Debris collection and vegetation removal apparatus

The present invention may be used for debris collection and vegetation removal. An interior shaft may be slidably disposed in an exterior tubular shaft. The interior shaft may protrude out of a lower end of the exterior tubular shaft and a prong assembly may have a plurality of prongs oriented in a subtending direction may be attached at a lower end of the interior shaft. A tubular housing may be attached at the lower end of the exterior tubular shaft in a position to receive the plurality of prongs when the interior shaft may be pulled upwardly relative to the exterior tubular shaft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to apparatus for ground debris collection and vegetation removal. The new debris collection and vegetation removal apparatus may have a clamping mechanism that may include multiple gripping wires that may expand radially to encircle an object to be removed or gripped and then be closed to pick up the object.

Various types of weed pullers or debris collection devices may be known and may include apparatus having a head with multiple blades or pick up arms that extend downward to pick up objects. These devices may have a hollow stem or pole to which the head is attached at a bottom and a handle with an operating lever may be attached at the top. The blades or cutting elements may be positioned relative to a weed and the handle operated to close the cutting blades or pick up arms to extract the plant. The blades or pick up arms are generally rigid members for operation of the device. Other devices may include hollow poles with sharpened prongs or blades at the bottom to dig into the ground around a weed as part of the removal operation. The blades or rigid prongs may be forced into the ground to dig and cut to pull up a weed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to apparatus for debris collection and vegetation removal. An interior shaft may be slidably disposed in an exterior tubular shaft. The interior shaft may protrude out of a lower end of the exterior tubular shaft. A prong assembly may have a plurality of prongs oriented in a subtending direction and may be attached at a lower end of said interior shaft. A tubular housing may be attached at the lower end of the exterior tubular shaft in a position to receive the plurality of prongs when the interior shaft may be pulled upwardly relative to the exterior tubular shaft.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description represents the best currently contemplated modes for carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention.

Referring toFIG. 1, a debris collection and vegetation removal apparatus10may have an exterior tubular shaft12and interior shaft14that may also be tubular form. The interior shaft14may be slidably disposed in exterior tubular shaft12. A circular wire prong assembly20may be attached to the lower end22of the interior shaft12with the prongs24oriented in a downwardly direction. A prong assembly tubular housing30may be attached to the lower end32of the exterior tubular shaft12in position to receive the prongs24when the interior shaft14may be pulled upwardly relative to the exterior tubular shaft12. The lower end32may be threaded on an exterior wall for attachment of tubular housing30.

Referring toFIG. 2the exterior tubular shaft12may have a threaded lower end32on an interior wall and a threaded upper end34for attachment of an end fastener54and a cap36that may have an aperture38that may allow the interior shaft14to be inserted through and slide through the cap36. The tubular housing30may have a threaded aperture40for attachment to the end fastener54. The tubular housing30may be flared outwardly or have a flange42at a bottom portion44to aid in receipt of prongs24when they may be pulled into the housing30through opening46.

The interior shaft14have a stop ring26positioned on the shaft intermediate the lower end22and the upper end28. The stop ring26may be positioned to restrain a spring56at a top end that may be slidably disposed on interior shaft12. The spring56may be restrained at a bottom end by end fastener54. The spring56may be biased to urge the interior shaft14upwardly relative to the exterior tubular shaft12. The spring56may aid in pulling the prong assembly20upwardly and in retaining the prong assembly20in the tubular lousing30. There may be a top closure50attached to upper end28that may have a ring for hanging the apparatus10for storage or for other use.

The prong assembly20may have a circular prong fastener18to which the upper end of the prongs24or tines may be attached. The prong fastener18may be attached to the lower end22of the interior shaft14. The prongs24may be constructed of a resilient wire or flat metal material, as for example, flexible steel as may be used for a leaf rake, or other composite material. The prongs24may be attached to the prong fastener18to be biased in an open or radial extended configuration when not confined as when pulled into tubular housing30, as best viewed inFIG. 2. The prongs24may have a radially inward curved lower portion to aid in griping vegetation and debris.

Referring toFIG. 3, in use, the extended prongs24may be forced or pushed into the ground to circle a plant such as a weed. The interior shaft14may be pulled upward relative to the exterior tubular shaft12thereby pulling the prongs24into the tubular housing30. This may cause the lower end of the prongs24to close around the root of the weed such that the weed may be pulled out of the ground by raising the apparatus10upwardly. There may be a stop flange52at lower end32of the interior shaft14to stop the downward motion of the stop ring26to limit downward motion of interior shaft14.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the illustrated embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.