CULTIVATING TOOL

INSTRUMENT ARATOIRE

English Abstract

A manually operable tool for cultivating the surface of the earth,
the tool including an elongate handle, a blade including a sharp
toothed forward cutting edge mounted on the handle so that the blade
may be pushed through the earths surface for the eradication of
unwanted vegetation, the blade normally has a centrally located most
forwardly formed cutting tooth and a side tooth disposed on each side
of the most forwardly formed tooth, each of the side teeth include a
"V" notch on an edge facing the centrally located cutting tooth for
selective severing, the blade further provides for the mounting of
an adjustable furrow tooth.

French Abstract

Outil manuel pour cultiver la terre, comprenant un manche allongé, une lame, dont le bord de coupe avant présente des dents acérées, montée sur le manche de sorte qu'elle puisse être enfoncée dans la terre pour en extirper la végétation non désirée. La lame présente habituellement une dent coupante centrale en sa partie la plus avant et deux dents coupantes latérales, une de chaque côté de la dent centrale, portant une encoche en V sur le bord en face de la dent centrale pour la coupe sélective. Une dent ouvreuse réglable peut être montée sur la lame.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property
or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A hand manipulable earth working tool comprising in
combination, a planar severing blade having a sharp forward
edge, an elongate grasping means, means for mounting said
planar serving blade to said elongate grasping means in a
forward direction so that said planar severing blade is
pushed through said earth in operation, teeth formed on said
planar severing blade each of which includes a portion of
said sharp forward edge, at least one of said teeth is
formed in a most forwardly central location of said planar
severing blade, said teeth further including side teeth one
on each side of said centrally located tooth, all of said
teeth being formed by the intersection of straight edges,
said side teeth each having one edge parallel to said
elongate grasping means.
2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for
mounting said planar severing blade to said elongate grasping
means is a yoke integrally joined to said planar severing
means at each of said side teeth.
3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said parallel
edges are blunt edges furthest from said centrally located
tooth.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one
of said side teeth includes a "V notch" for specific
plant severing.
5. The combination as claimed in claim 1 further including a
mounting aperture in said planar severing blade and an
adjustable furrow tooth mounted in said mounting aperture.

Description

'- 2180037
CULTIVATING TOOL
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a push type hand operated device
for cultivating the ground mainly for the purpose of the eradication
of unwanted vegetation such as weeds and grass.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
From the beginning of desirable plant growth there was always the
problem of making conditions ideal to maximize the return on the
effort expended. one of the ideal conditions is the absence of
10 undesirable plants commonly called weeds. One solution to the
problem has been the manual grasping and pulling of these weeds.
Other means have been provided such as various forms of the common
hoe and cultivator fingers. The push type device is considered far
superior to the hoe type due to its utilization of ones body weight
to push it instead of a back breaking chopping action. A further
advantage is the accuracy involved. A chopping hoe action invariably
chops off some desirable plants while the push type can be operated
adjacent the desirable plants with accurate selected severance.
The prior art is replete with various types of assorted agricultural
20 hand implements operable to perform assorted weeding and other soil
cultivating tools. The most relevant art known to applicant is in
the form of Canadian Patents 3369 and 349092 and United States
patents 3,797,581 and 4,901,801. The following discussion will
clearly illustrate how applicants device differentiates from, and is
superior to, the devices taught in the patents.

- 2180037
Canadian patent "369" requires an inaccurate chopping action, a
diametrically opposite direction of operational action causing a
stressfull back breaking effort, a structure that prevents cutting
adjacent a solid fixture, a structure that does not have a central
projecting cutting area that makes for ease of operation and a
selective cutting notch in one of the teeth.
Canadian patent "092" includes slots that are narrower at the
forward edge thus preventing entry of unwanted vegetation for
severance, a structure that does not have a continuous cutting edge,
10 a structure that does not have a central projecting cutting area
that makes for ease of operation and a selective cutting notch in
one of the teeth.
United States Patent ~581~ requires an inaccurate chopping action,
a diametrically opposite direction of operational action of the
invention herein described therefore resulting in a stressful back
breaking effort, a structure that prevents cutting adjacent a solid
fixture on one side, a structure that does not have a central
projecting cutting area that makes for ease of operation and a
selective cutting notch in one of the teeth.
United States Patent "801" includes slots formed by blunt teeth phat
are all of the same length, a structure that does not have a
continuous forward cutting edge, a cutting edge on the outer edge
of the side teeth~a structure that does not have a central
projecting cutting area that makes for ease of operation and a
selective cutting notch in one of the side teeth.

