Gardening implement for irrigation

A gardening implement comprising a hollow rod having a straight portion, a curved handle portion, and a tapered lower end with a discharge opening at the lower end, a pair of flanges extending beyond the lower end of the rod and connection means on the upper end of the rod for connecting it to a standard garden hose.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to gardening implements and more particularly 
to multi-purpose gardening implements used for precision watering. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Under certain climatic and soil conditions it is difficult to effectively 
provide water for the roots of plants by merely moistening the surface 
soil around the plants. During a drought or dry period, if only the 
surface is irrigated, a great deal of water is lost through evaporation 
before it reaches the roots of the plants. There is also a problem of 
uniform absorption of moisture by the roots when the soil is hard and 
caked. Thus to insure that the roots of the plants are receiving the 
required moisture, under even difficult conditions, it is desirable to 
irrigate the root systems directly. 
There have been several attempts in the prior art to provide tools which 
will carry moisture to the depth of the plant root systems. U.S. Pat. No. 
2,018,003 issued to L. E. Axtell describes a pitchfork type device with 
sprinkling holes in tubular tines for the release of water below the 
surface. However, the depth to which this tool can be inserted into the 
ground is limited by its pitchfork structure. Another problem of Axtell's 
device and other prior art tools is that the discharge openings are 
particularly susceptible to clogging, which prevents the uniform release 
of water. In addition, this device is relatively cumbersome and difficult 
to construct. 
Another prior art device which attempts to solve the problem of irrigating 
roots located deeply below the ground surface is that described in U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,326,306 issued to B. B. Weir. Although this device appears to 
reach a root system at any depth it has a wide yet relatively thin 
arrowhead digging blade which would disrupt a great deal of the soil 
system in reaching its roots. Because of its particular structure and 
attachment, it is expected that the digging blade of this device would be 
particularly vulnerable to detachment from the shaft in hard soil surfaces 
or upon striking rocks. The device of this patent is also not adaptable to 
a simple construction from inexpensive material. 
There is also a need for a watering implement which can also be used for 
precision irrigating of the ground surface around delicate plants where 
the tops must be avoided or where access is difficult. 
The gardening implement of the present invention provides a solution to 
these prior art problems. It is designed so that it can be constructed 
simply and inexpensively of a material sturdy enough to be used in any 
kind of soil conditions. The garden tool of this invention is particularly 
designed so that its digging end can be forced into the ground to reach 
root systems of a considerable depth with a minimum of effort while 
disrupting a minimum amount of soil around the root system. Because of its 
unique structure, the opening for release of water is protected from 
clogging under most conditions, thereby allowing more efficient and 
uniform below-surface irrigation of plant roots. 
The gardening implement of the present invention is a multi-purpose tool 
which is versatile and also provides for precision watering of the ground 
surface, as well as area watering and watering of distant or hard to reach 
plants. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is a gardening implement which has an elongated 
hollow rod. The rod has a substantially straight portion and a curved 
portion forming a handle for the user at the upper end. At its lower end 
the rod is tapered and has a restricted opening which is smaller than the 
internal diameter of the rod for the discharge of water from its lower 
end. At least one pair of flanges is mounted longitudinally on the rod on 
opposite sides of the rod along its tapered portion. These flanges extend 
partially beyond the end of the rod and are only slightly larger in span 
than the diameter of the rod. Connection means are mounted on the upper 
end of the rod for connecting the rod to a standard garden hose or other 
water source. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a 
lightweight gardening implement which may be constructed simply and 
inexpensively in main part from a common material such as continuous 
uniform conduit. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a gardening 
implement which may be used to water root systems located deeply in the 
ground with a minimum of effort by the user and with a minimum of 
disruption to the surrounding soil systems. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide a manual gardening 
implement which can be connected to any standard garden hose and will 
efficiently provide water to the root systems of plants to a considerable 
depth. 
