WO2018069698A1

WO2018069698A1 - Garden hand-tool

Info

Publication number: WO2018069698A1
Application number: PCT/GB2017/053071
Authority: WO
Inventors: David MANDALL
Original assignee: Dig My Bed Limited
Priority date: 2016-10-12
Filing date: 2017-10-11
Publication date: 2018-04-19
Also published as: GB2554886B; GB201617284D0; GB2554886A

Abstract

A novel garden hand tool head (10) comprises a fork frame (2) with handle mount (1) and upper frame member (3) with multiple tines (4a, 4b) extending down therefrom and with a blade (5) positioned between the lower ends of adjacent tines, the blade having a leading edge (6) set back from the pointed ends of the tines, and a trailing edge (7) towards the upper frame member and a grille 8 extending between the adjacent tines in the space between the trailing edge (7) and the upper frame member(3), the grille having a plurality of dividing elements (9) extending between the adjacent tines thereby defining a mesh for grating and through which soil may pass in use. Tools using such tool heads and integral blade and grille units are also disclosed.

Description

Garden Hand-Tool

The present invention relates to a novel hand tool, principally intended for garden use, in a similar manner to conventional garden tools, such as garden forks, spades and the like.

Typically, and probably over hundreds of years, gardeners will have had in their sheds a range of hand tools for working the soil, commonly including at least a garden fork, a garden spade, a hoe and a rake. A gardener will frequently have to use each of these implements in turn when digging and preparing soil. The designs of such tools are familiar and well- established, with little variations in designs. There may be differences in sizes of the tool heads and some tools may be all made of metal, with head and handle welded or formed together, whilst others may have replaceable handles of wood or plastic.

Typically, a gardener digging over a bed will use multiple tools in turn, from a fork to loosen the soil, a spade to turn the soil, a sieve to remove large stones and plant roots, to a hoe and a rake to level the ground ready for replanting. This necessarily requires carrying a lot of tools to and fro and swapping around in use.

There have been some attempts to modify the conventional designs, but these have not offered any significant advantages to have gained much popularity. In 1910, US Patent 965,736 disclosed a grading fork-like implement with a hinged frame enabling the space between tines to be altered for grading fruit and vegetables. In 1990, GB2250170 described a plastic tool with a shovel-like portion provided with sieve apertures in an upper half and multiple tines extending in the lower half. In 1995, GB 2306094 proposed welding short tines onto the bottom of a conventional spade. None of these designs has proven practical for any widespread use or enduring popularity.

The present invention, as defined in the appended claims, in its various embodiments, and with additional features, provides an innovative advance in garden tool design offering very significant improvements in utility and flexibility in use.

In a principal embodiment, the invention provides a garden tool head with a handle mount and a fork frame with multiple fork tines extending down from a lateral upper frame member (similar to a conventional garden fork design), with the addition of a blade positioned between adjacent tines away from the upper frame member and closer to the lower ends of the tines, the blade having a leading edge towards the pointed ends of the tines and a trailing edge away from the pointed ends, with the leading edge of the blade set back from the points of the adjacent tines, and with a grille extending between the adjacent tines in the space between the trailing edge of the blade up towards the upper frame member, the grille having a plurality of dividing elements between the adjacent tines, thereby defining a mesh with multiple gaps through which soil may pass in use. For practical purposes the grille will typically extend over an area between adjacent tines not less than the area taken up by the blade, and preferably right up to the upper frame member. A tool head will have a minimum of two fork tines extending down from the upper frame member. A tool with a narrow head, having only two tines may be appropriate for use when working along a channel for a seed row, for example. Preferably, for general garden use, a tool head with three tines will be appropriate. For wider tool heads, more than three tines may be provided.

