GB2292060A

GB2292060A - Gardening tool

Info

Publication number: GB2292060A
Application number: GB9416112A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Charles Hannam
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-08-10
Filing date: 1994-08-10
Publication date: 1996-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 2014-08-10
Also published as: GB9416112D0; GB2292060B

Abstract

The invention provides a gardening tool (10) which is suitable for attachment to a handle and which is used to create a gutter at the edge of a border so as to improve the appearance of the border. The tool includes a vertical plate (11) which has a lower edge (12) and a cutting edge (18). Extending from the vertical plate (11) at an acute angle is a curved plate (20) which has a cutting edge (22). In use, the tool is pulled along the edge of a border, and soil and the like lying at the edge of the border is caused to move by the curved plate (20) and its cutting edge (22) away therefrom, creating a gutter (Fig. 4). <IMAGE>

Description

GARDENING TOOL The present invention relates to a gardening tool.

In particular, but not exclusively, it relates to a gardening tool suitable for producing a uniform and neat gutter at, for example, the edge of a flower bed or border.

In order to improve the appearance of a border, such as a flower bed, vegetable plot, shrubbery or other area of soil, it is desirable to have a gutter at the edge thereof, e.g. a lawn edge, path edge, patio edge, paved area edge, wooden board edge or any other edge.

Conventionally, the soil at the edge of the border is removed therefrom using a hoe or spade to create such a gutter. The gutter must also be maintained by removing loose soil which often rolls into the gutter when cultivating the border. The task of creating and/or maintaining a tidy gutter using a hoe or spade is time-consuming and tedious.

Therefore, there exists a need for a gardening tool which can enable such a gutter to be produced and/or maintained more efficiently.

According to the present invention, there is provided a gardening tool suitable for attachment to a handle, the tool comprising: (i) a first, generally laminar, portion having a lower edge and a cutting edge, and which in use is maintained in a substantially vertical orientation and is moved along an area to be treated by the tool; and (ii) a second portion attached to said first portion and having a lower edge which extends laterally from the lower edge of the first portion at or close to the cutting edge thereof and an outer surface which extends upwardly from the lower edge of the second portion, the arrangement being such that lines of intersection in an imaginary plane which is orthogonal to the plane of said first portion and is drawn so as to intersect both of said first and second portions are generally V-shaped.

According to the present invention, there is also provided a gardening tool suitable for attachment to a handle, the tool comprising: (i) a first, generally laminar, portion having a lower edge and a cutting edge, and which in use is maintained in a substantially vertical orientation and is moved along an area to be treated by the tool, and; (ii) a second portion attached to said first portion and having a lower edge which extends at an acute angle from the lower edge of the first portion at or close to the cutting edge thereof and an outer surface which extends upwardly from the lower edge of the second portion.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a gardening tool in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the other side of the gardening tool shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view from the rear of the gardening tool shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing the gardening tool of Fig. 1 in use.

Gardening tool 10 includes a first portion 11 which has a lower edge 12, which preferably is linear, and a generally flat surface 13. First portion 11 also includes an upwardly-extending neck portion 14 which is secured to a stem 15 which, in turn, is secured to a socket 16 for receiving a handle.

In one modification, neck portion 14 and stem 15 are combined such that socket 16 is secured directly to first portion 11.

It will be appreciated that socket 16 can be in any form suitable for receiving a handle. It may be, for example, a hollow socket into which the handle is placed and secured by driving a screw or nail through a hole therein. Alternatively, socket 16 may be a screw thread socket arranged to receive a complementarily screw-threaded handle.

The rear edge 17 of first portion 11 curves upwardly from lower edge 12 to neck portion 14. The front edge 18 curves upwardly from lower edge 12 to join neck portion 14 at a point higher than the point at which rear edge 17 adjoins portion 14. Front edge 18 is formed so as to be a cutting edge by, for example, being sharpened (See Fig. 2).

Referring now to Fig. 2, tool 10 further comprises a second portion 20 attached along an edge 21 thereof to first portion 11. Second portion 20 is shaped so that its outer surface is generally concave (see Fig.

3) and includes a lower edge 22 which abuts the first portion 11 at the point where lower edge 12 and front edge 18 meet. Lower edge 22 of the second portion is preferably arranged so as to lie in the same plane as lower edge 12 of the first portion 11.

