GB2364263A - Collection device for grass cuttings - Google Patents

Abstract

A collection device for grass cuttings for use with long handled edging shears 2 comprising an elongated open-topped container 3 which is attached to the cutting blades 4, 5 of a pair of shears 2, or to the pivot unit 6, 7, 10 which connects the cutting blades 4, 5. Preferably, the container 3 is releasably attached to the shears 2 by means of a fixing element 1 which is permanently attached to one of the cutting blades 5 and is releasably attachable to the container 3 by means of key hole slots and key elements. By attaching the grass collection container 3 to the shears 2 in this manner, no additional attachment to the handles of the shears is required.

Description

2364263 Collection Device for Grass Cuttings 5 The present invention

relates to gardening equipment, in particular to the collection of grass cuttings produced when using long handled edging shears.

In order to maintain the attractive appearance of a lawn, regular trimming of grass at the lawn edges is 10 required. In addition to this, there are other areas of the lawn where grass cutting using a conventional lawn mower is unsatisfactory or impractical. Such areas are found around paths, driveways, patios, stepping stones and around other obstacles which preclude satisfactory 15 grass cutting using a conventional lawn mower. Grass cutting in these areas and around the edge of the lawn is often referred to as edging and is traditionally done using long handled edging shears.

Long handled edging shears have changed little in 20 design over many years and typically comprise two pivotally connected cutting blades, an upper cutting blade and a lower cutting blade, each attached to a handle sufficiently long to allow a gardener to cut grass whilst standing upright. In use, the cutting 25 blades of the shears are held parallel to the edge of the lawn and movement of the handles of the shears causes the cutting blades to open and close so that any grass caught between the blades is cut.

The task of edging lawns using long handled edging, 30 shears has, however, traditionally been a time-consuming process which requires considerable effort from the gardener and, while there have been many devices designed to simplify and reduce the time taken by other gardening tasks, there have been few useful innovations 35 in lawn edging equipment.

The most time-consuming aspect of edging lawns, and the one which requires the greatest effort from the gardener, is not cutting the grass itself but is the subsequent collection of the cut grass. This is usually done by hand. Moreover, if the cut grass is not collected, not only does it detract from the appearance 5 of the lawn, but it may cause unwanted grass growth in garden beds and borders.

It is therefore desirable to pKovide a device which, during edging of a lawn, continuously co.1lects the grass cuttings produced and removes the need to 10 subsequently pick up the grass cuttings by ha nd.

There are, however, difficulties in providing a satisfactory grass cutting collection device, and in particular, in providing a device which can be quickly and easily emptied, does not impede the cutting action is of the shears or the movement of the shears along the lawn edge, and one which is simple and straightforward for a gardener to use. There are also difficulties in providing a grass cutting collection device which can be easily removed, say to allow cleaning, oiling or 20 repairing of the shears and which can allow the shears to be used without the device attached if required.

one known device which collects grass cuttings produced by long handled edging shears comprises a shallow elongate open-topped box which is positioned 25 beneath the cutting blades of a set of shears to catch the falling grass cuttings. The box is supported by an elongate arm which extends upwardly, substantially parallel to a handle of the shears, and is attached to that handle by a clip at some distance away from the 30 cutting blades of the shears.

This device highlights some of the problems associated with attaching a container for grass cuttings to a set of shears since, in order sufficiently to,support the grass collection box but still allow 35 sufficient movement of the shears, the arm must be pivotally connected to the box and to the clip. The resulting device comprises many parts, is bulky and is visually unappealing. Furthermore, there is a tendency for the clip of this device to slide down the handle of the shears so that the grass collection box is no longer correctly positioned or sufficiently supported. This 5 device also has associated problems of initial assembly and initial attachment to a pair of shears and it does not lend itself to being frequently attached to or removed from a pair of.,shears, say to allow thecontainer to be emptied or the cutting blades to be cleaned.

Other grass collection devices have been proposed which are not attached to the handles of the shears and so overcome some of the difficulties stated above. One such device is disclosed in GB-A-2294424. This device 15 comprises an open topped box for collecting grass cuttings which is attached to the pivot bolt of the shears and which has a hook which engages around the rear of the blade to prevent rotation of the grass collection box in use. This form of support has the 20 advantage that no support is needed f or the box in the region of the f ront portions of the cutting blades, which means that the front portions of the cutting blades can be left exposed to allow closer cutting to the edge of the lawn. However, this device suffers in 25 that the grass collection container is not easily removable from the shears. In fact, the shears must effectively be dismantled to remove the box therefore the gardener cannot easily remove the container, say to empty grass from the container, to clean, oil or repair 30 the shears, or to reverse the direction of cutting.

What is needed therefore is a device which efficiently collects grass cuttings, which does not interfere with the cutting action of the shears, which can be quickly and easily attached to or removed from 35 the shears and which is simple for a gardener to use. A device is also needed which can be secured to a pair of shears without the need for elaborate attachment means, such as attachment to the handles of the shears, and one which does not require elaborate initial assembly prior to use.

From a first aspect, the present invention provides 5 gardening apparatus comprising a pair of long handled edging shears and a grass cutting collection container for holding grass cuttings, said apparatus further comprising a quick release fastening for releaaably attaching the container to the shears at a location 10 adjacent to the pivot means.

