GB2161682A - Weeding tool - Google Patents

Abstract

A weeding tool has a tubular handle part (2) which may be a handle or (as shown) receives a handle shaft (5), and a working part (3) formed by a rod-like element (7) anchored at its ends to the handle part (2) and extending transverse the longitudinal axis of the handle part. As the element (7) is drawn through the ground it uproots weeds without severing them. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Weeding tool This invention relates to weeding tools, particularly weeding tools intended to be hand-held or handle-mounted for garden use.

A widely known and used weeding tool is the garden hoe, which has a handle portion supporting a transverse flat blade which is pushed or drawn through the ground in order to sever the roots of weeds and to break up the surface layer of soil.

Conventional garden hoes with cutting blades suffer from the disadvantage that, in the process of weeding near growing plants such as vegetables, there is a severe risk of cutting the plants with the hoe. In fact many gardeners resort to pulling out weeds by hand in the immediate vicinity of growing plants in order to avoid damage to the plants.

The present invention provides a weeding tool which does not have a cutting blade and which therefore does not suffer from the above mentioned disadvantage.

According to the invention there is provided a weeding tool comprising a handle part designed to be held in the hand orto receive a handle shaft, and a working part attached to the handle part, in which the working part includes a rod-like element extending generally transverse the longitudinal axis of the handle part and intended to be drawn through the ground in use of the tool to uproot weeds.

It has been found in practice that the action of drawing the rod-like element through the ground pulls up weeds by their roots, without cutting into either the weeds or nearby growing plants. In addition, it has been found that the soil disturbed by the passage of the tool is aerated and re-distributed evenly, avoiding the tendency to collect in small heaps which is characteristic of the use of conventional hoes.

The rod-like element of the tool preferably has a generally circular cross-section and is conveniently formed by a piece of rod or wire. Indeed the entire working part of the tool may consist of a single piece of rod or wire anchored to the handle part. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the single piece of rod of wire is anchored at both ends to the handle part and is formed with a projecting loop, part of which forms the said transversely extending element.

The handle part of the tool may comprise a metal tube one end of which receives the two ends of the rod or wire working part the said end of the tube being deformed into clamping engagement with the said rod or wire ends. The deformation may be effected by crimping, pressing or hammering.

Although a tool having a rod-like element in the form of a projecting loop is preferred, it is also within the scope of the present invention to provide the tool with a transverse rod-like element supported at one end cantilever fashion from the handle part. For example the rod like element may be anchored at one end in the handle part and the other end of the rod-like element may be bent so as to have a working portion extending generally transverse the longitudinal axis of the handle part.

Alternatively, the rod-like element may be attached at its centre to a support which is in turn affixed to the handle part, the rod-like element having two free ends projecting transversely from the support. The transverse rod-like element may be generally coplanar with and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle part. Alternatively, the transversely-extending rod-like element may be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle part and offset from the said longitudinal axis, for example by suitable bending of the rod-like element at opposite ends of the transversely extending part thereof.

The invention will be further described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a weeding tool according to one embodiment of the invention, fitted with a handle; Figure 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, the weeding tool shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is plan view of a weeding tool according to another embodiment of the invention.

Referring first to Figure 1 the illustrated weeding tool, indicated generally by reference numeral 1, has a handle part 2 and a working part 3 attached to the handle part 2. The handle part 2 consists of a length of mild steel tubing one end of which, indicated 4, acts as a socket for receiving a conventional wooden handle 5. The handle 5 is anchored to the handle part 2 by a screw or by forming a dimple 6 in the wall of the handle part 2.

In alternative embodiment of the invention the tubular handle portion 2 may itself be designed to be held in the hand, for example by providing a hand-grip on the handle portion 2.

The working part 3 consists in this example of a single piece of high tensile steel rod, typically 3 mm in diameter (1/8th inch) formed into a "fishtail" shape with a transverse working portion 7 extending generally transverse the longitudinal axis X-X of the handle part 2 (Figure 2) and two arms 8 integral with the working portion 7 and converging from the latter towards the handle part 2. The arms 8 have integral root portions 9 which are parallel to each other and which are anchored in the handle part 2 as will be described. The ends of the root portions 9 within the handle part 2 are bent inwardly towards each other.

The root portions 9 are located in respective sleeves formed by crimping pressing or hammering the end of the tubular handle part 2 opposite the socket end 4. The crimped end of the handle part 2, indicated 10, is cold-formed or hammered so that the walls of the tubular part 2 are flattened and brought together between the two parallel root portions 9, and in a crescent-shaped region 11 between the root portions 9 and the socket end 4, as shown in Figure 2, effectively anchoring the root portions 9 in the handle part 2.

Other methods of affixing the working part 3 to the handle part 2 may, of course, be employed: that described and illustrated is a particularly simple and inexpensive method applicable to a tubular metal handle part 2.

