RAT TRAP
Remains set and admits rats until the trap reaches capacity.
A rat steps onto a treadle mounted outside the entrance opening. Its weight overbalances a heavier pivoted closure made of curved, spaced fingers, swinging the closure upward and opening the entrance. The rat passes beneath the pointed ends of the fingers into the housing, after which the closure swings back down by its own weight, the points guarding the opening against escape. The trap is then in condition to receive the next rat.
“The primary object of the invention is to provide a trap which will be ever set to the end that the trap will continue to operate to catch rodents, to the capacity of the trap.”— Frank M. Goodwin, from the specification
And the world did not beat a path to his door.