By providing quick release fastening means, the container can be quickly and easily removed, say to allow cut grass to be emptied f rom the container or to allow the shears to be cleaned, oiled, sharpened or 15 repaired if necessary. A quick release container also allows the shears to be easily used in areas where access is restricted and a container attached to the shears would hinder grass cutting.

The present invention is also advantageous since, 20 by attaching the container to the shears at a location adjacent the pivot, the container can be sufficiently supported in a way which removes the need for any cumbersome attachment to the handles of the shears or to the front portions of the cutting blades. In this way, 25 there is no restriction of the movement of the shears and the cutting action of the blades is not hindered.

The attachment means may be immediately adjacent to the pivot means but in some embodiments may be spaced therefrom.

30 The quick release fastening may take any suitable form, for example one or more press studs or clips, one or more magnets, Velcro (RTM) and so on. Preferably, however, the fastening comprises one or more slots which receive respective key means e.g. pins having enlarged 35 heads. The slots can, for example have a key hole or tapering shape, the head of the pin entering the slot through the wider section of the slot and being moved into the narrower section where it is retained to prevent removal. The slot may be L-shaped. Preferably, the slot and pin is arranged such that in use the pin is urged further into the slot, thereby further securing 5 the container. Preferably, two slots and two pins are provided to fix the container against rotation relative to the shears.

In a preferred embodiment, the entry to th-e slot may be tapered outwardly so as to facilitate initial 10 engagement of the keying means therein.

Preferably, the slots and pins are arranged such that the direction in which the container must be moved to remove it from the shears is towards the tips of the cutting blades. This is the opposite direction to the 15 direction in which the container naturally tends to be pushed during use, thus further minimizing the risk of unintentional detachment. Most preferably, therefore, the slots extend generally along the axis of the cutting blades.

20 The keying means of the quick release fastening means may be provided on the shears and the slots formed on the container. Alternatively, and more pr eferably, however, the slots are provided on the shears.

The quick release fastening means may also be 25 provided with locking means to help maintain the container in position. In a simple embodiment, such means may comprise spring retention means which can be overcome manually to remove the container. The locking means thus provide a more secure attachment of the 30 container to the fixing element and also provide the gardener with a positive indication that the container has been correctly attached to the shears.

It is known that, if a container for grass cuttings is attached to the cutting blades of a set of shears, it 35 must be attached to the lower cutting blade since attachment to the upper cutting blade would interfere with the cutting action of the shears. Therefore, if the container is attached to the cutting blades then part of the quick release fastening means may be provided on the lower blade in a number of ways. For example, this part may be integrally formed on the lower 5 blade, for example when the blade is manufactured, or may be permanently attached to the lower blade, eg by welding, screwing or so on.

In another arrangement, which is applicable to shears which include a moulding surrounding the pivot 10 bolt, is to releasably attach the container to this moulding. This may be done by integrally forming a part of the quick release fastening on the pivot moulding onto which the container is releasably attachable.

These methods of quick release attachment are 15 particularly suitable for incorporation in original equipment. However, the invention also has great utility in the after sales market.

In a preferred arrangement, therefore, the quick release fastening means comprises a separate fixing 20 element which is attachable to the shears and to which the container is subsequently attachable. This represents a significant difference over existing mounting arrangements, and thus, from a second aspect, the invention provides gardening apparatus comprising a 25 pair of shears, a grass collection device, and a fixing element for attachment to the shears for supporting the grass collection device.

By providing an intermediate fixing element, the present invention overcomes some of the problems 30 associated with attaching a grass collecting device to a pair of shears. In particular, shears tend to comprise parts which have awkward shapes for attaching a collection device to, and difficulties which might arise from attachment to these awkward shapes are overcome.

35 Moreover, the fixing element can be specifically designed to fit particular brands of shears and the quick release fastening means can be specifically designed to support a grass cutting container.

In addition, the use of an intermediate f ixing element is also advantageous in overcoming the problems of attaching a container for grass cuttings to a set of shears without interfering with the cutting action of 5 the shears. This is because the means on the fixing element which attach the container can be designed to provide a sufficiently strong and secure attachment so that the container can-be entirely suspended from the fixing element. This removes the need for cumbersome 10 attachment to the handles of the shears or to the front portions of the cutting blades so that grass cutting is not impaired.

In one embodiment, the fixing element may comprise a mounting plate which can be mounted over and suitably 15 secured to the pivot bolt in a permanent manner.

However, this is a potentially cumbersome arrangement, so in a preferred embodiment, the fixing element is attachable to the lower cutting blade of the shears.

The fixing element may be attached to the lower 20 cutting blade by any means which provide a stable mounting for the grass container. Most conveniently the fixing element is bonded to the lower blade, preferably by adhesive tape. Most preferably, the attachment is achieved by using double-sided "very high bond" (VHB) 25 engineering adhesive tape placed between the fixing element and the cutting blade. In such arrangements, the fixing element is effectively permanently attached to the lower cutting blade, although if necessary it can be removed, albeit possibly destroying the element in 30 the process. This should, however, not be required since the fixing element does not impede the use of the shears without the container attached.

For ease of assembly, the tape is preferably pre bonded to the fixing element.

35 The fixing element may be provided with an appropriate form of quick release fastening which most preferably comprises a pair of enlarged headed pins which engage with complementary slots provided in the grass collection container, as previously discussed.