A tool with a tool head according to the present invention has a number of advantages over conventional forks and spades. The blade between the lower sections of the adjacent tines adds rigidity, which makes the tines less prone to bending or twisting out of line than on an ordinary fork. Setting the leading edge of the blade back from the ends of the tines introduces an advantage over a conventional spade or fork, in that the tine points are arranged to enter into the ground far enough to gain purchase in the soil in advance of the blade. Initially, the tool can thus be pivoted back and forwards about the tips of the tines, like a conventional fork. When pushed further down into the ground up to the blade, the tool handle can be rocked forward and backwards from the tips of the tines to the leading edge of the blade, the blade acting as a fulcrum. The tines and blade thereby achieve greater purchase in the ground, loosening the soil more effectively and allowing the blade to enter into the earth with less resistance than for a conventional fork or spade. In contrast, users of an ordinary spade will often have to lift the spade up high and plunge it down quickly and hard, or apply considerable force with the foot to get the spade started into the ground.

Additionally, the provision of a grille between the tines behind the blade makes the tool stronger than a conventional fork, but also makes it easier than a conventional spade to move the tool head back and forward in the ground to loosen the soil, as well as providing the facility for the user to sieve out stones and roots, for example when preparing beds for seedlings. Further advantageously, the rigidity and size of the grille enables the tool to be especially effective in use for grating the soil into looser and smaller pieces, for example by working in an up and down motion back through the ground. The placement of the dividing elements of the grille can be set to define a mesh with gaps at an appropriate mesh size suited to the type of soil or application for which the tool is expected to be used. Mesh sizes may conveniently range from 15-40mm, depending on application. For typical garden soil, the inventor has found that mesh sizes of 15-25mm, and most preferably from 18-22mm, across allow the tool head to work effectively for general garden work in grating or breaking down clods of soil, and as a shovel or spade when lifting soil, and to allow effective sieving out of larger stones, roots, weeds and other unwanted debris, such as animal faeces. Larger mesh sizes up to 40mm have been found more suitable for removing larger stones while allowing smaller ones to pass through the grille more readily, which may be appropriate in removing larger rubble from a construction site for example.

Similarly, the distance by which the blade is set back from the tine points may differ according to the size of the tool head and the in the application for which it is intended to be used. For typical garden soil, the inventor has found that setting the leading edge back from the tine points by a distance of at least 15-20mm from the tips of the tines allows the tines to get sufficient purchase in the soil before the blade contacts the surface. In general, the tool is found to work more effectively with the blade set back by 40-60mm from the tine tips, and preferably from 45-55mm. Thus, for example, for tines of around 300mm, commonly found on ordinary garden forks, the leading edge of the blade can be set back by around 15-20% of the length of the tines. For shorter tines of around 200mm, such as may be found on a smaller garden border fork, a set-back of 22-27% of the tine length may be appropriate.

Preferably, the grille is pressed or cut out from a sheet metal plate to form a perforated insert for fitting between adjacent tines. The edges of the dividing elements are preferably sharpened on the rear face to assist in the compressional shearing and grating of the soil into a friable tilth in use. Alternatively, the grille dividing elements may conveniently be formed of lengths of wire criss-crossed between adjacent tines.

Preferably, the grille extends between adjacent tines along more than 50% of the length of the tines, and more preferably along greater than 60% of the length of the tines.

Advantageously, the blade and associated grille may be formed together as an integral insert.

Conveniently, the gaps in the mesh defined by the dividing elements in the grille are parallelograms. Preferably, the dividing elements are arranged to form diamond-shaped gaps with opposing pairs of vertices on axes substantially parallel to the tines in one direction and orthogonal to the tines in the other. The inventor has found that this arrangement makes the grille, as designed, very effective for grating or breaking down soil when moving the tool up and down in the ground through dug or turned-over earth. This is a major advantage of such a tool head according to the invention.

The grille dividing elements may define a mesh with alternatively shaped gaps, but these have not proven to be as effective for grating or breaking down the soil as a diamond- shaped mesh.

Preferably, the leading edge of the blade is sharpened into a cutting edge. This improves the effectiveness of the tool in cutting roots, for example.

Conveniently, for ordinary garden use, the head is provided with three tines - two outer tines, one extending down from each end of the lateral upper frame member, and a third tine extending down centrally between the two outer tines, with a blade and a grille provided between each pair of adjacent tines. Conveniently also, the leading edge of the blade is located equidistant from each adjacent tine tip. Alternatively, the leading edge of the blade may be slanted or curved between adjacent tines so that the distances from tine tip to the leading edge of the blade may differ. This can make it easier to push the blade into heavily root infested ground in use.

