US2520606A

US2520606A - Portable shovel

Info

Publication number: US2520606A
Application number: US92888A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur J Mcloughlin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-05-12
Filing date: 1949-05-12
Publication date: 1950-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 1967-08-29

Description

g- 1950 A. J. MOLOUGHLIN PORTABLE SHOVEL Filed May 12, 1949 INVENTOR.

ARTHUR J.Mc LOUGHLIN Patented Aug. 29, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE SHOVEL Arthur J. McLoughlin, Elmhurst, N. Y.

Application May 12, 1949, Serial No. 92,888

The invention described herein constitutes improvements in the portable material handling shovel disclosed in my United States Letters Patent Number 2,470,217, granted May 17, 1949. The shovel of the foregoing patent provided a front dump, and the improvements over the patented device comprehend: (1) the provision of a left, right and/or a front dump; (2) a foot lever for raising the shovel blade; (3) means for lock ing the scoop in load accumulating and carrying position until ready to dump; and (4) means for transporting the load. Other objects, including, but not limited to the foregoing improvements, such as the alleviation of the great physical strain inherent in bending, lifting, carrying and throwing material, such as snow, will be apparent after reading and understanding the description of the invention.

Briefly described, the improved shovel includes a boom, a handle-bar and handle on one end and a scoop on the other; an encasing and cooperating tube covering the mid-section of the boom, and tube having a running carriage mounted therebeneath; a foot lever attached to the. running gear for lifting the load, and means to permit dumping right, left, or front.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved shovel positioned to scoop material.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the shovel.

With reference to the drawings, the invention comprises what I refer to as a boom 5 consisting of an elongated rod which may be fabricated from a single piece of stock, for example aluminum, having the desired strength, rigidity and resistance to stress, with its upper end upturned to form a virtual extension or handle-bar 6, for the right hand, covered by a serrated handle grip I, for insulating the metal against cold. Handlebar or extension *6 may be provided in varying lengths to accommodate persons of different heights.

The opposite end of boom 5 carries a conventional scoop B for scooping and holding material to be moved and dumped.

The midsection of boom 5 is encased by and is turnable within a relatively heavy tubing 9, which may also be fabricated from aluminum, or like material, with said tubing having connected 2.

leg Ill medially thereof, having rigidly mounted therebeneath a fork II. Leg l9 and fork-ll may be formed of a one piece casting and the upper end of a leg Iii threaded into the T connection I2 having pin [3 and attached wing nut 14, shown in Fig. 2, inserted through these members when 7 Claims. (01. 37-430) the leg is threaded home, to lock said leg in place and facilitate dismounting of and transporting the shovel.

Journalled in the ends of the fork l l is an axle l5 on the opposite ends ofwhich are mounted wheels I6, and rigidly connected to'and extending from opposite sides of the lower extremities of fork II, at a angle in relation to the axis thereof, is disposed a U-shaped foot lever l1.

Extending from tube 9, on the opposite side of leg I0, I provide a handle-bar I 8 with handle l9 and this member, as best shown in Fig. 2 extends at an acute angle laterally of the axis of the scoop 8, to facilitate manipulation of the shovel by the left hand. Handle l9 may be made of wood, hard rubber, or similar material.

The lower end of a handle-bar I8 is threaded in and engageable with complemental' threads through tubing 9, with the said lower end frictionally engaging and locking rod 5 against turning when handle-bar I8 is given about a half turn to right.

In moving material, for example snow, I have found as an expedient, to prevent snow from' adhering to the scoop 8, that preliminarily coating with paraifine wax will last a winter season and snow will not stick to the scoop in even small amounts.

In operating the invention, the handles 1 and [9, (in locked position) are grasped with the right and left hands and movably carried on rod 5 and tubing 9, respectively with the entire structure carried on leg l0, fork ll, axle l5 and wheels l6, which may be styled the running gear. The scoop 8 is then pushed into an accumulation of snow until loadedp Foot lever I1 is then depressed, raising the oppositely disposed load; the

load is then wheeled to the place it is to be dumped, and the handles I and i9 manipulated to turn the shovel right or left. Handle 19 is then given a turn to the left, unlocking rod 5, and the handle 1 turned right or left. to 'dump the load by gravity.

The procedure-just described may be varied after the snow has been loaded, as follows:' the shovel may be loaded andif it is desired to frontdump the scoop, the shovel may be given a quick forward push of a few inches and the load will fly off the blade.

