CA2352947C - Weed puller and bagger - Google Patents

Abstract

A lawn and garden weed removal and collection device comprised of a long tubular stem with T-shaped handle grips at one end and opposing foot rests on the other end located just above a weed taking probe. The weed-taking probe is tapered in design and connected to the tubular stem opposite the handgrips.
The probe is to be driven into the soil by the application of force applied to the footrests. A deflector is located along the tubular stem adjacent to a cut out to guide weed cores out of the stem. A bag-mounting platform is permanently attached to the stem. The collection bag is affixed to the tubular stem by spring clip or elastic cord.

Description

TITLE: WEED PULLER AND BAGGER
This invention relates to a device for extracting a plant and specifically its roots, such as tap-rooted weeds; from the ground and. collecting.
BACKGROUND OIr' THE INVENTION
More particularly the invention relates to a gardening tool that offers plant root removal and collection. Typically such weeds are cut at their stems by lawn mowers or manual cutters without removal of the tap root causing the plant to re-grow very quickly. One reason such tools are being devised is they reduce or eliminate the need for pesticide use in lawns.
Manually operated tools for extracting weeds are known in the art. Most of the weed extracting tools known in the art, basically comprise of a shaft at one end with'a handle, and at the other end a footrest and an extraction tube. Use of these tools is simple. The lower end of the tube is positioned around the stem of a weed to be extracted. Then the tube is inserted into th.e ground by pressing on the footrest or handle. Lastly, the tube containing the plug of root and soil that has been extracted is removed by lii'ing on the handle.
Typical soil and weed removal devices of this type are shown, for example, in the following United States of America patents:
1,183,127 Sheldon 2,057,142 Fry 3,927,720 TZauch 4,130,170 Holman 4,585,072Martinet 4,685,339Philipenko 4,848,484Clements 5,386,681Trahan et al.

5,469,923Visser 6,145,600Dickinson U.S. Patent 5,469,923 issued to Alexis W. Visser, November 28, 1995 discloses a "device for extracting a plant from the ground". Extraction of the plant is done by placing the lower end of the tube around the stem of a weed to be extracted. Then the tube is inserted into the ground by pressing on the footrest or handle. The tube containing the plug of root and soil is extracted and removed.
However, nothing is provided for collecting plugs of root and soil.
U.S. Patent 5,386,681 issued to Roger Traham: Denise GazaiIle, February 7, 1995 discloses a "gardening tool for removing weeds". Removal of the plant is done by placing the lower end of a tapered tube around a weed to be extracted.
Then the tube is inserted into the ground by stepping on the rectangular footrest.
The extracted material stays in the tube. Subsequent extractions of weeds farce the plug held in the tube to be forced upward and collected on a flat open sided pan. However, collection of plant and root materials are subject to the upright positioning of the tool. Transportation of the tool in a manner other than completely upright do not allow for collection. Moxeover, plugs not being ejected upward will cause the tool to fail in its limited collection capacity as turning the tool to free jammed plugs will cause pan loose its gathered materials.

