AU2018274979A1

AU2018274979A1 - An improved hand tool

Info

Publication number: AU2018274979A1
Application number: AU2018274979A
Authority: AU
Inventors: David Rickards
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-12-06
Filing date: 2018-12-06
Publication date: 2020-06-25

Abstract

A hand tool 10 for digging, furrowing, gardening, cleaning, material handling and the like. The tool 10 has a blade 12 of curved cross section in the vicinity of the roll or corrugation section 14 as best seen from the front view of Figure 2, and a concave tip or cutting edge 16 whereby when the blade 12 sits on, and is at an angle to, an imaginary horizontal plane, the concave tip or cutting edge has a substantial part of the length TW of Figure 4 which is contained within the imaginary horizontal plane. Figure to be published: 1 Dave Stave 26 222 4. 24

Description

AN IMPROVED HAND TOOL

Field of the invention

[001] The present invention relates to an improved hand tool, that has been found to be particularly useful in a variety of different work requirements, particularly hand tools with a long handle.

Background of the invention

[002] After reviewing the gardening tools currently available, I was unable to find anything close to what I required. Tools like shovels, hoes and rakes are all designed for a specific purpose, none of which was particularly suited to my needs.

[003] Accordingly I set about designing and building a novel long handled hand tool, and the following describes what I have done and how I built it, and how it may be manufactured in the future.

[004] Any reference herein to known prior art does not, unless the contrary indication appears, constitute an admission that such prior art is commonly known by those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, at the priority date of this application.

Summary of the invention

[005] The present invention provides a hand tool for digging, furrowing, gardening, cleaning, material handling and the like, the tool having a blade of curved cross section in the vicinity of the roll or corrugation section, and a concave tip or cutting edge when viewed in plan view and whereby when the blade sits on, and is at an angle to, an imaginary horizontal plane, the concave tip or cutting edge has a substantial length which is contained within, or parallel to, the imaginary horizontal plane.

[006] The hand tool can include a collar or socket to receive a handle.

[007] The hand tool can be assembled to a long handle.

[008] Side edges of the blade can be of a concave shape.

[009] Side edges of the blade can be, in a direction from the handle to the tip, of a converging then diverging shape in plan view.

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[010] Corners of the hand tool can be formed, between the concave tip or cutting edge and the converging diverging side edges of the blade, in an acuminate in shape.

[011] The acuminate shape can terminate in a radiussed portion.

[012] The hand tool can be adapted to be assembled to a handle, and when so assembled, the blade will be at an angle of approximately 70 degrees to 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the handle.

[013] The roll or corrugation can extend along the blade from the location of assembly of a handle, to approx, within 5mm to 50mm of a central section of the concave tip or cutting edge.

[014] The blade can include, at the end opposite the concave tip or cutting edge, a shoulder and or step formed thereat.

[015] The blade, when viewed from a side view, can also include a curved cross section.

Brief description of the drawings

[016] A detailed description of a preferred embodiment will follow, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures of the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a hand tool;

Figure 2 illustrates a front view of the hand tool of Figure 1;

Figure 3 illustrates a plan view of the hand tool of Figure 1;

Figure 4 illustrates a right side view of the hand tool of Figure 1;

Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of the hand tool of Figure 1, assembled with a long handle;

Figure 6 illustrates a photograph of the first prototype constructed;

Figure 7 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a hand tool;

Figure 8 illustrates a front view of the hand tool of Figure 7;

Figure 9 illustrates a plan view of the hand tool of Figure 7;

Figure 10 illustrates a right side view of the hand tool of Figure 7; and

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Figure 11 illustrates a perspective view of the hand tool of Figure 7, assembled with a long handle.

Detailed description of the embodiment or embodiments

[017] Illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 is a hand tool 10 for digging, furrowing, gardening, cleaning, material handling and the like. The tool 10 has a blade 12 of curved cross section in the vicinity of the roll or corrugation section 14, as best seen from the front view of Figure 2, and a concave tip or cutting edge 16 whereby when the blade 12 sits on, and or is at an angle to, an imaginary horizontal plane, the concave tip or cutting edge has a substantial length of the dimension TW of Figure 4, which is contained within the imaginary horizontal plane.

