The embodiments herein relate generally to hand tools.
Prior to embodiments of the disclosed invention, making garden rows in a garden to prepare it for planting was a difficult, labor intensive, and a slow process. There were no hand tools or machine tools in existence that could create a scaled down version of evenly spaced garden rows that look and function like typical the farm rows, for planting and growing vegetables in home gardens. Embodiments of the disclosed invention solve this problem.
A row making tool is configured to quickly make deep evenly spaced garden rows in a tilled garden plot. The row making tool has a rail mechanically coupled to a rail shaft. A handle is connected to the rail shaft; wherein the handle is configured to be held and maneuvered with a human hand. A first blade and a second blade connected to the rail. The first blade and the second blade are configured to create rows in tilled soil in order to prepare the tilled garden plot for planting.
In some embodiments, a third blade and a fourth blade are connected to the rail. The third blade and the fourth blade are configured to create rows in tilled soil in order to prepare the garden plot for planting. The first blade, the second blade, the third blade and the fourth blade can be configured as a quadrilateral with no equal sides and no parallel sides.
The rail shaft can be connected to the handle with a handle shaft extension in order to increase a distance between the rail and the handle. The handle can be connected to the handle shaft extension with an upper pin and an upper retaining pin. The handle shaft extension is attached to the rail shaft with a lower pin and a lower retaining pin. The handle shaft extension can be a hollow tube and the rail shaft can also be a hollow tube. The rail shaft is centered on a balanced weight distribution of the rail, the blades and the weight support rods establish a center point for pull on the center of gravity
In some embodiments, a first weight support rod and a second weight support rod can be connected to the rail. The first rod can be immediately adjacent to a first weight and the second rod can be immediately adjacent to a second weight. Increasing mass on the row making tool increases a downward force upon the first blade and the second blade permitting the first blade and the second blade to sink deeper into the tilled ground. Increasing mass on the row making tool increases force upon the first blade and the second blade permitting the first blade and the second blade to cut deeper into the ground.
The detailed description of some embodiments of the invention is made below with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals represent corresponding parts of the figures.
By way of example, and referring to
Turning to
Handle shaft extension 12 further comprises a lower handle shaft hole. Similarly, rail shaft 14 comprises a rail shaft hole. A user can insert lower pin 28 through the lower handle shaft hole and the rail shaft hole and then insert lower retaining pin 30 through lower pin 28 to hold lower pin 28 in place. Handle shaft extension 12 can increase a distance between rail 16 and handle 10.
It is not necessary to connect handle 10 to rail shaft 14 with handle shaft extension 12. Rather, in some embodiments it may be preferable to omit handle shaft extension 12 altogether and connect handle 10 directly to rail shaft 14. To do this, lower pin 28 is inserted through the upper handle hole and the rail shaft hole and then upper retaining pin 30 is inserted through upper pin 28 to hold upper pin 28 in place.
Rail 16 can be a piece of angle iron. Rail 16 is mechanically coupled to first bracket 20 by screwing first turn screw 22 through rail 16 and then first blade threaded nut 26 onto first turn screw 22. In some embodiments, first blade threaded nut 26 is welded onto rail 16. First bracket 20 is mechanically coupled to first blade 18. First blade 18 can take many shapes, but a quadrilateral with no equal sides and no parallel sides has been found to be effective.
Similarly, rail 16 is mechanically coupled to second bracket 20 by screwing second turn screw 22 through rail 16 and then second blade threaded nut 26 onto second turn screw 22. In some embodiments, second blade threaded nut 26 is welded onto rail 16. Second bracket 20 is mechanically coupled to second blade 18. Second blade 18 can take many shapes, but a quadrilateral with no equal sides and no parallel sides has been found to be effective.
Likewise, rail 16 is mechanically coupled to third bracket 20 by screwing third turn screw 22 through rail 16 and then third blade threaded nut 26 onto third turn screw 22. In some embodiments, third blade threaded nut 26 is welded onto rail 16. Third bracket 20 is mechanically coupled to third blade 18. Third blade 18 can take many shapes, but a quadrilateral with no equal sides and no parallel sides has been found to be effective.
Additionally, rail 16 is mechanically coupled to fourth bracket 20 by screwing fourth turn screw 22 through rail 16 and then fourth blade threaded nut 26 onto fourth turn screw 22. In some embodiments, fourth blade threaded nut 26 is welded onto rail 16. Fourth bracket 20 is mechanically coupled to fourth blade 18. Fourth blade 18 can take many shapes, but a quadrilateral with no equal sides and no parallel sides has been found to be effective.
While four equally spaced blades 18 are disclosed presently, more or fewer blades can be effective in some situations. For instance, a row can be made with any combination of first blade 18, second blade 18, third blade 18 and fourth blade 18 or potentially more blades 18.
Rail 16 is further mechanically coupled to first rod 24. First weight support rod 24 has a first weight support rod threaded portion which is driven through rail 16. The first weight support rod threaded portion is then mechanically coupled to first weight support rod threaded nut 26. In some embodiments, first rod threaded nut 26 is welded onto rail 16. A user can increase a downward force on rail 16 by adding first weight 40 onto first weight support rod 24.
Additionally, rail 16 is further mechanically coupled to second weight support rod 24. Second weight support rod 24 has a second weight support rod threaded portion which is driven through rail 16. The second weight support rod threaded portion is then mechanically coupled to second weight support rod threaded nut 26. In some embodiments, second weight support rod threaded nut 26 is welded onto rail 16. A user can increase a downward force on rail 16 by adding second weight 40 onto second weight support rod 24.
Persons of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that numerous design configurations may be possible to enjoy the functional benefits of the inventive systems. Thus, given the wide variety of configurations and arrangements of embodiments of the present invention the scope of the invention is reflected by the breadth of the claims below rather than narrowed by the embodiments described above.
This application claims priority to provisional patent application U.S. Ser. No. 61/716,972 filed on Oct. 22, 2012, the entire contents of which is herein incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61716972 | Oct 2012 | US |