Patent ID: 6983966
Filing Date: 2006-01-10
Classification: E01H

Abstract:
1. A hand-operated animal waste scooper, comprising: a control assembly an extension structure attached to said control assembly; a support structure having a plurality of bag clips, said support structure depending from said extension structure, and having an upper cross portion and a depending side portion from each end thereof, at least one of said plurality of clips being mounted on each depending side thereof; a linkage assembly connected through said extension structure to said control assembly; a pair of generally scoop-shaped opposed jaws attached to said linkage assembly, each of said jaws having an upper containment portion, a lower grasping portion, and opposed sidewalls; and a plurality of springs attached to said linkage assembly and between said jaws; said control assembly comprising: said linkage assembly comprising: a pair of opposed bell cranks, each said bell crank having an upper arm and a lower arm having respective free ends and rigidly attached at about a right angle forming a corner thereof, each said corner being pivotally mounted on said hinge pin, said upper arm extending upwardly from said hinge pin, said lower arm extending outwardly from said hinge pin; whereby upon activation of said control assembly, said linkage assembly acts upon said pair of jaws, opening said jaws and upon installing an inverted plastic bag over said jaws and said support structure and secured to said bag clips, said pair of jaws covered by the plastic bag may be lowered over the animal waste, and upon deactivation of said control assembly, the bag supported by said jaws may be closed around the animal waste by action of said springs on said linkage assembly between said jaws, encasing the animal waste with said plastic bag and upon said bag being removed from said bag clips and pulled downward reverting the bag to its normal disposition, upon activation of said control assembly, said jaws may be opened, allowing said reversed bag containing the animal waste to be removed from the jaws of said animal waste scooper and disposed of without the hands of the operator or any part of the waste scooper from touching the animal waste.