US2031556A - Shovel - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 18, 1936. EC. BRAN'DENBURG 2,031,556

SHOVEL 7 Filed July 31, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR A TTORNE Y5.

Feb. 18, 1936. F. c. BRAN-DENBURG sHovEL Filed July 31, 1 953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR r I W A TTOR/VEYS.

Patented Feb. 18, 1936 UNITED $TATES PATENT OFFICE SHOVEL Application July 31, 1933, Serial No. 683,002

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shovels.

One object of the invention is to make a shovel of simpler and lighter construction than has heretofore been possible in making a shovel capable of doing the same work. Another object is to make a shovel that is capable of doing the work, and standing the strains that are commonly imposed on the highest class of shovels, at a lower cost than that of said higher class shovels.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be seen or pointed out as a detailed description of the invention proceeds.

I shall now describe my improved shovel and the manner of making it, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my shovel, looking toward the front of the blade;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the blade in a partly finished state, looking toward the back of the blade;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a plate adapted to cover the deep recess in the back of the blade resulting from forming the blade and handlesocket from a single piece of sheet metal;

Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of my improved shovel;

Fig. 5 is a View looking squarely at the back of the shovel;

Fig. 6 is a detail of construction;

Fig. 7 is another'detail of construction;

Fig. 8 is yet another detail of construction, and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a die for Welding the recess-cover by pressure.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the blade and handle-socket 26 are formed with dies from a single piece of sheet metal. This is not altogether new, it having been common practice for a long time to make one-piece shovels, known as open-back shovels. In the stage shown in Fig. 2 the upper edges or shoulders 21 of the blade are provided with backwardly extending flanges 28, which flanges are continuations of the margins 29 on the longitudinal extension of the blade which,

when formed into a tubular member, produces the handle-socket 26. Referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the juncture of the blade 25 and socket 26 is produced by a frog 30, so called, doubtless, from its resemblance to the frog of a horses hoof. The handle-socket 26 evolves from this frog, the extension of the blade which forms the socket being bent into tubular form, with its edges abutting, as in Figs. 2 and 5. At 32 these edges begin to separate-(see Fig. 2) and by a curvilinear divergence join the flanges 28 on the shoulders of the blade.

The frog rising from the front of the blade leaves a deep recess 35 in the back of the blade, which recess joins the hollow of the handle socket,'and an important feature of my invention is 1 the covering of this recess, and also the cleft 36 formed by the divergence of the edges 29 at the lower end of the socket. For this purpose I use a cover-plate 31, shown in Fig. 3. The main part of this plate has a shape resembling the head of .a spear (see Fig. 5), which part covers the recess 35, its edges overlapping and being welded to the margin of the recess. From the upper end of the cover-plate an extension or tongue 38 extends into the handle-socket, closing the cleft 36. (See Fig. 5). This tongue continues beyond the point 32,-where the cleft begins, and lies against the inner wall of the socket. Only the part 31 is welded to the blade, as is seen at 39 in Fig. 5. After this weld is made 'the' flanges 28 are bent or pressed down over the shoulders of the coverplate and the edges of the tongue, as in Fig. 5. Thus a substantially smooth exterior is formed. The plate is vbulged slightly outwardly to stiffen it, and-prevent it sinking inward when it is welded. Thisbulgeis carried into the bend 40, at which point the tongue 38 begins, and beyond "thi s'bulg'ed bend the tongue has a curvature that conforms to the substantially cylindrical curvature of the socket, thus allowing the tongue to lie snugly against the inner wall thereof.

In addition to covering the cleft 36, the tongue .38 reinforces the shovel materially. In Fig. 4 a wooden plug 4| is driven into the socket between the tongue and the back of the socket. In various classes of Work shovels are subjected to severe strains tending to break the blades from the sockets, or injure the shovels in other ways. For instance, in railroad track work, shovels are frequently used as levers. That is, with the end of the blade under a tie and the heel resting on the ground, bearing down on the handle gives the blade great lifting power, but at the same time subjects the connection between the blade and socket to severe strain. This particular strain tends to straighten the frog in the region indicated at 66, Fig. 4, which tendency is opposed by the extremity of the tongue 38 bearing on the plug 4|. Obviously, areverse strain, that isa strain tending to increase the curvature in the region indicated at 60, will cause the extremity of the tongue to bear hard against the back of the socket and thereby resist the strain. In

eithe case the tongue reinforces the other parts 55 of the shovel, reduces the strain on the weld at 39, Fig. 5, and elsewhere, and adds very materially to the capacity of the shovel to resist strains. The capacity of the tongue to resist strains is much increased by its being bent to conform to the cylindrical curvature of the socket, and by the bulge which is incorporated in the bend 40.

If desired the tongue 38 might be welded to the socket and the plug M omitted. The tongue would still serve as a reinforcement, but less effectively than where the plug 4| is used. Using the plug as shown in Fig. 4 permits a small amount of relative longitudinal movement between the socket and tongue, which serves to distribute or equalize the strains over a considerable area of the structure. In other words, it introduces an element of flexibility that protects the structure from concentration of strains, such as have been found most destructive to shovels. Instead of using the wooden plug, the end of the tongue may be formed with laterally extending wings which, when formed into a ring, as at 42 in Figs. I and 8, serve the same purpose as the plug 4|.