[018] The hand tool 10 also includes a collar or socket 20 to receive the handle 21 which is illustrated in Figure 5. Preferably the hand tool 10 is assembled to a long handle 21, but if desired, a short handle can be used, but it is expected that the hand tool may be less effective if a short handle is used by comparison to a long handle.

[019] As seen in Figures 1 and 3, the side edges 22 of the blade 12 can be described as being of a concave shape. Alternatively, in the region of dimension TL, the upper portion of the side edges 22 of the blade 12, in a direction from the handle to the tip, are of a converging shape, then in the region of dimension BL, the lower portion of the side edges 22 are of a diverging shape, especially when viewed in the plan view of Figure 3. Because of the “curviness” and angle of perspective, this feature does not show up as well in other figures.

[020] The left and right forward corners 24 of the hand tool 10 are formed between the concave tip or cutting edge 16 and the converging diverging side edges 2 of the blade 12, in an acuminate in shape. The acuminate shape of corners 24 terminate in a radiussed portion 24.1.

[021] As best illustrated in Figure 4, the hand tool 10 is adapted to be assembled to a handle 21 (see Figure 5), and when so assembled, the blade 12 will be at an angle of approximately 70 degrees to 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the handle 21. The line of extension of the blade 12, as it is of a curved shape, is probably best described as being a straight line from the base of the step 26 to the forward end 14.1 of the roll or

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2018274979 06 Dec 2018 corrugation 14. In Figure 4 the angle is closer to 70 degrees to the horizontal or 20 degrees to the vertical. Whereas in the embodiment of Figures 7 to 11, the angle is closer to 80 to 90 degrees to the horizontal or 10 to zero degrees to the vertical.

[022] The roll or corrugation 14 extends along the blade 12 from the location of assembly of a handle 21, namely the socket or collar 20, to approx, within 1 mm to 50mm of a central section of the concave tip or cutting edge 16. Most preferably this dimension is of the order of 20mm to 30mm.

[023] The blade 12 includes, at the end opposite the concave tip or cutting edge 16, a shoulder and or step formation 26 formed thereat.

[024] The blade 12, when viewed from a side view as in Figure 4, also include a curved cross section.

[025] Illustrated in Figures 7 to 11 is an embodiment similar to that of Figures 1 to 5, and like parts are like numbered. However it will be noted, as briefly described above, that the tool 10A of figures 7 to 11 has the socket or collar 20 at approximately a right angle to a straight line from the base of the step 26 to the forward end 14.1 of the roll or corrugation 14, which will be approximately perpendicular to the line or longitudinal axis of the handle 21. Thus the appearance of the plan view of Figure 9, appears different at the central right hand side by comparison to the plan view of Figure 3

[026] As best seen in Figures 1 and 2, and 9 and 10, the following dimensions have the following approximate magnitude in millimetres:

TIP WIDTH (TW)= 160mm

TIP CONCAVITY DEPTH (TC)= 30mm

TOP LENGTH (TL)= 100mm

BOTTOM LENGTH (BL)= 70mm

SIDE WIDTH (SW)= 120mm

CENTRAL SOCKET (CS)= 30mm

ROLL or CORRUGATION LENGTH (RL)=160mm

FULL LENGTH (FL) =180mm

CORNER RADIUS (CR)= 10mm

BLADE DEPTH OF CONCAVITY (BD)= 40mm.

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[027] The blade 12 is preferably manufactured from 1.5mm to 2mm thick steel, and preferably formed by forging and or pressing in a series of dies to achieve the desired shape.