I have found that the shovel is 'a boon to the harried householder'who has to shovel snow from his sidewalks and driveways, whichtoo often, is not only an arduous task, but work permanently straining the heart, and oftentimes with fatal results. The great incident of hernia is directly traceable, in many cases, to shoveling materials,

particularly snow. There is no lifting, straining,

fabricated from readily available materials. I.

have mentioned aluminum as one material, but this is illustrative, not limitative. The low cost of the shovel will enable the vast majority of home owners and others to buy it.

While I have described snow as one material to be moved, the shovel can manifestly be employed for other materials, i. e.: sand, refuse, coal, etc.

I reserve the right to make such changes and V modifications as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 7

r 1. A portable material handling shovel including: a boom, having a handle on one end, a scoop on' the other end and a midsection therebetween;

'to the tube; said handle bar operative to lock the boom against turning and operative to unlock the boom to permit turning.

2. A portable material handling shovel including: a rod like boom, having an upstanding handle v on one end, a scoop on the other, and a relatively straight mids ection; an elongated tube enclosing thefmidsection of the boom, the tube having a handle bar projecting outwardly and upwardly therefrom and carrying a handle, the boom turnable within the tube; running gear disposed be-- neath and rigidly connected'to the tube; the latter handle bar threaded through the tube to frictionally engage the boom to prevent turning 'thereof and adapted to be manipulated todisengage the boom and permit turning thereof, and

means attached to the running gear adapted to be depressed to raise the scoop when loaded.

3. A portable material handling shovel including: a red like boom, having an upstanding handle on one end, a scoop on the other, and a relatively straight midsection; a tube enclosing the midsec-' tion of the boom and having a handle bar projecting outwardly and upwardly at a relatively acute angle therefrom and carrying a handle; running gear disposed beneath and rigidly connected to the tube; the handle bar threaded through the tube to frictionally engage the boom and adapted to be turned to permit the boom to turn; and means attached to the running gear for raising the scoop.

4. A portable material handling shovel including: a boom having one end bent upwardly and carrying a handle at the endthereof and a scoop on the other for scooping and carrying material, i and a relatively straight midsection; a tube enclosing the midsection of the boom and having a handle bar projecting from one end thereof and at an acute angle therefrom and carrying a handle, with the midsection of the boom revolvable within the tube; a running gear disposed beneath and rigidly connected to the tube; the last mentioned handle bar threaded through the tube to frictionally engage the boom and adapted to be turned to permit the boom and its cooperatively mounted scoop to be turned right or left to dump the material carried by the scoop, and means attached to the running gear and in parallelism with the tube, for lifting the loaded scoop.

5. A portable shovel including: a rod like boom having one end bent upwardly and provided with a handle, a scoop mounted on the other end and a relatively straight midsection therebetween; a 7

tube enclosing the midsection of the boom and having a handle bar projecting outwardly and upwardly therefrom and carrying a handle; running gear disposed medially beneath and rigidly connected to the tube; a foot lever rigidly connected to the running gear, and disposed in parallelism with the tube; the second mentioned handle bar threaded through the wall of the tube to frictionally engage the boom and adapted to be turned to disengage the boom to permit manip'ulation of the first mentioned handle bar to turn the scoop right or left to dump material carried on the scoop; the foot lever adapted to be depressed to raise the shovel when loaded.

'6. A portable shovel including: a rod like boom having one end upturned and provided with a handle, a scoop mounted on the other end and a relatively straight midsection therebetween; a tube enclosing the mids'ection of the boom and having an elongated handle bar projecting outwardly and upwardly therefrom at a relatively acute angle and carrying a handle; running gear rigidly connected to and beneath the tube comprising a leg, and a fork carrying a pair of axially 'mounted wheels; a foot lever consisting of a U upturned and. forming a handle, the opposite end carrying a shovel, the midsection of the boom encased in and adapted to turn within an elongated tubing; said tubing being medially and rigidly connected to and supported on running gear disposed below and medially of said'tubing, said gear provided with a foot lever extending from the opposite sides thereof, below and in relative parallelism with the tubing and boom; a handle bar and handle extending from the upper end of the tubing and therethrough and engageable with the boom, and adapted to be manipulated to dump the scoop; the foot lever adapted to be depressed to raise the scoop.

ARTHUR J. MCLOUGHLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 585,632 Reese June 29, 1897 7 2,441,449 Shaw l May 11, 1948