AU741426B2 - Garden maintenance implement - Google Patents

Description

~'0

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT GARDEN MAINTENJANCE IJIPLEIIENT The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: GARDEN MAINTENANCE IMPLEMENT This invention relates to improvements in implements used to maintain gardens and in particular relates to a light weight Hoe, the blade of which is shaped and fabricated to enable the efficient removal ofweeds from between or growing against garden plants. It has many other uses in the care and maintenance of a garden.

Many and varied are the shapes and weights of Hoes presently in use to cultivate gardens and remove weeds therefrom. In some examples, the blade is fastened to the handle by means of a 10 tapered hole formed in the blade, and in use, the Hoe is swung oO'o'. in a downwards motion or in a dragging stroke towards the operator. Another type of Hoe has a blade attached to the handle by means of either a single or double posts, which extend between the handle sleeve and the blade. These types of Hoes are 15 generally restricted to a mode of operation towards and away from the operator.

The before mentioned types of Hoe are available in heavy and light weight form and when being operated, they perform their design function efficiently. Even so, none of the prior art has the ability when being operated, to effectively and accurately remove weeds from between and close to garden plants, when such plants are closely spaced. The prior art Hoe is at a considerable disadvantage when used in close proximity to small and delicate plants due to the size, shape, and thickness of the blade. Also the method of attachment of the blade to the handle limits the mode of operation. The weight or shape of the blade limits the deft manipulation of such Hoes.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide the public with a choice of a Hoe possessing the ability to perform some of the function of the light weight variety of 3 Hoe, whilst also able to be efficiently utalised in circumstances where the present art becomes inefficient or destructive.

A further object of this invention is to provide the public with a gardening implement possessing such features that will encourage its use to remove weeds when they are small, or when they are first observable above the soil. To achieve the referred to increase in ability and efficiency requires a departure from the conventional methods of attaching the blade to the long handle, also in the blade's shape, size and mass. The size and thickness of the blade needs to be reduced to a practical minimum consistent with durabilityJ, thereby assisting to produce an ultra light garden implement capable of allowing the safe removal of weeds from relatively confined spaces, whilst the operator is in a standing position.

15 To overcome the stated disadvantage of the prior art, the Hoe of this invention provides the public with a garden maintenance implement comprising a light weight tubular handle, into one end of which the tang of a three feature blade, formed from a single sheet of thin metal is press fitted. The three features 20 referred to of which the blade is a portion, consist of a lower portion forming the blade, which joins a near vertical portion via a gentle curving of the sheet metal. The tang is also formed from the same piece of sheet metal and extends from the top of the near vertical portion. By so affixing the blade to the handle, the Hoe of this invention can be operated in a sideways motion from right to left of an operator and in the reverse direction and by a bending of the wrist or turning of the elbows, an operator can thrust the blade in most other directions.

To further aide the removal of small weeds growing against small and delicate plants, a retractable or fixed wire loop is located in a fitting, on or in that end of the handle which is opposite to the blade.

Further features of the garden maintenance implement of my invention and the manner of operation and advantages thereof will be apparent from the following more specific description, which will now be given by way of examples and by reference to the accompanying drawings in which, Figure 1 is a sectional side view of a blade and one example of a method of attachment to the handle, according to the present invention.

Figure 2 shows an oblique view of the surface of the combined tang, upper portion and blade Figure 3 is a front view of a plastic or hard wood knob type fitting, which is capable of locating and holding in place, a retractable wire loop when the assembly is located in one end of a tubular handle.

Figure 4 is a side view of the fitting shown by figure 3.

Figure 5 shows an example of a wire loop, shaped so as to enable it to be located and held in place by the fitting shown by Figures 3 and 4, and, Figure 6 shows a view of a plastic or hard wood filler piece which is capable of locating and holding in place a fixed wire loop, when the assembly is located in one end of a tubular handle.

Referring to Figure 1, which shows a sectional side view of an assembly located within the bottom portion of the tubular handle 6, it can be seen that the combined blade 1, upper joining portion 2 and tang 3 of this invention is formed from a single sheet of metal which is curved at 8, so as to produce an angle 25 of approximately 120 degrees between 1 and 2 portions. The overall thickness of the blade 1 is approximately .5 to .6 of one millimetre and due to the thinness of the blade, the metal from which it is made will be tempered to that of spring steel and stainless spring steel is the preferred material.

The sectional view Figure 1, shows the tang 3 held firmly in place within the tube 6, with the aid of a metal pin 7 and a hard wood or plastic filler piece 4 on each side. The pin passes through holes in the filler pieces and through a matching hole formed in the tang and holds the assembly in place during the press fitting within the tubular handle and the pressing is aided by a glue lubricant which on hardening, assists to secure the assembly in position. The filler pieces 4 would extend a small distance beyond the handle and onto the top of the portion 2, to add support when the Hoe is used in the conventional way.

