IE43135B1 - Gardening tool - Google Patents

Abstract

1515672 Hand tools H C LAPTHORN 17 May 1976 [21 May 1975] 22008/75 Heading A1B A garden tool comprises a planar metal member 1 adapted to fit rigidly onto a handle; the edges of the planar member are shaped and bevelled for different operations i.e. severing suckers, weeding, soil working.

Description

This, invention relates to a;gardening tool.

Whilst a number of hand tools are now available, for performing various familiar gardening operations including applying a tilth to surface soil and grubbing out weeds with the gardener standing in a substantially erect position, at present no tool is available which is suitable for tracing back to source rose bush suckers and cutting them off at their point of origin. A tool enabling this to he done and which is also useful for grubbing out weeds with the gardener standing in an erect position would clearly constitute a desirable addition to a kit of gardening tools. It is ah object of the present-invention to provide such a tool..

The present invention provides a gardening tool comprising a substantially planar metal member comprising two end portions and a centre portion united to said two end portions, one end portion having an edge shaped in a W-eonfiguration and the other end portion consisting of two end pieces and a centre piece therebetween, at least one of said end pieces having a triangular configuration, the side edges of said planar member diverging from said end portion having a W-configuration to said other end portion with an extension of one of said divergent edges forming one edge of ' said triangular end piece ahd said centre portion being provided upon one face thereof with rigid means' for attaching a handle thereto.

It is preferred that the centre piece of the other end portion of said planar metal member has a convex or concave configuration. In particular it is preferred that the central piece of the other end portion has a convex configuration whilst the extremities of the other end portion are constituted by triangular pieces.

The two outer edges of the W-configuration extend divergently towards the opposite end of the tool and extensions of these edges constitute the outer edges of said triangular pieces. These -24 313 5 two edges may be straight edges but it is preferred that at least one, and preferably both, of these edges be convex in shape. This is advantageous both for removing earth overlying a rose bush sucker in the course of tracing it back to its point of origin and for grubbing out other weeds that may be growing in the locality thereof. The preferred construction is a symmetrical one with the two inner edges of the W-eonfiguration of equal length and the two outer edges also of equal length.

The inner edges of the W-configuration as well as the edges of the other end portion of the tool are bevelled so as to provide suitable cutting edges. Any or all of the remaining edges of the planar metal member may also be bevelled.

The means for attaching a handle may be any suitable means for enabling a metal tube to be attached thereto or for enabling a stick to be mounted in predetermined position thereon. Trials have shown that for the present purpose it is desirable that the longitudinal axis of the handle should make an angle of from 18° to 30°, and more preferably 20° to 25° with the plane of the surface of the metal member. Such angles are most ., convenient for the correct manipulation of the tool. The handle of the tool must be rigid.

The planar metal member is conveniently made from ferrous metal, preferred materials being rust resisting iron or steel such as a steel containing 18^4 by weight of chromium and 8% by weight of nickel.

The means for attaching the handle is conveniently fused on to the planar member. Said means may be in the form of a section of a hollow cone, the narrow end of which is attached to the central portion of the planar metal member or alternatively it may be a cylindrical member, which is attached to a surface of the planar metal member.

The tool of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a planar view of one embodiment of the tool in accordance with the present invention, ι Figure 2 is a side elevation of the tool shown in Figure 1,.

Figure 3 is a planar view of a second embodiment of tool in accordance with the invention, Figure 4 is a planar view of a third embodiment of tool in accordance with the invention, and Figure 5 shows an alternative means for attaching a handle to the tool of the invention.

In the several figures like numbers denote corresponding par ts.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1 and 2 which illustrate a preferred form of tool in accordance with the invention. A planar tool piece generally designated 1 is provided with a handle piece 2 which is welded to the centre portion of piece 1 at 3. Tool piece 1 also comprises an end portion 4 and another end portion 5. Thei edge of end portion 4 has a W-configuration, the central V-shaped portion 6 of which is provided with cutting edges. The other end portion 5 of the tool piece consists of a pair of triangularshaped end-pieces9, 10 between which is located a central generally .V-shaped piece 11. As shown in Fig. 1 the two side edges 8 of the tool are of convex shape and the most widely separated portion of each of these edges respectively constitutes an outer edge of one of the triangular-shaped end pieces 9, . The edges 12, 13 of V-shaped piece 11 define an obtuse angle 14 and are also of convex shape.

