GB2140292A

GB2140292A - Garden tool rest

Info

Publication number: GB2140292A
Application number: GB08329847A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Lionel Clarke
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-05-24
Filing date: 1983-11-09
Publication date: 1984-11-28
Also published as: GB8329847D0

Abstract

A garden tool rest comprising a shaft 1 having at one end a spike 2 for pushing into the ground and carrying a platform 3 including outwardly extending fingers 7 to accommodate handles of garden tools. The platform includes apertures into which small tools are inserted and the fingers 7 also extend upwards. The platform 3 pivots so that it lays flat against the shaft 1 for storage. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Garden tool rest When gardening one frequently mislays small garden tools such as secateurs and dibbers.

When such tools are laid on the ground they tend to be hidden by plants or undergrowth.

Equally, it is desirable to keep packets of seeds away from damp earth, before sowing them. Larger garden tools, especially those having a head and a long handle such as a rake can easily present a danger when they are left lying on the ground. Taking as an example the case of a rake, when this is left on the ground it may be left with sharp teeth sticking upwards which present a danger because of their sharp nature and in addition, when the head of such a tool is trodden on the handle flys up in the air and often hits the person treading on it.

According to this invention a garden tool rest comprises a shaft having at one end a spike for pushing into the ground and carrying a platform including outwardly extending fingers to accommodate handles of garden tools.

Such a garden tool restis pushed into the ground and then forms a station against which and on which garden tools are placed during gardening. Long handled tools are rested against the platform with their handles accommodated between adjacent outwardly extending fingers and smaller tools are placed on the platform or hung from the outwardly extending fingers. Preferably the platform also includes apertures into which small tools such as secateurs and dibbers can be inserted.

Preferably the outwardly extending fingers also extend upwards away from the spike so that items hung from the fingers are held more surely.

The platform may be formed by injection moulding from a plastics material and have its outer periphery include outwardly extending fingers but preferably the platform is formed by a matrix or mesh. In this case the matrix or mesh is preferably formed by metal such as an expanded metal mesh or a rectangular wire matrix such as a welded wire or rod matrix known by the trade name of "Weld mesh".

Where the platform is formed by a rectangular metal mesh the platform is preferably square or rectangular in shape and the mesh along two edges of the platform is raw so that two edges are formed by protruding pieces of wire or rod which form the outwardly extending fingers. These protruding wires or rods are preferably bent upwards out of the plane containing the remainder of the platform.

Preferably the shaft also includes a foot piece located adjacent the one end to prevent the spike on the one end of the shaft from being driven too far into the ground and also to provide an abutment which can be trodden on to drive the spike into the ground. The footpiece may be formed by a simple cross bar attached to the shaft or by a flat piece or disc of material to provide an additional ground bearing surface. The shaft may be solid or tubular and may also be extensible to enable the height of the platform to be varied.

Normally the platform is mounted at the other end of the shaft but it may also be mounted part-way up the shaft. The tool rest may also include more than one platform to increase its holding capacity. Preferably the platform is connected to the shaft so that it can be pivoted to enable it to be generally aligned with the shaft so that when the tool rest is not being used it occupies less space.

A particular example of a garden tool reset in accordance with this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings: in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view; Figure 2 is a plan drawn to a much larger scale; Figure 3 is a side elevation; Figure 4 is a partial side elevation of a modification; Figure 5 is a perspective view of part of the device drawn to a larger scale; and, Figure 6 is a perspective view of part of the device in an alternative position.

The garden tool rest comprises a shaft 1 having a spike 2 at its lowermost end and a platform 3 secured to its upper end. An annular disc 4 is fixed to the shaft 7 at the top of the spike 2 and in use the disc 4 limits the extent to which the shaft 7 is pushed into the ground. The disc 4 also provides a foot piece to enable the spike 2 to be driven into the ground by the foot of the user.

The platform 3 is formed by a rectangular portion of a matrix of rods welded or brazed together. Typically this platform 3 is formed from a rectangular piece of material known by the trade name of "Weldmesh". Two edges of the platform defined by the rods 5 and 6 are smooth but the opposite edges are formed with ends of the rods protruding to form a series of outwardly extending projecting fingers 7. The outwardly projecting fingers 7 are bent upwards, as shown particularly in Figures 1 and 3. The platform is dip coated with a plastics material.

A head piece 8 which is preferably moulded from nylon or other plastics material is fixed to the top of the shaft 7. The head piece 8 has its shcrtest dimension shorter than the spacing between adjacent rods of the platform 3 and a pair of grooves 9 separated by the spacing of adjacent rods of the platform 3.

