Abstract:
A mechanical litter stick is provided with a mechanism for cycling an operative pick through a given back-and-forth stroke both for stripping litter off a spike end as well as affording better manipulation of articles of litter as by plucking.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO PROVISIONAL APPLICATION(S) 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/260,612, filed Jan. 9, 2001. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to litter sticks and more particularly to a mechanical litter stick provided with a mechanism for cycling an operative pick through a given back-and-forth stroke both for stripping litter off a spike end as well as, in the alternative, affording better manipulation of articles of litter as by plucking or the like. 
     A number of additional features and objects will be apparent in connection with the following discussion of preferred embodiments and examples. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     There are shown in the drawings certain exemplary embodiments of the invention as presently preferred. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed as examples, and is capable of variation within the scope of the appended claims. In the drawings, 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mechanical litter stick in accordance with the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged scale sectional view taken along line  2 — 2  in FIG.  1  and with intermediate as well as right-end portions broken away, wherein the trigger as depicted in solid lines shows an extreme slack position therefor while as depicted in dashed lines shows the trigger in an intermediate squeezed position; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view comparable to FIG. 2 except showing continuation of the action sequence thereof wherein the trigger as depicted in solid lines shows the dashed-line intermediate-position of FIG. 2 so that the corresponding depiction in solid lines in this FIG. 3 of the spike and an S-form pick show their relatively intermediate activated positions in reaction to the intermediate-position drive input from the trigger, while in this same FIG. 3 the trigger as depicted in dashed lines shows the trigger in an extreme squeezed position; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view comparable to FIGS. 2 and 3 and showing further continuation of the action sequences thereof wherein the trigger as depicted in solid lines shows the dashed-line extreme-position of FIG. 3 so that the corresponding depiction in solid lines in this FIG. 4 of the spike and S-form pick show their relatively extreme activated positions, given their opposite directions of travel, and in reaction to the further drive input from the trigger; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged scale perspective view of the spike end of the litter stick, with the up-staff portions broken away, wherein the spike is depicted impaling an article of litter to show one operative use thereof; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view comparable to FIG. 5 except depicting the spike relatively retracted as the S-form pick is relatively extended to show how the impaled article of litter is wiped or stripped off thereby; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view comparable to FIG. 6 except showing the spike and pick traveled to further opposite states of retraction and extension respectively to afford use of the pick to pluck up an article of litter as shown, wherein the spike has been allowed to drive back down onto and hence pinch the article of litter as shown; and, 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view comparable to FIG. 7 except showing the opposite extremes spike-retraction and pick-extension to effect release of the article of litter. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a mechanical litter stick  10  in accordance with the invention. The inventive litter stick  10  includes a main staff  12  extending between an upper hand-stock  14  portion and a lower bracket end from which projects a pointed spike  20 . The spike  20  extends through a pair of slide-holes  22  and  24  for it in the lower recurve portions  26  of an S-form pick  30 . The pick  30  terminates in a tip end for picking and/or plucking up litter as will be disclosed more particularly below in connection with FIGS. 7 and 8. The upper hand-stock portion  14  is covered by a resilient sleeve for better grip by a user/operator. At the lower margin of the gripping sleeve, the main staff carries a trigger  40  (or in alternative terms, an ‘operator&#39;s lever’) which is also covered in part by a resilient sleeve for better traction. 
     FIG. 2 provides a sectional view taken along line  2 — 2  in FIG.  1  and in which intermediate as well as upper or hand-stock end portions are broken away. The main staff  12  preferably comprises aluminum channel stock or the like. The channel of the main staff  12  provides for the inset and/or mounting of components as will be more particularly described below. The trigger  40  or ‘operator&#39;s lever’ more particularly comprises the stem portion of a T-shaped crank  42 . One end of the crank  42  pivots about a pin. Attachment of the pin is achieved by extending the pin between the opposite flanges of the main staff  12 &#39;s channel stock. The pin ends may be mushroomed as in a rivet-style to fix the pin. To return to the crank  40 , it extends from its pinned end to an output end which is connected to a connecting link  44 . Again, the trigger  40  extends or ‘Tees’ off the crank  42  intermediate its pinned and output ends. The connecting link  44  rocks a rocker  50 . 
