How To Register A Mouse Trap Invetion

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The 'Piddling Nipper' mousetrap - James Henry Atkinson

In the past mice and rats were common intruders in people'south homes and many different ways of trapping unwanted rodents were tested. Although not equally mutual today equally they were a century ago, mousetraps are even so an item of equipment that virtually people will recognise.

James Henry Atkinson, an ironmonger from Leeds (born 1849) invented the design that we are most familiar with today. He filed applications for patents on several unlike inventions, but the i he is most famous for is his mousetrap (Patenet reference: GB 13277 of 1899).

A simple but effective pattern

Afterward making a number of versions Atkinson somewhen came up with the 'Little Nipper' trap. It consists of a wooden base upon which sits a elementary spring mechanism. When a mouse attempts to take the allurement (the allurement is placed on the spike marked 'i' in the diagram above), the move triggers the spring. Atkinson wanted to avoid the risk of the trap going off prematurely, but likewise needed a powerful snapping action, which he achieved with a spring; its speed has never been bettered.

Drawing from Atkinson´s mousetrap patent

Atkinson made the traps himself but later sold the rights to a Welsh company, Procter Brothers, for a significant sum. The company withal brand the traps today. Atkinson died in 1942.

A standing design question

Means of trapping pests proceed to involvement designers and inventors and many patents are still filed on the subject (including means of drowning and electrocuting the mice and as well trapping them humanely) merely no-ane else has managed to come with a more successful trap and the Piddling Nipper nevertheless holds 60% of the mousetrap market.

Trivial Nipper mousetraps today

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