Garden tools

Abstract

 A handle (8) for a garden tool such as a trowel (2) has a manually grippable portion. This manually grippable portion has at least its upper half enclosed by a surface curved in all directions across a surface with no angular regions. This manually grippable portion is, for example, spherical.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to hand held garden tools, particularly including tools that are operated by hand rather than by foot. Such tools are referred to herein as hand operated garden tools.

[0002] Hand operated garden tools such as trowels and forks are generally used for the smaller garden, encapsulated areas of cultivation, window boxes and the like. Generally, such tools are used for digging, weeding and breaking up of soil. This requires the penetration, levering, turning and fragmentation of the soil. In order to achieve these effects, thrusting, levering and twisting motions need to be applied to the handle of the respective garden tool. However, traditional garden tools tend to have cylindrical handles with relatively small diameters, for example in the region of 2 to 3cm. This makes it difficult for the user to apply the required force to the tool and can give rise to bruising of the palm and fingers along with blistering and rubbing. Additionally, discomfort or injury can be caused to the wrist and forearm of the user. These disadvantages are exacerbated if the soil is hard, heavy or stony and/or this type of activity is only done infrequently by the user.

[0003] Hand operated tools are also used to remove weeds. Some weeds, such as dandelions, daisies, buttercups, and thistles have deep roots. In order to permanently remove these weeds, it is necessary to remove the weeds in their entirety including their roots. However, with conventional tools roots are often left behind which regrow.

[0004] This problem could be overcome by digging holes of increased size around the weed in question but this can disrupt too much of the flower bed or leave large unsightly holes in the lawn. Alternatively, a long narrow tool may be used to remove the weed. However, such tools suffer from the problem that the shaft of the tool digs into the surrounding soil leaving undesired indentations and giving only poor leverage. Additionally,it is difficult to apply sufficient force in order to remove the weed in its entirety.

[0005] It is an object of embodiments of the present invention to reduce or at least mitigate these problems.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a handle for a hand operated garden tool having a ground interacting portion, said handle having a manually grippable portion, having at least its upper half enclosed by a surface curved in all directions across the surface with no angular regions.

[0007] There is also provided, according to another aspect of the invention a hand operated tool comprising a ground interacting portion and a handle as defined above coupled thereto.

[0008] Preferably, the manually grippable portion is substantially spherical, substantially ellipsoid, or substantially ovoid. This arrangement has the advantage that the handle can be gripped by the hand of a user and due to the increased area of its curved surface, the tool does not dig into the hand of the user. This makes the tool far more comfortable to use and reduces rubbing and blistering. A shaft may also be provided between said handle and ground interacting portion.

[0009] The manually grippable portion of the handle preferably has a diameter which allows the handle to be comfortably grasped by the palm. For example, the grippable portion could have a diameter in the region of 45 to 65 mm depending on the size of the hand of the user. Good results have been obtained with handles having a diameter of around 50mm.

[0010] As the manually grippable portion diameter is preferably larger than that of known tools, greater torque or twisting motion forces can be applied to the tool. This makes the digging, weeding and/or the breaking up of soil easier than with prior art tools.

[0011] Additionally, the design of the embodiments of the present invention and the diameter of the grippable portion may allow the application of more thrust, leverage and turning without the handle end either slipping or digging into the palm of the hand of the user. This increases user comfort and means that a greater force can be applied without any discomfort to the user.

[0012] Preferably, the grippable portion of the handle is weighted. This may be achieved by using a solid wooden grippable portion. This is preferably of a hard wood. Such a handle may be additionally weighted. In a further preferred embodiment, the grippable portion is substantially hollow and is filled with a suitable weighting material. The hollow grippable portion may be made out of moulded plastics whilst the weighting material may, for example, be sand, metallic granules or the like.

[0013] The amount of weighting material can be selected in accordance with user preference.

[0014] This is advantageous in that the increased vertical weight has the advantage that easier penetration of the soil is achieved whilst reducing the shock to the wrist and forearm. The breaking up of soil may be eased by virtue of increased tool weight and momentum and the handle shape which transmits power from the base of the palm rather than relying upon a handle end which digs into the centre of the palm and relies on the grip of the fingers.