     The rocker  50  is mounted on another pin that spans between the opposite flanges of the main staff  12 &#39;s channel stock as comparably as described above. The rocker  50  comprises a pair of crooked legs  52  and  56 . An inboard one  52  of the crooked legs is connected to an inboard shaft  54  that terminates in a connection with the pointed spike  20 . The other crooked leg  56  is connected to an outboard shaft  58  that terminates in the S-form pick  30 . The inboard or spike shaft  52  predominantly lies within the confines of the main staff  12 &#39;s channel stock. The outboard or pick shaft  58  predominantly extends along the outside of the channel  12 &#39;s web. The connecting link  44  attaches to the rocker  50  on the inboard leg  52  at some spacing from the rocker  50 &#39;s pivot axis to gain a moment arm on the rocker  50 . The spike and pick shafts  54  and  58  preferably comprise tube stock such as stiffened aluminum tube or the like. The shafts  54  and  58  and rocker legs  52  and  56  can be connected by clevis and pin arrangements as is known in the art. 
     The majority of materials used to fabricate the mechanical litter stick  10  can be chosen from any appropriate stock material although to date aluminum is preferred for most of the parts. For some parts though, it is preferred if plastic bushings are used to flank and shield the crank  42  and rocker  50  from the flanges of the channel stock  12 . Also, the connecting link  44  can be formed from a suitable steel wire. Moreover, as the rocker  50  is biased in a given direction—ie., as in the extreme clockwise position as shown by FIG.  2 —by a torsion spring  62 , such torsion spring  62  is preferably fashioned from spring steel. 
     Whereas the drawings show the S-form pick structure  30  formed directly in one end of an aluminum tube (eg., outboard shaft  58 ), it is preferable if the S-form pick structure  30  is produced by any optional means which comparably achieves the functions of the structure as shown. For example and without limitation, the S-form pick structure  30  may optionally be produced as a distinctly different piece which is later assembled onto the blank end of a straight rod or tube (eg., like shaft  58 , though this is not shown). Such a distinctly separate pick head (eg., formed like pick  30 , though this is not shown) can be affixed to the end of a straight rod or tube (eg., like shaft  58 ) by a suitable connection, as for example a telescoping pin which inserts inside the open blank end of a hollow tube. That way, the S-form of the pick structure  30  can be produced in a material different from the aluminum stock of the straight rod or tube  58 , like some alloy of aluminum or the like which although slightly more costly may also be more amenable to being formed into shape without stress fractures and so on. For example, more particularly, such a separate pick head may be produced from a casting of aluminum alloy, including without limitation Al-Mag  35  or the like. 
     The inboard (‘spike’) and outboard (‘pick’) shafts  54  and  58  are substantially slender and elongated, which is not as evident in FIG. 2 as it is in FIG.  1 . With reference to FIG. 1, the outboard or ‘pick’shaft  58  lies on the outside of the channel  12  as shown between its clevis connection with the rocker  50  and its S-form pick end  30 . To return to FIG. 2, the inboard or ‘spike’shaft  54  is comparably slender (although not in view in FIG.  1 ). The spike end  20  is preferably a sharpened steel rod which gets press fitted into the open end of the spike shaft  54 . The main staff  12 &#39;s bracket end holds a plastic bracket  64  which is formed with a slide hole in it for the reversible travel of the spike  20  as shown more particularly in comparing among FIGS. 2,  3  and  4 . 
