Abstract:
A reinforced implement such as a shovel is described having increased strength and resistance to deformation and/or fracture, especially in the area where the socket engaging the handle and blade are joined. Advantageously, the blade, socket, and reinforcement are formed from a single unitary piece of material having essentially uniform thickness.

Description:
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/096,862 filed Aug. 14, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is directed to an implement such as a shovel or spade having a reinforced structure that results in improved strength. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Implements, such as shovels or spades, generally include a work engaging blade, an elongated handle for manipulating the blade and a socket which joins the handle to the blade. Because these implements are typically used for transferring relatively heavy material, such as dirt or similar material, by taking advantage of the leverage provided by the elongated handle, considerable stress is applied to the area where the handle and socket interface with the work engaging blade. While formerly, conventional wooden handles have had a greater tendency to break than the blade, with the advent of stronger fiber glass and composite handles, a greater likelihood is presented of the blade itself being subjected to sufficient stress to either deform or break. Such a deformation or breakage can also in part result from metal fatigue caused by repeated stress over a long period of time. 
     Accordingly, as with many implements which employ leverage to repetitively move or work against relatively heavy objects, there is a need for providing greater strength, especially in the areas of the implement most directly affected by stress and most likely to undergo fracturing or deformation. 
     Previous attempts to provide such enhanced strengthening, particularly to shovels and spades, have involved, for example, providing thickened or reinforced metal portions where the stress is most likely to occur. This, however, results in greater weight and expense since the thickness of the blade must necessarily be varied to provide the enhanced strengthening. It would therefore be desirable to provide enhanced strengthening of the blade and socket of an implement, especially without having to employ additional material or material of variable thickness or type in order to achieve the desired strengthening of the device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an implement such as a shovel or spade that substantially obviates one or more of the problems of devices of the prior art. 
     Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows and in part will be apparent from the description or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the device of the invention as particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. 
     To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described, the invention comprises a device such as a shovel or spade having an elongated handle, a work engaging blade and a socket for receiving an end portion of the handle. The socket has a tubular portion for receiving the end of the handle and a flared portion that extends into the blade and joins the socket with the blade. An elongated reinforcing rib extends longitudinally along the tubular portion of the socket and the flared portion into about the middle portion of the blade to provide enhanced strength to the structure especially at the point where the socket and the blade of the implement are joined together. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a conventional shovel of the prior art. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the shovel of the present invention with a reinforcing rib. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the reinforced shovel of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a view of the back of a reinforced shovel in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     In FIG. 1 of the drawings, a conventional shovel of the prior art is illustrated having a work engaging blade  20  to which is attached a tubular socket  21  for accommodating an elongated handle  23 . 
     FIGS. 2,  3 , and  4  of the drawings illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the implement of the invention. 
     As shown in the drawings, a tubular socket  11  is integrally attached to blade  10  by a flared portion  15  which extends radially outward from the axis of the tubular socket along the surface of blade  10 . Tubular socket  11  has a relatively linear portion  12  for accommodating an elongated handle  13  that permits leveraged manipulation of the blade  10 . A reinforcing rib  14  extends along a portion of the top of the socket  11  and engages, along with the socket  11 , the concave inner surface of the blade  10 . Socket  11  flares from its tubular configuration to join with the blade  10 . As particularly illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the reinforcing rib  14  may actually extend at  16  beyond the flared portion  15  that extends from the socket and joins the socket with the blade. FIG. 4 of the drawings further illustrates the invention by showing the underside  17  of rib  14  engaging with the convex underside or outer surface  19  of the flared portion  15  and blade  18 . 
     As illustrated, the reinforcing rib  14  is shown as a raised elongated structure projecting above the socket  11  and extending a substantial portion of the length of the socket  11  to the surface of the work engaging blade  18 . It will be understood, however, that the reinforcing rib could also be of concave or recessed configuration forming a lengthwise corrugation in the socket portion of the device. In this case, the handle  13  may conveniently be provided with a longitudinal slot to accommodate the inwardly projecting longitudinal rib or corrugation. 
     It will further be appreciated that the entire implement of the present invention, excluding the handle portion, is advantageously formed from a single sheet of material which is pressed or stamped into the required form. By providing a reinforcing rib extending along the upper surface of the socket structure into the surface of the blade considerable additional strength is provided to the structure and stress at this point and is distributed forward from the area of the juncture of the socket and the blade, sometimes referred to as the “frog.” It will also be appreciated that, while the reinforcing rib in accordance with the present invention is illustrated as extending over a portion of the socket into the blade area, the extent of the reinforcing rib can, in accordance with the invention, be varied to extend the full length of the socket and beyond its point of juncture with the blade or where the flared portion of the socket is joined to the blade. 
     It will also be apparent that the present invention is applicable to any appropriate implements wherein a work engaging member such as a blade is manipulated by leveraging with a joined, elongated handle. For example, an implement constructed in accordance with the present invention could be configured as a shovel, a spade, or a pitch fork. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the device of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.