Abstract:
A tool includes a handle having a sweeping end and an opposed weeding end. The sweeping end encompasses a broom having a plurality of semi-rigid bristles. The broom can be a standard sweep-type broom or a push broom. The weeding end includes at least one (1) rigid hook member configured to remove weeds from between cracks or similar locations.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present invention was first described in and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/072,126 filed Oct. 29, 2014, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a combination tool including a broom end and a weeding end. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many people spend countless hours maintaining and beautifying their lawns and landscaping. As a matter of pride and personal expression, such people manicure and maintain their grass, flowers, shrubs, bushes and trees all for the sake of enhancing the aesthetic qualities of their property. Another important task in maintaining the appearance of one&#39;s property is the removal of weeds and grass from cracks in paved surfaces such as driveways, sidewalks, and patios. 
     In order to perform this task, many people resort to the use of herbicides. However, such herbicidal chemicals can also land on desirable grasses, flowers, trees, or fruit and vegetable gardens. Additionally, many people have legitimate health concerns regarding the use of such chemicals around children and pets. Therefore, if chemical removal is out of the question, the only remaining method of removing such unwanted plant growth is to physically remove the plants by pulling or scraping them out. 
     While this approach is frequently adopted it nevertheless forces the user to bend over or kneel down, both motions many find difficult or impossible to repeatedly perform. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which weeds and grass can be removed from paved surfaces in a manner that addresses the current problems described above. The use of the tool provides a means of removing weeds and grass from paved surfaces in a manner which is not only quick, easy and effective, but also safe and instantaneous. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The inventor has recognized the aforementioned inherent problems and lack in the art and observed that there is a need for a combination tool including a broom end and a weeding end. 
     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a tool, consisting of a handle which has a handle first end and a handle second end, an extraction head attached to the handle first end and a broom attached to the handle second end. The broom consists of a carrier which has a neck located at a central portion on a carrier first side and is capable of attaching to the handle, a plurality of bristles which are affixed to a carrier second side and a skirt which is attached to the carrier and secured about the plurality of bristles at the carrier second side. The handle first end may be threaded and the well may contain a threaded cavity which is capable of being removably secured to the handle first end. The handle second end may likewise be threaded and the neck may contain a threaded cavity capable of being removably secured to the end of the handle second end. 
     The extraction head also consists of a shank at a distal end and a well on a proximal end. The shank also consists of a shank first end and a shank second end. The shank first end projects arcuately and oppositely away from the shank second end. Additionally, the shank further consists of a shank first end having a smaller cross-section than a shank second end. The shank first and second ends each may terminate in a point. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an environmental view of a weed and sweep tool  10  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is isometric view of the weed and sweep tool  10  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and, 
         FIG. 3  is an isolated view of the extraction head  20  of the weed and sweep tool  10  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
     
         
         
           
               10  weed and sweep tool 
               20  extraction head 
               22  first end 
               24  heavy point 
               26  second end 
               28  light point 
               32  shank 
               34  threaded well 
               40  handle 
               42  handle first end 
               44  external thread 
               46  handle second end 
               48  grip 
               50  broom 
               52  carrier 
               54  neck 
               56  skirt 
               58  bristle 
               62  handle aperture 
               100  driveway 
               105  side walk 
               115  concrete block 
               120  vegetation 
               125  crevice 
           