The tubular handle also locates the Knob type fitting shown by Figures 3 and 4 and when the fitting is in position in the tube, the cylindrical portion 1, is a firm fit and is further held in place by a small screw fastened through the wall of the tube. Prior to placing the fitting in the handle, the ends 1 of the wire loop shown by Figure 5, are past under the staples 3 on each side of the knob type fitting and extend down the groove 2 o* O to below 1 of Figure 4. With the complete assembly in place in *the handle, the wire loop can be retracted into the top of the fitting and 2 of the wire loop will stop against the handle. To i*l *15 extend the loop, force applied to 2 of the wire loop exposes the top of the loop and it can then be pulled to its full extent.

Fully extended, that portion 2 of the wire locates above and against the staples 3, which prevent the wire from retracting whilst in use, and the ends 1 of the wire prevent the wire from being withdrawn from the fitting by being against the end of the knob type fitting. When a retractable loop may not be required, the fitting and wire loop shown by Figure 6 is a non-limiting example of such an assembly. The plug type fitting indicated by 1 of Figure 6, is of cylindrical form. The fixed wire loop 2 is located in grooves formed longitudinally one hundred and eighty degrees apart in the wooden or plastic cylinder. The ends of the wire loop 2 are located and held fast in small holes in the fitting, and by the tubular handle.

An additional feature which aids in the removal of weeds growing close to garden plants is shown by 4 of Figure 2. and comprises of indentations cut into the edges of the blade. The purpose of the indentations is to enable the blade to more firmly hold the stem of a weed being removed from a position close to relatively fragile plant stems.

Because the blade of the Hoe of this invention is formed as previously described and there are no relatively thick posts required to join the blade to the handle, the Hoe can be operated edge on in a sweeping motion from right to left of the operator, so as to penetrate below the soil surface and then rise above the surface at the completion of that stroke. The return stroke from left to right is a repeat of the previous stroke. Also, the direction of operation of the Hoe can be changed by a bending of the wrist or by a part rotation of the handle in the hand, thereby positioning the upper portion 2 and the blade to be edge on to the new direction. Because the edges of the blade are designed not to be sharpened and if the soil is friable, weed stems struck below the ground by the blade's 9edge, will bend across the blade and be carried complete with roots to the surface of a garden bed. If the soil is firmer, the i 15 weed stems can be cut below the surface.

Besides the before described principle sideways sweeping ode of operation of the Hoe of this invention, its light weight combined with the shape and manner of fixing of its blade and the provision of the retractable or fixed wire loop, allows 20 maximum manipulative freedom for the operator whilst in a standing position, to remove weeds from between or against plants irrespective of whether the plants are robust or delicate.

Claims (1)

1. 7. The claims defining the invention are as follows. 1. A garden maintenance implement comprising a length of light weight tube into one end of which, the tang of a three feature blade, formed from a single piece of sheet metal is press fitted and held firmly in place with the aid of a metal pin and two half round filler pieces and further, a device capable of locating a fixed or retractable wire loop is fastened to or within the tube end opposite to the end wherein the blade is fixed. 2. A garden maintenance implement of claim 1 wherein the blade, 10 viewed in a working position, has three integral features comprising a tang, a lower horizontal blade portion and an upper portion, the upper portion being offset from the vertical and joined to the blade portion by means of a curve formed across the single piece of sheet metal from which they are made, so that an angle of approximately 120 degrees ois formed between the two portions and preserving a minimum thickness profile presented by the two portions, varied only by the differing thicknesses of the metal. o A garden maintenance implement of claim 1 wherein two half round filler pieces are positioned one on each flat side of the tang and a metal pin is passed through a hole cut in both filler pieces and through a matching hole cut in the tang, thereby holding the three pieces together during the press fitting in the handle, the process being assisted by the use of a glue lubricant and when in position within the tubular handle, the two half round filler pieces combined with the material of the tang, slightly overfill the original diameter of the tube. 4. A garden maintenance implement of claim 2 wherein there are one or more small indentations formed into each side of the blade and so enable the blade to be more effectively utilised to remove weeds growing in close proximity to plants. A garden maintenance implement of claim 1 wherein a fitting for locating a wire loop is a knob with grooves formed in opposite sides so that a retractable wire loop can slide therein, being temporally locked in fully extended position by staples, or a fixed wire loop can be affixed to the handle by a number of methods, one method being a plug located within the end of a tubular handle, in which the two ends of the wire loop are held fast. 6. A garden maintenance implement of claim 1 and 5 where a wire loop, unrestricted to a particular diameter of the wire or size or shape of the loop is provided to assist a gardener to remove weeds. 7. A garden maintenance implement substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Robynn Nixon George William Nixon 23 February 1999 o*