GB2178286A - A garden implement - Google Patents

Abstract

Shaft 12 is attached to a tool 10 comprising a guide e.g. plate 18, a vertically arranged plate 22 having a cutting edge 24, and a curved plate 26 which is connected to the plate 22 and is disposed so that its leading edge is in close proximity to yet rearward of the cutting edge while its trailing edge 28 is spaced at a distance from the plate 22. The implement is used for maintaining a vertical surface at lawn edges, the guide 18 being moved in the direction shown over the lawn edge margin with the vertical plate 22 hanging down over the edge and the cutting edge 24 at the front removing excess material, which is then displaced by the curved plate 26. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A garden implement This invention relates to a garden implement, in particular a garden implement to maintain and assist in trimming lawn edges.

In orderto maintain the neat appearance of a lawn edge, it is usual to use shears or a similartool to trim the grass at the lawn's edge. However, this task is made difficult when the grass has a tendency to point in the same direction as cutting and when the region adjacent the edge is filled with leaves or soil due to garden work or erosion. Such cutting is made easier and the overall appearance ofthe lawn is enhanced if a vertical soil surface is provided at the lawn edge.

Unfortunately, such a vertical surface is difficult to maintain because of erosion bythe weather.

In addition, the cutting ofthe grass at the lawn edge by means of shears or the like results in grass cuttings being left lying on the surface ofthe soil adjacentthe edge ofthe lawn and these have to be removed if the appearance ofthe lawn is not be impaired.

An object ofthe present invention is to provide a garden implement which can be used priorto trimming a lawn edge in orderto prepare the grass at the lawn edge for cutting and to remove eroded soil and leaves and also afterthe grass has been cutto maintain the vertical soil su rface and to clea r the edge of grass cuttings.

With this object in view, the present invention provides a garden implement comprising a tool disposed at one end of a shaft, the tool consisting of a guide, adapted so that it can be horizontally displaced over a lawn, a vertically arranged plate having a cutting edge in the vertical plane, and a curved plate connected to the vertically arranged plate and disposed so that its leading edge is in close proximityto get rearward of the cutting edge while its trailing edge is spaced at a distance from the vertically arranged plate.

The guide may comprise a plurality of rollers or bars. Preferably, however, the guide is a flat plate which can be sl ideably displaced over the su rface of a lawn.

Advantageously, the curved or angled plate is a half ploughshare section so that earth removed from the vertical earth surface by the cutting edge isturned overthereby. Such a half ploughshare section should preferably be made of material for structural rigidity during use. Indeed, the guide, thevertically angled plateandthe curved orangled plate ofthe garden implement are preferably formed from a single sheet ofmetal.

In one favou rable embodiment, a subsidiary guide plate is provided along the lower edge of the vertically arranged plate and atthe opposite side thereof to the guide, the subsidiary guide plate being substantially perpendicular to the vertically arranged plate.

One end ofthe guide, whether in theform of a flat plate or otherwise, may be provided with tool means, forexamplea rake, forkor hoe.

The invention will be described further, byway of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa perspective view illustrating a first practical embodiment of the garden implement of the invention; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a second practical embodimentofthe garden implement.

As shown in Fig. 1, a first embodiment ofthe garden implement ofthe invention comprises a wooden shaft 12 one end of which secured to a tool, indicated generally by reference numeral 10, by being inserted into a metal sleeve 14and fixed therein by a screw or pin 16. The sleeve 14 is welded to a rectangular guide plate 18 which is generallyflat but has one end 20 curved slightly upwards so as to facilitate the passage ofthe plate 18 over a lawn's surface when moved in the direction ofthe arrow 13. The guide plate 18 is secured along one of its longitudinal edges to a vertically arranged plate 22 which is disposed sub stantiallyat rightanglestotheguide plate 18.At its front end the plate 22 has a cutting edge 24, which is in this case curved so as to have a central recess and upperand lower projecting regions. Rearwardlyofthe cutting edge 24, a curved plate in the form of a half ploughshare section 26 is connected to the vertical plate 22. Nearthe cutting edge 24, the leading end of the half ploughshare section 26 is generally upright, but inclined outwardly from the plate 22, whereas towards its trailing end 28, its top edge 30 is curved outwardly of the plate 22 and isfartherawayfromthe plate 22 that is its bottom edge 32.