As stated above, it will be appreciated that the fixing element and the grass collection container may be retro-fitted to existing shears. From a third aspect, 5 therefore, the present invention provides a grass collection kit for attachment to a set of shears comprising a grass collection container, a fixing element for attachment-to the shears for recei-.ring the grass collection container and means for attaching the 10 fixing element to the shears. The fixing element may include the various features of the fastening means discussed above.

To assist in the correct positioning of an intermediate fixing element on the lower cutting blade is of a pair of shears, it may be preferable to additionally provide some form of guide element which can be used to measure out the correct position for the fixing element, say from the blade tips or from the pivot point. Thus a guide element, say in the form of a 20 metal strip of a specific length, may be used to measure the distance from the tips of the cutting blades to the location where the fixing element should be attached.

It is therefore preferred that a kit according to the present invention includes a guide element as described 25 above.

The container of the present invention may take any suitable form. Preferably it comprises an elongate, substantially open topped container formed with a base and side walls. More preferably the container is 30 generally "boat- shaped", i.e. curved at the front in the direction of cutting, so that, in use, it will more easily move past any obstacles encountered. This curvature of the container also gives the grass collection device a more attractive appearance.

35 The container preferably has a flat, or substantially flat, base to encourage any cut grass within the container to lie flat. If the grass in the container lies flat there is less chance of double- cutting, i. e. cutting the grass within the container that has already been cut.

The side walls of the container may be of substantially equal height, however, it is preferred 5 that an enlarged grass containing portion is formed at the rear of the container by side walls of increased height in this region. It is particularly preferred that the side walls towards the rear of the container are of a substantially greater height than at the front 10 of the container, for example three to four times the height of the side walls at the front of the container, thus making the container generally boot-shaped. The enlarged portion at the rear of the container formed by the heightened side walls not only improves the grass 15 carrying capacity of the container but allows grass cuttings to be pushed towards the rear of the container so that they do not interfere with the cutting action of the blades of the shears.

In a further variation the grass collection 20 container is provided with a closed portion, i.e. a portion which is not open-topped. This portion is again preferably formed towards the rear of the container and cut grass which falls into the open topped portion of the container may be pushed by hand and compacted into 25 the closed portion of the container. In this way, the grass holding capacity of the container is increased.

The base of the container may extend from the inner side wall at approximately 90 degrees so that, in use, if the shears are held generally vertical the base will 30 lie in a generally horizontal plane. Preferably, however, the angle between the base and the inner side wall is slightly greater than 90 degrees so that the base slopes away from the inner side wall. This is beneficial since the cut grass is encouraged to fall 35 away towards the outer side wall, away from the region of the cutting blades, so the problem of double-cutting mentioned above is further alleviated.

In addition, gardeners when using long handled edging shears often do not hold the shears vertically but instead hold them at an angle to the body, in a similar manner to holding a golf club. An angle of greater than 90 degrees between the base and inner side 5 wall therefore allows the base to be substantially horizontal when the shears are held at an angle so, at least, the cut grass is not encouraged to fall towards the cutting blades.

The outer side wall may be formed at approximately 10 90 degrees to the base but, again, is preferably formed at an angle of greater than 90 degrees to the base. By forming both inner and outer side walls at angles greater than 90 degrees, not only is the grass holding capacity of the container increased, but also the grass 15 catchment area, therefore less grass is dropped.

The container is preferably formed of a fairly rigid material so that during use it can displace obstacles encountered along the edge of the lawn. it could, therefore, be made of metal, but preferably is 20 formed from a plastics material such as ABS. Alternatively, the container could be formed from rubber of sufficient hardness.

The side of the container closest to the edge of the lawn when in use should ideally not extend outside 25 the profile of the shears. That is, the shears should be able to cut as closely to the lawn edge whether the container is attached or not. Preferably, the inner side wall has a cutaway portion towards the front of the container, i.e. in the region where most grass will be 30 cut. This cutaway portion helps to expose the front portions of the cutting blades so that the grass container does not interfere with their cutting action. The cutaway portion may extend partially into the inner side wall or may extend to the base of the container, 35 thus in effect removing the front portion of the inner side wall.

From a further aspect therefore, the present invention provides gardening apparatus comprising a pair of edging shears, a grass cutting collection container and means for mounting the container to the shears, wherein the shears include pivotally connected upper and lower cutting blades, and wherein a front portion of the 5 lower cutting blade is exposed when the container is attached to the shears.

Preferably the grass cutting collection container includes a cutaway portion that allows a front -portion of the lower cutting blade to be exposed when the 10 container is attached to the shears. Preferably, substantially all of the front half of the lower cutting blade is exposed when the container is attached to the shears although it may be that substantially all of the lower cutting blade remains exposed.

15 The container of this aspect of the invention may be attached to the shears by any suitable attachment means. For example, the container may be attached to (RTM) the shears using magnets, press studs, clips, Velcro glue, adhesive tape and so on.

20 The container may be provided with a projection at the f ront of the container in the region of the tips of the cutting blades. The projection provides the gardener with a visual indication of the position of the cutting blades so that, during use, a more accurate 25 cutting line can be maintained. In addition to aiding the gardener's line of sight, the projection can increase the strength of the container and also help to displace any obstacles encountered such as stones or leaves, so the shears pass more easily along the edge of 30 the lawn. In its most basic form the projection may comprise a small block which is integrally moulded with the grass collection container at a position at the front of the container and adjacent to the inner side wall.

