Garden tool

An agricultural or garden tool attachment for shoes or boots including a bracket, a garden tool adjustably attached to the bracket and an encompassing structure for extending under and around the toe or heel of a boot or shoe. Strap are provided for attaching the encompassing structure to the shoe or boot. Other garden tools designed for many different purposes can be interchangeably attached to the bracket.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention relates generally to garden and agricultural tools 
and more particularly to garden and agricultural tools for attachment to a 
boot or shoe. 
BACKGROUND ART 
Laborers in the commercial agricultural field use a short handled hoe to do 
the precision work required to cultivate crops, extract roots and remove 
vegetation. This work is called "stoop labor" and is opposed by organized 
labor unions and others. A long handled hoe cannot be used satisfactorily 
for this type of field use. Similarly, home gardeners and those doing yard 
and lawn work have similar problems requiring the user of a garden tool, 
such as a hoe, to stoop over in order to do the job properly and 
completely; which can cause excessive body strain and fatigue. 
A crude attempt to solve this problem was proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 607,392 
to Brune which was patented in 1898. This particular patent proposes to 
use screws to attach brackets to the bottom sole of a boot or shoe and to 
attach a curved knife thereto. Despite the fact that this device has been 
known for over 80 years, it has never achieved common usage because of its 
awkward construction and limited use for cutting weeds only. 
Accordingly, there is a need for agricultural and garden tool implements 
which can be easily, readily and adjustably attached to any boot or shoe 
for a variety of precision agricultural, garden or lawn work. 
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to an agricultural or garden tool 
attachment for shoes or boots including a bracket, a garden tool 
adjustably attached to the bracket and an encompassing structure for 
extending under and around the toe or heel of a boot or shoe. Straps are 
provided for attaching the encompassing structure to the shoe or boot and 
other garden tools designed for many different purposes can be 
interchangeably attached to the bracket. 
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved agricultural 
or garden tool to eliminate the need for stooping over or stretching when 
doing precision garden or agricultural work, thus reducing body strain and 
fatigue. 
Another object of the invention is to provide an agricultural or garden 
tool of the aforementioned type for attachment to shoes or boots, thus, 
permitting use of the stronger leg muscles. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide an agricultural or 
garden tool for shoes or boots having interchangeable blades of various 
configurations. 
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a garden tool 
attachment for shoes or boots which will attach to either right or left 
shoe or boot without modification to the shoe or boot and without damage 
thereto. 
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will 
become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention 
when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate 
identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 
shows a preferred embodiment (10) of the invention attached to a boot 
(11). Referring to FIGS. 2-5, it will be noted that a somewhat flexible 
metal or plastic toe encompassing member (12) has end openings (13) for 
receiving a strap (14) which extends around the boot (11) and has a buckle 
(15) for tightening down the strap when it is in place. 
Additionally, the encompassing structure (12) includes lower openings (16) 
for receiving a flat metal bracket (17). This metal bracket (17) is first 
adjusted to the proper width, for example after the member (12) is 
strapped on to the boot (11) as shown in FIG. 1. The ends of the metal 
bracket (17) are bent upwardly from the position shown in dashed lines in 
FIG. 4 to the position shown in solid lines. Also, upper openings (18) are 
disposed in the encompassing member (12) for receiving an adjustable metal 
strap (19) which extends over the toe of the boot (11) as shown in FIG. 1. 
The strap (14) is preferably elastic, although two non-elastic straps will 
perform the needed function but will require more time to adjust them to 
the proper tension. Strap (19) is metal and adjustable so member (12) can 
be tightly secured onto the toe of shoe (11) and strap (14) can be 
removed, if desired. 
A bracket (20) is rigidly connected to the front of the flexible member 
(12), for example as shown in FIG. 10. This bracket (20) has a threaded 
bolt (22) rigidly attached thereto, such as by welding. 
Referring to FIG. 1, it is noted that a blade (23), having a sharpened 
front edge (24), is at a right angle with respect to an upstanding 
connecting member (25). The upstanding connecting member (25) has a slot 
(26) formed therein so that the upstanding connecting member (25) can be 
pushed up into the slot formed by the bracket (20) wherein the bolt (22) 
will extend through the slot (26). A washer (27) and threaded nut (28) are 
utilized for securing the upstanding connecting member (25) in whatever 
vertical position desired with respect to the bracket (20). 
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, it is noted that after the encompassing 
structure (12) is properly fitted on the boot (11), the sheet metal member 
(17) is placed through the slots (16) to the position shown in dashed 
lines in FIGS. 4 and 5. Then the ends are bent up to the position shown in 
solid lines in FIGS. 4 and 5, in order to hold the encompassing structure 
(12) in its proper width position. 
