AU603449B2 - Gardening implement - Google Patents

Description

603449 i *-pi;z: COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (Original) FOR OFFICE USE Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: :Pr.'ority: 444 'elated Art: 4t If 4 44 A'1 Name of Applicant: S4.

Address of Applicant: Acq.ttal Inventor(s): A f r Address for Service: DARYL LLOYD HENRY and RUSSELL LLOYD CAREY HENRY 37 Sapphire Crescent, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales Australia 2450 4 Vermont Avenue, Bundoora Victoria Australia 3083 respectively LLOYD KITCHENER HENRY DAVIES COLLISON, Patent Attorneys, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

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Complete specification for the invention entitled: "GARDENING IMPLEMENT" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to 1 1 0 1 oo o 00 9 0 0 9 0 0 0oo f a a e o 4 000000 0 0 o 00 o 0 Q 0 0 Q00 a0 0 000G: GARDENING IMPLEMENT This invention relates to apparatus for weeding and is concerned in particular with lawn weeding implements.

A known type of weeding implement has a shaped fork member depending from the bottom of an elongate shaft. The prongs of the fork member are brought about and under a weed which can then be lifted from the ground by drawing the shaft back to pivot the fork member and so raise the prongs under the weed.

The object is to remove the whole of the weed including its root structure and so reduce the chances of regeneration.

A difficulty with weeding implements of this type is the actual removal of the weed from the fork prongs.

The weed may simply drop off the prongs when the i

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2 8 9 11 4 44 S 12 S 13 0 14 .4 15 16 17 18 19 21 22 0 0 23 24 26 S 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 36 37 38 implement is inverted and shaken over a wheelbarrow or bucket, but this is frequently insufficient and the gardener must then use his hands to dislodge the weed. This requirement slows down the weeding operation and often entails either another back bending action or actual handling of the weed.

It is an object of the invention to facilitate the dislodgement of plant and/or soil matter from the prongs of weeding implements of the type under discussion.

The invention accordingly provides apparatus for weeding comprising an elongate body, a fork member depending from the body and having a pair of projecting laterally spaced prongs, plunger means slidably supported on the body and movable between the prongs to dislodge plant and/or soil matter disposed therebetween, and a projection secured to said elongate body so as to project laterally with respect to the body, wherein said plunger means includes at least a portion which also projects laterally with respect to said body, the plunger means being movable to a position at which said portion thereof may grip plant or other matter against said projection.

The body may comprise an elongate tube and the plunger means may then conveniently be slidable within the tube by means directly operable from the end of the tube opposite that to which the fork member is mounted. Advantageously, the fork member curves under an open bottomed end of the tube so that the plunger means may slide longitudinally away from the end of the tube between said prongs. The plunger means preferably includes a "T"-shaped element of plate-like configuration which lies between the prongs in a refracted condition from which the T-shaped element is movable to dislodge plant and/or soil matter disposed between the prongs.

it 900803,ARSSPE.

j 3 1 The invention will be further described, by way of example 2 only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 3 4 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a weeding implement; 6 Figures 2 and 3 are respectively side and front elevational 7 views of the lower end of the implement shown in Figure 1; 8 9 Figure 4 is an axial cross section of the upper end of the implement shown in Figure 1; and 11 12 Figures 5 and 6 are respectively side and front elevational 13 views of a weeding implement similar in principle to that of S 14 Figures 1 to 4 but modified to form an implement in S 15 accordance with the invention.

16 17 The implement 10 illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 includes a 18 body in the form of an elongate square tube 12, an integral 19 fork member 14 depending longitudinally from tube 12 and defining a pair of projecting laterally spaced prongs 16, 21 17, and plunger means 18 slidably supported in tube 12 and 22 movable between prongs 16, 17 to dislodge plant and/or soil 23 matter disposed therebetween.

24 25 It will be noted that fork member 14 is secured by welding 26 to one face of the square tube 12 but curves under the open 27 end 20 of the tube. Prongs 16, 17 S 28 29 31 32 33 34 36 37 '1 900704,c sdat.080.henry.1,3

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i ;I i i 4 extend to respective sharpened convergent tips 22 which are flared slightly outwardly (Figure 3).