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a gardening 
implement which will provide a controlled flow of water to the ground 
surfaces and root systems of plants with a minimum amount of clogging or 
breakage of the tool. 
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a multi-purpose garden 
irrigation tool which permits discriminate watering of individual plants 
and which can be used to produce a stream of water to reach distant 
plants. 
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent when it 
is considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings described 
hereafter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The present invention is a gardening implement 11 which comprises an 
elongated hollow rod having a substantially straight portion 13 and a 
curved portion 15 forming a handle for the user at the upper end of the 
rod. In the preferred embodiment, the upper end of the rod is curved so 
that it resembles a walking cane as shown in FIG. 2. The rod may be easily 
gripped by the user either at the top of the curved portion of the cane or 
at some other portion along the handle as shown in FIG. 1. Of course it is 
understood that the upper portion of the rod may be curved in any 
particular style so that it may be conveniently connected to a water 
supply but so that the hose will not interfere with the free use of the 
implement. 
The elongated hollow rod 11 also has a substantially straight portion 13 
which in the preferred embodiment is all in one piece with the curved 
portion 15. This straight portion is tapered at its lower end 14 and it 
has a restricted opening 17 smaller than the internal diameter of the rod 
for the discharge of water at the lower end thereof. In the preferred 
embodiment, the rod is tapered at its lower end to a diameter which is 
between one-third and two-thirds the diameter of its non-tapered portion. 
Reference herein to the tapered end of the hollow rod is intended to 
include embodiments wherein the tapered portion may be formed from the 
same conduit as the straight portion 13 and embodiments in which a 
separate piece of rod or other pretapered piece of metal is integrally 
secured to the straight portion and forms a tapered end thereof. 
At least one pair of flanges 19 is mounted longitudinally on the rod 11 on 
opposite sides of the rod along its tapered portion, said flanges 
extending partially beyond the end of the rod. These flanges may be 
integrally formed from the same material as the tapered end. They are 
mounted so that their width (in side elevation) increases as the tapered 
end becomes more narrow. The flanges thus fit fairly closely to the 
general shape of the elongated rod and facilitate the easy insertion and 
removal of the gardening implement in the soil with a minimum of 
disruption. The flanges are only slightly larger in span than the diameter 
of the rod. When used in this context, the term, "span", refers to the 
complete width in side view of the flanges mounted on opposite sides of 
the elongated rod. Thus, in FIG. 2 the span of the flanges would be a 
distance measured from the outer left edge of the left flange to the outer 
right side of the right flange, this distance including the widths (in 
side elevation) of both flanges and the diameter of the tapered portion of 
the rod. When referred to herein, unless otherwise specified, "diameter" 
of the elongated rod refers to the outer diameter of the rod measured at a 
point along its non-tapered portion. The span of the flanges is between 1 
and 1.5 times the diameter of the hollow rod. 
The length of the flanges 19 may vary between 0.5 and 1.5 times the 
diameter of the hollow rod 11. The length of the flanges refers to a 
distance measured parallel to the hollow rod 13 from the highest point of 
attachment or commencement of the flanges on the rod to the point of 
termination beyond the end of the rod. In the preferred embodiment the 
flanges are mounted so that they extend beyond the end of the rod a 
distance between 1/8th and 1/2 the diameter of the hollow rod. It is the 
extension of these flanges beyond the elongated rod outside of its 
discharge opening 17 that protects this opening from clogging. It is to be 
understood that another pair of flanges may be similarly mounted 
longitudinally on opposite sides from each other approximately 90.degree. 
from the first pair of flanges. An excessive number of flanges would not 
be preferred, however, because it is desirable to allow the soil to be 
pushed past the tip of the elongated rod during the course of digging. 
