GB2338878A - Combination cultivation tool - Google Patents

Description

2338878 COMBINATION CULTIVATING TOOL The present invention is concerned

with the provision of a combination cultivating tool, for example a tool capable of use as a rake and a spade.

Combination cultivating tools are desirable to alleviate the need to carry and store a selection of tools and to minimise the cost of acquiring a required range of tools. However, known combination cultivating tools suffer disadvantages. In particular many have parts relatively movable to alter the tools function. It will be appreciated that the environment in which tools are used and kept is liable to result in such movable parts being fouled and corroded unless costly or laborious steps are taken to avoid this. The components which permit the parts to move relatively are either less robust than corresponding single function tools, expensive or heavy and cumbersome.

Another known form of combination cultivating tool provides a handle with a set of interchangeable head parts. This is barely an improvement on a set of individual tools because only one handle but many tool heads are required.

All known cultivating tools are adapted to be used either from a standing position (that is to say, long handled tools) or intended to be manipulated using one hand close to the ground while kneeling or sitting (short handled tools).. A long handled tool is capable of applying more 2 leverage to the work but is relatively cumbersome and impractical for detailed work in closely planted plots. A short handled tool is better adapted for such detailed work but very tiresome to use when cultivating large plots. it is commonplace to require both sorts of tool to work a plot under cultivation efficiently. However, repeatedly exchanging tools is laborious. Short handled tools in particular may be easily lost to view. It is not uncommon to put down a short handled tool, move onto a different part of the plot, forget where the tool was put down and waste considerable time in finding it.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a robust and versatile combination cultivating tool which alleviates the aforementioned technical disadvantages of the prior art.

Accordingly the present invention provides a combination cultivating tool comprising:

a head part having an integral short handle part including a handle coupling means to separably couple an elongate handle, said head part comprising an elongate 'IT" bar extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the short handle part with rake teeth depending from the 'IT" bar, a hand grip part formed on one end of said "T" bar, and, a digging tool part formed on the opposite end of 3 said 'IT" bar.

The head part of the combination tool is of unitary construction. The short handle part is of sufficient length to be comfortably gripped by one hand with the long handle part separated (e.g. a length of between 10 and 30 cm). With the long handle coupled to the head the tool can be comfortably used from a standing position. Preferably the handle coupling means is provided by a tapered screw threaded socket in the short handle part which receives a corresponding screw formed on the end of the long handle part.

The hand grip part is preferably provided by a bulbous structure which may be integrally formed to the outside of the tooth at the end of the rake, said structure which tapering towards the tip of the tooth. The tool can conveniently be used single handedly by holding the short handle part or double handedly by holding both the short handle part and the hand grip part. This allows the user to apply considerably more leverage and control to the digging tool part than is commonly possible with conventional short handled tools adapted for single handed use.

The digging tool part is preferably a spade like, fork like, pick like or hoe like part.

Because the combination cultivating tool obviates the use of several seperate tools the problem of keeping several tools immediately to hand is alleviated.

A combination cultivating tool embodying the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the combination cultivating tool, Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a combination cultivating tool, Figure 3 illustrates the coupling of a long handle with the combination garden tool.

With reference to the figures the combination garden tool comprises a head part indicated by the arrow 1, and a long handle 2.

The head part 1 has an integral short handle part 3. The short handle part 3 is provided by a shaft attached at one.end to an elongate 'IT" bar 4 which extends perpendicular to the short handle part 3. The attachment may be by means of welding. The other end of the short handle part 3 is formed with a coaxial conical hole 5 which provides coupling means for the long handled shaft 2. The long handle shaft 2 has a tapered end 6 with a threaded tip 7 which permits the tapered end 6 to be firmly screwed into the a corresponding screw hole in the hole 5 forming a rigid coupling.

The 'IT" bar 4 extends asymmetrical from the Join with the short handle 3. A long arm of the 'IT" bar 4 extends to the left and a short arm to the right. Fork teeth 8 depend from the 'IT" bar 4 in a direction perpendicular to the short handle and the 'IT" bar 4. The end of the long arm of the 'IT" bar 4 has a rake tooth 9 deformed to provide a hand grip 9 by making the outside edge rounded or even bulbous.

On the end of the 'IT" bar 4 remote from the hand grip 9 is formed a digging tool. The digging tool in the first embodiment is provided by a fork 10 having prongs 11 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the "T" bar 4 and lying in the plane of the rake teeth 8. To permit the rake teeth 8 to function effectively the depth of the fork is less than the depth of the rake teeth 8. In the case of the second embodiment of figure 2 the digging tool is provided by a spade 12. A blade edge 13 of the extends parallel to the rake teeth 8. To permit the rake teeth 8 to function short teeth 14 are formed on the edge of the spade tool 12 adjacent the tips of the rake teeth 8. The digging tool may be welded onto the "T', bar or otherwise integrally formed with the 'IT" bar 4.

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Claims (9)

1. A combination cultivating tool comprising: a head part having an integral short handle part including a handle coupling means to separably couple an elongate handle, said head part comprising an elongate 'IT" bar extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the short handle part with rake teeth depending from the 'IT" bar, a hand grip part formed on one end of said IITII bar, and, a digging tool part formed on the opposite end of said 'IT" bar.

2. A tool according to claim 1 wherein the head part of the combination tool is of unitary construction.

3. A tool according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the short handle part is of sufficient length to be comfortably gripped by one hand with the long handle part separated.

4. A tool according to clain 3 wherein the short handle part is of a length between 10 and 30 cm.

5. A tool according to any one of the preceing claims wherein, with the long handle coupled to the head the tool can be comfortably used from a standing position.

6. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the handle coupling means is provided by a tapered screw threaded socket in the short handle part which receives a corresponding screw formed on the end of the long handle part.

7. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the hand grip part is provided by a bulbous structure which may be integrally formed to the outside of a tooth at the end of the rake, said structure tapering towards the tip of the tooth.

8. A tool wherein the digging tool part is any one of a spade like, fork like, pick like or hoe like part.

9. A combination cultivating tool as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.