GB2327842A

GB2327842A - Dibber with former member

Info

Publication number: GB2327842A
Application number: GB9716438A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Anthony Bott
Original assignee: James Neill Holdings Ltd
Current assignee: James Neill Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 1997-08-05
Filing date: 1997-08-05
Publication date: 1999-02-10
Also published as: GB9716438D0

Abstract

A garden tool for making holes in the ground for the planting of bulbs or seedlings comprises an elongate handle 1, 2, a spike member 5 and former member 7. In use, the spike member 5 and the former member 7 are pressed into the ground and a wider hole is left by the former member 7 above the hole made by the spike member. A bulb or seedling can be inserted into the hole left by the spike member 5 and then covered, leaving open the hole made by the former member 7. Water can thus be poured into the open hole left by the former member 7 to direct the water to the newly planted seedling or bulb. The former member 7 may be of a semi-circular configuration, screwed to the handle and be a foot support.

Description

GARDEN TOOL This invention relates to garden tools and is particularly concerned with garden tools to assist with the planting of seedling lings and bulbs.

To enable the proper growth of plants and vegetables from seedlings and bulbs, it is necessary to place the seedling below ground level to a required degree, to give protection to the seedling or bulb whilst it germinates and its roots mature. Traditionally, this has been a relatively arduous task particularly when considerable numbers of seedlings and/or bulbs need to be inserted into the ground successively. This applies particularly to flower displays where a number of flowers need to be grown simultaneously and in closely spaced relationship, and to vegetables and root crops which require to be planted side-by-side at a required spacing and a required depth. To effect this task with a conventional trowel necessitates the gardener taking up a difficult bent position frequently on the knees and is consequently arduous. Devices already known to give some assistance to the gardener are only of a nature that allow the production of a hole (as an alternative to digging with a trowel) but have the same attendant difficulties as with a trowel itself.

In addition to the planting of seedlings and bulbs there is the need that they should be adequately watered immediately after planting. In conventional manner a hole is dug, the seedling or bulb placed in it and the hole filled, such that after the planting of the number of seedlings and bulbs involved, a considerable area of ground needs to be watered to ensure that an adequate initial water supply is provided to each seedling or bulb.

The object of the present invention is to provide a garden tool that alleviates considerably the arduous conditions ordinarily attendant to the planting of seedlings and bulbs and which assists the adequate watering of an individual seedling or bulb.

According to the present invention a garden tool comprises a ground spike-like element, a former from which the spike-like element extends and an elongate handle on which the former and the spike-like member are secured, the former having a side towards the spike-like member so shaped that it along with the spike-like member can be pressed into the ground to form a hole into which a seedling or bulb is to be placed extending from a cavity formed at ground level by the location member.

Thus by having a handle of the length of, e.g., a convention spade or fork, the operative can remain upright whilst the spike-like member is pushed into the ground thereby removing to a considerable degree the otherwise arduous task of creating a large number of holes for a correspondingly large number of seedlings and/or bulbs. By arranging for the former to be pushed into the ground along with the spike-like member, there is provided a cavity, and following the location of a seedling or bulb in a hole which seedling or bulb is overlayed by earth or compost there is left at ground level a corresponding number of cavities that can be individually filled with water to guarantee the supply of water direct to a seedling or bulb at the bottom of each co-operating hole.

Preferably, the former is of semicircular configuration and has an axial hole through which can extend a screwed stem on the spike-like member the lower end of the handle being correspondingly threaded to receive the threaded stem. The semi-circular former may be of an appropriate metal and hollow to reduce its weight. Equally, the semi-circular former may be of an appropriate plastics material combining high strength and light weight, in which case the former could be solid or hollow.

In use the upper surface of the former can serve as a support surface for the foot and whereby the gardener can force the spike-like member and the former into the ground with even greater ease.

One example of a garden tool in accordance with the invention is illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a garden tool in accordance with the invention with the handle shown of indeterminate length; Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the lower end of the garden tool of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a plan view of the garden tool of Figure 1.

In the drawings a garden tool is formed by a shaft 1 on which is a T-shaped handle 2 of relatively conventional construction, the shaft 1 having a length commensurate with that of a garden spade or garden fork. The lower end of the shaft 1 is provided with a fitting 3 which is internally threaded to receive the screwed stem 4 of a spike-like member 5. The spike-like member 5 has an upper annular flange 6 which co-operates with the end of the fitting 3 to locate there-between a semi-circular former 7 and to hold the former secure to the shaft.

In use a gardener can stand upright using the garden tool after the manner of a spade or fork, and can apply his foot to the upper surface of the former and hence to assist considerably the penetration of the spike-like member into the ground to produce a hole to receive a seedling or a bulb, and to force the former into the ground to form a cavity above the hole to receive water after a seedling or bulb has been placed in the hole and the hole filled with soil or compost.

Claims

1. A garden tool comprising a ground spike-like element, a former from which the spikelike element extends and an elongate handle on which the former and the spike-like member are secured, the former having a side towards the spike-like member so shaped that it along with the spike-like member can be pressed into the ground to form a hole into which a seedling or bulb is to be placed extending from a cavity formed at ground level by the former.

2. A garden tool as in Claim 1, wherein the former is of semi-circular configuration and has an axial hole through which can extend a screwed stem on the spike-like member the lower end of the handle being correspondingly threaded to receive the threaded stem.

3. A garden tool as in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the semi-circular former is of an appropriate metal and hollow to reduce its weight.

4. A garden tool as in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the semi-circular former is of an appropriate plastics material combining high strength and light weight, in which case the former could be solid or hollow.

5. A garden tool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.