     In FIGS. 2 and 3, the trigger/crank  40  and the rocker  50  are depicted prominently in solid lines but are also depicted in dashed lines. With particular reference to FIG. 2, the trigger/crank  40  is depicted in solid lines in an extreme slack or de-activated position. The rocker  50  is likewise shown in an extreme de-activated position, which for it is also an extreme clockwise position given the viewpoint of FIG.  2 . The rocker  50 &#39;s further clockwise travel as induced by the unwinding of the torsion spring  62  is stopped by the inboard leg  52  contacting against the web of the main staff  12 &#39;s channel stock. In sum, the solid outlines of the trigger/crank  40  and rocker  50  show their positions in the absence of any applied input movement to the trigger  40 . 
     The dashed outlines in FIG. 2 of the trigger/crank  40  and rocker  50  show a changed position, one in which results from an intermediate applied input to the trigger  40 . Most usually, an intermediate applied input is produced by the partial squeezing of the trigger  40  by the user/operator. That is, in use the user/operator predominantly manipulates the litter stick  10  by a firm grip on the hand-stock  14 . However, the user/operator is afforded the option of extending one, two or three fingers or so over the trigger  40  to alternately squeeze and relax the trigger  40 . Operating the trigger  40  operates the mechanical actions of the inventive litter stick  10  as more particularly described below. 
     To refer next to FIG. 3, it is comparable to FIG. 2 except it shows a continuation of the action sequence begun by FIG.  2 . That is, the trigger  40  as depicted in FIG. 3 in solid lines corresponds to the dashed-line. intermediate-position of FIG.  2 . The corresponding depiction in solid lines in FIG. 3 of the spike  20  and pick  30  show their relatively opposite travel to their own respective intermediate positions to which they go in reaction to the drive input from the trigger  40 . That is, squeezing the trigger  40  from its slack position (solid lines in FIG. 2) to an intermediate position (eg., solid lines in FIG. 3) causes the following:—(i) upward rotation of the rocker  50 &#39;s inboard leg  52  to pull the spike  20  in a retraction stroke, as well as (ii) downward rotation of the rocker  50 &#39;s outboard leg  56  to drive the pick  30  in extension. FIG. 3 shows that the spike point  20  is retracted to about even with if not slightly withdrawn in the outermost slide hole  22  for it in the S-form pick  30 . To turn to FIGS. 5 and 6, these views show one example utility for such action. 
     FIG. 5 shows the spike  20  and pick  30  in their positions at the absence-of-input movement from the trigger  40 . That is, the spike  20  is fully extended as the pick  30  is fully retracted. Those relative positions give the spike  20  its greatest free extension beyond the pick  30 &#39;s outer- or lowermost slide hole  22 . That puts the spike  20  in a preferred use position for impaling articles of litter as shown in FIG.  5 . In corresponding FIG. 6, it shows that the cooperative spike-retraction and pick-extension gotten simultaneously by squeezing the trigger  40  to an intermediate position causes the pick  30  to wipe the spike  20  clean, or in alternative phraseology, strip the litter off the spike  20 . Accordingly, FIG. 6 shows the article of litter wiped off loose from the spike  20  and let to fall after that. Again, getting the spike  20  and pick  30  to move from the FIG. 5 position to the FIG. 6 position is achieved by partly squeezing the trigger  40  (not shown) from its extreme slack position to a corresponding intermediate position. 
     Returning to FIG. 3 the trigger/crank  40  and rocker  50  are depicted in dashed lines to show their extreme activated positions. To refer forward to FIG. 4, it is comparable to FIG. 3 except it shows a further continuation of the action sequences begun by FIGS. 2 and 3. 
     In FIG. 4, the trigger/crank  40  and rocker  50  are only depicted in solid lines and in positions which correspond to the extreme-activated positions shown by dashed-lines in FIG.  3 . The corresponding depiction in FIG. 4 of the spike  20  and pick  30  shows their extreme activated positions. Since the spike  20  and pick  30  are driven in opposite directions at the same time, the spike  20  is shown in an extreme retracted position as the pick  30  in an extreme extended position. The spike point  20  travels to about even with the inner- or uppermost slide hole  24  for it in the lower recurve portion  26  of the S-form pick  30 . 
     FIG. 4 shows that the trigger/crank  40  has pulled the connecting link  44  with the rocker  50  onto nearly a direct line with or a diameter of the rocker  50 &#39;s pivot axis. In other words, there is no further travel to be gotten by pulling on the connecting link  44 . Thus, FIG. 4 shows the connecting link  44  pulled out so straight as to lie on a diameter of the rocker  50 &#39;s axis and hence lose its angle-of-attack or moment arm on the rocker  50 . 
     With attention to the spike point  20 , the spike point  20  is scaled relative to the innermost slide hole  24  of the pick  30  so as to not quite withdraw clear and free of the last slide hole  24 . If the spike point  20  could get by the last slide hole  24 , then the pick shaft  58  would be free to flop about loosely around its clevis attachment with the rocker  50  (see, eg., FIG.  1 ). And if that were to happen, the user would have to re-thread the spike  20  through the slide holes  22  and  24  for it in the pick  30  to get the litter stick  10  back into its preferred condition. Hence the spike  20 &#39;s and pick  30 &#39;s relative strokes are designed so as to keep the spike  20  inserted through at least the last slide hole  24  for it in the pick  30 , even at their activated extremes. 
     To turn to FIGS. 7 and 8, they show one example utility for the further action of the spike  20  and pick  30  that is produced by the changing positions between FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 8 shows the spike  20  fully retracted and the pick  30  fully extended, and those relative positions give the lower recurve portion  26  of the pick  30  the greatest clearance of the spike  20 . That affords the pick  30  its advantageous utility to pick or pry at litter and thereafter pick or pluck it up in the manner shown in FIG.  7 . Indeed, FIG. 7 shows the pick  30  inserted inside the mouth of a cup as well as the spike  20  let back down to the extent of pinching on the outside of the cup. This improves the holding power on the cup. If given the position of things in FIG. 7, and then moving things to the position as shown by FIG. 8 where the spike  20  retracts and the pick  30  extends, this ultimately has the spike  20  releasing its pinch on the article of litter (eg., the cup). The cup is free to fall away. Indeed, if the cup in FIG. 7 were to be impaled by the spike  20 , then FIG. 8 shows that the pick  30  would wipe the spike  20  clean here too as was disclosed comparably in connection with FIG.  6 . 
     Referring back to FIGS. 7 and 8, achieving the fullest combined spike-retraction and pick-extension as shown in FIG. 8 is gotten by the user squeezing the trigger  40  to its activated extreme as shown by FIG.  4 . Reversing the combined extreme spike-retraction and pick-extension of FIG. 8 to an intermediate position as shown by FIG. 7 is gotten by slackening the trigger  40  to an intermediate position such as approximately shown in solid lines in FIG.  3 . Then to go back once more to the fullest spike-retraction and pick-extension of FIG. 8 is gotten by activating or squeezing the trigger  40  to the extreme activated position shown by FIG.  4 . And so on, endlessly, allowing a user to pick and pluck litter at will and then release to deposit it in whatever container. 
     In brief sum, FIGS. 5 and 6 show successively an inventive impale and then strip mode of use of the inventive mechanical litter stick  10 . FIGS. 7 and 8 show successively an inventive pluck and pinch and then release or strip mode of use of the inventive mechanical litter stick  10 . 
     Further aspects of the pick structure  30  relate to the following. The pick structure  30  is highly advantageous for inserting inside the mouths of drink cans and bottles as water, soft drinks and/or beer are commonly sold in. Such drink cans and bottles unfortunately constitute as significant source of litter and to date have defied easy pick up and/or plucking by conventional litter sticks. It is thus another object of the invention, in addition to the many others mentioned previously, to provide a litter stick advantageously designed for plucking and retention of such drink cans or bottles. 
     The invention having been disclosed in connection with the foregoing variations and examples, additional variations will now be apparent to persons skilled in the art. The invention is not intended to be limited to the variations specifically mentioned, and accordingly reference should be made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing discussion of preferred examples, to assess the scope of the invention in which exclusive rights are claimed.