GB2116442A - Toy spade - Google Patents

Abstract

An integrally moulded toy spade 10 has a blade portion 11, a handle portion 12 and an interconnecting stem or shaft portion 13. The handle portion 12 has a circumscribed aperture 14 within which another implement blade portion e.g. a rake head 30 is detachably associated or associatable with e.g. the handle portion via break-off connections 35 or the stem or shaft portion. The implement blade portion has headed studs 33 which engage in slots 22, each having a head clearance part 23 and a head latching part 24 that intercommunicate for sliding fitment of the implement blade portion 30. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Toyspade The invention relates to toy spades of the type used or intended for use by children to play with sand.

Such spades are well known, often nowadays comprising moulded plastics material at least for blades and handles if not for entire spade units.

Other implements such as hoes, rakes, etc are much less popular and thus of lesser viability in terms of the volumes of production required for profitable manufacture and sales. Also, of course, a number of different implements can be a nuisance in carrying about, say for trips to and from beaches.

We therefore now propose a toy spade having a main blade portion, a handle portion, a stem or shaft portion interconnecting the blade and handle portions, and another implement blade portion detachably associated or associatable with the handle portion.

Use of such other implement blade portion is preferably after association with the handle portion to extend therefrom preferably away from front or back of a free end part of the handle portion. Such association can advantageously be by way of mating studs and holes or slots.

Thus, headed studs on the other blade portipn may engage in slots each having a head clearance part and a head latching part that intercommunicate for sliding fitment of the other blade portion, preferably as a snap-fit of a neck part of the stud past a throat part between the head clearance and latching parts of each slot.

Such studded other blade portions are particularly well adapted to a specific proposal hereof namely manufacture as break-off parts of plastic spade mouldings. Then, moulded handle portions of central aperture type, for example Dshaped, can carry the other blade portions within their apertures, usually with break-off connections to their ends.

Whilst preferred for a single other implement blade portion, say a rake, hoe, or sand former such as a castellation piece, such break-off attachment within the handle portion is limiting. Alternative break-off positions could of course be employed, say on the stem or shaft portion, and for more than one other implement blade portion on the same spade.

However, if desired, a plurality of other blade portions could be made separately on a carrier that interfitted, say by interference or snap-in, with a channel formation of the spade, typically its stem or shaft. Moreover, we do not rule out providing individual blades with such an interference or snap-in fit.

Specific implementation of this invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a spade with a break-off rake blade portion in its handle portion; Figure 2 shows a section on lines AA of Figure 1 with the other blade portion fitted for use; Figure 3 shows some other possible blade portions; Figure 4 shows a plurality of blade portions on a carrier; Figure 5 shows interfitment of a blade portion carrier with a channel of the spade.

In Figures 1 and 2, an integrally moulded spade 10 has a blade portion 11, a handle portion 1 2 and an interconnecting stem or shaft portion 13.

The handle portion 12 has a circumscribed aperture 14 edged by a channel section frame, actually shown as a double channel of H-section matching the stem or shaft portion 13, though obviously neither being necessarily of H-section.

Integral cross-bracing 1 8 will normally be present in the rear channel of the stem or shaft portion.

The handle portion 1 2 has a straight end frame part 20 of which the web 21 of its channel section is apertured 22, actually in three spaced positions as shown. Each aperture 22 has two parts 23, 24 the former being greater than the latter and a throat part 25 at their intercommunication.

Within aperture 14 the spade has another blade portion 30 shown as a rake head with tines 31 from a bar 32 having at its other side studs 33 with heads or flanges 34 and break-off connections 35 with the inner wall 36 of the end frame part 20 of the handle portion 12.

The studs 33 are spaced for registration with the apertures 22 in the handle end web 21 so that heads or flanges 34 will be a clearance through larger aperture parts 23, shanks 36 of the studs will be a close fit in the smaller aperture parts 24, and the throat parts 25 of the apertures 22 afford a snap-fit on sliding the other blade portion into position for use.

Variant other blade portions, specifically a hoe 41, a stipple sand form 42 and a castellation former 43 are indicated in Figure 3 all with studs 33 as for the rake head of Figures 1 and 2. It will be apparent that such variant other blade portions represent alternatives to what is shown in Figures 1 and 2. All that is required is separable, replaceable, handle portion mould parts.

In fact, a spade equipped with break-off blade portions at its handle portion may have its handle and blade portions separately formed for interconnection by a suitable shaft that could itself be separate or integral with one of the handle and blade portions, say by spigot-and-socket connection. Spades fitted with wooden shafts in this way are, of course, well known.

It is, of course, to be understood that a said other blade portion can be made with break-off attachment to positions on the spade other than the inner wall of the handle-edge part 30. A plurality of other blade portions could be so attached to the side walls 51, 52 of the stem or shaft portion 1 3 whether or not the latter is moulded integral with handle and blade portions.

Figure 4 shows a plurality of different other blade portions 30, 41,42, 43 formed on a linear carrier 55 that could make an interference or snap fit with the stem or shaft portion of a spade, but is shown with studs 56 for apertures 58 in the web of the stem, similar to those 33 and 32 already described above.

Claims (14)

1. A toy spade having a main blade portion, a handle portion, a stem or shaft portion interconnecting the blade and handle portions, and other implement blade portion detachably associated or associatable with the handle portion.

2. A toy spade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the other implement blade portion is after association with the handle portion arranged to extend therefrom away from front or back of a free end part of the handle portion.

3. A toy spade as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein such association is by way of mating studs and holes or slots.

4. A toy spade as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein headed studs on the other implement blade portion engage in slots each having a head clearance part and a head latching part that intercommunicate for sliding fitment of the other implement blade portion.

5. 5. A toy spade as claimed in claim 4, wherein said sliding fitment is by way of a snap-fit of a neck part of the stud past a throat part between the head clearance and latching parts of each slot.

6. A toy spade as claimed in claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the studded other implement blade portions are adapted to be break-off parts of plastic spade mouldings.

7. A toy spade as claimed in claim 6, wherein moulded handle portions of central aperture type are adapted to carry the other implement blade portions with their apertures.

8. A toy spade as claimed in claim 7, wherein the other implement blade portions have break-off connections to their ends.

9. A toy spade as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein such break-off attachment within the handle portion is for a single other implement blade portion, say a rake, hoe, or sand former such as a castellation piece.

10. A toy spade as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein such break-off attachment is arranged at positions on the stem or shaft portion, and for more than one other implement blade portion on the same spade.

11. A toy spade as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of other implement blade portions are made separately on a carrier that is interfitted with a channel formation of the spade.

12. A toy spade as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of other implement blade portions are individually interfitted with a channel formation of the spade.

13. A toy spade as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein said interfitment is by way af interference or snap-in.

14. A toy spade as claimed in claim 1 1 or 12, wherein said channel formation of the spade is its stem or shaft.

1 5. A toy spade substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.