US1328063A - Weeder - Google Patents

Description

J. M. ST. JOHN. WEEDER.

ARPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1917.

1,328,063. Patented Jan. 13, 192 0.

I" I v 7.

zJ t J 10 7 3w 9 JUSTIN M. ST. JOHN, OIE CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

WEEDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

Application filed June 21, 1917. Serial No. 175,990.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JUSTIN M. ST. J OHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of. Llnn and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Weeders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skllled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to implements for the pulling of weeds and has for 1ts ob ect to produce a weeder of very slmple and 1nexpensive construction, which is adapted to easily and rapidly extract such weeds as dandelion, plantain, and the like, removing the whole root, and but little of the ad acent soil.

The nature of the invention is fully disclosed in the description and claims following, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of a weeder embodying the invention, in' position for use.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, in weedholdingposition. 3 is a view 1n perspective, showing a simple type of e ector. Fig. 4: is a section through the handle, showing the top of the head, with the foot bracket attached to the head and handle. Fig. 5 is a section in a vertical plane through the middle of the head and bracket. Figs. 6 and 7 are sections diagonal to the head, and showing both straight and ncurved prongs. Figs. 8 and 9 are bottom views of the figures just above them. I

To a wooden handle 1, which both for lightness and cheapness is preferred to metal, is attached the working head of the tool. In practice this is formed of a square of sheet metal 2, pierced equidlstantly at three or more points, preferably four, to receive as many prongs 3. 'Thes'e may be ordinary wire spikes, those known as 16- penny being well suited to the purpose. The heads of these spikes are held 1n place by folding over two opposite corners 4 of the squares, as shown in Fig. 4. One corner is folded back to an oblique posltion, as shown at 5, and serves as a slight brace for the head as attached to the handle, as well as to give a finished appearance to the back side of the head. To the other, flat cornerfi, is riveted a right-angled bracket 7, which serves as one of the principal means for attaching the head to the handle, and as a foot-piece, when foot pressure on the tool is required. The head is. also securedto the handle by a wood-screw 8, as shown in Fig. 5. As hung in the head the spikes may move freely in any direction except endwise.

Attached to a suitable push-rod, which will be described resently, is a foot-plate 9, pierced to recelve the prongs, but with shorter spaces between the holes than are those of the head, so that normally, with the foot at the lower ends of the prongs, in working position, as shown in Fig. 1, the prongs converge somewhat. The footplate is secured rigidly to a push-rod 10, of which Fig. 3 is one of the simplest type, being a loop of stout wire, outturned at 11 for a hand-piece,.and clenched at 12 through holes in the foot-plate. This serves the purpose very well, if the tool be used with care, and is inexpensive in manufacture, being attached slidably to the sides of the handle by staples, as indicated. But as the prongs mayswing freely in any direction, the push-rod must also serve as their sole support against lateral movement, and a still more objectionable tendency to twist. The type of push-rod shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is therefore preferred in practice. This is the hardware stock known as halfoval, and has the desired stifiness edgewise, and is also strong enough in the other direction for all practical purposes. This is riveted fast to the foot-plate, two rivets being used, to positively prevent any twist of the late. The body of the push-rod may pass through notches 13 or holes 14 in the head, and also be held slidably under ears 15 of a band 16 attached to the handle. Or wide staples may be used, as they have been in actual manufacture. Part way up the handle the side members of the rod are shown riveted to a sleeve 17 free to slide on the handle. The sleeve serves for the convenient connection of a light spring 1.8, whose other end may be attached adjustably to the lower part of the handle," as to staples 19. The upper end of the long leg of the push-rod might end as a simple ham" piece, as does thepush-rod shown in Fig. 3, and this ordinarily serves very well for a sureon the hand-lever.

direct hand-piece by which to eject the weed. 7 been found practically necessary to provide leverage for the initial movement in ejecting the weed. It will sometimes happen that a large, tough root will be caught by the prongs and gripped so tightly that the foot-plate can only be started from its frictional position by .either a smart blow or forcible pressure on the push-rod. The latter is supplied by a vshort hand-lever 20, whose foot is mounted to run on a stirrup 21 attached to the handle. Once started, the movement of the ejector is easy. In Fig. 2 the lever is shown in position for starting, which may be done with little pres- The tilt of the lever is limited in both directions, a loop or shoulder 22 of the push-rod abutting at 23 in one position, and at 24c inthe other. When the latter takes place the lever v of course slides along the stirrup.

