Patent Application
20220312660
The present invention relates generally to surface digging tools. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sidewalk and driveway digging and boring tool that is used for digging out a cavity underneath a sidewalk area. The driveway or sidewalk digging and boring tool includes a pointed head, an elongated shaft and a rounded top portion. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices and methods of manufacture.
By way of background, a sidewalk is a path along the side of a road, which is usually constructed of concrete or asphalt, and designed for pedestrian traffic. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in height and is normally separated from the vehicular section of the road by a curb. Generally, sidewalks have hoses, PVC pipes, drainpipes and electrical wires underneath them which are used for residential drainage systems, electric connections and/or water supplies.
When pipelines need to be inserted underneath sidewalks and driveways, cavities and trenches are created. Electricians, cable companies, homeowners and others find it tedious and difficult to dig holes and cavities to run pipelines underneath the sidewalks. Users may have to bend and sit when digging cavities using handheld tools. Further, other tools for digging cavities are heavy and difficult to transport.
Generally, homeowners need professional help when digging even small holes in sidewalks. Further, electricians, cable companies and other companies need to carry expensive and heavy machines when creating trenches and cavities. Thus, it is desired to have a portable, lightweight, sturdy tool for creating cavities and trenches in sidewalks and driveways.
Even when the holes and cavities are created, a large amount of debris and dust accumulates within the holes, requiring users to utilize a boring device to remove the excess dirt. Thus, it is desired to have a singular tool for digging and removing dirt and debris.
Therefore, there exists a long felt need in the art for a portable digging and boring tool that can be easily used by both homeowners and professionals. There is also a long felt need in the art for a portable digging and boring tool that can easily dig out a cavity underneath a sidewalk area. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a portable digging and boring tool that removes dirt and debris from the cavity. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for a portable digging and boring tool that saves time and labor for electricians, plumbers, lighting companies, irrigators and more. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a portable digging and boring tool that digs out desired wiring and piping cavities with minimal waste. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a portable digging and boring tool that digs a cavity while removing excess soil and other debris.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a sidewalk digging and boring bar. The digging and boring bar excavates a cavity underneath a sidewalk area to accommodate piping and wiring. The sidewalk digging bar includes an elongated shaft that has two ends. A pointed head is permanently joined to a first end of the elongated shaft and a rounded head portion is permanently connected to the other end of the elongated shaft. The pointed head has a pointed end for penetrating into the sidewalk to create a cavity in the sidewalk, and the rounded head is used for removing dirt and debris from the created cavity, and wherein the bar is pushed into the sidewalk by holding the shaft.
In this manner, the sidewalk digging and boring bar of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives and provides a relatively easy, lightweight and convenient apparatus that can be used by both homeowners and professionals. The digging and boring bar features a pointed tip and a rounded top, thereby allowing both the digging and removing of dirt. The sidewalk digging and boring bar can be used by homeowners, electricians, plumbers, lighting companies, irrigators, etc.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a sidewalk digging bar device. The sidewalk digging bar device is designed for excavating a cavity underneath a sidewalk area to accommodate piping and wiring. The sidewalk digging bar device comprises an elongated shaft having a first and a second end, wherein a pointed head is permanently secured to the first end of the elongated shaft, and a rounded head portion is permanently secured to the second end of the elongated shaft. The pointed head comprises a pointed end for penetrating into a sidewalk surface to create a cavity in the sidewalk, and the rounded head is used for removing dirt and debris from the created cavity. Further, the sidewalk digging bar device is inserted and pushed into the sidewalk by holding the elongated shaft.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the elongated shaft comprises ergonomic grips for securely handling the elongated shaft without it slipping from a user's grip during use. Further, the ergonomic grips do not slide on the elongated shaft and provide a user with a comfortable grip.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a digging and boring bar device is disclosed. The digging and boring bar device includes a pointed head for breaking and excavating a sidewalk surface, to create a cavity for wiring and piping underneath a sidewalk and a rounded head portion for enlarging and smoothing the created cavity and removing debris and dust from said cavity. Further, the pointed head and the rounded head are permanently secured to opposing ends of an elongated telescoping shaft. The telescoping shaft, the pointed head and the rounded head are molded as a single unit. The telescoping shaft comprises a plurality of telescoping slots for extending and retracting the length of the shaft as per the needs and/or wants of a user.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the digging and boring bar device is used to create cavities for PVC pipes, hoses, electrical wires and/or plumbing connections. The digging and boring bar device is used for creating cavities in dirt, soil, mortar, mulch, snow, ice, gravel, sand and ore, etc.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, a method for excavating wiring and piping cavities in a sidewalk or any other surface is described. The method includes identifying a location for creating a cavity in a surface, positioning a pointed tip of a boring bar onto the location, wherein the pointed tip is permanently secured to a shaft, pushing and inserting the pointed tip into the location by applying a downward force on the shaft to create the cavity and removing debris and dirt from said cavity using a rounded head that is permanently secured to a second end of the shaft.