35 Alternatively the projection is formed as a kink in the front wall of the container. This provides a similar outer profile to the previous solid block projection, however, it results in the formation of a recess in the interior of the container into which the cutting blades can extend. This is advantageous since it minimises movement of the container relative to the cutting blades. Most preferably, however, a pointed, 5 arrow-shaped projection is provided. This shape is better suited to clearing debris and also provides a more accurate line of sight.

More preferably, however, the tips of the-blades extend through a slot formed in the front wall of the 10 container and lie flush with the exterior surface of the container. In this way, obstacles such as stones embedded in the soil at the edge of the lawn can be easily displaced by the metal tips of the blades. Advantageously, with the tips of the cutting blades 15 captive within the slot, the lateral stability of the grass container is improved since movement of the container relative to the cutting blades is minimised in this region.

For additional lateral support a rib is preferably 20 provided on the base of the container. This rib runs parallel to the blades and lies towards the front of the container in contact with one side of the lower cutting blade. The lower cutting blade is therefore sandwiched between the rib and the inner side wall thus providing 25 lateral support for the container. If the container is designed for a specific model of shears then the rib may be integrally formed with the container since the width of the cutting blades will be known. Alternatively, universal grass collection devices suitable for use with 30 a wide variety of models of shears can be provided with a rib formed as a separate element. In this case the rib must be correctly positioned and attached to the base of the container, say by adhesive, once the cutting blades are in place. Thus in general terms an adjustable 35 lateral support may be provided.

A further adjustable lateral blade support which will accommodate the varying blade widths of different makes of shears may comprise a generally circular cam - 13 element located on the base of the container and adjacent to the front of the lower cutting blade. The cam element is rotatable about an off-centre axis and can thus be rotated until it lightly presses against the 5 side of the lower cutting blade to provide lateral support.

When the cutting blades are in their closed position, the lower cutting blade is partially -covered by the upper cutting blade however a portion along the 10 bottom of the lower cutting blade remains exposed. The cam element must therefore be vertical positioned so that it can pass beneath the upper cutting blade when the blades are closed and press against the exposed portion of the lower cutting blade. For improved 15 lateral support, however, the cam element preferably makes contact with lower cutting blade as high up the side of the lower cutting blade as is possible, that is as high up as the upper cutting blade will allow when the blades are closed. Since the extent to which the 20 upper cutting blade covers the lower cutting blade when the blades are closed may vary from one set of shears to another, it is preferable that the height at which the cam element contacts the lower cutting blade is adjustable so that, given a particular pair of shears, 25 the cam element can be correctly positioned to provide the best support but without interfering with the upper cutting blade.

In one embodiment, the cam element may have two alternative orientations. One which is suitable for 30 shears in which a minimal amount the lower cutting blade is exposed when the blades are closed and a second which is suitable for shears in which a greater amount of the lower cutting blade is exposed and which allows the lower cutting blade to be contacted at a higher position 35 and thus provide better lateral support.

The cam element may for example comprise a generally flat disk-shaped cam portion formed on each face with a smaller generally flat disk-shaped bearing portion. The bearing portions are aligned with each other and are positioned off-centre with respect to the cam portion so that the cam portion can be rotated to accommodate different widths of cutting blades. To 5 allow the vertical height of the cam portion to be altered, the bearing portions extend from the cam portion by different amounts, that is the height of one bearing portion is greater than the height of the other. Thus the cam portion can be used at a first height 10 supported on one of the bearing portions, or alternatively, the cam element can be reversed, i.e. flipped over, so that the cam portion can be used at a second height supported on the other bearing portion.

Preferably, the cam element is attached to the is container by a nut and bolt arrangement which additionally serves as the pivot for the cam element. Thus, with the shears attached to the grass container the cam element can be rotated until it presses against the lower cutting blade and then the nut and bolt 20 arrangement can be tightened to hold the cam element in place.

If a cam element with two bearings of different heights is used then the bolt would be arranged to pass through the common axis of these bearings. Preferably, 25 each bearing would be provided with a recess shaped to receive the nut and the base of the container would be provided with a recess shaped to receive the bearings to help maintain the cam element in position.

The present invention, due to its simple attachment 30 to a pair of shears and since it does not interfere with the cutting action of the shears, say by attachment to the handles of the shears or to the f ront portions of the cutting blades, is suitable for efficient grass cutting with most makes and models of long handled 35 edging shears.

This is particularly important since long handled edging shears are, on the whole, very long lasting, often providing the gardener with a lifetime of use.

- 15 There is therefore a wide variety of makes and models of long handled edging shears currently owned and used by gardeners and the present invention can be used with most of these makes and models.

5 In addition the present invention is very safe for the gardener to use, since, unlike several prior art devices, it requires no substantial modification of the shears, such as drilling through or welding to -the cutting blades, and since the grass collection device 10 can be attached to the shears with the cutting blades closed.

As stated above, it is envisaged that the present invention may be sold as a retro-f it kit, one that is suitable for attachment to most varieties of shears.