[0015] Embodiments of the invention are able to reduce the amount of time taken for soil preparation for planting by between 30 to 40% as compared to when conventional tools are used.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each garden tool can be provided with a plurality of different grippable portions. These grippable portions can be removably coupled to the garden tool. Thus, different sized grippable portions can be provided so that people with different sized hands can use the tools with comfort.

[0017] The shaft may have a widened portion at a location spaced from the handle. This is because with some uses of the tool, the shaft will be gripped and not the grippable portion. This widened portion prevents the user's hand from sliding down the shaft towards the ground interacting portion.

[0018] The distance between the widened portion and the manually grippable portion preferably corresponds generally to the size of the user's hand. The handle discourages the user's hand from moving upwardly and the widened portion discourages the hand from moving downwardly relative to the shaft which can result in blistering.

[0019] The present invention can be applied to any suitable hand operated garden tool for example such as trowels and forks. In the case of a trowel, the blade (ground interaction portion) is preferably tapered in a direction away from the handle. Preferably, the blade is curved in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tool as a whole to impart rigidity. Thus, the insertion and removal of the tool into the soil is made easier and the moderately curved surface means that the soil is less likely to adhere to the blade.

[0020] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hand operable garden tool comprising a ground interacting portion, a manually grippable handle and a shaft extending therebetween, said garden tool further comprising a fulcrum member coupled to said shaft and protruding therefrom, whereby in use, said fulcrum member rests against a ground surface and acts as a fulcrum for the leverage of the ground interaction portion in a upward direction.

[0021] The handle described in the first aspect can be used with this tool.

[0022] The fulcrum member preferably has a curved surface portion which, in use, is arranged to contact the ground. This curved surface portion thus acts as a rolling fulcrum. This maximises the force for removing weeds or the like from soil. Additionally, the curved nature of the fulcrum reduces the indentation and compaction of the surrounding soil as the force is spread over a relatively large area. This effect may be enhanced by the placement of a flat plate or rigid pressure pad between the fulcrum and the soil at the point of interaction.

[0023] Preferably, said fulcrum member is movable relative to said shaft. In this way, the fulcrum member position can be altered in dependence upon the depth to which the tool is inserted. This makes the tool flexible in that a satisfactory operation can be obtained with the tool inserted into the ground at a range of different depths.

[0024] The fulcrum is preferably arranged to have a plurality of positions on said shaft and means are provided for retaining the fulcrum in a given position. In this way, it is possible to select an optimum position for the fulcrum on the shaft in dependence on the size of weed to be removed.

[0025] The fulcrum member is preferably in the form of a cylinder. The cylinder may have a circular, oval, semi-circular or half oval cross-section. At least part of the curved surface of the cylinder defines the curved surface portion. The cylinder preferably has two apertures which allow the shaft to pass therethrough. The apertures are preferably in the form of elongate slots which may be opposite one another. The shaft is preferably provided with one or more cut away recesses to engage with a slot surface of the fulcrum member. Thus, the fulcrum member can be retained at a given selected position. Preferably, the or each recess is chamfered on the side of the or each recess closer to the ground interacting portion. This chamfering may be at 40° to 60° and preferably around 45° to the recess. This angle is measured with respect to the base of the or each recess. The other edges of the recesses are at about 90° with respect to the base of the recesses. The object of the said chamfering is to encourage the fulcrum member to slide more easily down the shaft without being trapped by one of the recesses before contact with the soil is established. As the hand held tool is inserted in the ground, the fulcrum member is able to move upwardly along the shaft. When it is required to remove the ground interacting portion from the ground to lever out a weed or the like, the fulcrum member is urged against the ground and at least one aperture of the cylinder is guided into a recess. The fulcrum member then remains in a locked position with at least one of the apertures being engaged in the appropriate recess according to the depth of dig.

[0026] Preferably, the fulcrum member is maintained on the shaft by the ground interacting portion which is wider than the apertures on the fulcrum member. Alternatively or additionally, a stop member may be provided for retaining the fulcrum member on the shaft, particularly where the ground interaction portion is not wider than the shaft.

[0027] A screw or the like may be provided to lock the fulcrum in position.

