WO2007029039A1

WO2007029039A1 - Tool handle

Info

Publication number: WO2007029039A1
Application number: PCT/GB2006/050279
Authority: WO
Inventors: Duncan Roger Donald; Rebecca Elizabeth Donald; John Robinson
Original assignee: Sanmet Ltd
Priority date: 2005-09-07
Filing date: 2006-09-07
Publication date: 2007-03-15
Also published as: GB0518258D0

Abstract

A horticultural implement comprises a handle (1) attached to one end of a shaft (2) and a tool head (4) attached to the other end of said shaft, said tool head (4) being attached to said shaft (2) via a stirrup member (3); characterised in that the shaft (2) is shaped so as to provide additional knee clearance and present the handle (1) in an elevated position when the tool head (4) is horizontally disposed.

Description

Tool Handle

The present invention is in the field of handles and foot-treads for tools, more specifically for long handled hand tools suitable for use in the practice of horticulture.

The majority of long handled, horticultural hand tools follow the same basic format, namely a handle (usually in a D or T configuration) is mounted to one end of an elongate shaft, with a tool head (spade, fork etc ..) mounted on the opposite end. Typically the shaft is joined to the middle of the top end of the too! head, a tread being left to either side of the shaft, said tread being utilised to apply downward force with the foot when the tool is in use. All horticultural implements with this configuration (virtually all of the long handled tools on the market) suffer from the same drawback. Since the shaft joins the tool head centrally, the foot treads are, by necessity, located to either side of the shaft, thus when a user applies downward force with the foot, there is a strong tendency for the tool to twist sideways, the user having to compensate for this twisting by applying a counter rotationary force through the handle. This can be particularly difficult for both women and the elderly, who may not have sufficient upper body strength to compensate for them putting their full weight on the tread. This leads to a very inefficient use of the tool, be it for digging, tilling or some other purpose. Furthermore, prolonged use of such tools can lead to muscle strain in the areas of the upper body being used to provide the counter rotationary force.

A secondary problem is that the treads are typically only of the same thickness as the tool heads, meaning that repeated use of the tool can cause not inconsiderable pain to the underside of the foot. Furthermore, in wet conditions it is very easy for the foot to slip off the tread causing difficulties ranging from the user injuring their ankle against the edge of the tool head, through to sprains or falls if the slip is particularly vigorous. Whilst the industry as a whole has not addressed this issue, there have been some attempts to alleviate the problem.

US 5,871 ,058 (NACCARATO) describes a garden fork comprising a handle (a

D configuration handle is displayed within the embodiments, but this is not a key feature) mounted on the top end of an elongate shaft, the lower end of the shaft being attached to the centre point of a fork head. The fork head, rather than having a foot tread to either side of the shaft, has a stirrup type arrangement, thus enabling the user to apply pressure, with their foot, centrally with respect to the tool head, thereby removing any tendency of the tool to twist and physically preventing the foot slipping sideways off the tread. However, this configuration brings a new problem, which is that when a user attempts to apply force to the tread with their foot, the shaft is in such a position that in invariably interferes/clashes with the knee, causing both inconvenience and pain. Furthermore, this interference/clashing is exacerbated by the presence of the lever arm, which encourages a user to apply pressure rearward of the tool head, encouraging rotation of the tool bringing the shaft towards the user's leg/knee. The shaft being cranked (as shown in figures 4A-C) means that to avoid a collision between the user's knee and the shaft of the tool, the arms must be fully extended to use the device. This is dearly going to limit the amount of time one could use the tool for (due to arm discomfort) and also reduce the amount of control a user has over the tool and therefore the force which could be applied to the tread.

GB 2,361 ,163 (FLETCHER) describes an alternative to the above, which alleviates some of the problems associated therewith. The tools describes are more or less traditional in their construction, comprising a handle mounted to one end of an elongate shaft, with a tool head (spade, fork etc..) mounted on the opposite end, the shaft being joined to the middle of the top end of the tool head. However, the tools of this invention do not rely on a foot tread situated to either side of the shaft, rather a pedal is provided centrally and to the rear of the tool head. Whilst this arrangement could alleviate much of the foot soreness associated with the above solution, whilst still addressing the twisting associated with traditional toots, it reintroduces the problems associated with the user's foot slipping off the tread (although the pedal may have a contoured tread to mitigate this somewhat). The problem of the user's knee clashing with the shaft is also alleviated somewhat, due to the fact that the user's foot (and therefore leg) is applying pressure at a location displaced rearwardly from the tool shaft.