15 Alternatively, kits may be individually tailored to particular brands of shears by adapting the shape and size of the device to correspond to a particular brand of shears. This provides both improved visual appearance and improved performance. As stated above, 20 it is also envisaged that the device of the present invention may be sold with new shears and, not only adapted in size and shape to match the shears but also adapted to match the brand image of the shears.

A further advantage of the present invention is 25 that it allows the direction of cutting to be easily reversed. Long handled edging shears can either be used for left-handed cutting, ie.

cutting the lawn from left to right, or when reversed, be used for right-handed 30 cutting, i.e. for cutting right to left. Typically, right-handed gardeners cut from left to right and left handed gardeners cut from right to left, however, some gardeners alternate between right-handed and left-handed cutting so that the grass at the edge of the lawn is not 35 encouraged to lie in one direction.

It is therefore advantageous that the present invention allows the grass container to be quickly detached from the shears since this allows the gardener to easily change from right-handed to left-handed cutting, or vice versa. If the grass container was not removed it would lie between the cutting blades and the edge of the lawn thereby preventing cutting.

5 It is also envisaged that the present invention may be adapted for either a left-handed or right-handed use.

A grass container adapted for right-handed use must be attached to the lower cutting blade arid extend.-, beneath and beyond the upper cutting blade. In this way, both 10 cutting blades, and the fixing element if provided, lie within the interior of the container. A grass container adapted for left-handed use necessarily differs from one adapted for right-handed use since, with the shears reversed, it is the upper cutting blade which lies 15 closest to the edge of the lawn. The container must still be attached to the lower cutting blade but instead of extending beneath the upper cutting blade the container extends in the opposite direction therefore both cutting blades, and the fixing element if provided, 20 lie outside of the container. Both alternatives are envisaged by the present invention.

It can be seen that the present invention broadly provides a container for grass cuttings which can be quickly and easily attached to, or removed from, a set 25 of shears. In it broadest terms, therefore, the present invention provides gardening apparatus comprising a pair of edging shears, a grass cutting collection container and means for releasably mounting the container to the shears.

30 The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing shears, a 35 container for grass cuttings, a fixing element and means to attach the fixing element to the shears.

Figure 2 shows the device shown in Figure 1 f rom an alternative viewpoint.

Figure 3 is a detailed view of the fixing element.

Figure 4 is a detailed cutaway view of the portion of the container which engages the fixing element.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of 5 figure 1 showing the container attached to the shears via the fixing element.

Figure 6 shows the device of Figure 5 f rom an alternative viewpoint.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an alternative 10 embodiment of the present invention in which the container is attached to the pivot bolt via a mounting plate.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a further alternative embodiment of the present invention wherein 15 the container is attached to a mounting plate which is integrally formed with a moulding of the pivot unit.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of an additional further embodiment showing the front of the container provided with a projection which helps the gardener 20 maintain an accurate cutting direction.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention including an adjustable cam to provide lateral support to the lower cutting blade.

25 Figure 11 shows an alternative view of the embodiment of figure 10.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a fixing element 1 is permanently attached to a pair of long handled edging 30 shears 2, and a container 3 for holding grass cuttings is releasably attached to the fixing element 1.

The long handled edging shears 2 comprise two cutting blades 4, 5 namely a lower cutting blade 5 which is closest to the edge of the lawn in use, and an upper 35 cutting blade 4 which is furthest from the edge of the lawn. Each cutting blade 4, 5 is attached to respective inner and outer mouldings 6, 7. The mouldings 6, 7 in turn are attached to respective handles of the shears (not shown). The lower cutting blade 5 has an upper cutting surface 8 and the upper cutting blade 4 has a lower cutting surface 9 (see Figure 2). The cutting 5 blades 4, 5 are pivotally connected by a pivot bolt 10, and generally taper from the region of the pivot bolt 10 to their respective tips 11, 12. The pivot bolt 10, together with the inner and outer mouldings 6, -7, form a pivot unit.

10 The fixing element 1 comprises a generally flat plate-like element of approximately the same height as the cutting blades 4, 5, and which has a length of approximately twice this height. The fixing element 1 is permanently attached to the side of the lower cutting is blade 5 using very high bond (VHB) double sided adhesive tape 13 which is sandwiched between the fixing element 1 and the lower cutting blade 5. The fixing element 1 has an upper edge 14, a lower edge 15, a f ront edge 16 and a rear edge 17. The fixing element I tapers from its rear 20 edge 17 towards its front edge 16 so that, once attached to the lower cutting blade 5, it conforms with the tapering of the lower cutting blade 5. Similarly, the rear edge 17 of the fixing element 1 is curved to conform with the curved contour 18 of the inner moulding 25 6. Tapering the fixing element 1 and providing it with a curved rear edge 17, not only improves the appearance of the shears 2 when the fixing element 1 is attached, but also allows the gardener more easily to locate the fixing element 1 in its correct position. The upper 30 edge 14 of the fixing element 1 is chamfered to encourage debris to fall away from the blades.

The container 3 for holding grass cuttings is generally formed as an elongate open-topped box with a flat base 19 and vertical side walls. The container 3 35 has an inner side wall 20 which is closest to the edge of the lawn in use, an outer side wall 21 which is furthest from the edge of the lawn, a rear side wall 22 - 19 and a pointed tip 23 towards the front of the container 3. The rear side wall 22 is substantially straight and generally defines the width of the container 3. The inner side wall 20 is also substantially straight since, 5 in use, it is sandwiched between the lower cutting blade 5 and the edge of the lawn. The pointed tip 23 is formed adjacent the front end of the inner side wall 20, and the outer side wall 21 extends between the -rear side wall 22 and the pointed tip 23. The outer side wall 21 10 is substantially parallel to the inner side wall 20 at the rear of the container 3 but is curved at the f ront of the container 3 so as to connect with the pointed tip 23 which is adjacent the inner side wall 20.