2180037
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the shortcomings of all the known prior art applicant
has provided a hand manipulable earth working hoe or cultivating
implement for the easy removal of unwanted vegetation. What has
been provided is a planar severing blade means having a
continuous sharp undulating cutting edge means forward of an
attached elon~ate handle means so that the severing blade in
operation is pushed forward through the earth. The continuous
sharp undulating cutting edge is formed of several pointed teeth
10 at least one of which is formed as part of the planar severing
blade in a most forwardly central location and two of which are
formed one on each side of the at least one tooth formed in the
most forwardly central location. The two side teeth generally
have included in their cutting edge a "V" notch for specific
plant severing. Provision is also made for the mounting of an
adjustable seed furrow opener.
Therefore the principle object of the instant invention is to
provide an effective tool that is easily manipulable by hand.
A further object of this invention is the provision of a tool
20 that has a continuous toothed sharp edge blade with a central
projecting portion for ease of operation.
A further object of the invention is the provision of a tool
that can be selectively operable to remove such as dandelions
from a lawn.

2180037
Another object of this invention is the provision of a tool that
is simple, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture.
A further object of this invention is the provision of a weeding
or earth working tool that is accurately controllable during
operation by a forward pushing motion.
A further object of this invention is the provision of a tool that
can also operate as a furrow opener for proper seed depth.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.
~0 Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the cutting blade with the
adjustable seed furrow tooth threadedly attached thereto.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified cutting blade.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to figure 1 there is shown the instant invention where
the reference numeral 5 indicates an elongate manipulating handle
means generally made of wood but which may be made of other
material such as aluminum or plastic. One end of the handle means
5 has a ferrule 11 attached thereto. The ferrule 11 usually
prevents splitting of the handle 5 if made of wood when stem 14
20 with yoke attaching means 6 connected thereto is inserted into the
handle 5. The yoke attaching means 6 may be replaced by an
elongate stem 14 directly and centrally attached to severing means
in the form of blade 3 however yoke 6 is preferable for strength
and stability.

2180037
To the yoke 6 is fixed, generally by welding, the severing blade
means 3 which is substantially planar in form and offset from the
plane of the yoke 6. The forward portion of the severing blade
means 3 is in the form of an undulating sharp cutting edge means 4
which is preferably but not necessarily continuous. The share
cutting edge 4 can form several teeth but preferably there is a
most forward tooth 10 formed in a central portion of the cutting
edge 4, and two side teeth 1, one on each side of the central most
forward tooth 10. The side teeth 1 have an outer edge 15 which
10 is not sharpened so that one can make a cut close to desirable
plants without their destruction. A cut close to a wall or fence
is also possible with the undesirable vegitation being forced
toward the sharp cutting edge 4 on the inner edge of tooth 1.
The outer edges 15 of teeth 1 are parallel to the elongate handle
means 5. To the rear of the severing blade means 3 are threaded
aperture means 7 to receive a furrow tooth mounting plate 9 shown
.in.f.igure-2. - . : :.
Referring now to figure 2 there is shown an end elevation of the
severing blade means 3 which is normally made of a hard wearing
20 steel so that it maintains an effective undulating cutting
edge 4. The central most forward tooth 10 is shown projecting
forwardly of side tooth 1 with a blunt side edge 15 which is
parallel to handle 5. Yoke means ~ is not shown here for the sake
clarity. In the threaded aperture means 7 shown in figure l is
mounted a furrow tooth mounting plate 9 secured by fastening

2lson37
means 12. An adjustable furrow tooth 8 is threadably mounted
in the furrow tooth mounting plate 9, adjusted and then locked
by lock nut 13. The adjustable furrow tooth 8 may of course be
adjustably threaded directly in threaded aperture means 7 and as
before locked by lock nut 13.
Refe;-ring now to figure 3 we again have the basic severing blade
means 3 with its undulating sharp cutting edge means 4. The
cutting edge 4 takes the form again of the central most
forwardly tooth 10 and the two side teeth 1 with blunt edges 15.
10 The threaded apertures 7 are again shown and the yoke 6 attached
to the blade means 3 is only partially shown. The severing blade
means 3 has here been modified to enhance its ability to sever
selectively by the addition of a ~'V" notch 2 formed on the
inwardly facing edges of teeth 1. This feature has been found
most useful in removing dandelions from a lawn.
During the operation of this tool when extremely ~lard ground is
er.countered it may be advantageous to use only an end portion of
the cutting edge until the ground has been loosened. Edging of
lawn grass around a garden, tree or the like can also be quite
20 satisfactorlly accomplished when desired. A single tooth 1 with
"V" notch 2 of course is used in the removal of dandelions. It
is to be realized that the operational working movement and
resulting accuracy of this invention is diametrically opposite
to that of the standard hoe. The operation and results bear
no comparison to the prior art.

2180037
Although the invention has been herein shown and described in
what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred
embodiment, it is recognized that departure may be made therefrom
within the scope of the invention which is not to be limited to
the illustrative details disclosed.

Representative Drawing