[0028] The ground interacting portion is preferably in the form of a fork. The fork preferably has two prongs with a V-shape therebetween. The apex of the V is preferably arranged so as to engage against and/or grip a root or the like of a weed to be removed. The apex may have a 2 to 6 mm radius, but preferably 2 mm.

[0029] The taper of the fork has a natural wedging and gripping action which is able to grip on roots lower down than with conventional tools to minimise the risk of snapping which would leave a root remnant for regrowth. Preferably the side surfaces of the prongs which contact a weed in use are arranged to be angled relative to the upper and lower surfaces of the prongs. This angle may be in the region of 30°.

[0030] Preferably, the handle has a first part and a second part. Preferably, the first part has a substantially rectangular cross-section, with rounded corners. This part of the handle is arranged to be gripped by the index finger and thumb of a user. The rectangular shape discourages relative rotation between the index finger and thumb and the handle. Preferably, the second part of the handle is generally tapered in the direction away from the ground interaction portion. Preferably, the second part of the handle is generally ellipsoid in cross-section and is arranged to conform substantially to the palm of the hand when in a gripping position. The top of the handle may have a linear convex surface which is arranged to be received against the palm of the hand.

[0031] As will be appreciated, references to soil are intended to cover any type of soil as well as all other similar cultivating media.

[0032] According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a blade for a trowel, wherein the blade is provided with a portion for attaching the blade to a handle and a ground interacting portion, the ground interacting portion being provided with a serrated edge, wherein said serrated edge, is in use, inserted into the ground. The use of a serrated edge makes it easier to penetrate and break up the soil.

[0033] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blade for a trowel, wherein said blade is provided with a portion for attaching the blade to a handle and a ground interacting portion, said blade having two side regions which are angled away from a central portion of the blade lying between the side regions. This feature has the advantage that it is easier to retain more soil when digging out or able to better plough back the soil when using a back hoe planting method.

[0034] It should be appreciated that the blade can incorporate both of the features described in the two above aspects. Additionally, the blade can be used in combination with the handle such as described earlier in relation to the first aspect.

[0035] It should be appreciated that the above described features can, where appropriate, be used in combination with one another.

[0036] For a better understanding of the present invention and as to how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a trowel embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a hand held garden fork embodying the present invention;

Figure 3 shows a side view of a further hand held garden tool, embodying the present invention;

Figure 4 shows a view from above of the hand held garden tool shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 shows a modified handle;

Figure 6 shows a side view of the trowel of Figure 1, with the modified handle of Figure 5;

Figure 7 shows a front view of another trowel embodying the invention;

Figure 8 shows a side view of a modified version of the hand held garden tool of Figure 3; and

Figure 9 shows a view from above of the hand held garden tool of Figure 8.

[0037] Reference will now be made to Figure 1 of the drawings. Figure 1 shows a trowel 2. However it should be appreciated that this trowel is in the form of a mini-spade. The trowel/spade 2 has a tapered blade 4 which is attached to a shaft 6. At the top of the shaft 6, there is spherical handle 8. Typically the trowel/spade 2 has an overall length of around 30cm.

[0038] The blade 4 is generally tapered in a direction away from the shaft 6 as can be seen in Figure 1. This makes it easier to push the blade 4 into the ground and to remove it therefrom. Additionally, the tapered blade has a slight curve in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 6. This slight curve imparts strength and reduces the amount of soil which adheres to the blade 4 as it is removed from the ground.

[0039] The handle 8 is of a generally spherical shape. The size of the handle 8 is selected so that it comfortably sits in the palm of the hand of the user. Typically, the diameter of the spherical handle will be between 45 and 60 mm depending on the hand size of the user. However, it will be appreciated that for very small hands and very large hands, the diameter of the handle may fall outside this range. The diameter of the handle ideally should be such that the grip from the palm, fingers and thumb of the user is maximised. It has been found that a diameter of around 51mm is an optimum diameter.