The transversely extending rod-like working element 7 of the tool is drawn through the soil when the tool is used in a weeding operation, the user gripping the handle part 2, or a handle affixed to the handle part 2, to draw the tool towards him. The rod-like working element 7 effectively pulls up weeds by their roots without severing the weeds and without damaging surrounding plants. The tool can therefore be used to weed effectively and safely in the vicinity of growing plants.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 2 the transversely extending working portion 7 is straight and is connected to the integral arms 8 by respective kinked portions 12 of the high tensile steel rod. These kinked portions 12 have the effect of displacing or offsetting the transverse working portion 7 from the longitudinal axis X-X of the handle part 2. In a typical example of the tool shown in Figure 2 the transverse working portion 7 would have a length of 100 mm and would be spaced 85 mm from the adjacent end of the handle part 2, being offset iaterally from the longitudinal axis X-X by 10-20 mm. The handle part 2, which would typically have a length of 100 mm, may be made from mild steel tube of 1 mm wail thickness and an outside diameter of 21 mm.

Figure 3 illustrates a variant of the tool shown in Figure 2 in which the fishtail-shaped working part 3, again formed from a single piece of high tensile steel rod, has a somewhat shorter transverse working portion 7, in this case approximately 70 mm long. The kinked portions 12 of the rod are omitted, so that the axis of the transverse working portion 7 is coplanar with the longitudinal axis X-X of the handle part 2.

Where a wooden handle 5 is fitted to the tool illustrated in the drawings it has been found that a handle approximately 120 cm long is suitable.

Different iengths of handle may, however, be preferred to suit the user's requirements.

It may be found advantageous in practice to provide a number of different variants of the weeding tool according to the invention. For example, tools such as those illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 may be fitted at opposite ends of a single handle shaft, for convenience of use.

Claims (9)

1. Aweeding tool comprising a handle part designed to be held in the hand orto receive a handle shaft, and a working part attached to the handle part, in which the working part includes a rod-like element extending generally transverse the longitudinal axis of the handle part and intended to be drawn through the ground in use of the tool to uproot weeds.

2. A tool according to Claim 1, in which the rodlike element has a generally circular cross-section.

3. A tool according to Claim 2, in which the working part is formed by a single piece of rod or wire anchored to the handle part.

4. A tool according to Claim 3, in which the single piece of rod or wire forming the working part is anchored at both ends to the handle part and is formed with a projecting loop, part of which forms the said transversely extending element.

5. Atool according to Claim 4, in which the handle part comprises a metal tube one end of which receives the two ends of the rod or wire working part, the said end of the tube being deformed into clamping engagement with the said rod or wire ends.

6. Atool according to Claim 5, in which the said end of the tube is deformed by crimping pressing or hammering into clamping engagement with the rod or wire ends.

7. A tool according to Claim 5 or Claim 6 in which the other end of the tubular handle part receives a wooden handle shaft which is anchored in the handle part by a deformation in the wall of the handle part.

8. A tool according to any one of Claims 3 to 7, in which the single piece of rod or wire forming the working part is made of high tensile steel rod or wire and the handle part is made of mild steel tubing.

9. A weeding tool substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 and 2 or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

9. Atool according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the transverse rod-like element is supported at one end cantilever-fashion from the handle part.

10. A tool according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the rod-like element is attached at its centre to a support which is in turn affixed to the handle part, the rod-like element having two free ends projecting transversely from the support.

11. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the transverse rod-like element is generally coplanar with and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle part.

12. Atool according to any one of Claims 1 to 10, in which the transversely-extending rod-like element is perpendicular to and offset from the longitudinal axis of the handle part.

13. A weeding tool substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

Superseded claims 1-13 New or amended claims: CLAIMS 1. A weeding tool comprising a handle part designed to be held in the hand or to receive a handle shaft, and a rod or wire anchored to the handle part and formed into a loop of generally triangular shape projecting from the handle part, the base of the triangular loop constituting a working portion extending generally transverse the longitudinal axis of the handle part and intended to be drawn through the ground in use of the tool to uproot weeds.

2. A tool according to Claim 1, in which the rod or wire has a generally circular cross-section.

3. A tool according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the handle part comprises a metal tube one end of which receives the two ends of the rod or wire, the said end of the tube being deformed into clamping engagement with the said rod or wire ends.

4. A tool according to Claim 3, in which the said end of the tube is deformed by crimping, pressing or hammering into clamping engagement with the rod or wire ends.

5. A tool according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, in which the other end of the tubular handle part receives a wooden handle shaft which is anchored in the handle part by a deformation in the wall of the handle part.

6. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the rod or wire is made of high tensile steel rod or wire and the handle part is made of mild steel tubing.

7. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the transverse working portion of the rod or wire is generally coplanar with and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle part.

8. A tool according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, in which the transversely-extending working portion of the rod or wire is perpendicular to, and offset from, the longitudinal axis of the handle part.