It is; to be noted that the spring 18' is a mere auxiliary to the manual operation of ejecting the weed. To depend upon a spring to overcome the frictional grip of the i foot-plate on the prongs is regarded as im practical, since experiment has shown that in some cases a pressure of from to 4O pounds is required to release this grip, and to overcome this pressure each time in weeding is to impose too much labor on the operator. As. the tool herein described is manufactured, the light spring is dispensed with, its only practical use, being to throvv the ejector afterbeing manually started, so the operator need not move the hand so far in the ejecting operation. To that extent its action is very satisfactory, but as no catch for the push-rod in gripping position isneeded or desired, the'presence of the spring would cause trouble unless the operator were careful each time to push down hard enough to overcome its tension by the frictional grip of the foot-plate. This is needless in light weeding, for under all conditions, and whether the working push be light or heavy, the frictional grip may be depended upon to hold 'thefingers (prongs) convergedjand thus prevent the escape of the inclosed root. j

It is also regarded as important that the fingers be stiff. If made flexible, their elas:

In actual service, however, it has found to be best, since they draw together very closely, as shown in Fig. 9. making two of the fingers long and the other pair short, as shown in Fig. 6 both pairs will close tightly together, as indicated in Fig. 8.

By forming the fingers with incurves, as shown in Fig. 7 a somewhat longer gripon the root may be obtained, the construction being better adapted for small than for large roots.

Unless the ground be very dry and hard the foot bracket is not needed, the.,toolworking very easily, and the pressure of one hand being ordinarily suflicient. The bracket cannotwell be dispensed with, however, and its presence makes it possible for the operator to overdo the pressure, which has a tendency to force the prongs together with a twist, lapping past each other at the points. This is not only bad for the tool,

but is apt toperinit the escape sidewise of the root sought to be pulled. To prevent this the movement of the foot plate on the prongs is limited by a'stop 25,.so=located as'to permitthepoints of the prongs to fully converge radially, but not to cross each other.

Having thus described my invention, I I

claim: I 'I g p "1. A weedeiy comprismg a l1ead, a series of prongs mounted loosely there1n, a footplate cooperating with the prongs and head 1- to converge the points of the prongsfas they are projected through said plate, and a guide for said foot-plate.

2. A weeder, comprising a head, a series of rigid prongs mounted loosely therein, afootplate through which the prongs project at a converging angle,- and means adapted to guide the foot-plate'axially with respect to thehead; i" is 3. A weeder, comprisinga head, a series of rigid prongs mounted loosely therein, a foot-plate through which th prongs project at 1 a converging angle, and means adapted toguide the foot-plate axially with respect to the head, and without rotary motion, :1

whereby the prongs are caused to converge connected prongs normally converging v downwardly, a foot-plate slidable. thereon, and a *co'nnectedm push-rod, a hand-lever connected with the. push-rod, andi'having a limited pivotal movement thereon, and a stirrup attached to the handle, and forming 1 a slide-bearing and term'inalstops for said lever.

'6. In a weeder, the combination of a liendle, head, connected, loosely hung prongs,

a f00t-p1ate holding the prongs in normally In testimony whereof I aflb; my signature cfinverging poslition, and1 slidable along in presence of tWo Witnesses.

t em, a manna 1y operab e push-rod connected with the foot-plate and adapted to JUSTIN JOHN prevent axial rotation thereof, and a stop Witnesses:

to limit the upward movement of the foot S. M. LANGWORTHY,

plate. JAMES O. BREDLE'.

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