GB2178994A

GB2178994A - Devices which are propelled by human effort

Info

Publication number: GB2178994A
Application number: GB08619678A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eric Blease Lord
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-08-17
Filing date: 1986-08-13
Publication date: 1987-02-25
Also published as: GB2178994B; GB8619678D0; GB8520653D0

Abstract

Devices which are propelled by human effort are moved by a person, pushing on the free end region of an elongate handle member with his/her arms straight or slightly bent. This requires some considerable sustained effort and can therefore be difficult and tiring. The present invention provides a device which is propelled using the stomach and/or the thighs, the device having a pad (15) secured to the free end of an elongate member (13) and a transverse gripping member (17) mounted on the elongate member (13) so as to be adjustable along at least part of the length of the elongate member (13). Thus the pad (15) can be engaged against a person's stomach and/or thighs and the pushing effort required can be distributed between the stomach or thigh, and the hands gripping the transverse gripping member (17), the transverse gripping member (17) being adjusted along the length of the elongate member (13) to suit a particular operator's physique. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to devices which are propelled by human effort The present invention relates to devices which are propelled by human effort.

In particular the present invention relates to devices which are propelled by a person pushing the or each device in the required direction. Such devices are, for example, lawn aerators of the roller type, garden rollers, garden mowers, lawn scarifiers, leaf collectors, and soil cultivators of the rotary paddle type. For the sake of clarity the following description will refer solely to lawn aerators of the roller type. However the same problems and disadvantages are also applicable, as is the present invention, to other devices which are propelled by a person pushing.

Considering a garden aerator of the roller type this comprises a roller on which a plurality of generally radially extending parallel spikes are mounted. The roller is rotatably secured at the end of an elongate handle. To operate the lawn aerator a person must push on the handle with some force. Usually a transverse member is mounted on the free end region of the elongate handle and the person grips this transverse member and pushes with his/her arms straight or slightly bent. This requires some considerable sustained effort and can therefore be difficult and tiring.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a device wherein the effort required to push the device is not taken solely by the arms and thus the device can be driven more steadily and guided more effectively.

According to the present invention there is provided a device which is propelled by pushing, the device comprising a main section from which an elongate member extends, a pad being secured to the free end region of said elongate member and a transverse gripping member being mounted on said elongate member so as to be adjustable along at least part of the length of the elongate member.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the pad is profiled and/or padded with a cushioning material, so that it may be comfortably engaged against a person's stomach and/or thigh or thighs.

With the pad against a person's stomach and/or thighs, the transverse gripping member can be adjusted on the elongate member to suit the particular person and thus distribute the pushing effort required, between the stomach or thigh, and the hands gripping the transverse gripping member. Besides distributing the pushing effort, this construction also facilitates easier steering of the device whilst in motion. Further, the elongate member is preferably adjustable in length, e.g. telescopic, and lockable at a desired length suited to the particular person who will provide the pushing effort.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the elongate member is formed by an elongate rod member with the profiled pad secured at one end region, the transverse gripping member being formed by a cylindrical bush member through which the rod member extends. Two handles project in opposite directions from the bush member, the bush member being lockable in any one of a number of positions along the length of the rod member by means of a pin which can be engaged through aligned holes in the bush and rod member.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention the elongate member is formed as an inverted U-shape, with the profiled pad secured to the base region of the U-shape and a transverse gripping member secured on each arm of the U-shape. The free end regions of said arms are fixed to the said main section of the device and the transverse gripping members are each movable along and rotatable about the respective arms as well as being securable in any one of a number of positions along the respective arms by means of, for example, a pin engaging through aligned holes in the arms and gripping members. Each transverse gripping member preferably comprises a cylindrical bush member from which a handle extends laterally.