Second portion 20 also includes a neck portion 23 (similar to neck portion 14 of the first portion 11) which is secured to stem 15.

The second portion 20 is shaped so as to have a rearwardly-extending bulge 24 having a generally Ushaped trailing edge 25, the function of which will be described below.

The mode of operation of tool 10 will now be described with reference to Fig. 4. When it is required that a gutter be formed at the edge of a border 30, for example after the existing gutter has been filled with loose soil 31 after cultivation of the border 30, gardening tool 10 is placed so that surface 13 abuts the edge of border 30. Tool 10 is then drawn in the direction of arrow 32 using the handle. As the tool moves down the edge of the border, edges 18 and 22 bite into the loose soil 31, which is forced up over the outer surface of second portion 20 away from the edge of the border 30. Thus a uniform and neat gutter 33 is formed at the edge of the border.

The shape of trailing edge 25 is such that the part 25a adjoining lower edge 22 forms a relatively steep wall of the gutter and the remaining part thereof forms a gently sloping wall of the gutter away from the border edge. Thus a neat gutter having a flat base and a vertical wall adjacent the border edge and an opposite wall which slopes away from the edge of the border can be produced.

The shape of the tool described above is merely preferred and it will be appreciated that it can be varied in order to produce gutters having alternative shapes and/or sizes. For example, the size of the base of a gutter produced by a tool having a longer lower edge 22 will be increased. Similarly, altering the shape of trailing edge 25 will alter the angle at which the wall of the gutter opposite the edge of the border slopes towards the border. Moreover, the angle formed between edges 18 and 22 determines the angle of the base of the gutter formed by the tool; if a flat base is required, this angle should be 90 . However, this angle can be varied according to the angle of base required.

The gardening tool can be manufactured from any material which is sufficiently hard-wearing.

Preferably, the gardening tool is made of metal but it may also be made from plastics material which may be, for example, injection moulded to give it the desired shape.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A gardening tool (10) suitable for attachment to a handle, the tool comprising: (i) a first, generally laminar, portion (11) having a lower edge (12) and a cutting edge (18), and which in use is maintained in a substantially vertical orientation and is moved along an area to be treated by the tool (10); and (ii) a second portion (20) attached to said first portion (11) and having a lower edge (22) which extends laterally from the lower edge (12) of the first portion (11) at or close to the cutting edge (18) thereof and an outer surface which extends upwardly from the lower edge (22) of the second portion (20), the arrangement being such that lines of intersection in an imaginary plane which is orthogonal to the plane of said first portion (11) and is drawn so as to intersect both of said first (11) and second (20) portions are generally V-shaped.

2. A gardening tool (10) suitable for attachment to a handle, the tool comprising: (i) a first, generally laminar, portion (11) having a lower edge (12) and a cutting edge (18), and which in use is maintained in a substantially vertical orientation and is moved along an area to be treated by the tool (10), and; (ii) a second portion (20) attached to said first portion (11) and having a lower edge (22) which extends at an acute angle from the lower edge (12) of the first portion (11) at or close to the cutting edge (18) thereof and an outer surface which extends upwardly from the lower edge (22) of the second portion (20).

3. A gardening tool (10) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the outer surface of said second portion (20) is inclined towards said first portion (11).

4. A gardening tool (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the outer surface of said second portion (20) is generally concave.

5. A gardening tool as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the outer surface of said second portion (20) has a trailing edge (25) which is generally Ushaped.

6. A gardening tool (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said cutting edge (18) extends upwardly and rearwardly from the intersection of the respective lower edges (12,22) of said first (11) and second (20) portions.

7. A gardening tool (10) as claimed in claim 6, wherein said cutting edge (18) curves upwardly and rearwardly.

8. A gardening tool (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising means (16) for receiving a handle, said receiving means being disposed so that, in use, the handle is inclined to the horizontal.

9. A gardening tool (10) as claimed in claim 8, wherein said receiving means (16) is arranged such that, in use, the handle extends forwardly of said cutting edge (18).

10. A gardening tool (10) as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, wherein said receiving means is a socket (16) located on a stem (15) which extends from said first portion (11).

11. A gardening tool as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the angle formed between said cutting edge (18) of said first portion (11) and the lower edge (22) of said second portion (20) is substantially 90".

12. A gardening tool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

13. The combination of a gardening tool as claimed in any preceding claim and a handle.