Patent Application
20150129258
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hoe, and more particularly, a HOE FOR FACILITATING WORKING ON AT LEAST TWO SIDES OF A PLANT SIMULTANEOUSLY.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for hoes have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 529,562, Published/Issued on Nov. 20, 1894, to Mortenson, C. G. teaches an invention that consists of a peculiarly shaped blade with a hinge joint, latch, and strengthening brace, and an attachment for extracting roots and weeds.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,031, Published/Issued on Jun. 6, 1978, to Portz teaches a pendulum type hoe has a stirrup-shaped blade mounted to the fork of a handle for limited articulation. Inturned flanges of the blade engage hourglass shaped openings in the fork arms, the flanges being retained between reinforcing bars which project through the openings and afford strength, wear resistance, and limited resilience to the blade. The fork is made in two separable parts whereby any component of the hoe may be replaced.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,211, Published/Issued on Mar. 22, 1983, to Voss teaches a garden hoe features a wide cutting edge for normal hoeing, at one end of which is a pair of cutting edges meeting at a right angle for bordering a garden or a walk and at the other end of which is a short cutting edge for chopping or trenching. A hooked cutting edge for pruning is also incorporated in the hoe which may have a long or short handle.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,679, Published/Issued on Mar. 15, 1988, to Tallerico, Et Al. teaches a garden tool which includes a handle and a connected head part. The head part includes multiple sides each formed into a tool part for performing a specific garden task.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,679, Published/Issued on Jan. 2, 1990, to Jacobs teaches a one-piece tool for performing controlled and exacting cuts for the removal of weeds 26 not susceptible to the strike of a horizontal hoe blade 24, as well as small limbs from trees and bushes, these by striking downward, the former by an oblique upward strike with the scythe-cutting edges 22.
A SIXTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,466, Published/Issued on May 4, 1993, to Ohlson teaches a garden tool having an elongate shaft with a handle on one end of the shaft and the opposite end of the shaft having a plurality of circumferentially spaced generally axially extending cultivating and weeding prongs, and the shaft and handle permitting a gardener to use the tool in a generally upright position for soil loosening, cultivating and weeding by rotary and rocking maneuvers of the handle and agitating the prongs, and for optionally spearing trash or aerating sod.
A SEVENTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,993, Published/Issued on Jan. 2, 1996, to Bojar teaches a disclosure is made of an adjustable pitch garden hoe tool head (16) as an article of manufacture wherein the pitch of the garden hoe tool head (16) head assembly can be adjusted to control the dig or “bite” into the soil and comprises ferrule legs (11, 11′) mounted on an extended handle (1) and adjustable pitch garden hoe tool head (16) mounted on the ferrule legs (11, 11′) and a modified compression V spring (10) having a three sided trapezoidal shape with an apex segment of modified compression V spring (23) which is a straight segment at the apex mounted within the ferrule legs (11, 11′) and arms (9, 9′) of the modified compression V spring (10) extending into pitch set slots (4, 4′) and pitch set stops (3, 3′) in vertical sides (5, 5′) of base blade (6) of the garden hoe tool head (16). Further disclosure is made of a cutting notch (8) on the bottom back of either or both of vertical sides 5, 5′ of base blade and the cutting notch and all edges of vertical sides 5, 5′ of base blade and garden hoe tool base blade (6) are sharpened to a cutting edge.
AN EIGHTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,370, Published/Issued on May 13, 1997, to Chrysler teaches an invention is a wooden handled, heart shaped, garden tool configured to perform various garden tasks. The tool includes multiple edges and angles configured to perform various garden tasks and a bolt attached thereon at 36.degree. to mate with a handle connector equipped with three different angled mounting bosses. One boss comes straight from the end of the connector, the second boss is ninety degrees from the connector and handle, and the third boss is fifty four degrees from the connector and handle. A coupling has also been designed for the center of the of the handle to allow it to be taken apart for the ease of shipping or storing or to add a longer length handle section.
It is apparent now that numerous innovations for hoes have been provided in the prior art that adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.
AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a HOE FOR FACILITATING WORKING ON AT LEAST TWO SIDES OF A PLANT SIMULTANEOUSLY that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a HOE FOR FACILITATING WORKING ON AT LEAST TWO SIDES OF A PLANT SIMULTANEOUSLY that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
STILL ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a HOE FOR FACILITATING WORKING ON AT LEAST TWO SIDES OF A PLANT SIMULTANEOUSLY that is simple to use.
BRIEFLY STATED, STILL YET ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a HOE FOR FACILITATING WORKING ON AT LEAST TWO SIDES OF A PLANT SIMULTANEOUSLY that may facilitate creating a pair of parallel furrows.
