Weeder with hollow tines

A cultivator includes a handle having a lower end with a tool member connected thereto. The tool member has first and second spaced-apart tines, each of the tines having an outer tip and being tubular with a longitudinal interior hollow extending to the tip. A flexible member, such as a wire, extends from the hollows of the times and between the tips thereof. There are devices for securing the flexible member in tension between the tips of the tines. Preferably the tines have outer portions which are thinner and harder than inner portions of the tines. For example, the outer portion of each tine may be a tubular insert telescopically received within the inner portion. The devices for securing the wire may include a reel secured to one end of the wire.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to weeders and cultivators, particularly the type 
having spaced-apart tines with a tensioned wire extending therebetween. 
Many tools have been devised in the past for weeding gardens and otherwise 
cultivating the soil. These include hoes, weeders with blades or rotary 
devices which chop weeds, and in the process move large amounts of soil, 
sometimes replanting the weeds elsewhere. Some of these tools penetrate 
deeply into the soil and can cause damage to the roots of crops. Many of 
the earlier tools are bulky so it is difficult to weed in close proximity 
to plants without causing damage, particularly very small nursery plants. 
In addition, many such cultivators are not suitable for dry, sandy soil 
because turning over large volumes of soil causes loss of critical 
moisture. 
A class of cultivator is known which is somewhat rake like, having an 
elongated handle with spaced-apart tines at the bottom end thereof. A 
tensioned wire extends between the tines. Examples are seen in U.S. Pat. 
Nos. 2,056,007 to Jaenichen, 1,050,721 to Dickson and 2,397,786 to 
Gascoigne. While such devices theoretically present a solution to the 
problem of hand weeding, particularly in sandy soil, they have not 
achieved widespread acceptance. Some of these tools, for example, have 
relatively broad outer tines so that they cannot weed closely to small 
plants. In addition, many such tools do not allow for easy replacement and 
tensioning of the wire, causing inconvenience for the gardener. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved 
cultivator or weeder of this type having tines which are strong, but thin 
adjacent the wire so that the tool can cultivate close to small plants 
without causing damage. 
It is another object of the invention to provide a tool of this class where 
the wire can be easily replaced and the tension can be conveniently 
adjusted without requiring special tools. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide a tool of this type 
which is simple and robust in construction so that it can be built 
economically and yet provide convenient and reliable operation over a long 
period of time. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with these objects, the invention provides a cultivator which 
has a handle with a lower end. A tool member is connected to the lower end 
of the handle. The tool member has first and second spaced-apart tines. 
Each of the tines has an outer tip and is tubular with a longitudinal 
interior hollow extending to the tip. A flexible member extends from the 
hollows of the tines and between the tips thereof. There is means for 
securing the flexible member in tension between the tips of the tines. 
Preferably, each of the tines has an inner portion and a outer portion 
adjacent the tip. The outer portion is thinner and harder than the inner 
portion. For example, the outer portion may be a tubular insert 
telescopically received within the inner portion and having an outer 
opening. The flexible member extends through the outer openings of the 
tubular inserts. 
The means for securing may include a reel. The flexible member has a first 
end secured to the reel. 
In one preferred example, each of the tines has an outside and a side 
opening spaced-apart from the tip thereof which communicates with the 
interior hollow. The flexible member is a wire extending from the side 
opening in a first of the tines to the reel. The wire has a second end, a 
second of the tines having an anchor securing the second end of the wire. 
Preferably, the reel has a tapered shaft extending through a circular 
opening in the tool member. The reel can be rotated when pulled outwardly 
from the tool member and is non-rotatably secured when pressed towards the 
tool member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to the drawings, a cultivator or weeder is shown generally at 10. 
This includes an elongated handle 12 which in this case is a wooden pole 
although other materials could be used. This particular handle has a lower 
end 14, referring to its position in use. End 14 has a cylindrical socket 
16 therein which tightly receives cylindrical tang 18 of a tool member 
shown generally at 20. The tool member in this example is of steel and has 
a U-shaped member 22 connected to end 24 of the tang. The U-shaped member 
forms a pair of spaced-apart tines 26 and 28 which are tubular, having 
interior hollows 30 and 32 respectfully. The tines 26 and 28 have outsides 
34 and 36 and outer tips 38 and 40, respectively. The tines have side 
openings 42 and 44 which are spaced-apart upwardly from the tips thereof 
and extend from the outside of each tine to the interior hollow thereof. 
In this particular example the side openings are relatively narrow slits 
extending parallel to the tines. There is a pin 45 connected to tine 28 
adjacent elongated side opening 44 between the side opening and the tang. 
The tines 26 and 28 have inserts 46 and 48 extending outwardly from the 
tips 38 and 40 thereof. As seen in better detail in FIG. 2 for insert 46, 
each of the inserts is in the form of a narrower length of tubing 
telescopically received within the tip of the tine. In this example the 
inserts are of a harder material than the tines, stainless steel in this 
instance. Thus they are relatively strong despite the fact that they are 
significantly narrower than the tines. 
Cultivator 10 includes a small reel 50 mounted on the tang thereof. As seen 
in better detail in FIG. 3, the reel 50 resembles a small thumb screw 
having a tapered shaft 52 extending through a circular opening 54 in the 
tang. The shaft has a small, wire-receiving opening 59. Handle members 56 
and 58 extend perpendicularly outwards from the shaft to form a thumb 
screw. It may be appreciated that the shaft can be rotated by the handle 
members when the shaft is pulled outwardly from the tang. However, when 
the shaft is pressed towards the tang, it jams in the tang because of its 
tapered shape, thus preventing rotation of the reel. 
A wire 60, of stainless steel in this example, extends between the inserts 
46 and 48 at the tips of the tines as seen in FIG. 1. The reel and pin 45 
serve as means for securing the wire in tension between the tips of the 
tines. A loop 62 at one end of the wire is fitted about pin 45. This is 
formed by inserting end 63 of the wire through opening 44 towards pin 45 
until it contacts the pin within the interior hollow 32 of tine 28 as seen 
in FIG. 4. The wire is then bent back towards the pin, forming a hook 65 
which engages the tine adjacent the opening 44. The wire is then wrapped 
around pin, forming loop 62 and inserted back into the opening 44 and 
directed towards tip 40 of the tine. After the wire emerges from insert 48 
it is pushed back through insert 46 and tine 26 until it emerges through 
side opening 42. The wire then extends to the reel 50 where it passes 
through opening 59 in the shaft thereof. The wire is tensioned by rotating 
the reel and then held in tension by pressing the shaft of the reel into 
the tang 18. 
In use, the wire 60 is guided through the soil 1/8 to 1/2 inch deep, 
slicing roots and stems of weeds and leaving them with the appearance of 
being untouched. However, they subsequently die and decompose. It may 
appreciated that it is primarily intended for sandy and loose soils which 
permit this type of cultivation. 
The cultivator can also be used as a soil conditioner by lowering the wire 
four to six inches into the soil and applying a rotary action. This 
process fluffs the soil, creating an excellent bed to plant seed. 
The thin inserts on the tips of the tines allow the operator to weed close 
to the crops, virtually touching small or large plants and weeding away 
from the plants without damage. 
A long handle 12 may be used when the gardener is in the standing position 
or a short handle may be used when the gardener is kneeling or crouching. 
It will be understood that many of the details provided above are by way of 
example only and can be altered or deleted without departing from the 
scope of the invention which is to be determined with reference to the 
following claims.