The base of the container 19, although being is substantially flat, when viewed in profile is angled towards the front of the container 3 much like the profile of the bow of a boat. This angled portion 24, the pointed tip 23 and the curved portion of the outer side wall 21 combine to help the container 3 more easily 20 to pass any obstacles encountered in use.

When the container 3 is attached to the shears 2, most of the pivot unit remains outside of the container 3, while the cutting blades 4, 5 extend into the interior of the container 3 and lie adjacent the inner 25 side wall. The rear side wall 22 of the container 3 has an opening 25 which extends from the top of the rear side wall 22 to the base 19 of the container 3. This opening 25 receives the pivot unit and allows the cutting blades 4, 5 to extend within the container 3. A 30 shoulder 26 extends from the rear side wall 22 and substantially follows the contour of the outer moulding 7 to prevent any cut grass from falling through the opening 25.

The inner side wall 20 includes a cutaway portion 35 27 towards the front of the container 3. The cutaway portion 27 extends substantially to the base 19 of the container 3 and approximately half way along the length of the inner side wall 20. The cutaway portion 27 is situated in the area of the cutting blades 4, 5 where most grass cutting occurs and allows grass to be cut close to the edge of the lawn. In addition to this, 5 since the edge of the cutaway portion 27 is spaced from the area of the cutting blades 4, 5 where most grass cutting occurs, ingress of dirt between the cutting blades 4, 5 and the inner side wall 20 is minim-ized. The edge of the cutaway portion 27 is also chamfered 10 away from the cutting blades 4, 5 to further minimize the ingress of dirt.

A slot 28 is provided which extends vertically through the pointed tip 23 at the front of the container 3. This slot 28 helps the gardener to maintain an 15 accurate cutting direction since it provides an improved line of sight along the cutting blades 4, 5 and along the edge of the lawn. This slot 28 also provides an added advantage since, if the shears 2 have very long cutting blades, the cutting blades can extend through 20 the slot 28 and out of the container 3. Ideally, however, the tips of the cuttings blades 11, 12 extend through the slot 28 lie generally flush with the exterior surface of the container 3. This maintains the attractive profile of the grass collection container, 25 provides lateral support for the container from the tip 12 of the lower cutting blade 5, and allows the hard metal surfaces of the tips 11, 12 to be used to clear debris encountered at the edge of a lawn. For further lateral support a rib 44 is integrally formed on the 30 base of the container 3. This rib 44 runs parallel to the blades and lies towards the front of the container in contact with one side of the lower cutting blade 5. The lower cutting blade 5 is effectively sandwiched between the rib 44 and the inner side wall 20 thus 35 providing lateral support for the container 3 from the cutting blades. The rib 44 does not need to provide vertical support for the container.

- 21 As best shown in Figure 2, the inner side wall 20 includes a recessed portion 29 which is shaped to receive the fixing element 1. The recessed portion 29 is formed with means which are releasably attachable to 5 the fixing element 1. These means comprise two spaced apart pin-like key elements 30. As best shown is Figures 3 and 4, each key element 3 generally comprises a disc-shaped portion 3-1 which lies in a plane -parallel to the plane of the inner side wall 20 and which is 10 connected to the inner side wall 20 by a narrower neck portion 32. The key elements 30 releasably engage respective key hole slots 33 formed in the fixing element 1. Each key hole slot 33 is generally L-shaped and comprises a first limb 34 which, in use, extends 15 vertically upwards from an open end 35 at the lower edge of the fixing element 1, and a second limb 36 which extends horizontally from the first limb 34 towards the rear edge 17 of the f ixing element 1 and which terminates at a closed end 37. The f irst limb 34 may 20 flare outwardly towards its lower end to facilitate the initial engagement of the key element 30 therein.

Each of the key hole slots 33 is shaped to match the profile of a key element 30, in that the portion 40 of the second limb 36 adapted to engage the disc-shaped 25 portion 31 of a key element 30 is wider than the portion 41 of the second limb 36 which is adapted to engage the neck 32 of a key element 30. In this way, once a key element 30 is engaged within the second limb 36, it can only be removed by passing the key element 30 along the 30 second limb 36 and out of the first limb 34 of the key hole slot 33.

By providing a second limb 36 which extends towards the rear edge 17 of the f ixing element 1, since in use the container 3 tends to be pushed rearwardly with 35 respect to the shears 2, the key elements 30 tend to be pushed towards the closed ends 37 of the key hole slots 33 thus preventing unintentional disconnection of the container 3 f rom the shears 2.

once the f ixing element 1 is attached to the lower cutting blade 5, to attach the container 3 to the shears 2, the key elements 30 on the container 3 are aligned 5 with the open ends 35 of the key hole slots 33 on the fixing element 1. The container 3 is then pushed towards the shears 2 so that each key element 30 travels along the f irst limb 34 of a key hole slot 33 towards the intersection of the first and second limbs. The 10 container 3 is then pushed towards the rear of the shears 2 until the key elements 30 engage the closed ends 37 of the key hole slots 33. At this point the container 3 is fully attached to the shears 2.