In Fig. 4 the socket is fitted with a stale 43, which is secured in the usual way with rivets M. The portion of the socket containing the stale is preferably made straight, so a straight stale can be used. This reduces the cost of manufacture, and facilitates replacing the stale should it be broken. It is quite common, however, to extend the stale farther into the socket, in which case it would be. necessary to bend the stale. This is so common in the art, and so well understood, that it is not necessary to illustrate it. If the stale is inserted far enough! to cause its end to pass the end of the tongue 38, it will serve the purpose of the plug 41, or of the ring 42.

While I have described what I now regard as the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is not to be understod that I am limited thereto. My invention is only limited by the appended claims, which are as follows:

1. In a shovel, a blade and a handle-socket formed from a single piece of sheet metal, the metal at the juncture of the blade and socket being bent to form a frog that rises from the front of the blade and evolves into the socket, leaving a deep depression in the back of the blade, which depression joins the hollow of the socket, the socket being an elongate extension of the frog, which extension is bent to a tubular form with its edges abutting, this abutting relationship continuing to a point near said recess, where the edges separate and by a curvilinear divergence join the shoulders of the blade, leaving a cleft in the lower end of the socket, and a cover for said recess, having a tongue that projects into the socket to serve as a cover for said cleft, the margins of the recess-cover being welded to the margins of the recess, and means within the socket to hold the tongue and socket in movable contact comprising a short driven plug separate from the handle and having such size and fit that the tongue and the socket are normally held in fixed relationship but capable of relative movement in contact when the shovel is deformed.

2. In a shovel, a blade and a handle-socket formed from a single piece of sheet metal, the metal at the juncture of the blade and socket being bent to form a frog that rises from the front of the blade and evolves into the socket, leaving a deep depression in the back of the blade,

which depression joins the hollow of the socket, the socket being an elongate extension of the frog, which extension is bent to a tubular form with its edges abutting, this abutting relationship continuing to a point near said recess Where the edges separate and by a curvilinear divergence join flanges on the shioulders of the blade, leaving a cleft in the lower end of the socket, and a cover for said recess, having a tongue that projects into the socket and serves as a cover for said cleft, the margins of the recess-cover being welded to the margins of the recess, and means within the socket to hold the tongue and socket in movable contact comprising a short driven plug separate from the handle and having suchl size and fit that the tongue and the socket are normally held in fixed relationship but capable of relative movement in contact when the shovel is deformed.

3. In a shovel comprising a blade and a tubular handle-socket formed from a single piece of sheet metal, a reinforcing member welded to the back of the blade and having a tongue that extends into the socket a substantial distance beyond the point where the lower curved edges of the socket meet, said tongue having a curved surface providing a substantial area of contact with the inner surface of the handle socket, and means fitting Within said handle socket to maintain said surfaces in contact over a substantial area during relative sliding movements of said tongue with respect to said socket in response to deformations of the shovel during use.

,4. In a shovel comprising a blade and a tubular handle-socket, a reinforcing member welded to the back of the blade and having a tongue that extends into the socket, said tongue carrying a ring on its free end which fits the interior of the socket, said tongue being so arranged with reference to the blade and socket that any strain:

tending to flex the blade or socket, either with reference to the other, must. also tend to flex said tongue with reference to. the blade, thereby causing the tongue to resist said strain.

5. In an open back shovel comprising a blade and a tubular handle socket, a reenforcing cover member for the back opening, said member being outwardly bulged about a longitudinal axis and being bent transversely along a line which substantially underlies the upper edge of said blade to form a substantially flat shovel back throughout the projected area of the blade, said member being rigidly fastened to said blade below said transverse bend and having its portion above said bend formed in a tongue received in said handle socket, said tongue having a curved surface providing a substantial area of contact with the inner surface of the handle socket, and means fitting within said handle socket to maintain said surfaces in contact over a substantial area during relative sliding movements of said tongue with respect to said socket in response to deformations of the shovel during use.

6. An open back shovel comprising a blade and a tubular handle socket, a reinforcing cover member for the back opening, said member being rigidly fastened to said blade and having a portion formed into a tongue a substantial part of which is received within said handle socket, and means within said socket interposed between said tongue and the opposing wall of said socket, the said means and tongue providing a non-rigid reinforcement having contact with the walls of the socket over a substantial area and permitting relative shifting movement of said tongue with respect to said socket effective to distribute deforming stresses along the socket in resisting forces tending to deform the shovel during use.

7. An open back shovel comprising a blade and a tubular handle socket, a reinforcing cover member for the back opening, said member being rigidly fastened to the back of said blade and having a tongue portion extending upwardly toward said handle socket and being received 10 within said handle socket, means within the socket interposed between said tongue and the opposing wall of said socket, the said means and tongue providing a non-rigid reinforcement for the socket permitting relative movement between said tongue and means upon application of deforming stresses, contact between said tongue and means being eifective to resist and to distribute deforming stresses.

FRANCIS C. BRANDENBURG.

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