Additionally, and further advantageously, an outer tine, preferably each outer tine, may be provided with a side plate extending along most of the length of said tine from on or about the line of the leading edge of the blade towards the upper frame member and raised to a shorter height out of the plane of the front face of the tool head between adjacent tines, thereby to provide a retaining edge. Such a side plate also acts as a side blade providing a consistent edge to the cutting action of the tool when digging into the ground. Further preferably, for additional strengthening, each side plate may be extended round across the upper frame member to provide a larger footrest. The side plates and footrest thereby act like the edges of a shovel to hold soil on the front face of the tool head when it is lifted up, and used in a sieving motion.

Overall, a single tool with a head according to the invention can perform the functions of a fork, a spade, a sieve, a root cutter, a shovel, an earth grater/tiller, a basic rake and a hoe, all in one. Such a tool is typically more rigid and robust than a conventional fork of corresponding sizes.

Various embodiments and aspects of garden tool-heads and tools according to the invention will now be described in more detail and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a tool-head according to the invention in (a) perspective from above the front face of the tool-head, and (b) rear plan views;

Fig. 2 similarly illustrates an alternative embodiment of a tool-head according to the invention in (a) perspective, (b) rear plan views, and (c) end elevation; Figures 3, 4 and 5 show various tools with different tool-heads according to the invention;

Fig. 6 illustrates a tool with a tool-head provided with side plates;

Fig. 7 illustrates a tool with a tool-head having side plates and footrest; and

Fig. 8 illustrates various alternative embodiments of integral blade and grille inserts for use in tool-heads according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows, in (a) perspective, and (b) rear plan views, a garden tool head 10 according to the invention. A conventional garden tool head handle mount 1 (adapted to receive a standard handle familiar in the art) is attached at its lower end to a fork frame 2 with a lateral upper frame member 3, from which three fork tines 4a, 4b, 4c extend downwards similarly to a conventional garden fork head. Between each pair of adjacent tines 4a, 4b and 4b, 4c a blade 5 is positioned towards the lower ends of the tines with its leading edge 6 set back from the pointed ends of the tines and its trailing edge 7 further up towards the upper frame member 3. In the space between the trailing edge 7 of each blade and the upper frame member 3, there is a grille 8 formed by dividing elements 9 crisscrossing diagonally across the space between adjacent tines and defining a mesh with diamond shaped gaps in the grille 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the grille extends the whole length of the tines from trailing edge of the each blade up to the upper frame member. However, it is not essential for a single grille to extend the whole of that length. The grille may not necessarily directly abut the trailing edge of the blade or the upper frame member. Additional, strengthening intermediate cross members, or secondary blades, or another secondary grille may also be positioned in the space between the tines.

An alternative embodiment 20 is illustrated in (a) perspective, (b) rear plan, and (c) end- on views in Figure 2. In this embodiment, the central tine 4b is curved gently downwards relative to the plane between the outer tines 4a, 4c to create a slightly dished tool head when viewed end-on. This is similar to the curvature often seen across conventional spade heads, for example, and acts similarly. The blades 5 in this embodiment are also each slightly curved between the central tine and each outer tine. This makes it easier to push the blades into the ground through heavily root infested grass and weeds. The grille 8 in this case is formed by dividing elements 9 extending parallel and orthogonal to the tines, defining substantially rectangular gaps with a mesh size somewhat larger than those in the grilles of the Figure 1 embodiment.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 illustrate different tool configurations with tool heads according to the invention. In Figure 3, tool head 30 is provided with a handle 35 inserted in the mount 1 , and the grilles are formed of wire dividing elements 9 criss-crossing across the gaps between adjacent tines to produce diamond shaped gaps in the mesh.

In Figure 4, tool head 40 is provided with a different handle 45 inserted in the mount 1 , and in this case the wire grille dividing elements 9 are arranged to produce substantially square-shaped gaps in the grille mesh.

In Figure 5, tool head 50 is provided with an alternative handle 55 having a longer shaft 56, which is bifurcated at the lower end with two legs 57 adapted to fit mounts 58 at either end of the upper frame member 3. In this embodiment, a user's foot could press directly on the upper frame member 3 between the two legs 57, rather than on either side of the mount 1 as in the previous embodiments. This shows that the tool head according to the invention is not limited to having any particular type of handle mount.