The fixing element 1 is formed with spring 15 retention means comprising a resilient projection 38 positioned midway between the two key hole slots 33 which, when the container 3 is fully attached to the shears 2, engages a vertical groove 39 formed midway between the key elements 30 on the inner side wall 20 of 20 the c.ontainer 3. The spring retention means provide a more secure attachment of the container 3 to the shears 2 and also provide a positive indication to the gardener that the container 3 is correctly attached to the shears 2.

25 Figure 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which a mounting plate 40 is permanently attached to the pivot bolt 10 of the shears 2 and the container 3 is releasably attached to the mounting plate 40. The mounting plate 40 has an 30 aperture 41 sized to receive the pivot bolt 10 and is permanently attached to the shears 2 by passing the pivot bolt 10 through the aperture 41, through the cutting blades 4, 5, and securing the pivot bolt 10 with a nut (not shown) The container 3 is releasably 35 attached to the mounting plate 40 using key elements formed on the container 3 which engage key hole slots formed on the mounting plate 40 in the manner of the - 23 f irst described embodiment. A channel 42 is cut through the inner moulding 6 to allow attachment of the mounting plate 40 to the pivot bolt 10.

Figure 8 shows a further alternative embodiment of 5 the present invention in which a mounting plate 40 is integrally formed with the inner moulding 6 of the pivot unit. The container 3 is then releasably attached to the mounting plate 40 by key elements formed off the container 3 which engage key hole slots formed on the 10 mounting plate 40 as previously described.

Figure 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which the front of the container 3 is provided with a "dolphin-nose" shape. This shape results from the provision of a projection 43 formed on 15 the pointed tip 23 of the container 3. The projection 43 is formed adjacent to the tips of the cutting blades so that, in use, it lies tight against the edge of the lawn. The projection 43 performs the same function as the slot 28 of previous embodiments in that it provides 20 the gardener with a strong visual indication of the position of the cutting blades. In the way, the gardener is helped to maintain an accurate cutting direction.

Figures 10 and 11 illustrate an alternative 25 embodiment of the present invention showing a preferred shape of grass collection container 3. The container 3 has an enlarged grass containing portion formed at the rear of the container 3 by side walls of an increased height giving the container 3 a generally boot-shaped 30 appearance. The enlarged portion increases the grass carrying capacity of the container 3 and allows grass cuttings to be pushed towards the rear of the container 3 so that they do not interfere with the cutting action of the blades of the shears.

35 Figures 10 and 11 also show a mechanism for providing adjustable lateral support to the lower cutting blade of the shears. The mechanism shown comprises a generally circular cam element 46 located on the base 19 of the container 3, adjacent to the front of the lower cutting blade 5. The cam element 46 is rotatable about an off-centre axis formed through a nut 5 47 and a bolt 48. The cam element 46 can be rotated to lightly press against the side of the lower cutting blade 5 to provide lateral support to the lower cutting blade 5 and can be f ixe ' d in this position by tightening of the nut 47 and bolt 48.

10 The cam element 46 comprises a generally flat disk shaped cam portion formed on each face with a smaller generally flat disk-shaped bearing portion 50. The bearing portions 50 are aligned with each other and are positioned off-centre with respect to the cam portion 46 15 so that the cam portion can be rotated to accommodate different widths of cutting blades.

To allow the vertical height of the cam portion to be altered, the bearing portions 50 extend from the cam portion by different amounts. Thus the cam portion can 20 be used at a f irst height supported on one of the bearing portions 50, or alternatively the cam element can be reversed, i.e. flipped over, so that the cam portion can be used at a second height supported on the other bearing portion 50. Each bearing portion is 25 provided with a recess shaped to receive the nut 47 and the base 19 of the container 3 is provided with a recess 51 shaped to receive the bearings 50 in order to maintain the cam element in position.

Figure 11 additionally shows a guide element 49 30 comprising a metal or plastic strip of such a length that it can be used to measure the correct distance from the tips of the cutting blades to the position at which the fixing element should be attached to the lower cutting blade 5 prior to use.

35 In all the described embodiments, both the container 3 and the fixing element 1 are made from injection moulded plastic. This makes the grass cutting collection device light, durable, weather proof, and gives the device sufficient rigidity to maintain its shape during use whilst providing a degree of flexibility which can help the gardener to attach the 5 device to a pair of shears 2. The rigidity of the container, together with the exposed blades tips, allows the shears to be used in a hoe or shovel-like manner to clear debris such as soil, leaves and stones from the edge of the lawn either prior to edging the lawn or 10 during the edging process. The process of injection moulding also lends itself to mass production of the grass collection device and, amongst other things, allows, say, the device to be produced in a wide variety of colours.