The present invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of lawn aerator constructed in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

The lawn aerator shown in the accompanying drawing comprises a main section generally designated 1, which comprises a generally cylindrical roller framework 3 from which a number of spikes 5 project generally radially. The roller framework 3 has a wheel 7 fixed at each end thereof and the axle 9 of each wheel 7 is rotatably connected to a generally U-shaped connecting member 11. The connecting member 11 is secured to one end of an elongate rod-shaped member 13 and a cushioned or profiled pad 15 is secured to the other end. Adjustably mounted on the elongate rod-shaped member 13 is a transverse gripping member 17. This transverse gripping member 17 comprises a cylindrical bush member 19 from which lateral handles 21 project in opposite directions.The cylindrical bush member 19 is axially slidable along the elongate handle 13 and a pin 23 can be engaged through an aperture in the bush member 19 and a selected one of a series of holes 25 on the elongate member 13. By selecting different holes, the transverse gripping member 17 can be locked in any one of a number of axial positions with respect to the pad (15).

Alternative constructions of transverse gripping member can of course be substituted, and also the adjustment and locking means can have an infinite number of different forms in contrast to the illustrated locking pin and aligned holes.

Further, the elongate member is adjustable in length, i.e. telescopic, and can be locked in a number of positions to provide a length of handle suited to the particular person providing the pushing effort.

In use, the profiled pad (15) is engaged against a person's stomach and/or thigh or thighs, and the position of the transverse gripping member (17) is adjusted to suit the particular person and provide for a distribution of the required pushing force between the person's stomach or thighs and his/her hands which grip and push the transverse gripping member (17). In this way the device can be pushed more steadily and guided more effectively by the person's hands.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings. The main difference from the embodiment of Figure 1 is that the rod-shaped member 1 3 is replaced by an inverted U-shaped elongate member 27 with the profiled pad 15 secured to, e.g. detachably clamped to, the base region 29 of the U-shape. Further, two transverse gripping members 31 are provided, one being attached to each arm 33 of the inverted U-shape member 27. Each transverse gripping member 31 comprises a bush 35 through which an arm 33 extends, with a generally laterally projecting handle 37 secured thereto.Whilst the handle 37 can project at right angles to the axis of the bush 35, the handle 37 preferably projects, as illustrated, at an acute angle of between 70 and 85 to the axis of the bush 35, towards the said base region 29. By constructing the transverse gripping members 31 in this way the handles 37 are more comfortable to an operator especially if rotated about the respective arms 33 to project inwardly of the inverted U-shaped member 27 as opposed to outwardly. The bush 35 of each transverse gripping member 31 is formed in two curved parts which are bolted together tightly to grip around an arm 33. To adjust the position of a transverse gripping member 31 along the length of an arm, the said curved bush parts are slackened and the bush is slid to the new position where the said bush parts are again tightened together. Alternatively a pin and aligned holes as used in the embodiment of Figure 1, can be used to secure each transverse gripping member 31 in a desired position.

As previously mentioned, whilst the present invention is described hereabove and illustrated in the accompanying drawing with reference to a lawn aerator, it is equally well applicable to any other device which has to be pushed e.g. garden roller, lawn mower etc.

The present invention thus provides for the better distribution of pushing forces over a person's body, facilitating the better control and guidance of the device in question.

Claims

1. A device which is propelled by pushing, the device comprising a main section from which an elongate member extends, a pad being secured to the free end region of said elongate member and a transverse gripping member being mounted on said elongate member so as to be adjustable along at least part of the length of the elongate member.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the elongate member is adjustable in length.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the elongate member is formed as an elongate rod-shaped member with said pad secured to one end region, the transverse gripping member comprising a bush member through which the rod member extends, with two handles projecting laterally from said bush member in generally opposite directions.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, in which a pin engages through aligned holes in the bush and rod members to secure the transverse gripping member axially with respect to the elongate member.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the elongate member is formed as an inverted U-shaped member with the free end regions of the arms of the inverted U-shape connected to said main section of the device, said pad being secured to the base region of the inverted U-shape and a transverse gripping member being secured to each said arm.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, in which the pad is detachably secured to said base region.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5 or 6, in which each transverse gripping member comprises a bush member formed from two curved parts which can be bolted tightly around an arm of the elongate member in any desired position, a handle projecting laterally from said bush member.

8. A device as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, in which each transverse gripping member has a handle which projects laterally with respect to the said arm to which the gripping member is secured, the handle being angled towards the base region of the inverted U-shaped elongate member.

9. A device which is propelled by pushing, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.