GB2200023A

GB2200023A - Gardening tool

Info

Publication number: GB2200023A
Application number: GB08624376A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Wilfred Kenneth Jones; Gregory Stuart Jones
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-10-10
Filing date: 1986-10-10
Publication date: 1988-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 2006-10-10
Also published as: GB8624376D0; GB2200023B

Abstract

A garden tool, primarily for weeding has a substantially flat part (10) provided on one edge with V-shaped cut-outs (14) and on an opposite edge a raised lip (16). A socket (11) is provided for a handle which may be long or short and the tool is used by pushing the flat part (10) over the ground away from the user, the raised lip (16) assisting in its travel across the ground and then pulling the tool towards the user, weeds get caught in the V-shaped cut-outs (14) and are pulled from the ground. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: "A New or Improved Gardening Tool" Description of Invention The present invention relates to a new or improved garden tool, primarily for use to assist in the removal of weeds.

In order to remove weeds from flower beds and areas for growing vegetables and the like, it is necessary either to dig up the weeds and remove them completely or, particularly when there may be plants, vegetables or the like which must not be disturbed, weeds can be dealt with with a hoe which has the effect of cutting off the top part of the weed but not removing the root structure. In many cases after a short while the weeds will grow once again.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new or improved tool for the removal of weeds.

According to one aspect of the present invention, we provide a tool (adapted for the removal of weeds) comprising a first part having a first edge region from which extends at least one cut-out, said cut-out comprising two opposing surfaces spaced from each other adjacent the outer part of said edge region and meeting each other, or at least substantially so, at a position spaced inwardly from said edge region and wherein said first part is provided with a second part, adapted itself to provide a handle or for securement to a handle.

Preferably, said first part is provided with a plurality of said cut-outs.

Preferably, said first part comprises a substantially planar part provided along said first edge region with said cut-out or cut-outs and may be provided on a second edge region opposite to said first edge region with an edge part extending out of the plane of said substantially planar central part.

Preferably, said cut-out or cut-outs are of substantially V-shape.

The second part providing the handle or means for attachment to a handle pref erablyextendsf romsaid fi rstpartatanonglebetween 20 and90 tothe plane of at least a central part of said substantially planar part. In one embodiment of the invent ion, anong leof approx imately 30 hasbeen found tobesuitable and in another embodiment an angle of approximately 600 has been found to be suitable.

Preferably, a part of said central region of said first part may be raised to provide rigidity to said first part and also to assist in the securement of said second part to said first part.

Preferably, said first part is of rectangular configuration two sides being considerably longer than the other two sides and wherein one of the long sides comprises said first edge region formed with said cut-outs.

Preferably, the second part extends from said first part in a direction so that it at least partially overlies said first edge region.

Preferably, each of said cut-outs is of V-configuration, the angle between the two surfaces affording said V being between 250 and 600 and conveniently said angle is in the region of 400.

Preferably, the depth of each V is between 1cm and 2cm and conveniently is approximately 1.5cm.

Preferably the length of the first edge region is between IOcm and 20cm and conveniently is approximately 15cm, the number of cut-outs per 10cm length being between four and twelve and conveniently approximately eight.

Preferably, said edge region provided with the cut-outs is provided with one or more downwardly depending parts extending at an acute angle to said planar part and conveniently said acute angle is between 50 and 250.

Preferably said downwardly depending parts are provided at the ends of said first edge region.

Preferably, said second edge region is provided with an upwardly extending part which extends at an acute angle to the plane of said planar part.

Preferably, said first part is made from a metallic material and conveniently may be made from steel which may be of a corrosion free nature.

The second part, which may itself afford a handle, may be relatively short, for example a few centimetres just sufficiently long to be able to be grasped by hand or may be of considerable length, for example between one and one and a half metres to enable the tool to be used at a distance from the operative.

In use, the tool is pulled in a direction towards the operative along the surface of the ground, the V-shaped cut-outs entrapping weeds and pulling the weeds up out of the soil so as to remove not only the top part of the weed but also its root structure.

By providing the cut-outs on the end surface closest to the operative in normal use, the weeds may be pulled towards the operative for easy collection.

One embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein FIGURE I is a plan view of a tool according to the present invention; FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the tool shown in Figure The garden tool shown in the Figures comprises a first part generally indicated at 10, and a second part generally indicated at I The first part 10 Comprises a substantially planar part 12 having an edge region 13 provided with a- plurality of V-shaped cut-outs, such as those shown at 14. The opposite edge region 15 has a raised portion 16.

The central region 12 is formed with a raised portion 17 to which is secured the second part II by means of a suitable fastener, for example the rivets shown at 18.