15 As best shown in figures 5 and 6, during operation of the device with the container 3 attached to the shears 2, the cutting blades 4, 5 of the shears 2 are held generally parallel to the edge of the lawn, the lower cutting blade 5 remains substantially horizontal 20 while movement of the handles of the shears 2 causes the upper cutting blade 4 to pivot which in turn opens and closes the cutting blades 4, S. As the gardener progresses along the edge of the lawn, any grass extending from the edge of the lawn is cut between the 25 upper cutting surface 8 of the lower cutting blade 5 and the lower cutting surface 9 of the upper cutting blade 4. The cut grass then falls into the container 3 which, once full, can be removed from the shears 2 and emptied thus removing the need f or the gardener to pick up the 30 grass cuttings by hand.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing 35 from the scope of the invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

claims 1. Gardening apparatus comprising a pair of edging shears and a grass cutting collection container, the 5 shears including cutting blades pivotally connected by pivot means, said apparatus further comprising a quick release fastening for releasably attaching the container to the shears at a location adjacent to the pivot means.

10 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said quick release fastening means comprises one or more slots which receive keying means for example respective pins having enlarged heads.

15 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said slot(s) has a key hole or tapering shape, whereby the keying means may enter the slot through the wider section of the slot and be moved into the narrower section where it is retained.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said slot(s) is L-shaped.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4 wherein 25 said slot(s) and pin(s) is arranged such that in use the pin is urged further into the slot during use of the apparatus.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said 30 slot(s) extend generally along the axis of the blade.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6 wherein two slots and two pins are provided.

35 8. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising locking means to help maintain the container in position.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said locking means comprises spring retention means which can be overridden manually to remove the container.

5 10. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein part of the quick release fastening means is integrally formed with the shears.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9 10 wherein the quick release fastening means comprises a fixing element which is attachable to the shears.

12. Gardening apparatus comprising a pair of shears, a grass collection device, and including fastening means 15 comprising a fixing element attached to or for attachment to the shears for supporting the grass collection device.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 or 12 wherein said 20 fixing element is or can be mounted over and suitably secured to a pivot bolt of the shears.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 or 12 wherein said fixing element is attached or attachable to a blade of 25 the shears.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein said fixing element is bonded to the blade by adhesive.

30 16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said fixing element is bonded to the blade by adhesive tape.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein the tape is double sided adhesive tape placed between the fixing 35 element and the cutting blade.

18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein the tape - 28 is pre-bonded to the fixing element.

19. A grass collection kit for attachment to a set of shears comprising a grass collection containe. r, a fixing 5 element for attachment to the shears for receiving the grass collection container and means for attaching the fixing element to the shears.

20. A kit as claimed in claim 19 wherein said f ixing 10 element comprises at least part of a quick release fastening for mounting of the container.

21. Gardening apparatus comprising a pair of edging shears, a grass cutting collection container and means 15 for mounting the container to the shears, wherein the shears include pivotally connected upper and lower cutting blades, and wherein a front portion of the lower cutting blade is exposed when the container is attached to the shears.

22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the grass cutting collection container includes a cutaway portion that allows a front portion of the lower cutting blade to be exposed when the container is attached to the shears.

23. Apparatus as claimed in claims 21 or 22, wherein substantially all of the front half of the lower cutting blade is exposed when the container is attached to the shears.

24. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 21 to 23, wherein substantially all of the lower cutting blade is exposed when the container is attached to the shears.

25. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 21 to 24, wherein the container is attached to the shears by means - 29 including one or more fastenings selected from magnets, (RTM) press studs, clips, and Velcro glue and adhesive tape.

5 26. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the container comprises a shallow elongate open topped container formed with a base and side walls.

27. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein 10 the container is curved at the front in the direction of cutting, so that, in use, it will more easily move past any obstacles encountered.

27. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein 15 the base of the container slopes downwardly away from the cutting blades.

29. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the container has side walls of greater height towards 20 the rear of the container to provide an enlarged grass containing portion in this region.

30. Apparatus as claimed in claim 29 wherein the container is generally boot-shaped.

31. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a portion of the container is not open-topped so that cut grass may be pushed into the closed portion of the container.

32. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the container is provided with a relatively narrow projection at the front of the container, adjacent to the tips of the blade.

33. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the container includes means to provide lateral support for the lower cutting blade.

34. Apparatus as claimed in claim 33 wherein lateral support is provided by a rib that is either integrally 5 formed with the base of the container, or is a separate element attachable to the base of the container, the rib providing lateral support for the lower cutting blade.

35. Apparatus as claimed in claim 33 wherein lateral 10 support is provided by a rotatable cam element located on the base of the container.

36. Apparatus as claimed in claim 35 wherein the rotatable cam element is generally circular and is 15 rotatable about an off-centre axis to press against the side of the lower cutting blade so that it can provide lateral support to blades of various widths.

37. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 35 or 36 20 wherein the cam element contacts the lower cutting blade at a vertical position that can be adjusted to accommodate different dimensions of cutting blades.

38. Apparatus as claimed in claim 37 wherein the cam 25 element has two alternative orientations, one in which the cam contacts the lower cutting blade at a position relatively near to the cutting edge of the lower cutting blade, and one in which the cam contacts the lower cutting blade at a position further from the cutting 30 edge of the lower cutting blade.

39. Apparatus as claimed in claim 38 wherein the cam comprises a generally flat disk-shaped cam portion formed on each face with a smaller generally flat disk- 35 shaped bearing portion, and wherein the bearing portions are aligned with each other and are positioned offcentre with respect to the cam portion.

40. Apparatus as claimed in claim 39 wherein the bearing portions extend from the cam portion by different amounts so that the height of one bearing 5 portion is greater than the height of the other.