[0040] The handle 8 is weighted. This can be achieved in a number of different ways. In the embodiment shown, the handle 8 is made of solid wood or similar material. This provides a certain degree of weighting. However, in some embodiments, weights may be inserted in the wooden handle to further weight it. Alternatively, the handle may be hollow and made of any suitable material such as moulded plastics with a closable opening. The closable opening may be accessed by removing a domed plug 9a from an opening 9b the handle 8. The opening 9b would then be closed by reinserting the plug 9a into the opening. High density granular material, such as for example, sand or metallic particles can be put inside the hollow handle via said closable opening to thereby weight it. With this latter arrangement, it would be possible to alter the weighting of the handle according to user preference.

[0041] If the trowel/spade 2 is to be used by two or more people who have different sized hands, the trowel/spade can be modified so as to be used with a plurality of detachable and interchangeable handles 8 of different diameters. The handles can be attached to and removed from the shaft 6 of the trowel/spade using any suitable mechanism. For example the shaft may have a screw threaded end which is received in a corresponding threaded screw hole in the handle. Suitable locking arrangements would be incorporated to resist loosening of the handle when in use.

[0042] In the case where a single tool is to be used by two or more people with different sized hands and it is not possible to interchange the handle, the handle should be selected to be suitable for the smaller hand size. This is because the disadvantages of using too small a handle are less than those which would result from a hand trying to grasp a handle of a size which is too large to sit comfortably in the hand.

[0043] There are several associated benefits and advantages with the above described handle configuration. Firstly, the use of the spherical handle having a diameter such that the handle can be comfortably grasped in the hand avoids blistering and/or soreness of the hand as the handle does not rub against or dig into the palm of the hand as with known tools. This makes the tool comfortable to hold. Additionally, the weighting of the handle increases the weight of the tool which results in easier penetration of the soil. The shock which the user would receive to the wrist and forearm is reduced as a result of the easier penetration.

[0044] The design of the handle also allows the application of a greater torque or twisting force. This makes it easier to remove the trowel/spade from the ground and to carry out turning movements in order to turn over and thus break up the soil. Furthermore, the handle embodying the present invention is designed so that the force applied to the trowel/spade is transmitted directly from the base of the palm. The base of the palm is able to apply a greater force as compared to the force which can be achieved with conventional handles. With conventional handles, the force would be applied via the centre of the palm and the grip of the fingers, and the handle would tend to dig into the hand.

[0045] The increased handle diameter and handle shape allows more leverage to be applied to the soil without the handle end digging into the palm. This improves user comfort and as discussed above reduces blistering. Finally, the spherical handle is spaced apart from the tapered blade. This means that the user is forced to hold the tool at some distance from the blade which results in a greater levering force than that which may be achieved by conventional hand held garden tools.

[0046] It should be noted that whilst the handle has been described as being substantially spherical, it also can be ovoid, ellipsoid or any other similar rounded form which effectively increases the operative diameter of the handle and prevents the handle from digging into the hand of the user.

[0047] Figure 2 shows a fork having a spherical handle as described in relation to Figure 1. Like parts are indicated by like reference numbers. Accordingly, the same advantages as achieved by the embodiment of Figure 1 can be achieved by the embodiment of Figure 2. The fork 10 has the same construction as the trowel/spade 2 but instead of the blade 4, the fork 10 has three prongs making up a forked portion 12.

[0048] Typically the handle and shaft will have a length of around 160mm. In practice, good results have been achieved when handles have a length of around 163mm. The blade 4 of the trowel 2 may have dimensions of the following order:

Length 100mm

Maximum width 100mm

Minimum width 90mm

[0049] The forked portion 12 of the fork 10 typically has dimensions of the following order:

Length 80mm

Width 108mm

[0050] A modification to the handle 8' and shaft 6' is shown in Figures 5 and 6. As with the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the handle 8 is generally spherical and has a diameter of around 50mm (51mm in this embodiment). However, it should be appreciated that the spherical handle 8' can have any suitable diameter. The handle 6' is provided with a bulging portion 50 having a larger diameter than that of the main part 60 of the shaft 6'. For example, the bulging portion 50 may have a diameter of 38mm whilst the major portion of the shaft has a diameter of 25mm. This bulging portion 50 prevents the user's hand from sliding down the shaft 6' when using the trowel or fork. This is particularly advantageous when the trowel or fork is being used in the back hoe planting method. In this method (see Figure 6), the trowel or fork is inserted into the ground in the direction of arrow 52. The trowel or fork is then moved in the direction of arrow 54. Soil is thus moved backwardly by the hoe or fork and a hole 56 is defined. A plant can then be inserted into the hole and thus planted. The bulging portion 50 prevents the user's hand from sliding down the shaft 6' when using this method.

