GB2536685A

GB2536685A - Leaf litter collector

Info

Publication number: GB2536685A
Application number: GB1505110.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hames Gordon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-03-26
Filing date: 2015-03-26
Publication date: 2016-09-28
Also published as: GB201505110D0

Abstract

A tool for collecting leaf litter comprises a shaft 10 which carries a collecting member 12 having a plurality of tines 14 to spear and pick up litter. A dumping or releasing member 18 is a movable plate with perforations or holes through which the tines extend. The plate is movable by means of a rod (22) attached to a sliding sleeve 24 on the shaft, and is movable from a first position in which the plate is adjacent to the collecting member to a second position in which it extends to or beyond the tips of the tines, to remove the litter accumulated on the tines. The removing plate is biased towards the first position by a spring (26). The shaft has a D-shaped handle 28, and is partially curved so as to be non-perpendicular to the ground when in use.

Description

Leaf litter collector This invention relates to a device for the collection of fallen leaves and other debris or litter.

In the autumn especially, many gardeners are faced with the problem of collecting fallen leaves. Apart from appearing untidy, leaf litter may be damaging if left on areas such as lawns, and is likely to become slippery and therefore dangerous if left on paths or driveways. Leaves may of course be removed from a solid surface such as concrete by brushing, and leaves may be removed from a lawn by raking, but the leaves tend to accumulate on the rake (and sometimes a brush) and impede the user's efforts. Alternatively leaves may be collected by means of a leaf blower or vacuum collector, but these are comparatively expensive products and in any event not effective in many places, such as where the surface is loose, as in areas of gravel or a planted border. In many such places rakes and brushes are also ineffective.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive means of gathering leaf litter, especially from loose surfaces, which allows accumulated litter to be easily discarded.

Thus according to the invention there is provided an implement comprising a shaft, a collecting member carried by the shaft, one or more tines dependent from the collecting member to collect the litter, and a dumping member engaged with the tine or tines, characterised in that a dumping mechanism is operative from the shaft to move the dumping member along the tine or tines to remove the collected litter therefrom.

It will be understood that the operation of the dumping mechanism conveniently clears accumulated litter without the need for the user to hold the dumping member.

Preferably the or each tine has a pointed tip so that the litter can be collected by spearing it. Preferably there is also a plurality of tines, which may be arranged in a plurality of rows, so that the litter can be collected more quickly.

The dumping member may comprise a plate formed with a plurality of holes through which the tines extend. The dumping mechanism may comprise a flexible rod connected to the dumping member at its lower end, extending into or alongside the shaft and connected to a sleeve at its upper end which encircles the shaft and can slide a short distance back and forth along it. The dumping member is preferably movable by gripping the sleeve and pushing it downwards along the shaft thus moving the dumping member from the first position in which it is adjacent to the collecting member to the second position in which it extends to or beyond the tips of the tines. There may be a spring to bias the dumping member towards its first position, in which case the user would release their grip on the sleeve to allow the dumping member to return to its first position.

To accommodate different users the shaft is preferably extendable. For user comfort the shaft may be curved to allow the user to hold it at an angle of less than 90 degrees to the ground whilst the tines face the ground.

There is preferably a D-shaped handle fixed to the upper end of the shaft allowing the user to comfortably hold the implement in one hand whilst collecting leaf litter. The D-shaped handle is preferably fixed to the shaft in such a position that the straight part of the D is aligned with the shaft on the vertical plane for optimum ease and comfort.

Other features of the invention will be apparent from the following description, which is made by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which -Figure 1 illustrates in front elevation an implement for collecting leaf litter according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation corresponding to Figure 1; Figure 3 is an inverted plan view corresponding to figure 1; Figure 4 is a partial cross section at A-A on Figure 1, enlarged, showing the implement arranged for collecting leaf litter; Figure 5 is a view corresponding to Figure 4 showing the implement arranged for dumping leaf litter.

Referring now to the drawings, which use common reference numerals, these show an implement for gathering leaf litter comprising a shaft, indicated at 10 which carries a collecting member 12 having a plurality of tines indicated generally at 14, which tines 14 are dependent from the collecting member 12 do as in use to face downward. As can be seen from Figure 3, the tines 14 are arranged in four rows each containing four tines, although it is to be understood that the tines 14 may be otherwise arranged. And as can be seen in Figures 4 and 5, the tines 14 extend through the holes 16 (Figure 5) in a dumping member 18 which, as disposed in a first position shown in Figures 1 to 4 lies adjacent to the collecting member 12.

