Compost cutting and stirring apparatus

A spade-like member includes an elongate shaft pivotally mounted to a blade member that is formed of a generally triangular configuration, with the support shaft arranged for selective latching to the shaft permitting the shaft and the blade member to project into a compost pile, whereupon lifting of the blade member rotates the blade member ninety degrees relative to the shaft to permit lifting of the blade and stirring of the compost, wherein the blade is maintained in the rotated orientation by an abutment member mounted to the blade.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The field of invention relates to shovel construction, and more 
particularly pertains to anew and improved compost cutting and stirring 
apparatus wherein the same is arranged to permit a blade member to be 
projected within a compost pile and effect pivoting of the blade member 
permitting lifting of the compost in a stirring manner. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The stirring of compost is typically effected by the use of elaborate 
apparatus or alternatively, of pitchfork-like members, wherein 
conventional shovel construction is not sufficient to provide such 
stirring inasmuch as the shovel blade is maintained in a generally aligned 
orientation relative to an associated shaft or handle. 
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by 
providing for a blade member having a triangular configuration employing 
sharpened cutting edges permitting projection within a compost pile and 
subsequent tilting or pivoting of the blade member providing for a lifting 
surface upon manual lifting of the shaft relative to such compost pile. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known Types of 
shovel construction now present in the prior art, the present invention 
provides a compost cutting and stirring apparatus wherein the same is 
arranged to permit the cutting and subsequent lifting of compost in a 
stirring manner. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, 
which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a 
new and improved compost cutting and stirring apparatus which has all the 
advantages of the prior art compost stirring apparatus and none of the 
disadvantages. 
To attain this, the present invention provides a spade-like member 
including an elongate shaft pivotally mounted to a blade member that is 
formed of a generally triangular configuration, with the support shaft 
arranged for selective latching to the shaft permitting the shaft and the 
blade member to project into a compost pile, whereupon lifting of the 
blade member rotates the blade member ninety degrees relative to The shaft 
to permit lifting of the blade and stirring of the compost, wherein the 
blade is maintained in the rotated orientation by an abutment member 
mounted to the blade. 
My invention resides not in any one of these features per se, but rather in 
the particular combination of all of them herein disclosed and claimed and 
it is distinguished from the prior art in this particular combination of 
all of its structures for the functions specified. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description Thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, 
additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter 
and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which 
this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the 
designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, Therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention 
of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to 
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved compost cutting and stirring apparatus which has all the 
advantages of the prior art compost stirring apparatus and none of the 
disadvantages. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved 
compost cutting and stirring apparatus which may be easily and efficiently 
manufactured and marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved compost cutting and stirring apparatus which is of a durable and 
reliable construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved compost cutting and stirring apparatus which is susceptible of a 
low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which 
accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming 
public, Thereby making such compost cutting and stirring apparatus 
economically available to the buying public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved compost cutting and stirring apparatus which provides in the 
apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, 
while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally 
associated therewith. 
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various 
features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with 
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should 
be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 to 8 
thereof, a new and improved compost cutting and stirring apparatus 
embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and 
generally designated by the reference numerals 10 and 10a will be 
described. 
More specifically, the compost cutting and stirring apparatus 10 of the 
instant invention essentially comprises a support shaft 11 symmetrically 
oriented about a shaft axis 14, having a first end handle 12 fixedly and 
orthogonally mounted to the support shaft adjacent the shaft first end, 
with the shaft second end having a second end tube 13 orthogonally 
oriented relative to the axis and receiving a pivot axle 20 therethrough 
securing the second end tube 13 to an associated blade member that in turn 
includes a plurality of axle support loops 24, wherein the axle support 
loops 24, the pivot axle 20, and the second end tube are coaxially aligned 
relative to one another. The blade member 15 includes a blade first end 
edge 16 spaced from and parallel to a blade second end edge 17. The blade 
member 15 is of a generally truncated triangular configuration, with the 
blade first and second end edges 16 and 17 arranged parallel relative to 
one another, with the first end edge having a first length, and the second 
end edge having a second length less than the first length. First and 
second side edges 18 and 19 are provided of an equal length and canted 
towards one another from the first end edge 16 to the second end edge 17. 
The first and second side edges 1 and 19, as well as the second end edge 
17, are of a generally sharpened blade-like construction to permit ease of 
projection of the blade member 15 within the compost pile "C", of a type 
as indicated by example in the FIGS. 3 and 4. 