SUMMARY' OF THE INVEIlTTION
This invention relates to a device for extracting and collecting a plant and specifically its roots, such as tap-rooted weeds, from the ground. More particularly the invention relates to a gardening tool that offers plant root removal and collection.
The object of the invention is to provide a tool for use to remove weed roots from a lawn and gather extracted plant parts for composting or disposal. Its collection bag design offers the tool to be laid to rest during use, safely containing its cargo, transported without concern for loss of plant and roots, held or utilized in manner other than perfectly upright while gathering for disposal of plant parts held within.
The present invention discloses a long tubular stem vvith T-shaped handle grips at one end and opposing foot pegs on the other end located just above a coring tine also knoyvn as weed-taking probe. Extraction of a plant and more particularly its roots is done by placing the lower end of the tine around the stem of a weed to be extracted. The weed-coring tine is driven into the ground by applying downward force to either one of its two (2j foot pegs or by the application of downward force to the T-shaped handles. Extraction of the soil and plant root materials previously held in the soil, is completed by applying upward pressure on the handles. The coring tine is tapered in design and thus mechanical advantage from friction holds the plug of soil and root materials in thc~ tine.
Plugs held in the tine are released to the inside of the stem buy either a subsequent extraction of another weed and root or by turning the invention upside down and gently tapping the T-shaped handles on the ground. A deflector is located inside the tubular stem adjacent to a plug exit cut out area at an intermediate region along the tubular stem. This assembly is to guide soil and root materials out of the stem. A bag-mounting platform called a bag holder is permanently attached to the stem adjacent to the cut out area. The collection bag is affixed to the bag holder by spring clip or elastic cord sewn into the bag. Conveniently the invention allows other bags to be used as collection bags. Any plastic., flexible grocery style bag can be adapted for use and mounted to the bag holder with the use of the spring clip or simple household elastic bands.
The collection bag offers the invention to be laid to rest, and transported in any configuration, without the scattering of collected plugs. It also offers greater versatility by allowing the tool to be dropped, or handled in any direction other than complete upright without loss of plant and roots..
The bag can be easily detached from its mounting platform for disposal of plant parts held within by either removing the elastic or spring retainer clip, or by undoing the zippered bottom.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be described in more detail by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 Shows the invention in perspective view, from the side.
FIG. 2 shows detail of the deflector, bag holder, retaining clip and plug exit cut out area.
FIG. 3 shows figure to from a front assembled view.
FIG. 4 shows FIG 3 from a side view.
FIG. 5 shows FIG 3 from a bottom cross view.
FIG. 6 shows the first alternate embodiment of a bag holder FIG. 7 shows first second alternate embodiment of a bag holder FIG. 8 shows the collector bag FIG. 9 shows a bag-retaining clip FIG. 10 shows a bag-retaining clip FIG. 1 I shows the operation of the device in FIG. 1 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will be described in details herein a specific embodiment, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an example of the principals of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated.
Referring firstly to FIG. l, the weed puller and bagger according to the preferred embodiment is illustrated therein in its entirety. The preferred weed puller and bagger 20, also referred to as the preferred tool, comprises a conventional turf coring or aerating tine 22, affixed to one end of a tubular stem 24. A T-shaped handle 26 is affixed to the other end of the stem, and a pair of foot pegs 28 are affixed to the stem 24 at an intermediate region thereof near the coring tine 22, for allowing the use of one's foot for pushing the coring tine into the ground. The coring tine 22 defines a lower end o:f the preferred weed pulley and bagger 20, and the handle 26 defines the upper end.
The tubular stem 24 has a hollow conduit therein with an inside diameter which is the same or slightly larger than the outside diameter of the coring tine 22, such that the cores of soil and weed roots formed inside the coring tine 22 can be moved upward inside the tubular stem 24 by other cores being formed inside the coring tine 22 when the coring tine 22 is repeatedly pushed into and withdrawn from the ground.
Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, the preferred tool also has an opening 30 in the stem's wall at an intermediate region along the tubular stem 24, between the foot pegs 28 and handle 26. A deflector 32 has an angled lower surface 34 for guiding the cores of soil and weed roots moving upward inside the tubular stem 24 out of the stem through the opening 30, as indicated by arrow 3fi in FIG.
4.

The deflector 32 has a cylindrical shape and is retauied inside the tubular stem 24 by a pin 40 passing through two holes 42 in the stem's wall and a corresponding hole 44 through the deflector 32.
A bag holder 50 is mounted over the stem 24 and the opening 30. The bag holder 50 has a window 52 enclosing the opening 30, and a cylindrical cavity adjacent to the window, defining a pair of hold tabs 56. The cylindrical cavity 54 has an inside diameter which represents a mounting fit over the tubular stem with the holed tabs 56 extending astride the tubular stem 24. Each tab 56 has a hole 58 therein which can be rt~ade to coincide in position and alignment with the holes 42 and 44 in the tubular stem 24 and the deflector 32 respectively.
Therefore, the single pin 40 retains the bag holder 50 and the deflector 32 to the tubular stem 24.
In the preferred weed pulley and bagger, the length 'A' of the opening 30 is about 3 - 6 inches, and the angle 'B' of the angled surface 34 of the deflector 32 is an acute angle.
The bag holder 50 also has a groove 60 and raised surface 106 around the window 52 for receiving a spring clip 62 or the elastic cord 104 sewn into the bag 90 for example, for the purpose of retaining a bag 64 over the window 52.
The bag is useful for receiving and containing cores of soil and weed roots extracted from the soil using the preferred tool. The weed roots are safely contained in the bag 64 even when the preferred tool is laid on its side in a gardening cart for example, or handled loosely when walking about a large ground. The weed roots are also easily disposed of by emptying the bag in a garbage container or by discarding an alternative bag and the weed roots in a garbage container.