Each of the tines 14 has a pointed tip. Thus in use they may be used to pick up leaf litter by dabbing the implement across a littered area so that the tines 14 spear the litter which is thus picked up by the tines 14. It will be appreciated that this process is effective over loose surfaces such as gravel and mulch, the tines 14 going lightly into such surfaces after spearing the litter. It is also effective around shrubs, and even over planted areas where being pierced by the tines 14 is not permanently damaging to the plants (and substantially less damaging than raking).

As shown in Figure 2, a lower section of the shaft 10 may be curved so that its upper section can be held at an angle of less than 90 degrees to the ground. The shaft 10 may also be extendable, a locking device 20 being provided to set its length to suit users of different heights.

After a period of use (which may be quite short) leaf litter will have accumulated on the tines 14. The accumulated litter could of course be removed by hand, but the invention provides a mechanism for dumping the litter, as will now be described with particular reference to Figures 4 and 5. The shaft 10 is of generally tubular form and has within it a rod 22 which should be flexible if a section of the shaft 10 is curved. The shaft 10 is secured to the collecting member 12. The rod 22 is secured at its lower end to the dumping member 18 and extends upwardly therefrom through the collecting member 12, and into or alongside the shaft 10, and is secured at its upper end to a sleeve 24 which encircles the shaft 10 and can slide back and forth a short distance along it. It will now be understood that the litter that has accumulated on the tines 14 may be dumped simply by pushing downwards on the sleeve 24, moving it downwards along the shaft 10 so that the dumping member 18 is moved from its first position adjacent to the collecting member 12, as shown in Figure 4 to a second position wherein the dumping member 18 extends to or beyond the tips of the tines 14, as shown in Figure 5. Thus the accumulated litter is pushed off the tines 14 as the dumping member 18 is moved from its first position to its second position, and in practice the litter may be dumped in any convenient place -on a compost heap for instance.

After the accumulated litter has been dumped, the sleeve 24 may be pulled back up the shaft 10 to its first position to return the dumping member 18 from its first position to its second position to allow more litter to be collected. This is assisted or may be effected automatically by a spring 26 connected at its lower end to the sleeve 24 and at its upper end to a fixing 30 located on the shaft 10 which biases the sleeve 24 and dumping member 18 towards their first position.

As shown in Figure 2, a D-shaped handle 28 may be fixed to the top end of the shaft 10, and is preferably fixed at such an angle as to be aligned with the shaft 10 on the vertical plane.

The invention provides a simple and inexpensive implement for collecting litter, especially from loose surfaces, which allows accumulated litter to be easily discarded. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to collecting leaf litter and that various modifications and adaptations are possible.

Claims

Claims 1. An implement for collecting leaf litter comprising a shaft, a collecting member carried by the shaft, one or more tines dependent from the collecting member to collect the litter, and a dumping member engaged with the tine or tines, characterised in that a dumping mechanism is operative from the shaft to move the dumping member along the tine or tines to remove collected litter therefrom.
2. An implement for collecting leaf litter as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the or each tine has a pointed tip.
3. An implement for collecting leaf litter as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that there is a plurality of said tines dependent from the collecting member.
4. An implement for collecting leaf litter as claimed in Claim 3 characterised in that the tines are arranged in a plurality of rows.
S. An implement for collecting leaf litter as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4 characterised in that the dumping member comprises a plate formed with a plurality of holes through which the tines extend.
6. An implement for collecting leaf litter as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the dumping mechanism comprises a rod connected to the dumping member at its lower end extending through the collecting member and into or alongside the shaft and connected to a sleeve at its upper end which encircles the shaft and can slide a short distance back and forth along it.
7. An implement for collecting leaf litter as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the dumping member is movable by the dumping mechanism between a first position in which it is adjacent to the collecting member and a second position in which it extends to or beyond the tip of the or each tine.
8. An implement for collecting leaf litter as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7 characterised in that a spring is provided to bias the dumping member towards its first position.
9. An implement for collecting leaf litter as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the shaft is extendable.
10. An implement for collecting leaf litter as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that a section of the shaft is curved to allow the user to hold it at an angle of less than 90 degrees to the ground whilst the tines face the ground.
11. An implement for collecting leaf litter as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that a D-Shaped handle is fixed to the upper end of the shaft at such an angle as to be aligned with the shaft on the vertical plane.
12. An implement for collecting leaf litter substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.