Shovel with a fulcrum projection and a method for its use

A shovel with a fulcrum projection is disclosed. The shovel has a blade with a front, a back, a proximate end, and a pointed distal end, a handle joined to the proximal end of the blade, and a fulcrum member projecting behind the back of the blade. In some embodiments, the fulcrum member's vertical position is adjustable; in additional embodiments, the blade is serrated or the shovel has footrests.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to handheld digging equipment generally, and to shovels with fulcrum devices in particular.

BACKGROUND ART

Shoveling is hard work, but is often a necessary task in various outdoor professions and hobbies. The most difficult parts of shoveling are the initial thrust of the shovel into the ground, and prying up the shovelful from the ground after the thrust. The thrust can be hampered by rocks and living matter such as roots, and in tightly-packed earth can require a substantial amount of force. The initial part of lifting the loaded shovel can be made difficult by cohesive substrates, and requires the exertion of substantial force while the body is in an awkward position. Using the shovel as a lever is often a good way to overcome the latter difficulties, but the ground beneath the shovel blade makes for an indifferent fulcrum; the more it yields, the less advantage levering the shovel confers.

Therefore, there remains a need for a shovel that acts as a more effective lever and gives its user more control over the degree of leverage available.

SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Disclosed is a shovel having a fulcrum projection. The shovel includes a digging blade having a proximal end, a distal end having a point, a substantially concave front, a substantially convex back, and two edges. The shovel also includes a handle attached to the proximal end of the blade, and a fulcrum member located at the rear of the blade.

In a related embodiment, the edges of the blade are serrated. In another embodiment, the fulcrum member is substantially perpendicular to an axis that that is substantially orthogonal to the handle and that intersects the blade halfway between the two edges. In an additional embodiment, the fulcrum member further includes a bar having a proximal end at the back of the blade and a distal end, the bar forming an angle with the handle of approximately 45 degrees. In another embodiment, a portion of the fulcrum member near to the distal end curves in a convex direction with respect to the handle. In yet another embodiment, the position of the fulcrum member between the proximal and distal ends of the blades is slideably adjustable. In a related embodiment, the fulcrum member further includes a bar that is substantially parallel to the handle, the bar having a plurality of holes along its length, the bar inserted in a bracket fixed near the proximal end of the blade, the bracket having a pin that may be removably inserted into one of the plurality of holes. Another embodiment includes at least one footrest near the proximal end of the blade.

A method is also described for digging with shovel having a fulcrum projection. The method includes providing a shovel as described above, inserting the blade of the shovel into the ground so that part of the fulcrum member rests upon the ground, and rotating the handle downward around the fulcrum member such that the blade rotates upward toward a horizontal position.

Other aspects, embodiments and features of the device and method will become apparent from the following detailed description of the device and method when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures. The accompanying figures are for schematic purposes and are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the figures, each identical or substantially similar component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a single numeral or notation at its initial drawing depiction. For purposes of clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure. Nor is every component of each embodiment of the device and method shown where illustration is not necessary to allow those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the device and method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the disclosed device and method allow a user to exert greater amounts of torque when extracting earth from the ground using the disclosed shovel. The user may increase the available torque by moving the fulcrum closer to the tip of the shovel, for particularly difficult substrates. Serrations and footrests aid in thrusting the shovel into ground containing roots or other challenging impediments to effective digging.

FIG. 1depicts one embodiment of a shovel having a fulcrum projection100. The shovel100includes a digging blade101having a proximal end102, a distal end103having a point104, a substantially concave front105, a substantially convex back106, and two edges107. The shovel100also includes a handle108attached to the proximal end102of the blade101. The shovel100also includes a fulcrum member109located at the back110of the blade.