Prongs 16, 17 define between them a recess 24. Tube 12 also carries, by welding or other shock resistant securement, a laterally projecting shaped footrest 26, for applying force to fork member 14 as it is brought about and under a weed.

Plunger 18 is essentially a flat rod 27 which slides 4 4 snugly within tube 12 and terminates at its lowest end in a slightly asymmetric T-shaped head 28. The i ic rod and head are of a thickness to allow them to V *move, in a fine or interference fit, between fork prongs 16, 17. The T-shape ensures that at least a portion of the head is always between the prongs, to ensure correct alignment. At the top end of shaft 12, rod 27 is secured inside the end of a tubular cap which is slidable about the end of the shaft. The °o°o cap is formed in rubber or other soft material about a square section bearing core 31 which snugly slides .o about shaft 12. By grasping and pushing cap downwardly, the plunger may be moved to the position shown by the dot-dash line in Figure 2, in which it 0o0 partially lies between and projects through recess 24 at the level of tips 22.

j 0 When it is desired to remove a weed with the V illustrated implement, the prongs 16, 17 are brought about and under the body of the weed. The plunger 18 tends to move to its raised position, either because the operator is gripping and lifting cap 30 and/or because the weed or other ground cover pushes it upwardly. This action will usually entail some

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digging into the soil with the prongs, and will 1 I r_ ~i 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 15 16 o 17 4q.44: 18 19 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 36 37 38 typically require a presentation of shaft 12 at at least to the vertical; the necessary force is applied by applying foot pressure to footrest 26. The weed can then be lifted from the ground by pulling the shaft back and effectively pivoting the implement about a fulcrum provided by the portion 26a of the footrest, which tends to engage the ground. The weed will now typically be held in recess 24 with its leaf structure above and its root structure below the prongs. It may be readily dislodged from the fork member by holding the implement over a wheelbarrow or bucket and moving cap 30 to push plunger 18 down and so push the weed off prongs 16, 17.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a modified form of implement in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, which may be used in a manner similar to that of the implement of Figures 1 to 4 but may also be employed for picking and carrying plant matter elsewhere. In this embodiment, like parts are indicated by like reference numerals. The fork member is now not defined by an integral bifurcated element, as before, but by a pair of separate shaped plates 16', 17' secured to either side of shaft 12'.

Plates 16', 17' converge towards each other but remain apart to define a recess 24' and are slightly splayed to respective tips 22'. The head 28' of plunger 18' may be similar to head 28 but is depicted as L-shaped rather than T-shaped and extends relatively somewhat further laterally of shaft 12' than in the earlier described embodiment.

An additional element of the implement of Figures 5 and 6 is a laterpl.ly projecting elongate plate 40 which is fixedly mounted to the bottom end of shaft 900704,csdat.080henry.1.5 6 12' so as to extend out over prong tips 22' and indeed to register with the head 28' of plunger 18'.

With this arrangement, the plunger, in its loaded elevated condition, cooperates with plate 40 to define a pair of jaws between which matter such as weeds may be retained while being carried from one site to another. These jaws are particularly useful [1 for picking up weeds which prematurely fall from fork member 18'.

Claims (3)

1. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body comprises an elongate tube and the plunger means is slidable S° within the tube by means directly operable from the end of the tube opposite that to which the fork member is mounted. tI o« 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said fork member curves under an open bottomed end of said tube so that the plunger means is slidable longitudinally away from the end 0 of the tube between said prongs.
2. 4. Apparatus according to claim 1,2 or 3 wherein said i plunger means includes a T-shaped element of plate-like configuration which lies between the prongs in a retracted o condition from which the T-shaped element is movable to dislodge plant and/or soil matter disposed between the prongs. -K .ef l 900803ARSSPE.04017603cl. -8- Apparatus for weeding, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 3rd day of August, 1990. t 4 *4*6 0 0 40*0 a coo 4 *0 40 0 0 ~0 00 0 0 0~0 04 44 00 0 O 4 0 6 0 DARYL LLOYD HENRY and RUSSELL LLOYD CAREY HENRY By their Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON
3. 900803.ARSSPE.040, 17603cl, e W a M