The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawing.
The figures of the drawings are briefly described as follows:
10 hoe
12 plant
14 handle of hoe 10
16 shank of hoe 10
18 blade of hoe 10
19 ferrule of hoe 10
20 user
22 first outcrop of blade 18 of hoe 10
24 second outcrop of blade 18 of hoe 10
26 flat inner edge of blade 18 of hoe 10
28 first inner angled edge of first outcrop 22 of blade 18 of hoe 10
30 first tip of first outcrop 22 of blade 18 of hoe 10
32 second inner angled edge of second outcrop 24 of blade 18 of hoe 10
34 second tip of second outcrop 24 of blade 18 of hoe 10
36 substantially V-shaped opening of blade 18 of hoe 10
37 soil
38 first outer angled edge of first outcrop 22 of blade 18 of hoe 10
40 second outer angled edge of second outcrop 24 of blade 18 of hoe 10
42 parallel furrows
44 first flat side of blade 18 of hoe 10
46 second flat side of blade 18 of hoe 10
48 top edge of blade 18 of hoe 10
50 first curved corner of blade 18 of hoe 10
52 second curved corner of blade 18 of hoe 10
Referring now to the figures, in which like numerals indicate like parts, and particularly to
Said blade 18 comprises a first outcrop 22, a second outcrop 24, and a flat inner edge 26. Said first outcrop 22 comprises a first inner angled edge 28 and a first tip 30. Said second outcrop 24 comprises a second inner angled edge 32 and a second tip 34.
Said first inner angled edge 28 of said first outcrop 22 and said second inner angled edge 32 of said second outcrop 24 form between them a substantially V-shaped opening 36. Said flat inner edge 26 cuts off the inner point of said substantially V-shaped opening 36 formed between said first outcrop 22 and said second outcrop 24. Said substantially V-shaped opening 36 is for partially encompassing a plant 12 by encompassing two sides of said plant 12 simultaneously for facilitating uprooting thereof by permitting a user 20 to press down upon soil 37 therearound.
As most clearly shown in
To further facilitate uprooting and plant removal, said first inner angled edge 28, said second inner angled edge 32 and said flat inner edge 26 are sharp. This permits the hoe 10 to also act as a cutting implement when removing or uprooting weeds, by, for example, being used in a hacking motion, wherein said first inner angled edge 28 and said second inner angled edge 32 both act to cut themselves, and guide the item being cut towards said flat inner edge 26. By the first inner angled edge 28 and second inner angled edge 32 being angled, they may guide and substantially trap an item being hacked therein, while still having the item being hacked impact said flat inner edge 26 in parallel to the direction of force applied.
Said first outcrop 22 further comprises a first outer angled edge 38 and said second outcrop 24 further comprises a second outer angled edge 40. Said first outer angled edge 38 and said first inner angled edge 28 meet each other, and said first tip 30 is formed at the point where said first outer angled edge 38 and said first inner angled edge 28 meet. Likewise, said second outer angled edge and said second inner angled edge meet each other, and said second tip 34 is formed at the point where said second outer angled edge 40 and said second inner angled edge 32 meet.
As illustrated in
Said blade 18 further comprises a first flat side 44 and a second flat side 46. Said first flat side 44 and said second flat side 46 are for smoothing soil, and a user 20 may turn said hoe on its side to utilize said first flat side 44 or said second flat side 46 for smoothing soil. Further, said first flat side 44 abuts said first outer angled edge 38, and said second flat side 46 abuts said second outer angled edge 40. Said blade 18 still further comprises a top edge 48.
Said blade still further comprises a first curved corner 52 and a second curved corner 54. Said first curved corner 52 is between said first flat side 44 and said top edge 48, and said second curved corner 54 is between said second flat side 46 and said top edge 48. This configuration facilitates smoothing by said flat sides 44, 46 being abutted on both sides by gradual slopes as opposed to stiff rectangular cutoffs, allowing a user 20 more ability to adjust the hoe 10 at an angle without creating deep ruts from a sharp corner.
Said shank 16 is affixed to said blade 18 so that it extends outward over said top edge 48, and said shank bends so that it attaches said blade 18 to said handle 14 such that said handle 14 is perpendicular to said blade 18. This attachment is accomplished by said ferrule 19 which is for attaching said shank 16 to said handle 14. In a preferred construction, said blade 18 is formed from a single piece of stamped metal for simplicity and lower cost.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodiments of a HOE FOR FACILITATING WORKING ON AT LEAST TWO SIDES OF A PLANT SIMULTANEOUSLY, accordingly it is not limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.