US 2005/0035612 (OLiNSKI) describes a "tool leverage attachment" comprising attachment means (saddle, flange and bolts) for attaching said device to a long handled garden tool. The device comprises a cross bar displaced rearwardly from the attachment means, said cross bar providing a foot tread to allow a user to apply downward pressure to the tool. Whilst a user could apply pressure centrally to the cross bar, this would have the same drawbacks as the FLETCHER device described above, furthermore, OLlNSKI clearly states (and also pictures) that the user should apply downward pressure to the cross bar on either side of the tool's shaft, which does nothing to address the problems discussed herein.

A further issue addressed in the art, notably by the NACCARATO, FLETCHER and OLINSKI patents above, is that of leverage. When using a standard garden fork, for example, the tool is thrust into the ground and then rotated back towards the user. However, there is no clear fulcrum about which the tool can rotate. The above three documents all have features which contact the ground rearward of the point of penetration and allow the user to lever about said point of contact, indeed, this is the main thrust of the OLINSKI patent. However; in all of these instances, the ground contact member is solid across its entire width, meaning that a pebble/rock under one portion of it (particularly if it is central) could de-stabilise the tool, encouraging a tilt to one side or the other, thereby making the tool harder to handle. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel tool handle arrangement for a horticultural tool and horticultural tools incorporating such an arrangement.

A horticultural implement, according to a first aspect of the present invention, comprises a handle attached to one end of a shaft and a tool head attached to the other end of said shaft, said tool head being attached to said shaft via a stirrup member; characterised in that the shaft is shaped so as to provide additional knee clearance and present the handle in a substantially elevated position when the tool head is substantially horizontally disposed.

Advantageously, the shape of the shaft ensures that when the implement is in use, and the tool head is horizontally disposed, because the handle is in an elevated position, a user's hand will not come into contact with the ground. This prevents the user's hands from being soiled or becoming dirty.

The shaft may be curved. Preferably, the shaft curves such that, in use, the handle is bent substantially away from the ground when the tool head is substantially horizontally disposed. The shaft may comprise a lower portion, which curves away from the ground when the tool head is substantially horizontally disposed, and an upper portion which curves towards the ground when the tool head is substantially horizontally disposed. The shaft may preferably have an elongated "S"-shaped profile.

However, preferably, the shaft comprises an upper and lower portion delineated by at least one crank in said shaft. The angle formed by the crank between the upper and lower portions may be between 91 ° and 179°. Preferably, the angle formed between the upper and lower portions may be between 110° and 160°, more preferably, between 120° and 150°, and most preferably between about 130° and 140°.

Preferably, said shaft has upper, intermediate and lower portions delineated by cranks in said shaft. Preferably there are two cranks in said shaft, with said lower portion extending substantially parallel to and in line with said tool head, said first crank in said shaft angling said intermediate portion forwards, with respect to the orientation of the tool, and said second crank angling said upper portion backwards with respect to said intermediate portion, preferably said upper portion being substantially parallel to said lower portion.

The angle formed by the first crank between the lower and intermediate portions may be between 91° and 179°. Preferably, the angle formed between the lower and intermediate portions may be between 110° and 160°, more preferably, between 120° and 150°, and most preferably between about 130° and 140°. The angle formed by the second crank between the intermediate and upper portions may be between 91° and 179°. Preferably, the angle formed between the intermediate and upper portions may be between 110° and 160°, more preferably, between 120° and 150°, and most preferably between about 130° and 140°. Hence, preferably, the lower and upper portions are substantially parallel with each other, and separated by the angled intermediate portion.

