws of a body grip trap is placed in the (3) loops of first (2) leg of the holder and then the opposite (1) leg is squeezed together and the second jaw is place into the loops. The outwardly pressure of the (1) legs hold the trap in place until the trap is set off.
The Following is a tabulation of some the prior art. Patent #CodeIssue DatePatenteeU.S. Pat. No. 6,904,713B214 Jun. 2005Beauregard Kurt D.