Advantageously, the digging and boring bar device of the present invention allows electricians, plumbers, lighting companies, irrigators, etc., to excavate desired wiring and piping cavities with minimal material waste and/or effort. A single device is used for both creating cavities and removing dirt, soil and/or debris from the cavities.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there is a long felt need in the art for a portable digging and boring tool device that can be easily used by both homeowners and professionals. There is also a long felt need in the art for a portable digging and boring tool device that easily excavates a cavity underneath a sidewalk area. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a portable digging and boring tool device that removes dirt and debris from the cavity. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for a portable digging and boring tool device which saves time and labor for electricians, plumbers, lighting companies, irrigators, etc. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a portable digging and boring tool device that excavates the desired wiring and piping cavities with minimal waste. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a portable digging and boring tool device that excavates a cavity and removes the excess soil and other debris.
The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is a digging and boring bar device. The digging and boring bar device comprises a pointed head for penetrating and excavating a surface, to create a cavity for wiring, piping, etc., and a rounded head portion for enlarging and smoothing the created cavity and removing debris and dust from said cavity. The pointed head and the rounded head are permanently secured to opposing ends of an elongated telescoping shaft and wherein the telescoping shaft, the pointed head and the rounded head are molded as a single unit.
Referring initially to the drawings,
For securely and comfortably gripping the elongated shaft 104 during the excavating process, ergonomic grips 112 are disposed along the elongated shaft 104 and are typically concentrated more towards the second end 110, but the ergonomic grips 112 can also be disposed anywhere along the elongated shaft 104, depending on the needs and/or wants of a user. For example, the ergonomic grips 112 can be disposed more towards the first end 108 of the elongated shaft 104 or disposed along both ends 108 and 110 of the elongated shaft 104. The ergonomic grips 112 can be manufactured of rubber, plastic or any other suitable gripping material as is known in the art, and are securely attached to and do not slide along the elongated shaft 104. The elongated shaft 104 is cylindrical in shape and has a substantial constant diameter along the length. However, the elongated shaft 104 can be any suitable shape as is known in the art based on the needs and/or wants of a user. The elongated shaft 104 can also be hollow, contributing to less overall weight along the shaft, which results in easy handling for the user. The pointed head 102 is solid and manufactured of a strong metal, such as steel, tungsten, aluminum, etc., or any other suitable metal as is known in the art, allowing the pointed tip 1020 to easily penetrate a surface and excavate a cavity within or underneath the surface. The pointed head 102 is heavier in weight than the elongated shaft 104 and the rounded top element 106 together, for increased utility and portability of the bar device 100. In the present embodiment, dimensions of the pointed head 102 are approximately 3″×9″ and dimensions of the elongated shaft 104 are approximately 6′×¾′.
The digging bar device 100 is used for excavating at least one of dirt, soil, mortar, mulch, snow, ice, gravel, sand, ore, etc., or any other material as is known in the art. The pointed head 102 specifically removes material away from a surface in order to create a hole or cavity. The pointed head 102 removes metal and/or other materials from the surface, creating a rounded hole or cavity in the process. The rounded head 106 is used for slightly enlarging the hole or cavity created by the pointed head 102, and for removing debris and excess dirt from the hole or cavity. The digging bar device 100 functions as a time-saving tool for electricians, plumbers, lighting companies, irrigators, etc., or any other suitable user as is known in the art, by excavating the desired wiring and piping cavities with minimal material waste and effort.
Consequently, by incorporating a pointed head and the rounded top portion in the digging device 100, the present invention facilitates electricians, plumbers, lighting companies, irrigators, etc., in excavating the desired wiring and piping cavities with minimal effort and material waste. Further, the telescoping nature of the handle allows a plurality of users to conveniently use the bar device 100.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “sidewalk digging and boring bar device”, “sidewalk digging bar device”, “digging bar device”, “improved digging bar device”, and “metal digging bar device” are interchangeable and refer to the sidewalk digging bar device 100 of the present invention.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, the sidewalk digging bar device 100 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration and material of the sidewalk digging bar device 100 as shown in
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/171,245, which was filed on Apr. 6, 2021 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63171245 | Apr 2021 | US |