In use, the implement is positioned with the guide plate 28 flat on the surface of a lawn at the edge thereof with the vertical plate 22 extending downwards over the lawn edge. By means oftheshaft 12,thetool 10 is pulled along in the direction ofthe arrow 13suchthat the cutting edge 24 ofthe plate 22, which is leading cuts the soil edge ofthe lawn vertically. The soil removed from the edge bythe blade 24 is immediately displaced awayfromthe remaining lawn edge by the action ofthe half ploughshare section 26. Moreover, any overhanging grass is pushed in a uniform direction by movementthereover of the plates 18 and 22 and this facilitates subsequent cutting ofthe grass by shears or a similartool.Afterthe grass at the lawn edge has been trimmed,the implement can be drawn along the lawn edge again, with the ploughshare section this time acting to deflect any unwanted grass cuttings from adjacentthe lawn edge.

Referring now to Fig. 2, a second embodiment ofthe garden implement of the invention similarly comprises a shaft 42, one end of which is secured to a tool 40 by being inserted into a sleeve 44 and fixed there by a screw or pin 46. The sleeve 44 is attached to a first guide plate 48 which has one end 50 curled upwards to facilitate the movement of the plate 48 over a grass surface in the direction of the arrow 43. The guide plate 48 is joined along one edge to a plate 52 which is disposed substantially vertically and at right angles to the guide plate 48. The vertical plate 52 has an inclined cutting edge 54 at its front end. Rearwardly of the The drawings originally filed were informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy.

cutting edge 54 a section ofthe plate 52 is cut out like a tongue and bent awayfrom the guide plate 48. This cut out section thus provides a curved plate 56 which inclines away from the vertical plate 52 such that its trailing edge 57 is spaced some distance away from the plate 52, its top edge being further away than its loweredge.

Asubsidiaryguide plate 58 isjoinedto the lower edge ofthe vertical plate 52 at right angles thereto and at the opposite side thereof to the guide plate 48.

When the guide plate 48 is in contact with the lawn surface, the subsidiary guide plate 58 is designed to be in contact with a soil surface adjacentthe lawn's edge.

At the end 60 ofthe main guide plate 48 remote from the curled end 50, fork prongs are provided so that other gardening operations can be undertaken with out having to change the implement for another one.

In this particular embodiment the entire tool 40 is formedfrom a singlesheetof metal.

The second embodiment is used in exactly the same way as the first embodiment, the subsidiary guide plate 58 being of particular assistance in gathering up and removing grass cuttings.

The invention is not confined to the precise details oftheforegoing examples and variations may be madethereto. For example, a plurality of bars or rollers could be used in place ofthe guide plate 18,48.

The shaft 12,42 need not be of wood but could be of plastics or other material. The curved or angled plate could be of other shapes or configurations than those shown in the two embodiments. Furthermore, diffe renttool means, for example a hoe our a rake can be provided at one end ofthe main guide plate. Other variations are also possible.

Claims (9)

1. Agarden implement comprising atool disposed at one end of a shaft, the tool consisting of a guide, adapted so that it can be horizontally displaced over a lawn, a vertically arranged plate having a cutting edge in thevertical plane, and a curved or angied plate connected to the vertically arranged plate and disposed so that its leading edge is in close proximity to get rearward of the cutting edge while its trailing edge is spaced at a distance fromthevertically arranged plate.

2. An implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guide comprises a plurality of rollers or bars.

3. An implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guide comprises a generally flat plate which is slideable overthe surface of a lawn.

4. An implement as claimed in claim 3 wherein the guide plate is curved slightly upwardly at one end.

5. An implement as claimed in claim 4wherein the guide plate is provided at its other end with tool means, such as a rake, fork or hoe.

6. An implement as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5 wherein the guide, the vertically arranged plate and thecurvedorangled plate are formed from asingle sheet of metal.

7. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the curved or angled plate is a half ploughshare section.

8. Animplementas claimed inany preceding claim wherein a subsidiary guide plate is provided along the lower edge ofthe vertically arranged plate and at the opposite side thereof to the guide, the subsidiary guide plate being substantially perpen dicular to the vertica l ly a rranged plate.

9. A garden implementsubstantially as hereinbe- fore described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 ofthe accompanying drawings.