Preferably at least the top end of said shaft is substantially circular in cross- section and the lower end is ovular in cross-section. Preferably, the intermediate portion transforms from circular to ovular in cross-section, providing a smooth transition between said top and lower ends. The transition to an ovular cross-section provides additional strength, in the primary plane of action, towards the lower end of the shaft, where the tool experiences the greatest stresses. Preferably said tool head comprises a foot tread member and a tool membe said tool member may be attached to said foot tread member via a mountir bracket.

Optionally said foot tread member may further comprise an integral heel re member. Preferably said heel roll member comprises two ground contacting rol separated by a cut out portion.

Preferably said shaft is of tubular metal construction, most preferably a extruded aluminium tube. Preferably said foot tread member is an extrude aluminium member. Preferably said stirrup is of a cast aluminium constructior Preferably said tool member is selected from the group comprising a weeding fork, ; garden fork, a garden spade and an edging knife.

In the instance of the weeding fork, preferably said fork comprises 3 or more tines, the central one or more tines being displaced rearwardly with respect to the outer tines, in order to promote cupping of the root bail, the central one or more tines may also be shorter in length than the outer tines.

In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of horticulture, the method comprising use of the implement according to the first aspect to cultivate land.

Preferably, the method comprises the steps of:- (i) contacting land with the tool head;

(ii) applying a downwardly force onto the stirrup member of the implement with a foot; and

(iii) applying a turning force to the handle to thereby cause the tool head to cut into the ground surface. The method preferably comprises urging the handle downwardly towards the land such that the tool head is urged out of the land. It will be appreciated that the shaft is shaped so as to provide knee clearance and present the handle in a substantially elevated position when the tool head is substantially horizontally disposed. Hence, advantageously, the handle is disposed away from the land surface so that the user's hand remains clean. For example, the tool head may be a garden fork, a spade or an edging knife. The land may be a garden, vegetable patch, or allotment.

All of the features described herein (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined with any of the above aspects in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

The invention will be more easily understood with reference to the foregoing embodiments. Figure 1 shows a front view of a weeding fork according to the present invention. Figure 2 shows a side view of the weeding fork of Figure 1. Figure 3 shows a bottom view of the weeding fork of Figures 1 & 2.

Figure 4 is a close up of part of the weeding fork of the previous three figures, highlighting details of its construction. Figure 5 shows a front view of a garden spade according to the present invention. Figure 6 shows a side view of a garden spade according to the present invention.

Referring initially to figures 1 to 3; a horticultural tool according to the present invention comprises a handle 1 , attached to one end of a shaft 2, with a stirrup member 3 being attached at the distal end, said stirrup member being further attached to tool head 4.

The shaft 2 has three distinct portions 5, 6, 7, delineated by two cranks 8, 9 in said shaft 2. The upper portion 5 of the shaft is substantially circular in cross section, the lower portion 7 is ovular in cross section, the long axis of the ovoid running front to back with respect to the tool, and the intermediate portion 6 has a cross section which varies from substantially circular at its upper end, becoming increasingly ovular along its length.