[0051] As can be seen from Figure 5, the shaft 6' has a wider portion 58 at the opposite end of the shaft 6' to the bulging portion 50. This wider portion 58 typically has a diameter which is a few millimetres larger than that of the main portion 60 of the shaft 6'. This widened portion 58 lies between the handle 8' and the main portion 60 of the handle 6' and encourages the hand of the user to grip the major portion 60 of the shaft. The fingers may grip the main portion 60 whilst the thumb may contact the widened portion 58 of the shaft 6'.

[0052] The main portion of the shaft 60 in combination with the wider portion 58 preferably has a length which corresponds to the size of the hand of a user. In particular, it is preferred that the hand of the user be prevented from moving upwardly by the handle 8' and downwardly by the bulge portion 50.

[0053] Below the bulge portion 50 the handle is encircled by a brass or metal ferrule 62 which prevents splitting when the shaft 6' of for example a trowel blade is pushed into an aperture of the shaft 6' which lies along the longitudinal axis of the shaft 6' to thereby attach the blade to the handle.

[0054] Typical dimensions for the handle and shaft shown in Figure 5 as follows:

Handle diameter-51mm

Widened portion: diameter - 28mm, length - 25mm

Major portion of shaft 60: diameter - 25mm, length - 60mm

Bulged portion 50 of shaft 6': diameter - 38mm, length - 16mm

Brass ferrule 62: diameter - 25mm, length - 16mm (Total length - 163mm)

[0055] It is preferred that the handle shown in Figures 1 to 5 be of solid hard wood which is impregnated with linseed oil which protects and nourishes the wood. This has been found to be preferable since varnish tends to chip off leaving an irregular and a rough surface which may cause the user to have blisters. With the hard wood handle, prolonged use by the user causes the user to generate natural oils which enhance the protecting and nourishing effect to create a smooth surface which improves with age. Further applications of linseed oil at the end of each season prolong the life of the handle and prevent cracking and splitting due to drying out.

[0056] This handle can of course be used either with a trowel or a fork or indeed any other suitable tool portion.

[0057] Reference is now made to Figure 7 which shows a modified trowel. The handle 8' and shaft 6' are as shown in Figure 5. The aperture 61 of the shaft 6' in which the shaft or blade 63 of the blade 4' is inserted is shown. However, the shape of the blade 4' has been changed as compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 1. The main body 66 of the blade 4' is curved about an axis 69 defined by the shaft and tapers in the direction away from the shaft 6'. The lower edge of the blade has four serrations 62 provided at the bottom thereof. Additionally, the side edges 64 of the blade 4' extend at an angle of 45 degrees to the main body 66 of the blade and slope in a direction away from the main body 66 of the blade 4'. The lines 65 about which the side edges 64 are bent taper slightly toward the end of the blade 4'. However, the lines 65 may be parallel or have a greater degree of taper. The provision of the serrations 62 improves the ease of penetration and fragmentation of the soil whilst the arrangement of the side edges 64 enables the blade to either retain more soil when digging or better plough back the soil when using the back hoe planting method described in relation to Figure 6.

[0058] The blade 4' has a shaft 67 which is welded to the back of the blade 4'. The shaft 67 is pushed into and bonded to the handle within the aperture 61 which typically penetrates the core of the handle by 80mm.

[0059] The blade 4' may be of stainless steel and preferably has the following dimensions:

Pitch of serrations - 19mm

Depth of serrations - 7mm

Length of blade - 100mm

Thickness of blade - 1.25mm

Maximum width of main body 66 - 89mm

Maximum width of side edges 64 - 10mm

Maximum depth of curvature - 4mm

Length of blade shaft 67 - 150mmm

Length of blade shaft 67 between blade 4' and shaft 6'-20mm

Length of blade shaft 67 welded to blade - 50mm

[0060] The third embodiment of the present invention will now be described with relation to Figures 3 and 4. The hand held tool or digger 14 shown in Figures 3 and 4 is designed so as to be able to remove dandelions, daisies, buttercups, thistles and other deep rooted weeds. The digger 14 has a handle 16, a fork portion 18 and a shaft 20 extending between the fork portion 18 and handle 16. The digger 14 also has a fulcrum 22 which will be described in more detail hereinafter.

