Patent Application
20250143227
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The disclosure relates to weeding devices and more particularly pertains to a new weeding device for removing weeds at the base of the plant while standing.
The prior art relates to weeding devices. Some weeding devices are mechanical. For example, the prior art discloses tools such as pruners, shovels, hoes, and trowels to cut or dig weeds out of the dirt. Those devices that cut weeds typically require the user to kneel or sit down next to the weed to clip the stem of the weed near to the ground. There are also claw-style weeding tools that a user can use while standing next to the weed. These devices typically require the user to exert pressure downward as they push the claw-style weeding tool into the dirt around the weed. The claw-style weeding tool can then grab the weed using the claws and the user can lift the tool to pull the weed from the ground. However, there is a need in the art for a cutting tool that can be used to trim weeds at the base of the plant near the ground while the user is standing.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a shaft having a handle end, a blades end, and a peripheral wall extending therebetween to define an interior space. A rod is rotatably coupled to the shaft and is positioned within the interior space. The rod has a top portion, a bottom portion, and a middle portion extending therebetween. The top portion is positioned adjacent to the handle end. The bottom portion is positioned adjacent to the blades end. A length of the rod exceeds the length of the shaft such that the bottom portion extends outwardly from the shaft beyond the blades end when the top portion is enclosed within the shaft. A handle is coupled to the handle end. The handle extends outwardly from the shaft in a first direction. A trigger mechanism is coupled to the handle that engages the rod whereby the trigger mechanism rotates the rod within the shaft. A pair of blades is pivotably coupled to the rod. Each of the pair of blades extends outwardly from the blades end in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. The pair of blades is configured to clip weeds proximate to a ground surface while a user is standing on the ground surface. A coupler pivotably couples the pair of blades together at the bottom portion of the rod. The coupler pivots each of the pair of blades inwardly toward the other and outwardly from the other when the trigger mechanism rotates the rod within the shaft.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter, and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A rod 22 is rotatably coupled to the shaft 12. The rod 22 is positioned within the interior space 20. The rod 22 has a top portion 24, a bottom portion 26, and a middle portion 28 extending therebetween. The top portion 24 is generally positioned adjacent to the handle end 14 and the bottom portion 26 is generally positioned adjacent to the blades end 16. In embodiments, a length of the rod 22 exceeds the length of the shaft 12 such that the bottom portion 26 extends outwardly from the shaft 12 beyond the blades end 16 when the top portion 24 is enclosed within the shaft 12.
A handle 30 is coupled to the handle end 14. The handle 30 extends outwardly from the shaft 12 in a first direction, which may be generally perpendicular to the shaft 12. The handle 30 is configured for being gripped by a user 100.
A trigger mechanism 32 is coupled to the handle 30. The trigger mechanism 32 engages the rod 22 whereby the trigger mechanism 32 rotates the rod 22 within the shaft 12. The trigger mechanism 32 generally comprises a trigger 34 that is pivotably coupled to the handle 30. The trigger 34 pivots upwardly toward the handle 30 and downwardly from the handle 30. A spring 36 is attached to and extends between the handle 30 and the trigger 34. The spring 36 compresses when the trigger 34 pivots inwardly toward the handle 30. The spring 36 expands when the trigger 34 pivots outwardly from the handle 30. The spring 36 may bias the trigger 34 outwardly from the handle 30.
A trigger gear 38 is coupled to the trigger 34 adjacent to the shaft 12. The trigger gear 38 contacts the top portion 24 of the rod 33. The trigger gear 38 pivots downwardly when the trigger 34 pivots upwardly toward the handle 30. The trigger gear 38 pivots upwardly when the trigger 34 pivots downwardly from the handle 30.