The shovel100includes a digging blade101having a proximal end102, a distal end103having a point104, a substantially concave front105, a substantially convex back106, and two edges107. The blade101may be made of any material or combination of materials suited for the purpose of digging the material a particular embodiment of the shovel100is designed to dig. The blade101may be composed at least in part of metal. The metal may include aluminum. The metal may include iron. The metal may include steel. The metal may include tungsten. The blade101may be composed at least in part of a polymer material. The polymer material may be plastic. The polymer material may be carbon fiber. The blade101may be composed at least in part of ceramic. The blade101may be scoop-shaped; the substantially concave curvature of the front105of the blade101may be so formed that it can scoop up loose materials, such as earth, more readily than a flat surface. The edges107of the blade may angle upward with respect to the front105of the blade101, to add depth to the scoop. The proximal end102of the blade may also have an edge that angles upward with respect to the front of the blade105, to help prevent material from sliding off the blade at the proximal end102. The blade may taper from a broad width at the proximal end102to the point104at the distal end103. The edges107may taper in a straight line from the proximal end102to the point104. The edges107may taper in a curved line from the proximal end102to the point104. In some embodiments, the edges107of the blade101are serrated. In some embodiments, the edges107of the blade101are sharpened. The edges107of the blade101may be both serrated and sharpened.

The shovel100also includes a handle108attached to the proximal end102of the blade101. The handle108may be composed of any materials or combination of materials having suitable strength and rigidity for the purpose to which an embodiment of the shovel is applied. The handle108may be composed at least in part of metal. The metal may include aluminum. The metal may include iron. The metal may include steel. The metal may include tungsten. The handle108may be composed at least in part of a polymer material. The polymer material may be plastic. The polymer material may be carbon fiber. The handle108may be composed at least in part of fiberglass. The handle108may be composed at least in part of ceramic. The handle108may be composed of wood. In some embodiments, the handle108is substantially cylindrical. The handle108may be partially hollow; for instance, the handle108may be a metal or fiberglass tube.

The handle108is attached to the proximal end102of the blade101. The handle108may be fused to the proximal end102. In some embodiments, the handle108and the blade101form a monolithic whole. In other embodiments, the handle108is riveted to the proximal end102. In still other embodiments, the handle108is bolted to the proximal end102. The proximal end102may include a shaft110that attaches to the handle108. The shaft110may be hollow, such that the handle108is attached to the proximal end102by insertion into the shaft110. The internal area of the shaft110may be formed to fit snugly over an end of the handle108; for instance, where the handle108is substantially cylindrical, the shaft110may form a substantially cylindrical tube having an internal radius very slightly larger than the exterior radius of the handle108. The handle108may be secured within the shaft110using any technique that causes the handle108to remain firmly and largely immovably fixed within the shaft110. In some embodiments, the end of the handle108and the interior of the shaft110are threaded so that the end of the handle108may be screwed into the shaft110. In other embodiments, the handle108is glued within the shaft110. In still other embodiments, the handle108is bolted within the shaft110. The handle108may be secured in the shaft110using a screw. The handle108may be secured within the shaft110using a nail. The handle108may be secured within the shaft110using a rivet.

The shovel100also includes a fulcrum member109located at the back106of the blade. The fulcrum member109may be constructed from any material or combination of materials suitable for constructing the blade101or the handle108. The fulcrum member109may be located at a point between the proximal end102and the distal end103on the back106of the blade. In some embodiments, the fulcrum member109is substantially perpendicular to an axis that that is substantially orthogonal to the handle and that intersects the blade110halfway between the two edges107; in other words, if an axis parallel to the handle108is vertical, and an axis running perpendicular to the vertical axis and intersecting both edges107is horizontal, the fulcrum member109may be perpendicular to the horizontal axis. In some embodiments, the fulcrum member109includes a bar having a proximal end111at the back106of the blade and a distal end112, the bar forming an angle with the handle108of approximately 45 degrees. This angle of the fulcrum member109may guide the insertion of the shovel blade101into the ground130at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. In some embodiments, a portion of the fulcrum member109near to the distal end112curves in a concave direction with respect to the handle. This may result in a portion of the fulcrum member109curving in a convex direction with respect to the ground130, so that the shovel100can roll on the fulcrum member109when being rotated on the fulcrum member109as set forth in more detail below.