[0061] The handle 16 has two parts 24 and 26. The first portion 24 has a substantially rectangular cross-section. However, the corners of the rectangle are rounded. The second part 26 of the handle has a generally ellipsoid cross-section. However, the second part 26 tapers in a direction away from the first part 24 of the handle. Additionally, the upper surface of the handle has a convex curve. Thus, in use, the second part of the handle will be gripped in the centre and heel of the palm with the convex curve resting against the palm. The first part 24 will be gripped between the index finger and thumb. The rectangular shape of the handle discourages the user's grip from slipping even when a turning force is applied to the digger. The size of the cross-section of the first part 24 is selected so as to be comfortably gripped between the index finger and thumb. Likewise, the size of the second part is selected so as to be comfortably received in the palm of the hand of the user.

[0062] The fork portion 18 of the digger 14 has two diverging prongs 19. The two prongs 19 define a generally V-shaped taper 28 therebetween. This taper is arranged such that a root of a weed to be removed is wedged or gripped therebetween. Typically, the apex 30 of the taper 28 will have a radius in the region of 2 to 6 mm and preferably 2mm. The two prongs of the fork portion 18 are also generally curved as can be seen clearly from Figure 3.

[0063] The fulcrum 22 comprises a hollow cylinder which has two slots 32 in the sides thereof. These two slots 32 are opposite one another and the shaft 20 of the digger passes through these slots. The slots 32 have a length "1" which is slightly wider than the width of the shaft 20. Likewise the slots 32 have a height "h" which is slightly greater than the thickness of the shaft 20. Thus, the fulcrum can move up and down the length of the shaft 20. The upper side of the cylinder is partially cut away as can be seen from Figure 4. This is so as to reduce the weight of the fulcrum. However, the underside of the cylinder is not cut away. The surface area of the fulcrum is selected to be relatively large so that in use it will not indent the ground surface significantly.

[0064] The shaft is provided with three recesses 34. These recesses 34 can be seen from Figure 3 and have a chamfered edge 36. This chamfering is about 45° with respect to the base of the recess. The chamfered edge 36 of each recess 34 is on the side of the recess closest to the fork portion 18. The other edges of the recesses preferably have an angle of90° with respect to the base of the recess. The recesses 34 extend across the entire width of the shaft and are wide enough to accommodate the wall of the cylinder 22 surrounding the slot 32. In use, the chamfered edge 36 encourages the respective cylinder wall surrounding the slot 32 to engage in a respective recess in an effective self locking manner when the fulcrum is in contact with the ground and acting as a fulcrum. This self locking generally occurs as the axis of the digger moves from substantially vertical with respect to the ground to being at some angle smaller than 90° with respect to the ground. The chamfered edges 36 also allow the fulcrum to drop into contact with soil surface more readily when the digger is for example initially inserted into the ground.

[0065] The diverging prongs 19 of the fork portion 18 prevents the fulcrum 22 from falling off the end of the digger. These recesses can for example be provided at 75mm, 100mm or 125mm from the end of the forked portion 18.

[0066] The use of the digger 14 will now be described. The digger is pushed in a generally vertical direction down into the soil until the apex 30 of the fork portion 18 engages around and effectively traps the sides of a root of a weed. The fulcrum 22 initially starts off adjacent the fork portion 18 and is moved up the shaft 20 as the digger is pushed down into the ground. When the root has been trapped in the fork portion and it is desired to remove the weed including its root, the digger 14 is moved from its substantially vertical position in a downward direction. The fulcrum 22 then engages with one of the three recesses 34 as the digger is moved downwardly. The recess engaged by the fulcrum will depend on how far the digger 14 has been pushed into the ground. As the digger is pushed downwardly, the fulcrum 32 is forced into contact with the ground and acts as a fulcrum about which the fork portion 18 pivots. The weed can then be levered out of the ground.

