US554433A - Pruning implement - Google Patents

Description

1 G n W. mm Ym & m m W U 'R (No Model.)

nted Feb. .11

UNITED TATES l ATENT Fries.

YVILLI AM S. YOUNG, OF LORDSBURG, CALIFORNIA.

PRUNING IMPLEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,433, dated February 11, 1896 Application filed July 10,1895. Serial No. 555,565. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. YOUNG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lords burg, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and usef Lil Pruning-Rod, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in pruningdniives, and has for its object to simplify and improve the construction of devices of the character referred to, with a view to obtaining an implement which is practically extensible and wherein provision is also made for increasing or diminishing the length of the pull-rod.

The above object, together with other objects and advantages of the invention, will be more fully described in the subjoined specification.

The invention consists in a pruning-fork of improved construction, wherein are embodied certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement ofparts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of an improved pruning implement constructed in accordance with this invention. tion showing the manner in which the sections thereof telescope.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures of thc.drawings.

- Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the stock or handle of the implement, which is preferably made of wood and has secured thereto a metal plate or casting 2, having integrally-formed twin lugs, between which is pivoted the short arm of a T- shaped lever 3, by means of which the pruning'knife is vibrated in a manner that will hereinafter appear. The handle or stock 1 is preferably round in cross-section and reduced in diameter at its upper end to receive the lower or inner end of a metal tube 4, which is united thereto in any convenient manner. The tube 4 may be made of any desired length, according to the length of pruningrod it is desired to construct, and the same is provided at suitable intervals with guiding loops or eyes 5, through which the pull rod or wire reciprocates.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sec-' 6 designates the sliding knife rod or pole, which may be either of wood or metal, the same being of a length corresponding to the length of the tube et'and of a diameter adapting the same to fit snugly and slide readily therein. Upon the outer end of this pole is secured the pruning-hook, which comprises twin plates 7, curved at their outer ends and extending in parallel relation to each other to form the usual hook, within which the knife operates, the inner or lower ends of said plates diverging to embrace the doubly tapering extremity of the knife-pole and being secured thereto by means of rivets or other fastening devices.

The knife or cutter (indicated at 8) may be of any preferred form, having the usual rounded cutting-edge and being pivoted between the twin plates 7 upon a pin or screw 9, arranged in such manner as to cause the knife or cutter to produce a shearing cut in a manner well understood by those familiar with the art to which this invention appertains. It has been usual heretofore to extend a pull rod or wire, made in a single piece, from the rear endof such knife or cutter to the hand-lever at the base or butt of the implement. In this invention, however, I make such pull rod or wire in two separate sections, one of which is pivotally connected with the knife and the other with the hand-lever. The section 10 which connects with the knife is approximately of the same length as the knife pole and is formed at predetermined intervals with eyes or coils 11, into any one of which may be inserted the hooked end of the other or lower section 12 of the pull rod or wire, said lower section also corresponding approximately in length to the upper section. A spiral spring 13 is interposed between the eye or coil 11, at the outer end of the implement, and a suitable screw-eye 14:, the tension of which is exerted to draw the upper pullrod section upward for the purpose of holding the knife open in the manner shown in the drawings.

15 designates a thumb screw, which passes through the upper end of the tube 4:, and bears at its inner end against the knife-pole for holding the latter at any desired adjustment.

The operation. of the device is as follows: When it is desired to lengthen the implement, the hooked end of the lower pull-rod section is disengaged from the eye of the upper section and the thumb-screw loosened, thus allowing the knife-pole to be drawn outwardly from the tube 4. It will be noticed that a notch 16 is formed in the outer end of the tube 4, and that the knife-pole 6 is marked at intervals by suitable tack-heads 17, which are designed to enable the operator to bring the knife-pole into the desired relation to the tube 4:. By now drawing the knife-pole outward until the next mark is visible in the notch 16, and tightening the thumb-screw 15,

the hooked end of the lower pull-rod section may be passed through the next succeeding eye or coil of the upper pull-rod section. In this manner the length of the pruning implement may be increased and diminished with ease and rapidity thus extending the usefulness of the article and adapting the same as well for pruning trees and high branches as lower bushes, shrubbery, &c.

It will be understood that the pruning implement may be made of any length and that the upper pull-rod section may be provided with any desired number of eyes or coils for effecting a corresponding number of adj ustments of the length of the implement. By reason of the particular form of hand-lever employed for operating the pruning-knife the necessity for removing the hand from the stock or handle of the implement at each cut to grasp said lever is obviated, as said lever may be always grasped by the fingers and may be operated with ease and rapidity, thus enabling the operator to accomplish a greater amount of work in a specified time.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A pruning implement made in telescopic sections so as to be extensible, in combination with an extensible pull rod or wire interposed between the knife and operating handle or lever, said pull-rod being made in sections one of which is provided with eyes and the other with a hooked end or finger which may be engaged with any one of said eyes, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination with a telescopic pruning implement, of an extensible pull rod or wire interposed between the pruning-knife and the operating lever or handle, said pullrod being formed in two separate sections one of which is connected with the knife and formed with eyes or coils at suitable intervals throughout its length, and the other connected with the operating lever or handle and formed with a hook or finger for engaging one of said eyes or coils, and a tension-spring connected with and interposed between the outer pullrod section and the knife-pole, all combined and arranged substantially as set forth.

3. An extensible telescopic pruning implement, comprising a suitable handle, atube secured thereto, a telescopic knife-pole sliding within the same and carrying a pruning hook and knife, a set-screw for holding the knife-pole at any desired adjustment with relation to said tube, an operating-lever pivotally attached to the handle of the implement, and an extensible pull-rod interposed between the pruning-knife and the operating-lever and connected therewith, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aifixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM S. YOUNG.

Witnesses:

E. C. KNOTT, L. H. BIXBY.

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