         
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 3 . However, the invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention and that any such work around will also fall under scope of this invention. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items. 
     The present invention describes a weed and sweep tool (herein referred to as the “apparatus”)  10 , which provides a means to scrape vegetation  120  and soil from the crevices  125  between concrete blocks  115 , or other paving blocks, in a driveway  100 , or a side walk  105 , with an extraction head  20  disposed at a handle first end  42 , and to gather the displaced material with a broom  50  attached to a handle second end  46 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an isometric view depicted in use, and  FIG. 2 , an isometric view of the apparatus  10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, are disclosed. The apparatus  10  includes an extraction head  20  attached to a handle first end  42 . The extraction head  20  is composed of a shank  32  preferably being a rigid thermoplastic material formed as a cylinder with a hemisphere at a distal end and a threaded well  34  on a proximal end for the threaded attachment of a handle  40 . Other materials may be utilized in other embodiments without limiting the scope or intent of the apparatus  10 . The internal thread may be of any of a number of standard threads, or a specialty thread, which could be cut, or formed into the threaded well  34  to match an external thread disposed on a handle first end  42  of the handle  40 . It is understood that the apparatus  10  may be configured without the threaded well  34  if another detachable means of connection between the extraction head  20  and the handle  40  is utilized without limiting the scope of the apparatus  10 . In an alternate embodiment, the shank  32  may be elongated in a direction along the central axis so as to provide a user with sufficient material to grasp if a decision were made to utilize the extraction head  20  without the removable handle  40 . In a preferred embodiment, the shank  32  is provided with a first end  22  and a second end  26  configured to be cylindrical metal rods inserted into apertures formed into the shank  32  and retained by an interference fit. 
     The first end  22  is configured to project arcuately from the distal end of the shank  32  so as to eventually form a perpendicular to the central axis of the shank  32  and progress from there for some distance to terminate at a heavy point  24 . The second end  26  is preferably slightly less massive than the first end  22  having a slightly smaller cross-section. The second end  26  projects arcuately from the distal end of the shank  32  in a direction opposite from the first end  22  to terminate in a light point  28 . The light point  28  of the second end  26  would be capable of fitting into more narrow crevices  125  than the heavy point  24  of the first end  22  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
     The handle  40  is preferably configured to be a cylindrical rod, or tube, with an external thread disposed on the handle first end  42  and a handle second end  46 . The external thread  44  would preferably be any one (1) of a standard acme thread to be accommodated in the internally threaded well  34  of the shank  32  or a handle aperture  62  of an attachable broom  50 . The handle  40  may be composed of a hardwood rod, or a tubular metal shaft, having sufficient length to provide a user with an ample grip  48  so as to obviate bending their torso while utilizing the apparatus  10 . In some embodiments, the handle  40  may be provided with some type of cover, or coating, to improve the comfort or friction characteristics for a user. 
     Attached to the handle second end  46 , via the external thread  44 , is a broom  50 . The broom  50  is configured to have a plurality of semi-rigid bristles  58  supported in a carrier  52 . The bristles  58  may be composed of any natural or synthetic material having a sufficient toughness to acceptably withstand being abraded across a concrete block  115 , or other material utilized in the construction of a driveway  100  or side walk  105 , and a length adequate to brush debris in an intended direction. The carrier  52  is preferably a rectangular block of thermoplastic into which bundled groups of bristles  58  are molded, or otherwise inserted, to form a fairly dense array. Other materials, such as wood or metal, and/or other methods of retaining a plurality of bristles  58  may be utilized without limiting the scope of the apparatus  10 . All, or part, of the carrier  52  and a proximal end of the bristles  58  is preferably covered with a skirt  56  for aesthetic purposes. The skirt  56  is configured to be a thermoplastic material, or light gage metal sheet, which may be presented in a wide variety of colors and surface affectations to suit the taste of a user. It is understood that the broom  50  may be configured without the skirt  56  without limiting the scope or intent of the apparatus  10 . The carrier  52  is provided with a preferably cylindrical neck  54  in which a threaded handle aperture  62  is disposed. The neck  54  may be formed with the carrier  52 , as in a molded thermoplastic part, or attached by some other means in a subsequent manufacturing process. The thread within the handle aperture  62  is configured to conform to the external thread  44  disposed on the handle second end  46 . 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by an enabled individual in a simple and straightforward manner with little or no training. After initial purchase or acquisition of the apparatus  10 , it would be implemented as depicted in  FIG. 1 . The method of installing and utilizing the apparatus  10  may be achieved by performing the following steps: acquiring a model of the apparatus  10  having a desired style to suit the taste of a user; inserting the heavy point  24 , or the light point  28  at the discretion of the user, of the extraction head  20  into a crevice  125  between the concrete blocks  15  comprising a driveway  100  or side walk  105  into which undesirable vegetation  120  has grown; pulling the inserted end of the extraction head  20  through the crevice  125  to excise at least a top portion of the vegetation  120  by means of force applied to the grip  48  of the handle  40 ; rotating the handle  40 , end-for-end, to place the bristles  58  of the broom  50  into contact with the concrete block  115 ; collecting the displaced vegetation  120 , along with any displaced soil or other debris, with a sweeping motion; removing the collected material and properly disposing of it. The extraction head  20  may be utilized without the detachable broom  50  if so desired. If the extraction head  20  is configured to have an extended shank  32 , the user may elect to utilize the extraction head  20  without the removable handle  40 . The broom  50  may be utilized for sweeping without the detachable extraction head  20 . 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.