The second part II forms a socket by means of which a handle may be secured to the tool, such as the handle shown at 19 in Figure 2 which may be of any suitable length, for example between one and one and a half metres and may be secured to the socket formed by the second part II by means of screws or other fasteners, such as those shown at 20.

The two end projections in the region provided by the cut-out, namely projections 21 and 22, are bent downwardly from the plane of the remaining projections as can be seen quite clearly in Figure 2.

In use of the tool for the purpose of removing weeds, the tool is drawn along the surface of the ground towards the user as shown by arrow A.

Weeds will be entrapped in the cut-outs and pulled from the ground thus removing the weed completely from the ground. The downwardly directed projections 21 and 22 assist in maintaining the tool in a position whereby the "teeth" project just below the surface of the ground.

The raised portion 16 enables the tool to slide easily along the surface of the ground in a direction as shown by arrow B.

The tool not only has the advantage that it removes weeds completely from the ground, unlike conventional hoes which leaves the root structure in the ground, but furthermore all the weeds so removed are pulled in a direction towards the user so that they may be easily gathered, either from the tool itself or from a position at the end of a stroke of the tool across the ground considerably easing the burden of gathering the weeds so removed.

It is envisaged that the size and shape of the cutouts provided in the tool may differ depending upon the type of weeds or other unwanted vegetable matter to be removed and indeed the size of the tool itself may differ depending upon the use to which it is to be put.

Whereas the embodiment shown in the drawings is to be used with a fairly long handle, approximately 1.3m, it is also envisaged that the handle may be fairly short so that it may be used by someone close to the ground similar to a trowel or small fork and may possibly be provided with a choice of handle, either of which may be attached depending upon the use to which the tool is to be put.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or in the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:

I. A tool adapted for the removal of weeds comprising a first part having a first edge region from which extends at least one cut-out, said cut-out comprising two opposing surfaces spaced from each other adjacent the outer part of said edge region and meeting each other, or at least substantially so, at a position spaced inwardly from said edge region and wherein said first part is provided with a second part, adapted itself to provide a handle or for securement to a handle.
2. A tool according to Claim I wherein said first part is provided with a plurality of said cut-outs.
3. A tool according to Claim I or Claim 2 wherein said first part comprises a substantially planar part provided along said first edge region with said cut-out or cut-outs and is provided on a second edge region opposite to said first edge region with an edge part extending out of the plane of said substantially planar central part.
4.- A tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the or each cut-out is of substantially V-shape.
5. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said second part providing the handle or meons for securement to a handle extends from said first part at an angle between 200 and 900 to the plane of at least said substantially planar part.
6. A tool according to Claim 5 wherein said second part extends at an angle of approximately 300 to said planar part.

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7. A tool according to Claim 5 wherein said second part extends at an angle of approximately 600 to said planar part.
8. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a central part of said planar region may be raised to provide rigidity to said first part and to provide for the securement of said second part to said first part.
9. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said first part is of rectangular configuration two sides being considerably longer than the other two sides and wherein one of the long sides comprises said first edge region formed with said cut-out or cut-outs.
10. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said second part extends from said first part in a direction so that it at least partially overlies said first edge region.
11. A tool according to Claim 4 or any claim appendant thereto wherein the angle between the two surfaces affording said V are between 250 and 600.
12. A tool according to Claim II wherein said angle is in the region of 400.
13. A tool according to Claim II or Claim 12 wherein the depth of each V is between I cm and 2cm.
14. A tool according to Claim 13 wherein the depth of each V is approximately 1.5cm.
15. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the length of said first edge region is between 10cm and 20cm.
16. A tool according to Claim 15 wherein the length of said first region is approximately 15cm.
17. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the number of cut-outs per 10cm length of edge region is between four and twelve.
18. A tool according to Claim 17 wherein the number of cut-outs is approximately eight.
1 9. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said edge region provided with the cut-outs is provided with one or more downwardly depending parts extending at an acute angle to said planar part.
20. A tool according to Claim 19 wherein said acute angle is between 50 and 250.
21. A tool according to Claim 19 or Claim 20 wherein said downwardly depending parts are provided at the ends of said first edge region.
22. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a second edge region opposite to said first edge region is provided with an upwardly extending part extending at an acute angle to the plane of said planar part.
23. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said first part is made from a metallic material.
24. A tool according to Claim 23 wherein said first part is made from steel of a corrosion free nature.
25. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said second part itself affords a handle and is of a length sufficiently long to be able to be grasped by hand.
26. A tool according to any one of Claims I to 24 wherein said second part is adapted to co-operate with a handle of a length between one and one and a half metres.
27. A tool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
28. A tool adapted for the removal of weeds including any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.