Referring now to FIGS. 6-9, it is noted that a heel encompassing member 
(32) is bent into the configuration shown best in FIG. 8 and wherein a 
flat metal member (17) is again used to hold the member (32) in its proper 
width position with respect to the heel of the boot (11). A bracket (20) 
is, of course, attached to the rear member (32) in the same fashion that 
the bracket (20) was attached to the toe of the embodiment (10) shown in 
FIG. 1. Openings (16) are formed through the member (32) for the purpose 
of receiving the flat metal member (17). Also holes (35) are formed in the 
top portion of the encompassing member (32) for receiving rivets (36) 
which hold non-elastic straps (37) and (38), having a buckle (39) on one 
end of member (38). Consequently, the blade (40) can be attached to the 
bracket (20) on the rear of the boot (11), as shown in the embodiment of 
FIGS. 6-9, noting that the blade (40) is tilted downwardly to some extent, 
rather than being exactly perpendicular to the upstanding member (25). 
Referring now to FIGS. 12 and 13, it is noted that an encompassing member 
(42) has openings (43) at the edges thereof for receiving an elastic strap 
(59) having a buckle (53) thereon such that the encompassing structure 
(42) can be fitted on the shoe (41) as shown in FIG. 12. Openings (46) are 
provided in the bottom of the encompassing structure (42) and openings 
(45) are provided at the bottom of the encompassing structure (42) for 
receiving the metal band strap (17) like that shown in FIGS. 4 and 8. Also 
openings (46) are provided in the encompassing structure (42) for riveting 
a strap (47) thereto and having a buckle (48) for adjusting the tightness 
of the strap (47). 
A metal plate (49) having spikes (51) attached to the bottom thereof 
provides a tool for aerating the soil by causing the plurality of 
projections (51) to extend into the ground. 
Referring now to FIG. 14, it is noted that the shoe (52) has a plate (49) 
and aeration spikes (51) attached to a heel encompassing member (32) 
utilizing the metal bracket (17) precisely as in the aforementioned 
embodiments and having the adjustable bracket (20) attached to the rear 
thereof. Similarly, rivets (56) are utilized to attach the ends of an 
elastic strap (57) thereto and utilizing a buckle (58). 
Referring now to FIG. 15, it is noted that a plurality of interchangeable 
tools can be attached to the bracket (20) on either the front or the rear 
of the aforementioned embodiments in a vertically adjustable manner 
depending upon the task to be done. For example, the blade (30) having a 
V-shaped sharpened portion (34) on the front thereof is most useful as a 
root extractor and a cultivator. The tool (40) having a sharpened front 
edge (44) is most useful for digging in general and for rock removal, 
although a version having a shortened blade is most useful for ground 
scraping or the like. The tool (50), having a front sharpened edge (54) is 
useful for vegetation removal and as a cultivator. Blade (60) with pointed 
tip (64) is useful for digging and rock removal. Blade (70) with 
reversible dual edges (74) and (75) is useful for vegetation removal, 
trenching and terrain shaping. 
The tool (80), having a sharpened edge (84), and tool (90), having a 
sharpened edge (94), are very useful for cutting vines which lie along the 
top of the ground and for other times when it is desired to cut straight 
downwardly into something and where leverage is needed to push the blade 
straight down such as in preparation for planting. 
The attachment (100), having front and rear serrated edges (104), is used 
for mulching and compost mixing, while the attachment (110), having a 
front and rear edges (114) thereon, is most useful for edging lawns along 
the sidewalk or the like and for harvesting plants. When blade (110) is 
reversed or inserted into the bracket (20) in an inverted position from 
that shown in FIG. 15, it is in the harvesting position; when it is 
inserted in the bracket (20) in the position shown in FIG. 15, it is in 
the lawn edging position. 
The attachment (120) is the aerator shown in FIG. 14 for poking holes into 
the ground to allow air to enter, it being well known that plants and 
lawns need air to grow best. Referring again to FIG. 6, it is noted that 
the blade (40) can be inverted such that the sharpened portion (44) 
extends down under the heel of the boot (11) so that a forward kicking 
motion would cause the sharpened edge (44) to come in contact with plants 
or roots or whatever it is desired to cut, trench or scrape. This 
inversion is simply done by loosening the nut (28), sliding the member 
(25) down out of the bracket (20), rotating the member (25) 180 degrees 
around about the longitudinal axis of slot (26), and then re-inserting the 
member (25) into the bracket (20). The adjusting screw (28) can then be 
tightened again in whatever elevation it desired of the blade (40) with 
respect to the boot (11). 
Accordingly, it will be appreciated from the embodiments disclosed that 
this invention is useful for cultivation, root extraction, digging, 
trenching, planting, vegetation removal, aeration, mulching, compost 
mixing, lawn edging, ground scraping, terrain scraping, removing or 
digging rocks, harvesting crops, etc. The different blades are chosen 
depending upon the terrain and different soil compositions as well as for 
the uses desired. These blades can be made smaller or larger or of 
different configurations as needed. In use, the user merely stands erect 
and has no back strain while using the stronger leg muscles. Use of this 
particular invention frees both hands such that the user can also use a 
hoe, rake, shovel, pick axe, wheel barrow, lawn mower, weed trimmer, 
rotary tiller, or the like at the same time. For most of the blades, a 
kicking action is used in whatever direction is needed to do the desired 
task. 
Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the present invention does indeed 
accomplish all of the aforementioned objects. Obviously many modifications 
and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above 
teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the 
appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as 
specifically described.