[0067] As the fulcrum has a curved surface which contacts the ground, the downward levering force applied via the handle is distributed over a relatively large area of soil. This reduces the indentation in the soil whilst providing a relatively firm pivotal region. Thus, indentation of and compaction of the surrounding soil is minimised.

[0068] If the soil is particularly moist or soft, a supplementary pressure plate or pad may be interposed between the fulcrum and the top surface of the soil to further spread the reactive force. This pressure plate or pad increases the surface area to which the force is applied by the fulcrum, thus reducing the pressure on the soil.

[0069] The construction of the forked portion 18 of the digger has a wedging and gripping action. With this tool, it is possible to grip tap roots relatively low down which reduces the risk of the root snapping. The design of the digger is such that disruption of the soil around the plant is minimised and any disruption can be readily restored.

[0070] It will be appreciated that the fulcrum can be modified so as to be secured to the shaft in a fixed position and may be integral therewith. Thus, in that embodiment, the fulcrum would not be able to slide up and down the shaft. Additionally, whilst the fulcrum has been described as being of a generally cylindrical shape, the top part of the cylinder can be replaced by a flat sheet. In such circumstances, the fulcrum would then have a semi-circular cross-section. The semi-circular fulcrum may also be welded directly to the shaft. The fulcrum need not have a true circular or semi-circular cross-section but can have any suitably rounded shape.

[0071] Instead of relying on the tapering of the fork portion in order to keep the fulcrum on the shaft, it is possible for the shaft itself to be widened adjacent to the fork portion to keep the fulcrum on the shaft. Alternatively, a protruding stop may be provided in order to prevent the fulcrum from slipping off the end of the tool.

[0072] The embodiment described in relation to Figures 3 and 4 has a total length of around 43cm, with the handle having a length of 135mm and the fork portion having a length of 40mm. In the embodiment shown, the fulcrum shown has a diameter of 45mm and a maximum length of around 70mm. The width of the shaft is 20mm whilst the maximum distance between the two prongs of the fork 18 is 28mm. These measurements are merely provided by way of example and any other suitable dimensions can be used. The digger may be made of any suitable material. For example, the fulcrum, forked portion, and shaft may be made of stainless steel to prevent rusting whilst the handle may be made of wood or moulded plastics.

[0073] It will be appreciated that the handle shown in Figures 1 and 2 or 5 and 6 can be used with the digger shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0074] Reference will now be made to Figures 8 and 9 which show a modified version of the digger 14 shown in Figures 3 and 4. It should be appreciated that those parts of the modified digger 14' which are the same as the digger shown in Figures 3 and 4 are marked by the same reference numerals.

[0075] As can be seen, the digger 14' has a handle 66 which is the same as that shown in Figure 5. The greater diameter of the handle 8' avoids the trapping of the user's fingers between the ground and the digger 14' if the plant suddenly comes out of the ground. The shaft 20 is provided with a stop 68 which protrudes from the shaft 20. This stop 68 prevents the fulcrum 22 from sliding off the end of digger 14'.

[0076] The fulcrum 22 has been modified as compared to that shown in Figures 3 and 4. The fulcrum 22 now has a oval cross-section. This increases the rolling radius of the fulcrum 22'. The rolling radius could be increased by increasing the diameter of the circular cylinder shown in Figures 3 and 4 but this would mean that the fulcrum 22 would have to protrude further from the shaft of the plane. By making the fulcrum 22' having an oval or ellipsoid cross-section, an increased rolling radius can be achieved without the fulcrum having to extend out further from the plane of the shaft 20.

[0077] The fulcrum 22' can be modified so as to be semi-circular or semi-ovoid in cross-section, with the part of the cylinder which is not in contact with the ground being flat.

[0078] A screw 70 is provided for locking the fulcrum 22' in place when the fulcrum is at a desired location with respect to the shaft 20. It should however be appreciated that the fulcrum 22' is also able to lock in position in the same way as the fulcrum 22 of the digger shown in Figures 3 and 4. By having the screw 70 which can lock the fulcrum 22' in the desired position, the user is able to select a chosen depth of penetration and to secure the fulcrum 22' in that position. For example, weeds in a lawn will tend to be of a similar size and depth and therefore the fulcrum 22 position need not be altered between weeding operations.

