Trap for crabs or lobster

Abstract

A trap for crabs or lobsters has a mesh extending over a trap frame, with at least one inlet opening provided with a one-way inlet gate spaced apart pins which are pivotable between open and closed positions. Pin retainers prevent spreading of the pins apart from one another when the pins are in the closed position and an undersized crab outlet opening, dimensioned to allow undersized crab or lobsters to escape from the interior chamber, is provided at a side of the trap and at the bottom of the trap. The frame includes an top peripheral frame portion and finger grip openings at the underside of the trap frame. The one-way inlet gate has first and second sets of spaced apart pins, each set being pivotable independently of the other between open and closed positions. Also, the one-way inlet gate has pairs of pins which are pivotable between the open and closed positions, each pair being formed by parallel legs of a U-shaped length of wire, with retainers engaging the legs of each pair to prevent spreading of the legs.

1 . A trap for crabs or lobsters, comprising:
 a crab trap frame covered by a mesh with top and bottom peripheral frame portions interconnected by vertical frame members;   an at least one horizontally elongate rectangular inlet opening, each opening provided with a one-way inlet gate, each inlet gate being mounted between a pair of rectangular frames which project inwardly from the top and bottom peripheral frame portions, with the vertical frame members forming outer sides of the rectangular frames;   an at least one parallel pair of horizontal pivot rods atop the one way inlet gate; and   a set of pins on each of the at least one parallel pair of horizontal pivot rod, each pivotably supported by the at least one parallel pair of horizontal pivot rods and which have lower ends which slidably engage in convergent slots in a pin retainer.   
     
     
         2 . The trap of  claim 1 , wherein the pin retainer is a rake-like flange with a channel-shaped pin retainer structure. 
     
     
         3 . The trap of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pair of horizontal pivot rods are joined at opposite ends to a parallel pair of horizontal support bars. 
     
     
         4 . The trap of  claim 3 , wherein the horizontal support bars are joined to a respective vertical bar extending downwardly from the top of the respective rectangular frame and the support bars are also connected together by a horizontal bar extending between and parallel to the at least one pair of horizontal pivot rods. 
     
     
         4 . The trap of  claim 1 , further comprising a circularly curved reinforcement bar that extends over each of the at least on inlet openings between the vertical frame members and a circular bottom portion that is spaced radially inwardly from the bottom peripheral frame portion, so as to provide at the bottom of the trap a gap to facilitate handling of the crab trap which is connected to the bottoms of the rectangular frames. 
     
     
         5 . The trap of  claim 1 , wherein the sets of pins are pivotable, independently of one another, about the respective at least one pair of horizontal pivot rods. 
     
     
         6 . The trap of  claim 1 , wherein the crab trap frame further compromises circularly curved frame members which are located above the bottom peripheral frame portion and are secured at opposite ends of further frame members to the vertical frame members. 
     
     
         7 . The trap of  claim 6 , wherein the further frame members are spaced upwardly from the bottom peripheral frame portion to form therebetween undersize crab outlet opening over which the mesh does not extend.