GB2127667A

GB2127667A - Underground worm arresting apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2127667A
Application number: GB08227975A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dai-Hao Kao
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-09-30
Filing date: 1982-09-30
Publication date: 1984-04-18

Abstract

An underground worm arresting apparatus comprises a body structure (10) serving as an electrode, and a metal needle (30) separately prepared and electrically connected to the body structure (10) for being used as another electrode. The body structure (10) includes a non-conductive and hollow cylindrical handle (1) having an opening formed at the lower end, a metal threaded nut (11) disposed in the opening of the handle (1), a metal pointed probe (2) screwed in the nut (11) at one end, and a power source device (41) installed in the cylindrical handle (1). When the probe (2) and the needle (30) are separately inserted into the ground within a selected range, turn on the power source device (41), a mild electric field (F) will be induced in the soil between the probe (2) and the needle (30), and therefore worms living therein will be constrained to crawl out for easy catch. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Underground worm arresting apparatus This invention relates to an apparatus for arresting underground worms, and more particularly, to an arresting apparatus with electrodes for being inserted into the ground so as to induce a mild electric field where worms will crawl out and easily be caught thereat.

As used in this application, the term "underground worm" includes numerous widely distributed hermaphroditic worms that live in the soil, such as earth worm, marine worm, etc. For the convenience of description of this invention, only earth worm is hereinafter taken as an example.

Conventionally, people are used to digging out the earth to find and catch the earth worm for fishing purpose. This kind of earth-worm searching action not only is difficult to obtain the anticipated result, but also often destructive to the terrain feature of the ground.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide an underground worm arresting apparatus with electrode arrangement for being inserted into the soil within a selected range for inducing a mild electric field and constraining the earth worm therein to crawl out.

According to the present invention, this and other objects are achieved by providing an underground worm arresting apparatus, which comprises a body structure serving as an electrode, and a metal needle separately prepared and electrically connected to the body structure.

The body structure includes a non-conductive and hollow cylindrical handle having an opening at the lower end, a metal threaded nut disposed in the opening of the handle, a metal pointed probe screwed in the nut at one end, and a power source device installed in the handle and electrically associated with both the pointed probe and the metal needle for being inserted into the ground within a selected range so as the induce a mild electric field therein and constrain the earth worm thereof to crawl out for easy catch.

The objects and advantages of this invention will become clear from the following description of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an axial sectional view of a first preferred embodiment of an underground worm arresting apparatus according to this invention; Figure 2 is an illustrative view of an electric field induced in the selected ground when the pointed probe and the metal needle of the embodiment according to this invention are separately inserted into the ground; and Figure 3 is an axial sectional view of a second preferred embodiment of an underground worm arresting apparatus according to this invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a first embodiment of an underground worm arresting apparatus according to this invention comprises a body structure 10 serving as an electrode, and a metal needle 30 electrically connected to the body 10 for serving as another electrode. The body structure 10 includes a non-conductive and hollow cylindrical handle 1 having an opening at the lower end, a metal threaded nut 11 disposed in the opening, a metal pointed probe 2 screwed in the nut 11 at one end, a pair of power lines 4 installed in the hollow section of the handle 1 with the lead-in ends separately terminated to a push-button switch 41 fixed in the wall of the handle 1 with a pair of terminal wires respectively connected to the probe 2 through the nut 11 and to the metal needle 30 through a conducting wire 42.

During operation, connect the power line 4 to a domestic power source socket through a plug thereof, insert the pointed probe 2 into the soil, select a proper range from the probe 2 for inserting the metal needle 30 into the ground, and then, by turning on the switch 41, a mild electric field F as shown in Figure 2 will be induced therein. According to the experiment performed by this inventor, earth worms in the electric field have all crawled out and easily caught thereat. As the earth worm is habituated to living in the soil about 30 cm to 50 cm away from the ground surface, the inserted depth of both the probe 2 and the needle 30 is preferably between 30 cm to 50 cm.

For inducing a mild electric field, the magnitude of the voltage is also preferably set between 80volts for this invention. However, consideration should also be given to the distance selected between the two electrodes of the probe 2 and the needle 30 inserted in the soil since the higher the voltage is, the stronger the electric field will be induced therein, endangering the killing of the earth worms closing to the electrodes thereof.

In addition, since the power plant usually has one terminal grounded for power transmission lines, if the polarity of the grounded terminal is known to the user, the plug of the power line 4 can be adjusted so as to make the probe 2 as the only matched terminal for being inserted into the ground to form an electric field with the grounded terminal of the power plant, saving the metal needle 30 in effecting underground worm arresting operations.

Shown in Figure 3 is a second preferred embodiment of an underground worm arresting apparatus according to this invention, of which the structure is the same as that of the first embodiment except that a D.C. power source 5 and a D.C./A.C. converter 6 are matched and disposed in the handle 1 in replacing the A.C.

power lines 4 of the first embodiment. Since the arrangement of the D.C./A.C. converter is a known art, explanation is hereby omitted.

Having thus described the invention, it is to be understood that many embodiments thereof will suggest themselves without departing from spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the specification and drawings be interpreted as illustrative rather than in a limiting sense.

Claims

1. An underground worm arresting apparatus characterized by: a body structural device serving as an electrode; and a metal needle separately arranged and electrically connected to said body structural device for serving as another electrode, so that, when the two electrodes are separately inserted into the ground within a selected range, a mild electric field will be induced, and worms living therein will crawl out for easy catch.

2. An underground worm arresting apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said body structural device is characterized by: a non-conductive and hollow handle having an opening formed at the lower end; a metal threaded nut disposed in said opening of said handle; a metal pointed probe screwed in said nut at one end; a push-button switch installed in the wall of said handle electrically associated with said probe and said metal needle; and a power source arrangement coupled with said push-button switch for being operated in providing the required electrical power thereof.

3. An underground worm arresting apparatus substantially as hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings.