Pendulum type hoe

A pendulum type hoe has a stirrup-shaped blade mounted to the fork of a handle for limited articulation. Inturned flanges of the blade engage hourglass shaped openings in the fork arms, the flanges being retained between reinforcing bars which project through the openings and afford strength, wear resistance, and limited resilience to the blade. The fork is made in two separable parts whereby any component of the hoe may be replaced.

This invention relates to a hand tool for garden cultivation and relates 
more particularly to improvement in a cultivating tool or hoe having a 
pendulum action. Hand tools of the so-called pendulum type herein referred 
to are well-known and provide, in general, a depending, U-shaped blade 
mounted for limited articulation at the upper end of the U to an elongated 
handle. The bottom, usually horizontal portion of the U is moved forwardly 
and backwardly through the ground for removal of weeds and general 
cultivation, the blade tilting alternately forwardly and rearwardly a 
limited amount with each stroke. Thus the blade adjusts itself to the 
proper angle of penetration of the ground with either the forward or 
rearward stroke of the tool. The arrangement also provides a certain 
amount of lost motion between the handle and the blade whereby at each 
reversal of the stroke the blade is suddenly jerked into motion upon 
reaching the limit of articulation. This effect aids in dislodging 
particularly stubborn weeds and in cultivating heavily impacted soil. 
Certain prior constructions of this type of hand tool are shown in various 
U.S. Pat. Nos.; namely, 2,539,531 issued to E. L. Gress Jan. 23, 1951; 
2,943,690 issued to D. G. Towt July 5, 1960; 2,988,157 issued to F. F. 
Lindstaedt June 13, 1961; and 3,965,991 issued to H. O. Eads et al. June 
29, 1976. In all of these patents, the manual tool comprises a handle, a 
U-shaped blade, the blade being secured by fork means to the handle and 
having limited rocking movement. 
The present invention is particularly directed to an improvement over the 
tool shown in Gress. In that patent a blade is formed from flat sheet 
steel strip and is provided with a pair or right-angular, upwardly bent 
arms the upper ends of which have inwardly turned flanges. The flanges 
project toward each other and through slots in laterally spaced arms of a 
fork mounted at one end of an elongated handle. Each slot is in the form 
of a pair of congruent triangles with the midpoint of the slot providing 
opposing fulcrum points. Thus the flanges and blade have a limited rocking 
motion about the fulcrum points and within the oppositely diverging 
triangular portions of the slot. 
In constructing the U-shaped blade, it is perferable to keep the metal as 
thin as possible to lighten the weight of the tool and enhance its 
penetrating or slicing action through the soil. However, the thin-gage 
flanges are subject to excessive wear and distortion as the blade is 
repeatedly rocked back and forth in the slots and subjected to substantial 
pressures by the user. In the present invention as herein disclosed, 
hourglass shaped slots are enlarged and the inturned flanges of the blade 
are sandwiched between bifurcated end portions of a reinforcing member 
which comprises upper and lower reinforcing bars. Inner end portions of 
the blade flanges are angularly bent, and the lower reinforcing bar is 
shaped to receive these bends, the protuberances caused thereby serving to 
prevent lateral shifting of the blade. The reinforcing bars are preferably 
secured to each other at an intermediate area between the inturned flanges 
of the blade and provide a resilient, mechanical engagement of the 
flanges. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool of the type 
described which provides improved pivot means allowing the cutting blade 
to swing forwardly and rearwardly. 
Another object of the invention is to provide the above tool wherein 
additional reinforcement and wear resistance is provided in the areas of 
articulation. 
Still another object of the invention is to provide a hand tool having the 
above features and characteristics wherein there is provided improved 
means for laterally stabilizing the blade to prevent shifting thereof. 
A still further object of the invention is to provide a cultivating hand 
tool as set forth above wherein the inturned flanges of the blade are 
resiliently retained thereby providing a limited flexing action of the 
blade for softening the shock when substantial resistance is met in use of 
the tool. 
An additional object of the invention is to provide a tool as set forth 
above which can be completely disassembled for the purpose of replacing 
any component part thereof. 
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a tool which is 
simple and strudy in construction and highly durable in use.

Referring now to the drawings in all of which like parts are designated by 
like reference numerals, the cultivating tool of this invention as herein 
disclosed is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1. 
Said tool comprises an elongated, preferably cylindrical handle 11, a 
lowermost fork 12, and a stirrup-shaped pendulum blade 13. The fork is 
divided into a pair of mirror image fork sections 12a and 12b. Each fork 
section is formed from substantially heavy-gage sheet metal and comprises 
a curved shank 14, an outwardly and downwardly angled portion 16, and a 
leg portion 17 disposed parallel with the axis of the handle 11. The 
shanks 14 are secured to opposite sides of the handle by means of bolt and 
nut assemblies 15 and the leg portions 17 are parallel and spaced a 
substantial distance apart. 
Referring particularly to FIG. 4, the lower end portion of each leg portion 
17 is provided with an hourglass shaped slot or opening 20 which is 
disposed generally horizontally when the handle 11 is held at a normal 
working angle. The slot 20 has its narrowest dimension disposed midway 
between the ends of the slot to provide a pair of upper and lower fulcrum 
points 21 and 22, respectively. Upper and lower edge portions 23 and 24, 
respectively, diverge in either direction away from said fulcrum points 
and terminate in preferably slightly rounded end edges 25. 
The blade 13 comprises a horizontal base 28 which provides the main 
cultivating portion thereof. Said blade is preferably formed of 
substantially thin sheet metal and includes integral curved end portions 
29 and integral, upwardly converging arms 30. Curved end portions 29 and 
portions of the arms 30 also provide cultivating means when the blade 
makes substantial penetration of the soil. The upper ends of said arms are 
bent inwardly at points spaced outwardly from the fork leg portions 17 and 
have inwardly directed flanges 31 which project inwardly through the slots 
20 and slightly beyond said leg portions. The innermost end portions of 
the flanges 31, indicated at 32, are bent downwardly at approximately a 
45.degree. angle closely adjacent to the inner surfaces of the leg 
portions 17. 
As shown particularly in FIG. 4, each hourglass shaped slot 20 is 
sufficiently wide even at its narrowest point between the fulcrums 21 and 
22 to accommodate more than just the thickness of the blade flanges 31. 
Said slots also receive bifurcated end portions of a reinforcing member 
34. The reinforcing member comprises an upper reinforcing bar 35 and a 
lower reinforcing bar 36 disposed through the slots 20 with end portions 
thereof extending outwardly of the leg portions 17 and overlapping the 
upper and lower surfaces, respectively, of the flanges 31. The lower 
reinforcing bar 36 has a medial portion disposed flatwise against the 
bottom of the upper reinforcing bar 35 and is provided with V-shaped 
offsets of bends 37 which are adapted to receive and accommodate the bent 
ends 32 of the blade flanges 31 and provide protuberances which are too 
large to enter said slots 20 and, therefore, prevent lateral shifting of 
the blade. Medial portions of the reinforcing bars 35 and 36 are secured 
together by suitable means such as tack welds indicated at 38. 
The laterally outwardly directed ends of said bars 35 and 36 are spaced 
apart vertically to provide an opening 39, as clearly shown in FIG. 7, 
whereby to mechanically engage the inturned flanges 31 an afford some 
shock absorbent flexibility when the blade 13 is rocked or pivoted in use. 
FIG. 2 of the drawings shows, in phantom line, the general extent of 
articulation possible by the pendulum blade 13. It will be readily 
understood that the diverging wall portions 23 and 24 of the hourglass 
shaped slot 21 allow the flanges 31 and the reinforcing bars 35 and 36 to 
rock a limited amount. It will also be noted that the vertical distance 
between the fulcrum points 21 and 22 is slightly greater than even the 
combined thickness of the flange and reinforcing bars. Thus if extreme or 
sudden pressure is placed upon the blade in either the forward or rearward 
direction, the ends of the reinforcing bars can flex apart slightly, as 
shown in FIG. 5, to absorb part of the shock. 
Although made of substantially thin sheet metal, the blade 13 must be 
sufficiently stiff to cut through heavy impacted soil without collapsing. 
For added strength, the blade is preferably slightly convexly rounded 
inwardly in cross section in a known manner. The flanges 31 are flat in 
section but are more than adequately reinforced and protected from wear by 
the reinforcing bars 35 and 36. 
FIG. 6 illustrates the manner in which the cultivating tool of the present 
invention can be completely disassembled whereby any separate component 
thereof can be replaced. As clearly described in the foregoing description 
and shown in the accompanying drawings, the fork 12 comprises separate 
sections 12a and 12b each having a curved shank 14 adapted to engage the 
handle 11, an outwardly and downwardly angled portion 16, and a leg 
portion 17 disposed parallel with the axis of the handle 11. Thus when the 
bolt and nut assemblies 15 are disassembled, each half of the fork 12 can 
be moved laterally with respect to the flanges 31 until it is disposed 
outwardly beyond the bifurcated ends of the reinforcing member 34. This 
allows said reinforcing member to be moved or slid off of the flanges 31 
in either the forward or rearward direction. FIG. 6 shows the reinforcing 
member 34 moved forwardly of and completely disengaged from said flanges. 
The openings 39 between the end portions of the bars 35 and 36 are 
preferably of such dimension as to provide an easily slidable fit between 
the reinforcing member 34 and the inturned flanges 31. 
Once the reinforcing member 34 is removed, it will be readily seen that the 
fork sections 12a and 12b can be moved inwardly whereby the associated 
flanges 31 are completely disengaged from the hourglass shaped slots 20. 
Thus any worn or damaged component of the hoe can be readily removed and 
replaced. Additionally, the present construction greatly facilitates the 
initial assembly of the tool at the factory. Component parts of the hoe 
can be quickly and easily assembled into a finished product by reversing 
the steps set forth above for disassembly. 
From the foregoing it will be readily understood that the present invention 
provides a pendulum cultivating tool which is lightweight and easy to 
handle, is self-adjusting to the right angle for penetration as it is 
moved forwardly and backwardly through the soil, has adequate reinforcing 
and wearresistant means at the point of articulation, is provided with 
built-in shock absorbing means for protection of the tool and the comfort 
and reduction of fatigue of the user, and is readily disassembled for the 
purpose of replacing worn or damaged parts. 
It will also be understood that many changes in the details of the 
invention as herein described and illustrated may be made without, 
however, departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended 
claims. I claim: