Robert C Cruz

US Patent:

7540260, Jun 2, 2009

Filed:

Nov 6, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/593038

Inventors:

Christopher T Rich - Leola PA, US
Robert T. Cruz - Wrightsville PA, US
Edward J. Holliday - Lititz PA, US

Assignee:

Woodstream Corporation - Litiz PA

International Classification:

A01K 61/02

US Classification:

119 579, 119 578, 119 573, 119429

Abstract:

A bird feeder has telescopically aligned inner and outer cylindrical housings with opposed surfaces of complementary shape that are reverse tapered in a substantially vertical direction to enable guided vertical movement of the housings with respect to each other. The housings have openings in their side walls which are substantially in alignment when the outer housing is in an upper position and misaligned when the outer housing is in a lower position. A compression spring centrally located about the vertical axis of the feeder is confined within a lower portion of the feeder and biases the outer housing to its upper position. When the outer housing is moved to its lower position by the weight of a squirrel overcoming the biasing force of the compression spring, the housing openings are substantially misaligned such that no significant through opening exists, thereby preventing access to the birdseed.

US Patent:

7690147, Apr 6, 2010

Filed:

Jul 9, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/822607

Inventors:

Troy A. Wetzel - Mohnton PA, US
Robert T. Cruz - Lititz PA, US
Richard L. Eyer - Lititz PA, US

Assignee:

Woodstream Corporation - Lititz PA

International Classification:

A01M 23/38

US Classification:

43 98

Abstract:

An electric or electronic animal trap with a CPU-controlled, rearming, multiple killing plate configuration and automatically resetting mechanical switch for triggering a high voltage cycle. A high-voltage output circuit is connected to killing plates which are activated with a high-voltage pulse train when a pest closes the mechanical switch. The trap is configured to automatically rearm an indefinite number of times until a first dispatch is detected. Once the first dispatch is detected, the circuit will automatically rearm twice more. Accordingly, a plurality of mice may be dispatched and retained within the trap before the trap requires servicing.

US Patent:

7757430, Jul 20, 2010

Filed:

Jan 3, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/003897

Inventors:

Troy A. Wetzel - Mohnton PA, US
Robert T. Cruz - Lititz PA, US
Richard L. Eyer - Lititz PA, US

Assignee:

Woodstream Corporation - Lititz PA

International Classification:

A01M 19/00

US Classification:

43 98, 43 99, 43112

Abstract:

An electric or electronic animal trap with a CPU-controlled, rearming, multiple killing plate configuration and automatically resetting interruptible beam sensor for triggering a high voltage cycle. A high-voltage output circuit is connected to killing plates which are activated with a high-voltage pulse train when a pest interrupts the beam signal, such as an infrared beam signal generated by an infrared transmitter to an infrared receiver. The trap is preferably configured to automatically rearm if the IR beam signal is no longer interrupted after the killing cycle. If the IR beam signal is still blocked after the killing cycle, however, the trap enters a standby mode indicating trap servicing is required to remove the dead rodent from the trap.

US Patent:

7370451, May 13, 2008

Filed:

Apr 4, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/097195

Inventors:

Christopher T Rich - Leola PA, US
Robert T. Cruz - Wrightsville PA, US
Edward J. Holliday - Lititz PA, US

Assignee:

Woodstream Corporation - Lititz PA

International Classification:

A01M 1/10
A01M 23/00

US Classification:

43 61, 43 58, 43 60

Abstract:

A cage-type animal trap made of wire mesh having a roof and a front end provided with an animal access opening. A door movably mounted at the front end operates in an opened position to reveal the access opening and in a closed position to block the access opening. A hand grip mounted on a rail positioned on the roof moves bi-directionally between a first position near the front end of the trap and a second position near the rear end of the trap. An actuating cable has one end secured to the bottom of the door and another end Secured to the hand grip so that when the hand grip is moved by the user from a first position with the door closed to a second position with the door opened the trap can be set by a latch mechanism which releasably holds the hand grip in its second position. A pedal is movably mounted inside the trap with a trigger rod secured to the pedal and to the latch mechanism so that when an animal enters the trap, the weight of the animal moves the pedal from a first position to a second position for causing the trigger rod to move the latch thereby releasing the hand grip resulting in the handgrip moving from its second position to its first position and the door moving from the opened position to the closed position thus trapping the animal inside the trap. A paddle mechanism maintains the hand grip in its first position, and a door lock at the bottom of the door prevents the door from being opened by a trapped animal.

US Patent:

8011323, Sep 6, 2011

Filed:

Mar 25, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/382848

Inventors:

Christopher J. Kamery - Lancaster PA, US
Robert Theodore Cruz - Lititz PA, US
Andrew Gauker - Shillingon PA, US

Assignee:

Woodstream Corporation - Lititz PA

International Classification:

A01K 39/02

US Classification:

119 72

Abstract:

A liquid bird feeder provides a liquid container having a sealable top opening and a bottleneck extension at its other end, and a liquid tray having a well adapted to receive the bottleneck extension and at least one feeding port. The sidewall of the well is provided with at least one drain hole and the sidewall of the bottleneck extension with at least one port. The container and bottleneck extension are rotatable within the well to selectively align and misalign the port with the well drain hole to respectively open and close the drain hole upon rotation of the container. In an alternate embodiment, the bottleneck extension is fitted with a collar rotatable with the container. The collar is received in the liquid tray well and includes the at least one port. A liquid flow path is formed in the liquid tray for each feeding port to reduce the volume of nectar in the tray at any given time.

US Patent:

8024888, Sep 27, 2011

Filed:

Jul 16, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/805198

Inventors:

Troy A. Wetzel - Mohnton PA, US
Robert T. Cruz - Lititz PA, US
Richard L. Eyer - Lititz PA, US

Assignee:

Woodstream Corporation - Lititz PA

International Classification:

A01M 19/00

US Classification:

43 98, 43 99, 43112

Abstract:

An electric or electronic animal trap with a CPU-controlled, rearming, multiple killing plate configuration and automatically resetting interruptible beam sensor for triggering a high voltage cycle. A high-voltage output circuit is connected to killing plates which are activated with a high-voltage pulse train when a pest interrupts the beam signal, such as an infrared beam signal generated by an infrared transmitter to an infrared receiver. The trap is preferably configured to automatically rearm if the IR beam signal is no longer interrupted after the killing cycle. If the IR beam signal is still blocked after the killing cycle, however, the trap enters a standby mode indicating trap servicing is required to remove the dead rodent from the trap.

US Patent:

8151514, Apr 10, 2012

Filed:

Jun 18, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/213382

Inventors:

Alan Weir Bucher - Manheim PA, US
Richard L. Eyer - Lititz PA, US
Marko Konstantin Lubic - Shillington PA, US
Troy A. Wetzel - West Reading PA, US
Robert T. Cruz - Lititz PA, US

Assignee:

Woodstream Corporation - Lititz PA

International Classification:

A01M 19/00
A01M 23/38

US Classification:

43 99

Abstract:

An electronic mouse trap is provided having multiple kill and automatic killing chamber clearing capabilities. The trap includes an elevated killing chamber rotatably mounted on a base that houses a collection bin positioned under the chamber and which has an entrance pathway that provides mice with access to the chamber. Upon completion of a killing cycle and the killing of a mouse, the chamber is automatically rotated by a gear motor about a longitudinal axis that is slightly below the floor of the chamber. The chamber rotates approximately 180 degrees so as to be inverted, allowing the dead mouse to fall downwardly into the collection bin. Once the chamber has been inverted and the mouse removed by gravity, the gear motor reverses the rotation direction and returns the chamber to its upright position where it is ready to reinitiate the killing cycle for another mouse.

US Patent:

8230641, Jul 31, 2012

Filed:

May 7, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/149758

Inventors:

Christopher T Rich - Leola PA, US
Robert T. Cruz - Wrightsville PA, US
Edward J. Holliday - Lititz PA, US
Marko Lubic - Shillington PA, US

Assignee:

Woodstream Corporation - Lititz PA

International Classification:

A01M 1/10
A01M 23/00

US Classification:

43 61, 43 58, 43 60

Abstract:

A cage type animal trap having an enclosure with an animal access opening into a vacant interior sized to receive an animal to be trapped. The access opening is closed by a door that is movable from a closed to an opened position by an actuating mechanism having a flexible actuating member with one end secured to the door and the other end releasably held by a latch mechanism. The latch mechanism is configured to move the door to the opened position by tensioning the actuating member and, in response to a trigger mechanism, to release the second end of the actuating member and allow the door to move from the opened position to the closed position thereby trapping the animal in the animal enclosure. A door lock in abutment with the outer surface of the door prevents the door from being opened by a trapped animal. A part of the actuating mechanism is in engagement with the door lock when the door is closed such that the door lock is automatically disengaged when the actuating member is tensioned.