NZ197817A - Garden hoe - Google Patents

Description

1978 t 7 tGra 0 vfj * ;Complete Specification Filed: ;Class: .AQ^I-QQ ;Publication Date: ... .2.4. AU&198& ;. P.O. Journal, l\lo: . ;HZ. PATENT O^FtSiE ;6^——Mill -»■■!■ ■ ! ■' I Ml" 'i"?b ;J ;Patents Porm No. 5. ;Patents Act 1955 ;COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "Garden Tool" ;I, JAMES BICKNSLL McINTOSH, of 24 Besant Place, Christchurch, New Zealand, a citizen of New Zealand, hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement ;_ 1 _ ;197817 ;The present invention relates to a garden tool intended for breaking up large clods of earth and smoothing the soil. ;Soil which has been dug over with a spade or fork often remains in clods, especially if the soil is fairly heavy, and it is necessary to break up these clods before planting seeds or plants. ;The present invention provides a garden tool comprising: a first plate having a second plate secured thereto along or adjacent one edge thereof, the planes of said first and second plates being substantially mutually perpendicular, and a handle one end of which is on the opposite side to said second plate rigidly secured to said first plate adjacent said one edge thereof, such that the longitudinal axis of said handle is substantially perpendicular to said first plate and substantiall parallel to said' second plate. ;Preferably, said first and second plates are formed integrally with each other. Preferably also, the edge of the second plate furthest from the handle is inclined towards the first plate at an angle in the range 0° - 45° (more preferably, 0° - 15°) relative to the plane of the remainder of the second plate. As used herein, the term 'substantially perpendicular1 means 90° ± 10°. ;By way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which ;Fig.1 is a side view of the garden tool of the present invention; ;Fig.2 is a plan view of the tool of Fig.l; and ;1978 1 7 ;Figs. 3, 4 & 5 are sketches on a reduced scale, showing the tool in use. ;Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a garden tool 2 comprises a handle 3 mounted in a socket 4 secured to a first plate 5 which is formed integrally with a second plate 6. The plane of the first plate 5 is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle 3, and the plane of the second plate 6 is substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis and substantially perpendicular to the plane of the first plate 5- The socket 4 is located half-way along the length of the first plate 5> close to the second plate 6. ;The free edge 8 of the second plate 6 is inclined towards the first plate 5 at an angle 'a' to the remainder of said second plate. The angle 'a* is shown as 15°, and may be in the range 0°-45°.

The lengths and widths of the plates 5 and 6 may be varied as required, depending upon whether the tool is for use in e.g. small flower-beds or in e.g. a large vegetable garden. For the latter use, plates 5 and 6 250 mm long, with plate 5 75 mm in width, and plate 6 45 mm in width, have been found satisfactory.

Turning now to Fig.4, the tool 2 is used to break up large clods 10 as shown:- the user holds the handle 3 so that the edge 8 of the plate 6 contacts the soil, and moves the tool up and down in the directions indicated by arrows A, moving the plate 6 in the soil with a total movement of about 80 mm. The plate 6 need not be withdrawn 1 97 8 1 from the soil. The user moves backwards, in the direction of arrow B, working the tool in the soil in this manner. The plate 6 bites into the clods 10, breaking them up, and the plate 5 turns the broken-up portions over, deflecting them downwards in the direction of arrow C and producing a relatively smooth, even, tilth. The plate 6 also shears off weeds as it is worked up and down in the soil.

Pig.3 shows the tool being used to further refine relatively smooth soil:- in this case the plate 6 is driven more deeply into the soil, but the tool otherwise is used as described with reference to Fig.4. It will be appreciated that the tool requires little energy to use, because the amount of movement of the tool in the soil is small, and the tool need not be lifted out of the soil at each stroke, but rather is allowed to slide into and out of the soil.

Fig.5 shows the tool being used for smoothing soil in which all the clods have already been "broken up e.g. by the method of Fig.4. For this, the tool is turned so that the free edge of the plate 5 contacts the soil and the user moves the tool backwards and forwards in the directions of arrows D, smoothing the surface of the soil.

Claims (6)

197817 WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A garden tool comprising: a first plate having a second plate secured thereto along or adjacent one edge thereof, the planes of said first and second plates being substantially mutually perpendicular, and a handle one end of which is on the opposite side to said second plate rigidly secured to said first plate adjacent said one edge thereof, such that the longitudinal axis of said handle is substantially perpendicular to said first plate and substantially parallel to said second plate.

2. The garden tool as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the second plate is formed integrally,with the first plate.

3. The garden tool as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the free edge of the second plate is inclined towards the first plate at an angle in the range 0° - 45° relative to the remainder of the second plate.

4. The garden tool as claimed in Claim 3 wherein said angle of inclination is 15°.

5. The garden tool as claimed in any.one of claims ' / 1 to 4 wherein said handle is located half-way along the length of the said first plate.

6. A garden tool substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings. JAMES BICKNELL McINTOSH by his authorised agents P.L. BERRY & ASSOCIATES - 5 -