And of course, the use of the preferred weed pulley and bugger is also advantageous for extracting soil samples at specific locations on a property, for the purposed of analysing a soil for example, and for preventing contamination of the soil samples during collection and handling.
Referring now to FIG. 6, a first alternate embodiment of a bag holder 70 is illustrated therein. In this first alternate embodiment, the plane 72 of the window and the groove 60 are not parallel to the stem 24. In certain applications, it may be preferable to provide an acute angle 'C' between the plane 72 of the window and a vertical line to facilitate the reception of the cores of soil and weed roots out of the opening 30 and into the bag 64 hung to this bag holder 70.
I n FIG. 7, a second alternate embodiment of a bag holder 80 is illustrated.
This bag holder has an integral deflecting surface 82 and threaded sockets 84,86 to receive and retain the segments 88, 98 of a tubulaa~ stem 24. This type of bag holder 80 may be preferred by some manufacturers for making a weed pulley and bugger which can be packaged or stowed away in a compact disassembled forth.
A preferred bag 90 for receiving the cores of soil and weed roots is illustrated in FIG. 8. This preferred bag 90 is made of durable fabric material such as canvas. It has mouth partion 92 which has dimensions to enclose the window 52 and the groove 60 of a bag holder. An elastic cord 104 is sewn into the mouth portion 92 where the alternate of using a clip 62 is not desired. A
zipper 94 along the lower portion thereof can be opened for emptying the bag.
Although a preferred bag is illustrated in FIG 8., this type of bag is not essential to a proper operation of the present invention. It is believed that any plastic or paper bags, such as grocery bags, garbage bags for kitchen garbage receptacles, bags for freezing produce, for carrying sandwiches, etc., can be used with the preferred weed pulley and bugger.

Similarly, various types of fasteners can be used to retain a bag 64 to a bag holder. A spring clip is preferred, such as the spring clip 62 illustrated in FIGS.
1,2 and 9 or the clip 96 illustrated in FIG.10. It is also known that a bag can be effectively retained to the bag holder by an elastic rubber band or string.
As a material of construction for the bag holder, the tubular stem, the foot pegs and the handle, various types of metals and plastic may be used. However, the coring tine is preferably made of hardened steel.
As for other specific dimensions, the opening 30 in the stem 24 is preferably positioned at a clistance 'D' above the foot pegs 28, as illustrated in FIG. 11, such that the bag attached to the bag holder does not lay over the foot pegs 28 and interferes with the use of the foot pegs.
In use, the coring tine 22 is pushed into the soil over the crown and the central root of a first, second and subsequent weed plant 100 to a depth sufficient to enclose the crown and weed roots. As the preferred tool is withdrawn, the soil plug containing the weed roots is retained inside the coring tine as is customary with common weed pullers. In the preferred weed puller and ba$ger, however, the second and subsequent core of soil and weed roots collected inside the tubular stem 24 push the first core upward until it is pushed against the deflector 32 and diverted out of the tubular stem 24 through the opening 30. The first core of soil and weed roots 102 is then collected in the bag 64. As another core of soil and weed roots is pushed into the coring tine 22, another one nearest the opening 30, is forced out of the opening and into the bag 64 for eventual disposal.
It should be noted that depending on soil type the preferred tool rnay be rendered upside down at any time and the handles 26 tapped on the ground to cleax first, second and subsequent soil and weed roots from the tubular stem using gravitational forces to allow the cores to act against the deflector 32 and diverted out of the opening 30 and being retained in said bag 64.
The preferred weed puller and bugger is useful for pulling and collecting weed roots such as those of dandelions, plantain and other weeds having tap roots.
The preferred weed puller and bugger offers an attractive alternative to the use of a chemical herbicide for destroying weeds on a property for example. And of course, the preferred weed pulley and bugger can also be used to pull cores out of a soil for simply aerating a turf.
As can be appreciated, various modifications, alternate constructions and equivalents may be employed without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the above description and illustrations should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN
EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED
AS FOLLOWS:

1. A weed puller and bagger comprising;
a stem having an upper end, a lower end and a coring tine mounted on said lower end;
an opening at an intermediate region along said stem;
a hollow conduit inside the said stem between said opening and said tine;
a bag holder mounted over said stem and said opening and having a window enclosing said opening;
a bag affixed to said bag holder and enclosing said window, and a deflector mounted in said hollow conduit above said opening for diverting cores of soil and weed roots moving upward along said hollow conduit through said opening, said window into said bag.