The stirrup member 3 comprises two downwardly extending tangs 10, 11 , each tang extending down from and out to a respective side of said shaft 2 and terminating with attachment means 12, 13. The tool head 4 comprises a foot tread member 14, a mounting bracket 15 and a tool member 16 (in this embodiment, a weeding fork). The foot tread member 14 has an integral heei roil 17; said heel roll comprising two roil portions 18, 18' disposed either side of a cut out portion 19. In use, a user holds the tool by the handle 1 and positions the tool member 4 rearwardly adjacent the weed to be removed (line of sight between the user and the tool head 4 is improved by the double cranked formation of the shaft 2). The user then places their foot on the foot tread member 14 (additional clearance being afforded due to the lower crank 9 angling the intermediate portion 6 of the shaft 2 away from the user's knee), applying downward pressure until the heel roll 17 contacts the ground. At the point of contact between the heei roll 17 and the ground, the soil compresses somewhat, thereby providing a more solid fulcrum. The user then pulls back on the handle 1 , whereby the tool rotates about the heel roll 17, until such time as the tool member 16 (along with the weed) is clear of the ground. It will be noted at this point, that the double crank in the shaft 2, in conjunction with the heel roll 17, ensures that when the tool member 16 clears the ground, the handle is still some distance above ground level, thereby reducing the amount of bending required to lift the weed and also reducing the likelihood of injury (and level of griminess) caused by the user's hand coming into repeated contact with the ground. Referring now also to figure 4; the construction of the tool head/stirrup arrangement is as follows. The tool member 16 is welded, at its upper end, into a channel member 20. The channel member 20 is slotted intimately into a cavity 21 on the underside of the foot tread member 14. The stirrup member 3 has an upper portion 22, which slots into the lower portion 7 of the shaft 2, with a screw 23 deforming the upper portion 22 of the stirrup member 3 into intimate contact with the internal surface of the shaft 2. The foot tread member 14 is then positioned in between the downwardly extending tangs 10, 11 of the stirrup member 3, where screws 12, 13 secure the two together, thereby firmly fixing the tool head 4, via the stirrup member 3, to the shaft 2. The handle 1 is attached to the shaft 2 by conventional means, such as riveting.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, a garden spade according to the present invention has exactly the same upper construction as the previous embodiment, comprising a handle 1 , a double cranked shaft 2, a stirrup member 3 and a tool head 4. In this instance, the tool member 16 is a spade head, further comprising a gusset 24 to impart additional strength. The major difference in construction is the lack of an integral heel roil on the foot tread member 14. The heel roll is omitted from the garden spade since it would interfere with a shovelling action were it present.

The preceding embodiments are given by way of example only and are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A horticultural implement comprising a handle attached to one end of a shaft and a tool head attached to the other end of said shaft, said tool head being attached to said shaft via a stirrup member; characterised in that the shaft is shaped so as to provide additional knee clearance and present the handle in an elevated position when the tool head is horizontally disposed.

2. A horticultural implement according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft is curved.

3. A horticultural implement according to claim 2, wherein the shaft comprises a lower portion, which curves away from the ground when the tool head is substantially horizontally disposed, and an upper portion which curves towards the ground when the tool head is substantially horizontally disposed.

4. A horticultural implement according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft has an elongated "S"-shaped profile.

5. A horticultural implement according to any preceding claim, wherein the shaft comprises an upper and lower portion delineated by at least one crank in said shaft.

6. A horticultural implement according to any preceding claim, wherein said shaft has upper, intermediate and lower portions delineated by cranks in said shaft.

7. A horticultural implement according to claim 6, wherein there are two cranks in said shaft, with said lower portion extending substantially parallel to and in line with said tool head, said first crank in said shaft angiing said intermediate portion forwards, with respect to the orientation of the tool, and said second crank angling said upper portion backwards with respect to said intermediate portion.

8. A horticultural implement according to either one of claim 6 or 7, wherein said upper portion of said shaft is substantially parallel to said lower portion.

9. A horticultural implement according to any preceding claim, wherein at least the top end of said shaft is substantially circular in cross-section and the lower end is ovular in cross-section.

10. A horticultural implement according to claim 9, wherein the intermedia portion transforms from circular to ovular in cross-section, providing a smoo transition between said top and lower ends.

11. A horticultural implement according to any preceding claim, wherein said to< head comprises a foot tread member and a tooi member, said tool membf being attached to said foot tread member via a mounting bracket.

12. A horticultural implement according claim 11 , wherein said foot tread membe further comprises an integral heel roll member.

13. A horticultural implement according to claim 12, wherein said heel ro member comprises more than one ground contacting roll separated by one o more cut out portions.

14. A horticultural implement according to any one of claims 11 to 13, whereir said foot tread member is an extruded profile.

15. A horticultural implement according to any preceding claim, wherein saic stirrup is of a cast aluminium construction.

16. A horticultural implement according to any preceding claim, wherein said horticultural implement is selected from the group comprising a weeding fork, a garden fork, a garden spade and an edging knife.

17.A weeding fork according to any preceding claim, said fork comprising 3 or more tines, the central one or more tines being displaced rearwardly with respect to the outer tines.

18.A weeding fork according to claim 17, wherein the central one or more tines are shorter in length than the outer tines.

19. A method of horticulture, the method comprising use of the implement according to any one of claims 1 to 18 to cultivate land.