Figure 6 shows (a) a perspective view of the front face of a tool head 60 with a handle

65 attached, and (b) a rear plan view of this tool. The basic tool head is essentially similar to that of Figure 4, except that, in the Figure 6 embodiment, the blades 5 and grilles 8 with square mesh gaps are formed together by press cutting metal plates creating sharp edges to on the rear face of the mesh, which enhances the grating action of the tool in use. The plates are then fixed between the respective adjacent tine pairs 4a, 4b and 4b, 4c. The head 60 is further modified by the addition of side plates 66 affixed to each outer tine 4a, 4c from about the line of the leading edges of the blades 5 along most of the length of each outer tine 4a, 4c up towards the upper frame member 3. The side plates are of metal, like the blades 5, and extend upward to a shorter height out of the plane of the front face of the tool head between adjacent tines, as illustrated, thereby to provide retaining edges (to act similarly to the sides of a shovel blade). The lower leading edges 67 of the side plates act as blades (and may be sharpened for that purpose, if desired) to assist in cutting out a consistent width of sod when digging into the ground. The side plates otherwise serve to keep soil on the front face of the tool when raised up, and facilitate sieving stones and roots through the grilles 8. In this embodiment the side plates 66 are shown fixed to the outside edges of the outer tines 4a, 4c. Alternatively, the side plates may conveniently be located on the front faces of the tines. The addition of such plates acts to stiffen the tines and makes them more resistant to bending backwards or forwards in use. A similar plate may be added to intermediate tine 4b for the same purpose.

Figure 7 likewise shows (a) a perspective view from the front, and (b) a rear plan view, of a tool with a further modified embodiment of a tool-head 70 according to the invention. In this case, the tool head 70 has blades 5 with grilles 8 integrally formed together from a press cut metal sheet, this time with diamond shaped gaps cut out, to form the mesh, again with sharper edges on the rear face, and with the blades cut on a slant. Each outer tine 4a, 4c is provided with a side plate 66, like those of Figure 6 except that these side plates extend right up to the upper edge of the upper frame member 3 where they are each joined to a respective footrest plate, 68 which extends across on either side of the handle mount 1 . The footrest plate 68 makes it easier for a user to apply pressure when digging. Alternatively, a separate footrest may be fixed to the upper frame member, on each side of the handle mount, and each footrest may also be formed integrally with the corresponding side plate (e.g. by folding an elongated side plate end around on top of the upper frame member to form the corresponding footrest on that side) and joined together at the centre.

Figure 8 illustrates four examples of integral, combined blade 5 and grille 8 inserts, showing various different mesh configurations which may be conveniently manufactured from press-cut or laser-cut metal plate, for fixing between adjacent tines of tool-heads according to the invention. Different mesh configurations may be used for the grilles in tool- heads according to the invention.

Figure 8(a) shows an insert with a diamond shaped grille mesh 8 and with the leading edge 6 of the integral blade 5 sharpened to provide a cutting edge. In Figure 8(b), the grille mesh 8 is square shaped, and the leading edge 6 of the integral blade 5 is likewise sharpened to a cutting edge. In Figure 8(c) the grille mesh has circular gaps, whilst in Figure 8(d) the grille 8 comprises multiple dividing elements 9 arranged to extend laterally across the space between adjacent tines. This configuration may be particularly suited to tool heads with smaller spacings between adjacent tines.

It will be evident that the widths and lengths of the inserts and their respective blade and grille sections may be varied to suit and fit the intended tine lengths, and spacings between tines, of a particular tool head. For example, if the outer tines are slightly splayed outwards at their tips (as is sometimes seen with ordinary garden forks), then the width of an insert at the blade end may be greater than the width at the upper end. The multiple grille dividing elements are arranged to extend across the space between adjacent tines to define the grille mesh. The mesh size may be varied to suit different types of soil. Where a tool head has three or more tines, then different mesh configuration and/or different mesh sizes may be used for the grilles between different pairs of adjacent tines, for example, to enable finer sieving on one section between one pair of adjacent tines, and coarser sieving between another pair.

The manufacture and production of tool heads and tools according to the invention is readily achieved using methods and materials conventionally employed for the production of garden forks and spades and the like. For example, the fork frame with its tines may be formed of steel in the same manner as a conventional fork head, and the blade made of pressed steel, such as used for ordinary spade heads. The grille may be formed of steel wire mesh spot welded between adjacent tines. The inventor has found steel wire of 2-3mm diameter suitable for such mesh. Alternatively, it is preferable that integral blade and grille inserts (as shown in Figure 8) are pressed or laser cut from steel plate and welded between adjacent tines. Carbon steel plate of 2-3mm thickness, for example, has been found suitable. Pressing through the upper face of the plate has been found to provide a smoother upper surface to the insert, and a rougher lower surface, with sharper edges to the dividing elements, which adds to the effectiveness of the grille for grating through the soil in use, while making it less likely that lumps of soil will stick to the upper face.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and ordinary gardeners, that a tool with a tool head according to the invention offers tremendous utility and flexibility in use. The inventor has established that there is a particular advantage in having a blade between adjacent fork tines and in having the leading edge of the tool blade set back from the points of the adjacent fork tines. For typical garden soil, the inventor has found that setting the leading edge back from the tine points by a distance of at least 15-20mm is sufficient for the tines to get purchase in the soil before the blade. Using tines of lengths from around 200- 300mm, as typically found on conventional forks, the tool works more effectively with the blade set back between 40-60mm, and, most preferably, for tines of such lengths, the leading edge of the blade can be set back by around 45-55mm. If longer or shorter tine lengths are used the set back may need to be adjusted correspondingly to optimise the tool performance.

The set back of the blade has the effect of altering to some extent the effective pivot point of the tool head when first inserted in the ground. A conventional garden fork, when inserted into the soil and moved back and forward, will pivot about its tine tips. A spade, similarly, when forced into the soil, will pivot about the lower edge of the blade. The additional width of the spade head makes it more difficult to drive into the ground. Using a tool head according to the invention, the fork tines will initially enter the soil up to the leading edge of the blade, which then provides a different pivot point at the ground surface, allowing the tips of the tines to move back and forth in the soil when the tool is rocked back and forward about the leading edge of the blade. This allows the tines to start breaking up and loosening the soil first, making it easier to insert the blade into the soil. When the tool is pushed further down, the grille acts similarly to a spade head, and allows soil to be easily turned over when digging. When the soil has been turned over the grille can be moved back and forward through the soil, separating stones and roots, whilst levelling the soil as it passes through the grille. This also facilitates breaking up of the soil, in contrast to a spade face, which would compress the soil in front or behind the blade as the spade is moved back and forward. The grille makes the tool also far more effective than a conventional fork, which does not break down clods of earth without considerably greater effort. The combination of tines and set-back blades with the grille enable the tool to perform more effectively than an ordinary spade and fork separately. In effect, it is greater than the sum of its parts.

Typically most garden soils will be of a consistency which allows soil to be lifted in clumps or clods supported by the blade and grille. It is then possible to use the tool like a sieve to remove plant roots and stones larger than the grille mesh size. Additionally, the grille performs a very effective grating or tilling function when moved up and down in the dug earth and to and fro across clumps of soil in the ground. Further advantageously, when the soil has been loosened, moving the tool head up and down and forwards and backwards through the soil allows the grille to grate or break up the soil into a finer grained tilth and to separate out roots and stones, in situ, which can offer a considerable saving in effort over that required to dig out, and sieve, the soil. Grille mesh sizes of 15-25mm and, preferably, from 18-22mm across allow the tool head to work effectively both for grating and for sieving out of larger stones, weeds and roots. For more sandy soil, a smaller mesh size may be preferable, whilst larger mesh sizes, up to 35-40mm have been found more suitable for working with aggregates and hardcore materials used in construction.

The inventor has found that a grille with a diamond shaped mesh appears particularly preferable for grating or breaking down the soil as, in this configuration, grating is more effective because the soil is forced into the upper and lower apexes of the diamond shapes as the head is moved down and up through the bed being worked on. Preferably, the dividing elements forming the sides of the diamond shapes cross between adjacent tines at an angle from 30° to 60° to the tines and, more preferably, at substantially 45° to the tines (as illustrated in Figure 8(a)).

The blade (and side plates) on a tool head according to the invention also provide a cutting function which can be used to remove weeds from the soil surface and cut through roots in the soil. It is preferable that the blade and side plates have sharpened, cutting edges for this purpose.

A tool head with multiple tines may be readily used as a rake with the tines allowed to go into loose soil up to the leading edge of the blade which can then be dragged across the soil surface to remove loose debris. Tool heads with more than three tines may be employed, if desired. The blade itself can be conveniently used like a combined hoe and sieve, to break up lumps of soil, with the grille allowing loose soil to pass through so that soil does not build up on one face or get dragged by the blade as it would with a conventional spade.

Overall, therefore, the invention offers significant advantages over the long-established conventional range of garden forks and spades.

Claims

1 . A garden tool head (10) comprising:

a handle mount (1 ) for attachment to the lower end of a tool handle;

a fork frame (2) having an upper frame member (3) extending laterally substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the tool handle, thereby defining the upper width of the tool head;

a plurality of fork tines (4a, 4b, 4c) extending down from, and spaced apart across the upper frame member (3);

the tool head characterised by:

a blade (5) positioned between adjacent tines (4a, 4b) towards their lower, pointed ends, the blade (5) having a leading edge (6) towards the pointed ends of the tines and a trailing edge (7) away from the pointed ends, with the leading edge (6) of the blade set back from the points of the adjacent tines; and

a grille (8) extending between the adjacent tines (41 , 4b) in the space between the trailing edge (7) of the blade up towards the upper frame member (3), the grille (8) having a plurality of dividing elements (9) between the adjacent tines (41 , 4b) thereby defining a mesh with multiple gaps through which soil may pass in use.

2. A garden tool head according to claim 1 , wherein the mesh side defines gaps of from 15-25mm across.

3. A garden tool head according to claim 1 , wherein the grille is formed of wire dividing elements crossing between adjacent tines.

4. A garden tool head according to claim 1 , wherein the grille is formed of a sheet metal insert with the mesh gaps cut or pressed out therefrom.

5. A garden tool head according to any preceding claim, wherein the grille dividing elements define gaps in the mesh in the form of parallelograms.

6. A garden tool head according to any preceding claim, wherein the grille dividing elements define diamond shaped gaps in the mesh.

7. A garden tool head according to claim 7, wherein the dividing elements forming the sides of the diamond shapes cross between adjacent tines at an angle from 30° to 60° to the tines.

8. A garden tool head according to any preceding claim, wherein the leading edge of the blade is sharpened to a cutting edge.

9. A garden tool head according to any preceding claim, wherein the head has three tines, comprising two outer tines (4a, 4c), one extending from each end of the lateral frame member (3), and a third tine (4b) extending down centrally between the two outer tines (4a, 4c).

10. A garden tool head according to any preceding claim, wherein a blade (5) and a grille (8) are provided between each pair of adjacent tines (4a, 4b) (4b, 4c).

1 1 . A garden tool head according to Claim 12 having three or more tines, wherein at least two of the grilles provided between pairs of adjacent tines have differing mesh configurations and/or differing mesh sizes.

12. A garden tool head according to any preceding claim, wherein the leading edge of a blade is located at a distance in the range of from 40-60mm from the tine tips.

13. A garden tool head according to any preceding claim, wherein the leading edge of a blade is located equidistant from each adjacent tine tip.

14. A garden tool head according to any preceding claim, wherein an outer tine (4a) is provided with a side plate (66) extending along most or all of the length of the said tine from on or about the line of leading edge (6) of the blade (5) towards the upper frame member (3) and raised to a shorter height out of the plane of the front face of the tool head between the said outer tine (4a) and its adjacent tine (4b), and wherein the side plate (66) extends around across the upper frame member (3) to form a footrest (68) thereon.

15. A garden hand tool comprising a handle provided with a tool head according to any preceding claim.

16. An integral blade and grille insert for use in the manufacture of a tool head or tool according to any preceding claim.