Connection means 20 are mounted on the upper end of said rod for connecting 
the rod to a standard garden hose 23 or other water source. The connection 
means may be any simple threaded fitting for a standard hose which is 
permanently secured to the end of the curved portion of the hollow rod, as 
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
Valve means 21 may be disposed between the connection means 20 and the 
water source and arranged for controlling the flow of water through the 
rod. Generally, the valve means may be any common control valve, readily 
available in the trade which is fitted onto the connection means so that 
water will flow freely from a garden hose into and through the hollow rod, 
subject to being manually reduced or shut off by the user. 
In the preferred embodiment the main part of the gardening implement of 
this invention is constructed from a continuous piece of uniform conduit 
or similar piping or tubing which may be formed into the shape of a cane. 
Because its unique configuration allows the use of easily available 
material and the purpose of the implement is accomplished with few joints 
and fittings, the costs of construction are thereby substantially reduced. 
The conduit which is used in the preferred embodiment has an outer 
diameter of approximately 11/16 inch (1.746 cm) and a wall thickness of 
approximately 1/16 inch (1.58 mm). In the preferred embodiment, the rod 11 
is approximately 48 inches high, (1.219 m), from the top of its curved 
portion 15 to its bottom end, and the distance of the curved portion 15, 
measured perpendicular to the straight portion 13 from the commencement of 
the curve to its other end, is approximately 9 inches (22.860 cm) center 
to center. In using a rod with an outer diameter of 11/16 inches (1.746 
cm), the outer diameter of the restricted opening at its most tapered 
point is approximately 5/16 inches (0.793 cm). 
In the preferred embodiment the width of each flange at its widest portion 
is approximately 3/16 inches (0.474 cm). The thickness of the flange (from 
the front elevational view) is also approximately 1/4 inch (0.635 cm) at 
its widest part. The flange length in this preferred embodiment may be 
11/16th to 3/4 inch, (1.746 to 1.905 cm) and each flange may extend 
approximately 1/4 inch (0.635 cm) beyond the end of the elongated rod. 
In the preferred method of construction a tapered head portion 14 is 
preformed or molded so that its lower end will be tapered and an upper end 
will fit snugly into the hollow rod, where it is welded in place, thus 
providing a secured digging head for the implement and permitting an 
efficient method of construction. 
Several advantages result from the simple configuration of this invention. 
Because its handle and shaft end may be formed quite easily from one 
continuous piece of tubing or conduit and the number of joints and 
additional fittings are thereby reduced, the manufacture of the present 
invention is more convenient and less expensive and the implement itself 
is less cumbersome than those in the prior art. Because it utilizes 
standard fittings to an ordinary garden hose and any common connection and 
valve means for controlling the flow of the water from the garden hose, 
its use is very simple and convenient for the average gardener. 
Another advantage of the present invention is that, unlike many of the 
prior art devices, the flow of water through the gardening implement will 
be continuous and unrestricted by soil clogging the water discharge 
opening, which would interrupt the irrigation process. 
The particular configuration and attachment of flanges to the lower digging 
end of the gardening implement of this invention makes possible easy 
insertion of the implement into the soil without the serious disruption of 
the soil system which is a problem of many of the prior art devices. Yet 
this device is sturdy enough to be effective in most soil conditions. 
There is no limitation to the depth to which this gardening implement may 
be inserted up to the length of the straight portion nor is there a 
limitation to the angle at which it may be used, which makes it very 
versatile. Likewise the close fit of the flanges to the elongated rod 
allow easy removal from the soil at any angle as well. 
In addition, this implement may be used very effectively for spot 
irrigation above ground, when discriminate watering is required, for 
example, for plants where the tops should not be watered or for distant 
plants or others located in hard-to-reach places. Thus the instant 
invention provides a gardening implement which is versatile and allows an 
improved precision irrigation of plants at ground surface as well as below 
surface root systems with efficiency and convenience for the user and the 
minimum of disruption of the soil around the plants or interference with 
the watering process. While the invention has been described in detail it 
is not to be limited to the preferred embodiment set forth except as maybe 
necessitated by the appended claims.