GB2271047A - Implement for removing soil plugs - Google Patents

Abstract

An implement (10) for removing a plug of soil from the ground comprises an elongate hollow handle (12) having a hollow cutter (14) at one end communicating with the hollow handle so that cut plugs can be stored in succession in the handle to be emptied out later. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Implement DESCRIPTION This invention concerns an implement particularly for use in removing plugs of soil from the ground, such as for removing weeds or for soil aeration For a healthy and attractive lawn, weeds need to be removed At present, weedkillers are commonly used or weeds can be removed by hand with difficulty. Also, it is desirable to aerate the soil, such as with a fork An object of this invention is to provide an implement that may be used easily for weed removal and/or for soil aeration According to the invention there is provided an implement for removal of a plug of soil from the ground comprising a hollow handle having at one end a hollow cutter communicating with the handle.

The handle is preferably elongated and may have a foot rest near its lower end to enable weight to be exerted thereon to facilitate the cutting action. It may also be desirable to have a hand grip at or near the upper end of the handle.

The cutter preferably has a cutting edge that is angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the implement so that ground penetration may be facilitated.

The cutter is preferably of circular cross-section and may be of the same diameter along its length or may be tapered towards the cutting edge. The cutter could, of course, be of any other suitable cross-section.

In an alternative preferred embodiment, the cutter changes cross-sectional shape part way along its length, typically mid-way along its length. The change in shape is preferably such that expansion of a cut plug of soil in at least one direction can take place beyond that change so that the plug is retained in the cutter. The lower part of the cutter preferably has a generally square cross-section and leads to an upper part of the cutter preferably having a circular crosssection.By forming the cutter in one piece the upper and lower parts can have the same cross-sectional area, so that entry of the plug of soil into the cutter is not hindered and it is easier for the plug to be displaced upwards than downwards Therefore, it may be easier for a plug of soil to be cut when the ground is damp because with a cutter of constant cross-section the implement can be withdrawn from the ground without bringing the plug of soil with it.

In order to facilitate withdrawal of a plug of soil with the implement another alternative may be to include spring means within the cutter for bearing against a cut plug of soil, so that the plug is withdrawn from the ground with the implement. A leaf spring is preferred as the spring means and is preferably attached inside the cutter frdm or near its cutting edge and preferably extends upwardly and outwardly therefrom.

In use the implement of the invention is pushed into the ground so that a plug of soil is cut by the cutter and the implement then withdrawn. The cut plug will be pushed into the hollow handle by a second plug as it is cut. When the handle is full of cut plugs, it can be emptied by turning it over so that the plugs fall out from its open upper end.

To remove weeds, the cutter is placed over the weed and a plug of soil extracted containing the weed.

The hole left may be allowed to fill naturally or may be filled with soil or sand.

For soil aeration, the implement of the invention may be used to extract soil plugs at random.

The implement of the invention may be made from any suitable material or materials, such as from metal and plastics.

This invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an implement for extracting plugs of soil; Figure 2 is and end view of the implement of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a variation of the implement of Figure 1; Figure 4 shows another variation of the implement of Figure 1; Figure 5 shows yet another variation of the implement of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a view in the direction of arrow A of Figure 5; and Figure 7 shows a further variation of the implement of Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, an implement 10 for extracting plugs of soil, especially for removal of weeds in the soil plug or for soil aeration, comprises a hollow longitudinal cylindrical handle 12 having one end 14 formed as a plug cutter. The plug cutter 14 is of circular section and narrower than the handle 12- and has an angled cutting edge 16. Just above the cutter 14 is a foot rest 18.

In use, the handle 12 of the implement 10 is held near its top and the cutter 14 pressed into the ground by exerting weight on the foot rest. When the implement is withdrawn from the ground it takes with it a plug of soil that is retained in the cutting portion of the implement. However, when the implement is used to extract a second plug of soil, that plug pushes the first plug into the hollow handle. In that way, the implement may be used several times before the handle is full or at any other time, the implement may be emptied by turning it upside down so that the plugs of soil will fall out of the open upper end of the handle.

The implement may be manufactured from any suitable material, such as metal or plastics or a combination thereof.

It should be noted that in Figure 1, the cutting end 14 has a constant width but, as shown in Figure 3, it may be desirable to have a tapered cutting end 14' The tapered cutting end 14' should not make any difference to the size of plug extracted as its cutting edge can be of the same diameter as that of Figure 1 but it may make it easier for the plug to pass into the hollow handle.

Another useful variation is illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings, in which a hand grip 20 is provided near the top of the handle 12. The hand grip 20 may be formed integrally with the handle or may be added as a separate sleeve slid onto or moulded on the handle.

Figure 5 shows an alternative cutting-end 24 for the implement of Figure 1. The cutting end 24 has two sections 26, 28, the first of which 26 has a generally square cross-section and leads into the second section 28 which is of circular cross-section. The cutting end is formed in one piece, so that its two section have the same cross-sectional area. The first section 26 has a sharpened cutting edge 30.

When the cutting end 24 is pushed into the ground to remove a plug of soil, the plug initially has a square section but as the implement is pushed further into the ground the upper part of the square section plug expands into the circular section part 28 of the cutting end 24o That expansion serves to retain the plug in the cutting end of the implement as it is withdrawn from the ground, which is particularly useful when the ground is damp and a plug of soil would be likely to remain in the ground on withdrawal of the implement if its cutting end had a constant crosssection Finally in Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings there is shown a cutting end 34 for an implement of the type shown in Figure 1. The cutting end 34 has a circular cross-section and an angled cutting edge 36.

On the inside of the cutting end 34 is a spring member 38 in the form of a spring leaf which is attached at one end near the cutting edge 36 and extends upwardly and slightly outwards from the inside of the cutting end.

When the cutting end is pushed into the ground a plug of soil is able to enter the cutting end by deflecting the spring member. The spring member digs into the cut plug preventing the withdrawal of the cutting end without the plug, which could otherwise happen when the ground is wet.

Although a leaf spring has been shown, the spring member may take any other suitable form.

Claims (15)

1. An implement for removal of a plug of soil from the ground comprising a hollow handle having at one end a hollow cutter communicating with the handle.

2. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handle is elongate.

3. An implement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the handle has a foot rest near its lower end.

4. An implement as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the handle has a hand grip at or near its upper end.

5. An implement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cutter has a cutting edge that is angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the implement.

An An implement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cutter is of circular cross-section.

7. An implement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cutter is of the same diameter along its length.

8. An implement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cutter tapers towards it cutting edge.

9. An implement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cutter changes cross-sectional shape part way along its length.

10. An implement as claimed in claim 9, wherein said change in cross sectional shape permits expansion of an extracted plug of soil in at least one direction beyond said change.

11. An implement as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein the cutter has a lower part of generally square crosssection leading to an upper part of circular crosssection.

12 An implement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the cutter includes internal spring means to retain a plug of soil in the cutter upon withdrawal of the implement from the ground.

13. An implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the spring means is a leaf spring.

14. An implement as claimed in claim 13, whereas the leaf spring extends upwardly and outwardly from a lower part of the cutter.

15. An implement for removal of a plug of soil from the ground substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.