GB2164831A - Garden rake - Google Patents

Abstract

A manual garden rake with a tined head 10 and a pole handle 11 is provided with a pair of landwheels 12 that raise the tines just clear of the ground so that the rake can be used much more efficiently for collecting grass. The wheels may be adjustable for height and there may also be a compression plate 18 fitted operable to compress grass collected on the rake head. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Grass rake This invention relates to garden rakes. Conventionally, these consist of a pole handle with a rake head at one end having a row of tines.

One of the jobs about the garden or smallholding that such tools are used for is the collecting of cut grass after a lawn, or other area of grassland such as a paddock or meadow, has been mown with a machine such as a rotor scythe that does not pick up the mown grass. The conventional rake is, however, an inefficient tool for the purpose, often catching the ground and quickly becoming entangled in the mass of grass so that the operator can only then draw it along by exhausting effort that is likely to pull out grass by the roots with clods of earth and may even break the rake head off the handle. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved grass-collecting rake.

According to the invention, a manual garden rake with a tined head and a pole handle has a pair of land wheels that raise the tines off the ground by an appropriate amount so that they neither strike the ground nor do they ride so high as to miss the grass. The wheels may be mounted on individual stub axles at opposite ends of the rake head for independent rotation, and preferably are adjustable for height to suit different types of grassland. Preferably also, a hinged compression plate is provided that can be operated to compress collected grass on the rake head as the raking proceeds, thereby rendering the collection operation still more efficient.

One arrangement in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, a tined rake head 10 is mounted on the end of a pole handle 11, with a landwheel 12 at each end of the rake head.

Each landwheel is independently rotatable on a respective stub axle 13 which extends inward from the extreme end of the rake head and is pivotally mounted at an intermediate position along its length to swing in a generally upright plane about a pivot 14 the axis of which is fore and aft. This enables the height of each wheel relatively to the rake head to be adjusted. The pivots 14 are carried by gusset plates 1 5 fixed to the horizontal bar 16 of the rake head and the end tines. The height adjustment is performed by screwed adjustors 1 7 mounted on the bar 16 and connected to the stub axles 13 near their inner ends.

A compression plate 18 for compressing grass collected on the rake tines is mounted on a horizontal hinge 19 provided on the handle 11 a short distance up from the rake head. The compression plate 18 is operated by a slide tube 20, which may be of plastics material, on the handle and connected to the plate by wire stays 21, sliding of the tube 20 down the handle causing the plate 19 to swing from the retracted position shown in full lines to the operative position shown at 22 in broken lines. A depressible spring detent 23 on the handle is provided to engage the sliding tube for holding the compression plate 18 in the retracted position.

Such a rake is light, quick and easy to use and can be operated with one hand. It will gather leaves and other debris along with grass and is an extremely satisfactory tool for use in the care of lawns and greens generally.

1. A manual garden rake, especially for collecting cut grass, with a tined head and a pole handle, having a pair of landwheels that raise the tines off the ground by an appropriate amount so that they neither strike the ground nor do they ride so high as to miss the grass.

2. A rake according to Claim 1, wherein the wheels are mounted on individual stub axles at opposite ends of the rake head for independent rotation.

3. A rake according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the wheels are adjustable for height.

4. A rake according to Claim 3, wherein each stub axle is pivotally mounted on the rake head and provided with a screwed adjustor whereby it can be turned about the pivot to adjust the wheel height.

5. A rake according to any one of the preceding Claims further comprising a hinged compression plate arranged for operation to compress collected grass on the rake head.

6. A rake according to Claim 5, wherein the compression plate is mounted on a horizontal hinge on the handle and operated by a tube that slides up and down the handle.

7. A garden rake substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Grass rake This invention relates to garden rakes. Conventionally, these consist of a pole handle with a rake head at one end having a row of tines. One of the jobs about the garden or smallholding that such tools are used for is the collecting of cut grass after a lawn, or other area of grassland such as a paddock or meadow, has been mown with a machine such as a rotor scythe that does not pick up the mown grass. The conventional rake is, however, an inefficient tool for the purpose, often catching the ground and quickly becoming entangled in the mass of grass so that the operator can only then draw it along by exhausting effort that is likely to pull out grass by the roots with clods of earth and may even break the rake head off the handle. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved grass-collecting rake. According to the invention, a manual garden rake with a tined head and a pole handle has a pair of land wheels that raise the tines off the ground by an appropriate amount so that they neither strike the ground nor do they ride so high as to miss the grass. The wheels may be mounted on individual stub axles at opposite ends of the rake head for independent rotation, and preferably are adjustable for height to suit different types of grassland. Preferably also, a hinged compression plate is provided that can be operated to compress collected grass on the rake head as the raking proceeds, thereby rendering the collection operation still more efficient. One arrangement in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing. In the drawing, a tined rake head 10 is mounted on the end of a pole handle 11, with a landwheel 12 at each end of the rake head. Each landwheel is independently rotatable on a respective stub axle 13 which extends inward from the extreme end of the rake head and is pivotally mounted at an intermediate position along its length to swing in a generally upright plane about a pivot 14 the axis of which is fore and aft. This enables the height of each wheel relatively to the rake head to be adjusted. The pivots 14 are carried by gusset plates 1 5 fixed to the horizontal bar 16 of the rake head and the end tines. The height adjustment is performed by screwed adjustors 1 7 mounted on the bar 16 and connected to the stub axles 13 near their inner ends. A compression plate 18 for compressing grass collected on the rake tines is mounted on a horizontal hinge 19 provided on the handle 11 a short distance up from the rake head. The compression plate 18 is operated by a slide tube 20, which may be of plastics material, on the handle and connected to the plate by wire stays 21, sliding of the tube 20 down the handle causing the plate 19 to swing from the retracted position shown in full lines to the operative position shown at 22 in broken lines. A depressible spring detent 23 on the handle is provided to engage the sliding tube for holding the compression plate 18 in the retracted position. Such a rake is light, quick and easy to use and can be operated with one hand. It will gather leaves and other debris along with grass and is an extremely satisfactory tool for use in the care of lawns and greens generally. CLAIMS

1. A manual garden rake, especially for collecting cut grass, with a tined head and a pole handle, having a pair of landwheels that raise the tines off the ground by an appropriate amount so that they neither strike the ground nor do they ride so high as to miss the grass.

2. A rake according to Claim 1, wherein the wheels are mounted on individual stub axles at opposite ends of the rake head for independent rotation.

3. A rake according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the wheels are adjustable for height.

4. A rake according to Claim 3, wherein each stub axle is pivotally mounted on the rake head and provided with a screwed adjustor whereby it can be turned about the pivot to adjust the wheel height.

5. A rake according to any one of the preceding Claims further comprising a hinged compression plate arranged for operation to compress collected grass on the rake head.

6. A rake according to Claim 5, wherein the compression plate is mounted on a horizontal hinge on the handle and operated by a tube that slides up and down the handle.

7. A garden rake substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.