Abstract:
A weeding or garden tool with a handle fitting comfortably in the palm and supported by the middle, fore and index fingers. The tool further includes one or more tines extending forwardly from the handle and a support on the tines for receiving the middle fingers so that the tines, in effect, form extensions of the outstretched hands.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of my prior application, Ser. No. 08/231,466, filed Apr. 22, 1994 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,563 and entitled HAND HELD GARDEN TOOL AND METHOD. 
    
    
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to hand held garden or weeding tools and a method of weeding through use of the tool. The majority of hand held weeding tools are generally gripped on the handle protruding perpendicular from the rear of the tool. Tools of this kind can be tiresome to grip over periods of time. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved hand held garden weeder tool or spade that is comfortable to hold and operate and will reduce hand fatigue. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of utilizing a hand tool for weeding or gardening. 
     Another object is to provide such a tool as described above and which can be economically manufactured for retail at low cost. 
     The preferred embodiment of this invention provides a weeding or garden tool with a handle fitting comfortably in the palm and supported by one or more of the middle, fore and index fingers. The tool further includes one or more tines extending forwardly from the handle and support means on the tines for receiving the fingers so that the tines, in effect, form extensions of the outstretched hands. 
    
    
     DRAWINGS 
     Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a garden or weeding tool showing one method of holding or gripping the tool in the hand, the latter being shown in dotted lines; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the weeding tool excluding the hand shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an end or front view of the tool; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of another tool embodying the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the tool of FIG. 4; and 
     FIG. 6 is an end view of the tool of FIGS. 4 and 5. 
     FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of a weeding tool constituting a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the weeding tool of FIG. 7; and 
     FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the weeding tool of FIG. 7. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail there is shown in FIGS. 1-3, for illustrative purposes only, a hand held garden or weeding tool including a T-bar handle that may have a cylindrical shape and sufficient length to extend transversely in the hand to be conveniently held as shown in FIG. 1. One or more but preferably three tines 7 are fixed to the handle and project therefrom in parallel and at right angles to the handle 1. In the preferred embodiment, the ends of the tines 7 are formed with hooks or claws extending downwardly with an inside diameter of 3/4&#34; to 1 3/4&#34; (inches) for engaging and rooting out earth and weeds or other growths as may be desired. In addition, it is preferred that the middle tine 7a be longer than the outer tines and that the outer tines be of the same length and sufficiently spaced from 3/4&#34; to 11/2&#34; (inches) laterally from the middle tine to enable support of several of the middle fingers as will be described below. 
     In accordance with the invention, a finger support or gripping means 2 is provided on the tines 7 a predetermined distance from the handle 1 for receiving and supporting the fingers of the hand as shown in FIG. 1. It is preferred that the support be a rigid cross piece fixed to the tines 7, 7a in parallel to handle 1 as best shown in FIG. 2. Although the cross piece 2 is shown as a rod having a diameter of one-eighth to three-eighth inches, other cross-sections or even planar or contoured pieces or plates may be employed instead. In the preferred embodiment the cross piece has an outer surface spaced from the handle 1 a distance of one to one and one-half inches (1&#34; to 11/2&#34;). In another embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 the support 2 and handle 1 may be one integral piece whose outer boundary surface is located on the tines 7 a distance of one to one and one-half inches (1&#34; to 11/2&#34;) from the handle portion 1. 
     The garden weeder is held loosely in the hand with the handle 1 resting in the palm. The reinforcing cross bar 2 being parallel to the handle 1 supports the extended index, fore and middle fingers which may rest on the bar 2 while the thumb underlies the handle. This simple arrangement allows the tool to become an extension of the hand. The cross bar 2 may be gripped when pulling or pushing the tool to apply needed force. The cross bar 2 may be attached to tines 5 by any reasonable means such as welding. The handle 1 may be made of wood, metal, plastic or some suitably durable material. The length of handle 1, diameter 6 and shape such as round or oval may vary to accommodate different size hands. The handle 1 or support 2 may or may not have some type of ridges, elevated grooves or contour to facilitate gripping or receipt of the fingers. 
     The cultivating or weeding tines 7 in this example may be made of a rigid material, for example, metal or plastic. Tines 7 may be secured to handle by any conventional means including but not limited to injection molding around them as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, spiked and driven 4, welded or glued to name but a few. Length and diameter of tines 7, 7a as well as the curvature a points of the claws 3 may be of various sizes to facilitate handling or a particular function. 
     The present invention may be applied to simple hand held garden tools such as cultivating tines (as shown), a spade, a fork or other hand held garden tools. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, there is shown another hand tool embodying the present invention including a spade tool 20 of suitable rigid plate material fixed to three tines 22 which project forwardly from the handle 24. The spade tool 20 has portions spaced from the handle a distance of at least one to two inches so that the middle fingers may be supported on these portions and the spade may be worked like an extension of the hand. Tines 22 are not clawed as in the tool of FIG. 3 and are used only to support the spade tool 20. The latter has a V-shaped end edge 26 with a V-shaped notch 28 in the center. 
     Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, the invention need not be limited to such embodiment but rather the scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims.