GB2125661A - Hand tool - Google Patents

Abstract

A hand tool (10) for gathering material such as garden waste comprising an elongate handle (11) for grasping by the user, and a collecting member (15) at one end thereof having at its forward end a platform portion (16) formed of a plurality of elongate tines (17) arranged side-by-side in sufficiently close relation to prevent any substantial escape of the material between them, and having at its rearward end an open-fronted receptacle portion (19) into which the material can move from the platform portion (16) as the fines (17) are thrust beneath material lying on the ground. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Handtool This invention relates to a hand tool primarily, but not exclusively, for gathering material lying on the ground.

Said material may be of a type, hereinafter referred to as the kind specified, comprising for example grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, other garden waste, refuse, litter or any other essentially loose material lying on the ground (as herein defined).

The word "ground" is used herein in a generic sense to referto any surface or body on or against which said material lies priorto being gathered using said tool.

According to the invention, we provide a hand tool for gathering material of the kind specified comprising an elongate handleforgrasping by the user, and a collecting member at one end thereof having at its forward end a platform portion formed of a plurality of elongate tines arranged side-by-side in sufficiently close relation to prevent any substantial escape ofthe material between them, and having at its rearward end an open-fronted receptacle portion into which the material can move from the platform portion as the tines are thrust beneath material lying on the ground (as herein defined).

The receptacle portion may be open at both of its sides.

The receptacle portion may be formed by side-byside rearward upwardly extending portions ofthe tines.

Thetines may be inclined upwardlyadjacenttotheir forward ends at a shallow angle to reduce any tendencyforthem to dig into the ground when thrust beneath the material to be gathered.

Theforward portions of the tines, which form the platform portion may be free from each other along the whole most oftheir lengthsto facilitate conformation ofthe platform portion to the contour of the ground when the tool is in use or may be connected to each other by a thin or shallow bar.

In either case the tines may be connected to each other by a transversely extending bar incorporated in the receptacle portion or situated close to the junction ofthe platform and receptacle portions.

The receptacle portion may be of generally C-shape as seen in side elevation.

One embodiment ofthe invention will now be described, byway of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein : FIGURE lisa diagrammatic perspective view of a hand tool embodying the invention; FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a forward portion ofatine of the tool shown in Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the forward part of the platform portion of the tool shown in Figure 1; and FlGURE4showsa modification in respectofthe forward end portions ofthetines.

Referring to the drawings, a hand tool 10 comprises a handle 11 consisting of an elongate portion 12 at one end of which is attached a stirrup 13. The other end of the elongate handle is attached via a connecting means 1 4to a collecting member 15. The collecting member 15 has at its forward end a platform portion 16 formed of a plurality of longitudinally-oriented elongate tines 17 arranged side-by-side in sufficiently close relation to prevent any substantial escape of gathered material via gaps 18 between the tines.

Although four such tines are shown in the tool illustrated, any suitable number (odd or even) of tines may be used and the gaps between the tines may be of any size suited to the gathering of any given material using the tool.

Typicallythe tines may be made of bar stock having a width of 0.5 cm and adjacent tines may be spaced apart by 0.5cm so asto prevent any substantial escape ofthe gathered material.

The collecting member 15 has at its rearward end a receptacle portion 19 of generally C-shape as seen in side elevation having an open front, the sides of said open front being provided by side members 20, and the upper edge of said open front being provided by a transversely-oriented bar 21 which joinsthe upper ends of the tines to each other and which provides at its midpoint a site for connecting means 14. The ends 28 ofthetwo outertines 17 and the ends ofthe bar 21 may be joined by side members 20 to the two outer tines 17atthe rearward extremity of the platform portion. Each member 20 could also be of a form such that it fully encloses the side ofthe receptacle portion at which it is situated.

Alternatively the receptacle portion 19 may be left open entirelyateach side, the members 20 being omitted.

Typically, a user holds the handle by elongate portion 12 and stirrup 13 and thrust platform portion 16 beneath material lying on the ground, said material subsequently moving, as a result of further motion of the tool, from platform portion 16 into receptacle portion 19.

The use of a collecting member in the form of an open framework structure facilitates travel ofthe gathered material rearwardly along the platform portion 16towardsthe receptacle portion. Material which has been accumulated in the receptacle portion can readily be discharged by turning the tool into a position in which one side ofthe receptacle portion is presented downwardly.

Forward end portions 23 ofthetines are each inclined upwardly at a shallow angle, so that forward ends 27 of the tines are raised by a suitable distance h, to reduce any tendency for the forward ends 27 to dig into the ground when thrust beneath the material to be gathered. End portions 23 tapertowards forward ends 27, as shown (in particular) in Figure 3. Alternatively, as seen in Figure 4, only the lowerfaces ofthe forward end portions ofthetines may be formed so as to incline upwardly towards the forward ends of the tines.

Atransversely extending strip 25 connects the tines 17 to each other. As shown in Figure 1, strip 25 is located close to the junction of the platform portion 16 The drawing(s) originally filed was/were informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy.

and the receptacle portion 19. In the embodiment illustrated, transversely extending bars 26 e.g. rods of small diameter or shallow strips also connect together the tines 17, said bars 26 being located in the platform portion 16 ofthe tool. Rods 26, while connecting togetherthetines 17, are relatively flexible compared with strip 25 and so do not in general significantly hinder progression of material along the platform portion or conformation of the platform portion 16to the contour of the ground when the tool is in use.

However, bars 26 may be omitted if desired.

In the embodiment illustrated, elongate handle portion 12 is attached to collecting member 15 by inserting the end of handle portion 12 distantfrom stirrup 13 into an essentially hollow socket means 14, as is conventional practice with a wide variety of known hand tools such as conventional spades and forks. Any usable handle may, in fact, be used in the tool ofthis invention, and it will be appreciated that the tool will still fall within the general scope of the invention even if it is provided eitherwithouta handle orwith a handle or holding means of a different nature from that specifically herein described.

The tool may be made from any suitable material or materials. Thusthetines maybe made of metal ora suitable plastics material.

Claims (10)

1. A hand tool forgathering material ofthe kind specified comprising an elongate handle for grasping bythe user, and a collecting member at one end thereof having at its forward end a platform portion formed of a plurality of elongatetinesarranged side-by-side in sufficiently close relation to prevent any substantial escape of the material between them, and having at its rearward end an open-fronted receptacle portion into which the material can move from the platform portionasthetinesarethrust beneath material lying on the ground.

2. Atool according to Claim 1 wherein the receptacle portion is open at both of its sides.

3. Atool according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the receptacle portion is formed by side-by-side rearward upwardly extending portions ofthetines.

4. Atool according to any one ofthe preceding claimswhereinthetines are inclined upwardlyadja- centtotheirforward ends ata shallowangleto reduce anytendencyforthem to dig into the ground when thrust beneath the material to be gathered.

5. Atool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the forward portions ofthe tines, which form the platform portion are free from each other along the whole or most of their lengths to facilitate conformation ofthe platform portion to the contour ofthe ground when the tool is in use, or are connected to each other by a thin or shallow bar.

6. Atool according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the tines are connected to each other by a transversely extending bar or strip incorporated in the receptacle portion or situated close to the junction of the platform and receptacle portions.

7. Atool according to any one ofthe preceding claims wherein the receptacle portion is of generally C-shape as seen in side elevation.

8. Atool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the upper and lower portions of the receptacle portion are connected to each other by side members providing an open frame at each side.

9. Atool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

10. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.