The blade member 15 includes an upper blade potion 115 that extends from 
the first edge 16 to an intersection 16a parallel to the first edge 16 and 
oriented between the tube 13 and the first blade edge 16, such that the 
upper blade portion 115 cants rearwardly of a forward wall of the blade 
member 15 to define an obtuse angle between the upper blade portion 115 
and the rear wall of the blade member 15. Further, an upper blade portion 
wing 116 defines an obtuse included angle between the upper blade portion 
wing 116 and the upper blade portion indicated in FIG. 2. In this manner, 
upon rotation of the blade structure, limited resistance is provided by 
the wing 116. Canting of the overlay portion further assists in the 
lifting and agitation in the use of the blade structure in a compost pile 
"C", as indicated in the FIG. 4. An abutment block 117 is mounted to the 
flattened portion 15a of the handle 11, with the abutment block 117 
preventing over-tilting of the blade and therefore maintaining the blade 
15 in alignment during projection into a compost pile "C", as indicated in 
FIG. 3. 
Further, the pivot axle 20 is mounted between the first and second end 
edges 16 and 17 and spaced from the first end edge 16 a first spacing, and 
spaced from the second end edge 17 a second spacing less than the first 
spacing to provide for ease of tilting and promote lifting of the compost 
when the blade is projected into the compost pile in a first position and 
tilted ninety degrees relative to the first position in a second position, 
as illustrated in FIG. 4. The cutting edges of the second end edge 17 and 
first and second side edges 18 and 19 ease the projection of the blade 
member within the compost pile "C", as illustrated. An abutment blade 21 
is fixedly and orthogonally mounted to the blade member 15, having an 
abutment wall 21a arranged in a facing relationship orthogonally oriented 
relative to the pivot axle 20 to provide for an abutment relative to the 
support shaft 11 to effect maintaining the abutment wall 21a in an 
orthogonal relationship relative to the blade member 15, wherein the 
support shaft includes a flattened portion 15a arranged for engagement 
with the abutment wall 21a, in a manner as indicated in FIG. 4. 
An opening or recess 21b is oriented between the abutment wall 21a to 
provide access and clearance upon pivoting of the blade member 15 about 
the axle 20. 
The blade member 15 is arranged for selective latching in the first 
position, as indicated in FIG. 2, employing a swivel T-bolt 23 rotatably 
mounted to the blade member 15 in an orthogonal relationship in adjacency 
to the first end edge 16, with the swivel T-bolt 23 arranged for reception 
through a handle slot 22 that is arranged orthogonally oriented relative 
to the second end tube 3. In this manner, rotation of the swivel T-bolt 23 
aligning the handle of the T-bolt with the handle slot 22 permits the 
shaft 11 to displace relative to the blade member, in a manner as 
indicated in FIG. 4, from the orientation as indicated in FIG. 3. 
The apparatus 10a, as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6, further includes a manner 
of unlocking the blade member once the blade member is projected within 
the compost pile "C". To This end, a guide bore 2 is directed through the 
modified support shaft 11a, as indicated in FIG. 5, having a shaft first 
end opening 38 directed through the first end of the support shaft, with a 
shaft second end opening 39 projecting through the shaft in adjacency to 
and between the flattened portion 15a and the first end. A control cable 
29 extends through the guide bore 25 and has a cable first end mounted 
within a cam roller 26, and more specifically directed through a cam 
roller slot 28 eccentrically mounted relative to the cam roller 26, with 
the cam roller 26 having a cam roller handle 27 permitting ease of 
rotation of the cam roller to the support shaft first end. The control 
cable extends through the guide bore 25 projecting through the second end 
opening 39 mounting a guide pin 33 that is received through a guide lug 
31, having a guide lug bore 32 slidably receiving the guide pin 33. The 
modified handle slot 30 in the configuration of the apparatus 10a is 
oriented parallel relative to the second end tube 13, whereupon 
displacement of the guide pin 33 relative to the guide lug 31 permits 
displacement of the guide lug 31 from the modified handle shaft 11a 
through the modified handle slot 30. It should be further noted that in 
lieu of the cam roller 26 and handle 27, a handle lug 50 having a coarsely 
threaded boss 51 as shown in FIG. 5A is threadedly received within an 
uppermost end of the support shaft 11a, such that ease of reciprocation of 
a rigid control rod 52 in lieu of the cable 29 is provided. The control 
rod provides for a positive reciprocation relative to rotation of the boss 
51. 
Reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 indicates the use of first and second lever bars 
34 and 35 pivotally mounted about respective first and second bar axles 36 
and 37 to the blade member 15 in adjacency to the respective first and 
second side edges 18 and 19. The bar axles 36 and 37 are positioned in 
adjacency to the first end edge 16 permitting displacement of the bar 
axles 36 when projected into the compost pile "C", whereupon twigs and the 
like within the compost pile "C" are captured between the bar axles 36 and 
associated with first and second side edges 18 and 19 that are sharpened 
to provide for the severing of such twigs within the compost pile "C". 
As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, the same 
should be apparent from the above disclosure, and accordingly no further 
discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation of the instant 
invention hall be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.