[028] For the production of the prototype, as illustrated in the photograph of Figure 6, a Spear & Jackson Round Mouth Shovel with long handle was purchased and modified as follows:

STEP1: starting with the shovel blade facing upwards and the handle generally horizontal, cut shovel blade and base of collar adjacent the lower end of the handle 21 and cut through the steel generally perpendicular to the handle direction missing the handle timber;

STEP2: rotate handle and remaining collar 180 degrees around the longitudinal axis of the handle 21, then rotate the remaining combined collar and handle through 90 degrees around an axis perpendicular to the handle, and place the former back side of the collar attached to the handle 21 to the cut portion of the socket attached to the blade, and then weld the two components together, so that a straight line from the base of the step 26 to the forward end of the roll or corrugation 14 is approximately perpendicular to the line or longitudinal axis of the handle 21;

STEP 3: the convex point of the round mouth shovel is then cut off, by first getting the line of intersection with an imaginary horizontal plane. This was done by means of a holding the handle at approx. 45 degree to horizontal and dipping the front edge or tip into to a tray of water or paint, to identify a curved line which when cut along, renders the cut edge in the horizontal plane when the handle is at 45 degrees to the horizontal plane. Once this line is established, then a process of cutting and grinding is used to form the curved cutting edge or tip 16;

STEP 3: From the off cut tip portion, wing elements are formed to meld with the lower ends of the diverging side edges, along the length of the dimension BL, and smoothed into the front edge 16, so that the acuminate corners 24 are formed and radiussed corners 24.1 are also formed;

STEP 4: The wings are then welded in place along the edge and welds smoothed and blended to be made tangential;

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STEP 5: once assembled, the angle of the blade 12 to the socket 20 is bent a bit further to set the angle of the curved tip 16 with the handle 21, so that the curve tip 16 is flat touching a horizontal surface on the ground;

STEP 6: (optional) a tube was formed or shaped to make a new heel 20.1 (see Figures 4 and 5) at the base of the socket or collar 20; then the heel 20.1 can be welded into place. This step is optional as the Figure 6 prototype did not have this and worked fine.

STEP 7: (optional) once all assembled a coat of magical blue paint was applied...and the DAVE STAVE is born.

[029] The tool 10 has been found to be useful in the following activities: ground levelling; spreading of soil, sand, tarmac; chopping out tree roots; scratching farrows; digging trenches; tamping down soil; lifting dirt from trenches; levelling bottom of trenches; dragging dirt up pit walls; cleaning out tree roots from trenches; lifting edges of flag stones and pavers; lifting dirt from small diameter holes.

[030] Where ever it is used, the word “comprising” is to be understood in its “open” sense, that is, in the sense of “including”, and thus not limited to its “closed” sense, that is the sense of “consisting only of’. A corresponding meaning is to be attributed to the corresponding words “comprise”, “comprised” and “comprises” where they appear.

[031 ] It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.

[032] While particular embodiments of this invention have been described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments and examples are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all modifications which would be obvious to those skilled in the art are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

Claims

1. A hand tool for digging, furrowing, gardening, cleaning, material handling and the like, the tool having a blade of curved cross section in the vicinity of the roll or corrugation section, and a concave tip or cutting edge when viewed in plan view and whereby when the blade sits on, and is at an angle to, an imaginary horizontal plane, the concave tip or cutting edge has a substantial length which is contained within, or parallel to, the imaginary horizontal plane.
2. A hand tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hand tool includes a collar or socket to receive a handle.
3. A hand tool as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said tool is able to be mounted to a long handle.
4. A hand tool as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the side edges of said blade are of a concave shape.
5. A hand tool as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the side edges of said blade are, in the direction from said handle to said tip, of a converging then a diverging shape.
6. A hand tool as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the corners of said tool, said corners formed between said concave tip or cutting edge and said converging diverging side edges of said blade, are acuminate in shape.
7. A hand tool as claimed in claim 6, wherein said acuminate shape terminates in a radiused portion.
8. A hand tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said tool is adapted to be assembled to a handle, and when so assembled, said blade will be at an angle of approximately 70 degrees to 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis of said handle.
9. A hand tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said roll or corrugation section extends along said blade from the location of connection to a

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2018274979 06 Dec 2018 handle, to approx, within 1mm to 50mm of a central section of said concave tip or cutting edge.
10. A hand tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said blade includes, at the end opposite said concave tip or cutting edge, a shoulder and or step portion formed thereat.
11. A hand tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said blade, when viewed from a side view also includes a curved cross section.