The top portion 24 includes a top threading 40 and the trigger gear 38 includes a trigger threading 42. The top threading 40 is complementary to the trigger threading 42 such that the rod 22 rotates when the trigger gear 38 pivots. For example, when the trigger gear 38 pivots downwardly from the trigger 34 pivoting upwardly toward the handle 30, the rod 22 may rotate in a clockwise direction. In such embodiments, the rod 22 may rotate in a counterclockwise direction when the trigger gear 38 pivots upwardly from the trigger 34 pivoting downwardly from the handle 30. In alternative embodiments, the rod 22 may rotate in a counterclockwise direction when the trigger gear 38 pivots downwardly from the trigger 34 pivoting upwardly toward the handle 30, and the rod 22 may rotate in a clockwise direction when the trigger gear 38 pivots upwardly from the trigger 34 pivoting downwardly from the handle 30.
A pair of blades 44 is pivotably coupled to the rod 22. Each of the pair of blades 44 extends outwardly from the blades end 16 in a second direction. The second direction is generally opposite the first direction, such that the pair of blades 44 extends from the opposite side of the rod 22 and the shaft 12 from the handle 30. An example embodiment showing this spatial relationship is provided in
The pair of blades 44 generally comprises a first blade 46 that is attached to the bottom portion 26 of the rod 22. A second blade 48 is pivotably coupled to the bottom portion 26. The second blade 48 is generally positioned beneath the first blade 46. The first blade 46 pivots in a same direction as the rod 22 when the trigger mechanism 32 rotates the rod 22 within the shaft 12. The second blade 48 pivots in an opposite direction as the rod 22 when the trigger mechanism 32 rotates the rod 22 within the shaft 12. Each of the pair of blades 44 generally has a pointed end portion 50 and a rounded end portion 52. In embodiments, each of the pair of blades 44 generally pivots about the rounded end portion 52.
A coupler 54 pivotably couples the pair of blades 44 to the bottom portion 26 of the rod 22. The coupler 54 pivots each of the pair of blades 44 inwardly toward the other and outwardly from the other when the trigger mechanism 32 rotates the rod 22 within the shaft 12.
The coupler 54 may comprise a first gear 56 that is attached to the first blade 46. The first gear 56 extends upwardly from the first blade 46 toward the bottom portion 26. A second gear 58 is also attached to the first blade 46. The second gear 58 extends through the first blade 46. The second gear 58 has a first portion 60, a second portion 62, and a third portion 64. The first portion 60 is coupled to the third portion 64 by the second portion 62. The first portion 60 extends upwardly from the first blade 46 whereby the first portion 60 contacts the first gear 56. The third portion 64 extends downwardly from the first blade 46. The second portion 62 extends through the first blade 46 between the first portion 60 and the third portion 64.
The first gear 56 has a first gear threading 66 and the first portion 60 has an upper gear threading 68. The first gear threading 66 is complementary to the upper gear threading 68 whereby the first gear 56 engages the first portion 60 to move the second gear 58 along with the first blade 46 in the same direction as the rod 22 moves within the shaft 12.
A channel 70 extends across the second blade 48 proximate to the rod 22. In the embodiment shown in
The first wall 72 has a wall threading 76. The third portion 64 has a second gear threading 78. The second gear threading 78 is complementary to the wall threading 76 such that the third portion 64 of the second gear 58 engages the wall threading 76 of the first wall 72 to move the second blade 48 in the opposite direction as the second gear 58 moves along with the first blade 46 in the same direction.
A retainer 80 couples the second blade 48 to the rod 22. The retainer 80 generally comprises the bottom portion 26 extending through the first blade 46 into an aperture 82 within the second blade 48. The aperture 82 is generally positioned proximate to the channel 70, as shown in
In use, the user 100 may stand on the ground surface 1043 near the weeds 102 or other plant growth the user 100 wants to trim. The user 100 can position the pair of blades 44 around the weeds 102 and push the trigger 34 upwardly toward the handle 30 to rotate the rod 22 within the shaft 12. As the rod 22 rotates, the coupler 54 pivots the pair of blades 44 inwardly toward each other to cut the weeds 102. As the user 100 releases the trigger 34, the trigger gear 38 pivots the rod 22 whereby the coupler 54 pivots the pair of blades 44 outwardly from each other.
The shaft 12 may have a length between 2.5 feet and 3.5 feet so that the pair of blades 44 reaches the ground surface 104 when the user 100 is standing next to the weeds 102, as shown in
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