Figure 5 illustrates an alternative method of mounting a handle upon the central portion of planar tool piece 1.

This requires a cylindrical member 15, open at at least the end nearer to end portion 5 and mounted upon a mounting member 16. The cylindrical member 15 may be provided with one or more holes through which a screw or screws pass into a wooden or metal handle.

Figure 3 shows a modified form of tool in which numerals 1-8 denote corresponding parts to those described in connection with Figure 1. In this embodiment however the tool is broader, relative to its length, than in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.

In addition the rearward triangular-shaped end-pieces 20, 21 have more acute apices than the corresponding end pieces 9, 10 of Figure 1 whilst the v-shaped portion 22 has a smoother curvature and lacks the angular feature of the V-shaped piece 11 shown in Fig. 1.

In Figure 4 there is shown a further modified form of the tool wherein numerals 1-8 again denote corresponding parts to those described in connection with Figure 1. In this embodiment however the edge 32 of the other end portion of the tool is formed with a smoothly curved concave edge with the result that the inner edge of each of triangular-shaped end pieces 30, 31 constitutes a part of the curved concave edge.

The handle piece 2 is intended to be rigidly attached to one end of a metal handle or to receive one end of a wooden or metal handle which may be secured thereto in any convenient manner. For general use, a handle 4 to 6 ft. in length is convenient, The cylinder 15 which can either be open or closed at the end nearer to the W-configuration is intended to have one end of a handle inserted therein which end is secured in predetermined position by one or more screws which pass through the wall of cylindrical member 15 and into contact with the handle inserted therein. The screw or screws may penetrate the handle.

The end portion of the tool having the W-configuration is intended to be used for severing suckers from the rootstock of a rose tree whilst the other edges of the tool, and particularly the' rearward portion of the embodiments of Figs. 1 and3 can be used for uncovering suckers and thus for discovering their point of origin on the root stock. - 5 35 In use'the tool is intended to be used by a gardener standing substantially erect gripping the handle. Soil obscuring a rose sucker is conveniently loosened and thrust aside by the backward and forward movement of the side edges 8 of the tool and this may be assisted by the use of convex-shaped portions 11 or 22 to, draw the earth to one side. Soil can be removed from around a sucker by the probing action of the points 10, 20 or 30 until· the point of union of the sucker with the root stock of thp bush has been exposed. When this has been done the sucker can be cut off at the point of union with the root stock by applying the point 6 thereto and exerting the necessary pressure to effect severance of the sucker. Such a tool has a special advantage in that it can be readily manipulated by many disabled persons who can stand but experience difficulty in kneeling or stooping.

The embodiments of the invention illustrated in Figs. and 3 can also be used to draw out a seed drill by inserting the convex shaped portion 11 in soil and drawing it through the surface whilst the points 10, 20 and 30 can be used to loosen seedling weeds. The latter has frequently to be done in rose beds and it is convenient to have one tool which can be used to carry out this additional function. These embodiments of the invention can, in fact, be used to perform a number of operations for which hoes are customarily employed and they can therefore be regarded as multipurpose tools.

Claims (6)

1. CLAIMS:1. A gardening tool comprising a substantially planar metal member comprising two end portions and a centre portion united to said two end portions, one end portion 5 having an edge shaped in a W-configuration and the other end portion consisting of two end pieces and a centre piece therebetween, at least one of said end pieces having a triangular configuration, the side edges of said planar member diverging from said end portion having a W-configuration lo to said other end portion with an extension of one of said divergent edges forming one edge of said triangular end piece and said centre portion being provided upon one face thereof with rigid means for attaching a handle thereto*

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1 in which the centre 15 piece of said other end portion has a convex edge.

3. A tool as claimed in claim 2 in which both end pieces of said other end portion are formed as triangular end pieces with an extension of each of said divergent edges forming an outer edge of each of said triangular pieces. ·.' 20

4. A tool as claimed in claim 3 in which both side edges of said planar member are convex.

5. A gardening tool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A gardening tool substantially as hereinbefore described 25 with reference to Figures 1 and 5i Figure 3 or Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.