In some embodiments, the position of the fulcrum member109between the proximal end102and distal end103of the blade is slideably adjustable. For instance, the fulcrum member109may be joined to the handle108by means of a collar that wraps around the handle108, and which may be secured in a position along the handle108by means of a screw that contacts the handle108. The collar may be secured in position along the handle108by means of a screw that tightens the collar so that it clamps the handle108. The collar may be secured in position by any other clamp apparatus. Where the handle108connects to a shaft110, the collar may be similarly placed and secured around the shaft110. In some embodiments, the position of the fulcrum member109is slidably adjustable only along a vertical axis as defined above in reference toFIGS. 1A-1B. For instance, where the fulcrum member109attaches to the shaft110or handle108as described above in reference toFIGS. 1A-1B, the shaft110or handle108may have a vertically oriented protruding ridge that engages with a groove in the collar, so that the collar cannot be rotated around the handle108or shaft110, and can only slide along the ridge. In another embodiment, the fulcrum member109further includes a bar113that is substantially parallel to the handle, the bar113having a plurality of holes114along its length, the bar inserted in a bracket115fixed near the proximal end102of the blade101, the bracket116having a pin116that may be removably inserted into one of the plurality of holes114. The pin116may have a spring with a bias that resists removal of the pin116from the hole114in which it is inserted, so that the fulcrum member109remains securely in place unless the pin116is intentionally pulled from the hole114by a user. In an additional embodiment, the fulcrum member109further includes a bar113that is substantially parallel to the handle and inserted in a bracket having a plurality of holes along its length, the bar having a pin that may be removably inserted into one of the plurality of holes. The pin may have a spring with a bias that resists removal of the pin from the hole in which it is inserted, so that the fulcrum member109remains securely in place unless the pin is intentionally pulled from the hole by a user. The slideable adjustment of the fulcrum member109may serve to increase the torque on the portion of the blade101, or to increase the volume of earth taken into the blade101, depending on the direction of adjustment as discussed below.

In some embodiments, the shovel100also has at least one footrest117near the proximal end102of the blade101. The at least one footrest117may be formed by the top surface of the proximal end102of the blade101. The at least one footrest117may include at least one member separate from the blade101. For instance, the at least one footrest117may include at least one member attached to the handle; the at least one member may be perpendicular to the handle. The at least one footrest117may include at least one member attached to the shaft110; the at least one member may be perpendicular to the shaft110. In some embodiments, the at least one member has treads on the surface opposite the blade110, to aid in traction when a user steps on the at least one member. In some embodiments, the at least one member is two members opposite each other.

FIG. 2is a flow chart depicting a method200for digging with a shovel having a fulcrum projection. The method200includes providing a shovel as described above in reference toFIGS. 1A-1B(201). The method200includes inserting the blade101of the shovel100into the ground130so that part of the fulcrum member109rests upon the ground (202). Where the shovel has at least one footrest117, the user may rest a foot on the footrest117to increase the force of the thrust into the ground130. The method200involves rotating the handle108downward around the fulcrum member109, as shown by the downward-pointing directional arrow inFIG. 1B, such that the blade101rotates upward toward a horizontal position, as shown by the upward-pointing directional arrow inFIG. 1B(203). Where the fulcrum member109has a curved portion as disclosed above in reference toFIGS. 1A-1B, the user may rotate the shovel about that curved portion, as if the curved portion were a section of a wheel.

In some embodiments, where the fulcrum member109is slideably adjustable along the vertical axis, the method200further involves adjusting the position of the fulcrum member109on the vertical axis. As an example, the user may move the fulcrum member109to a point closer to the distal end103of the blade101, to increase the amount of torque that the user can exert in the upward direction by rotating the handle108downward. The user may move the fulcrum member109to a point closer to the distal end102of the blade101to increase the depth of insertion of the blade101into the ground, and thus increase the volume of earth loaded on the blade101during the rotation.