[0079] The prongs 72 of the digger are closer together than the digger shown in Figures 3 and 4. This has been found to provide easier penetration. It has been found that weed roots are seldom greater than 15mm in diameter and accordingly, the angle between the prongs 22 has been selected to reflect this. The inner surfaces 74 of the prongs 72 of the digger 14' are polished and smoothed so that the root of the weed is wedged and compressed thereby. The inner surfaces 74 of the prongs 72 of the digger are arranged so as to extend downwardly and towards the centre of the prongs 72 at an angle of around 30° to the plane containing the shaft 22. This increases the effect of tensile strength of the digger rather than cutting into the weed roots which could cause the weed to be snapped off leaving the root in place. As can be appreciated particularly from Figure 9, the outer edges 76 of the digger 14' are co-planar with the edges of the shaft 20. The stop 68 prevents the fulcrum from sliding off the end of the digger 14'. As with the embodiments shown in Figures 3 and 4, the prongs 72 are curved. This can be seen from Figure 8.

[0080] The digger shown in Figures 8 and 9 typically has a rolling radius of 30mm. The maximum width of the prongs 72 is preferably 18mm which is of the same order as the width of the shaft. Typically the prongs 72 and the shaft 20 will be made from a 20mm x 6mm stainless steel flat bar which is durable and strong. However, it should be appreciated that other materials and dimensions can be used.

[0081] The features described in relation to each of the specific embodiments shown may be used in any of the other embodiments shown, where appropriate. In addition, where dimensions of a tool are included, these are for illustrative purposes, and other dimensions may be used, where appropriate.

Claims

1. A handle for a hand-operated garden tool having a ground interacting portion, said handle having a manually grippable portion, having at least its upper half enclosed by a surface curved in all directions across a surface with no angular regions.

2. A handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the manually grippable portion is substantially spherical, substantially ellipsoid, or substantially ovoid.

3. A handle as claimed in claim 2, wherein said handle is substantially spherical and has a diameter in the region of 45 to 65mm preferably around 50mm.

4. A handle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said handle comprises a shaft having a widened portion at a location spaced from said handle.

5. A handle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the distance between the widened portion and the manually grippable portion corresponds generally to the size of the user's hand.

6. A handle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the grippable portion of the handle is weighted.

7. A handle as claimed in claim 6, wherein said grippable portion is substantially hollow and is filled with a suitable weighting material.

8. A hand-operable garden tool comprising a ground interacting portion, a handle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 and a shaft extending therebetween, said garden tool further comprising a fulcrum member coupled to said shaft and protruding therefrom, whereby in use, said fulcrum member rests against the ground surface and acts as a fulcrum for the leverage of the ground interactive portion in an upward direction.

9. A hand-operable tool as claimed in claim 8, in which the fulcrum member has a curved surface portion, which in use, is arranged to contact the ground.

10. A hand-operable garden tool as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein the fulcrum member is movable relative to the shaft.

11. A hand-operable garden tool as claimed in any of claims 9 to 10, wherein fulcrum member is in the form of a cylinder, or part cylinder, with at least part of a curved surface of the cylinder being arranged to be in contact with the ground surface, in use.

12. A hand-operable garden tool as claimed in any of claims 8 to 11, wherein the fulcrum is arranged to have a plurality of positions on said shaft and means are provided for retaining the fulcrum in a given position on the shaft.

13. A hand-operable tool as claimed in any of claims 8 to 12, wherein the side surfaces of the prongs which contact a weed in use are arranged to be angled relative to the upper and lower surfaces of the prongs.

14. A trowel comprising a handle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 and a blade, said blade being coupled to the handle, the blade having a serrated edge, wherein said serrated edge is, in use, inserted into the ground first.

15. A trowel comprising a handled as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 and a blade which is coupled to the handle, said blade having two side regions which are angled away from a central portion of the blade lying between the side regions.

16. A hand-operable tool comprising a ground interacting portion and a handle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 coupled thereto.

Drawing