The head piece 8 thus fits between adjacent rods in one direction and a pair of adjacent rods running in the opposite direction. A slide lock plate 10 including an elongate hole 11 is held on top of the head piece 8 by a wing nut 1 2 screwed onto a screw-threaded end 73 of the top of the shaft 1. The slide lock plate 70 clamps the adjacent rods of the platform 3 into the grooves 9 to hold the platform 3 securely normal to the shaft 7, as shown in Figure 5.

To enable the tool rest to be stored more easily the wing nut 1 2 is slackened and the slide plate 10 slid to the left as shown in Figure 6. This releases the rod from one of the channels 9 to allow the platform 3 to pivot as a whole so that it is generally aligned with the shaft 7. The slide lock plate 10 is held in a groove 14, shown in Figures 5 and 6, to prevent its rotation.

A modification of the shaft 1 is shown in Figure 4 and in this Figure the shaft 1' is tubular and includes screw-threaded plugs 1 5 at each end. In this modification the spike 2 is screw-threaded into the screw-threaded plug 1 5 in the base of the shaft 1' and locked into position by a lock nut 16. A screw-threaded wing bolt 1 7 is screwed into the plug 1 5 at the top of the shaft 1' to support the platform 3 and slide lock plate 70.

In use of the tool rest small tools may be laid on top of the platform 3 or fitted in the apertures between adjacent rods forming the platform 3. Alternatively, when the tools include a D-handle or similar they may be hooked onto the extending fingers 7. Tools with long handles such as rakes, hoes and cultivators are conveniently rested against the edges of the platform 3 which include the extending fingers 7 so that their long handles are accommodated between a pair of adjacent fingers 7 so that the long-handled tool not only rests against the platform 3 but is prevented from being dislodged in the sideways direction.

Claims

1. A garden tool rest comprising a shaft having at one end a spike for pushing into the ground and carrying a platform including outwardly extending fingers to accommodate handles of garden tools.

2. A garden tool rest according to claim 1, in which the platform also includes apertures to receive small tools.

3. A garden tool rest according to claims 1 or 2, in which the outwardly extending fingers also extend upwards, away from the spike.

4. A garden tool rest according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the platform is formed by a metal matrix or mesh.

5. A garden tool rest according to claim 4, in which the platform is formed by a rectangular metal mesh and is square or rectangular in shape with two edges of the platform being formed by protruding strips which form the outwardly extending fingers.

6. A garden tool rest according to claims 4 or 5, in which the platform is coated with a plastics material.

7. A garden tool rest according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the shaft also includes a foot piece located adjacent the one end.

8. A garden tool rest according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the platform is pivotally connected to the shaft to enable it to be generally aligned with the shaft for storage.

9. A garden tool rest constructed substantially as described with reference to the ac companying drawings.

9. A garden tool rest according to claim 8 when dependent upon claim 4, which also includes a head piece connected to the top of the shaft, the head piece including grooves to accommodate two adjacent elements of the metal mesh, and a plate to clamp the elements against the head piece, the plate being slidable to release one of the elements and thereby enable the platform to pivot with respect to the shaft.

10. A garden tool rest constructed substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

CLAIMS 6 March 1 984

1. A garden tool rest comprising a shaft having at one end a spike for pushing into the ground and carrying a platform including apertures to receive small gardening tools and outwardly extending fingers to accommodate handles of long garden tools;

2. A garden tool rest according to claim 1, in which the outwardly extending fingers also extend upwards, away from the spike;

3. A garden tool rest according to claim 1 or 2, in which the platform is formed by a metal matrix or mesh;

4. A garden tool rest according to claim 3, in which the platform is formed by a rectangular metal mesh and is square or rectangular in shape with two edges of the platform being formed by protruding elements of the mesh which form the outwardly extending fingers.

5. A garden tool rest according to claim 3 or 4, in which the platform is coated with a plastics material.

6. A garden tool rest according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the shaft also includes a foot piece located adjacent the one end.

7. A garden tool rest according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the platform is pivotally connected to the shaft to enable it to be generally aligned with the shaft for storage.

8. A garden tool rest according to claim 7 when dependent upon claim 3, 4 or 5, which also includes a head piece connected to the top of the shaft, the head piece including grooves to accommodate two adjacent elements of the metal mesh, and a plate to clamp the elements against the head piece, the plate being slidable to release one of the elements and thereby enable the platform to pivot with respect to the shaft.