Abstract:
A rake having an upper rake head and relatively stiff tines and a lower rake head having shorter, relatively flexible tines, wherein the separation distance between the upper tines and the lower tines is adjustable. The upper rake head and tines perform in the manner of a typical garden rake, while the lower rake head and tines perform in the manner of a typical leaf rake. The rake heads and tines can be used separately or in combination.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates generally to the field of long-handled implements or tools commonly referred to as leaf rakes or garden rakes, and more particularly relates to such devices having multiple rake heads and multiple sets of tines.  
         [0002]     Rakes are typically produced in two types. A leaf or lawn rake typically comprises a plurality of aligned tines extending from a rake head, to which is connected an elongated handle. The tines are relatively thin and flexible, and have bent tip portions at the free end. This type of rake is primarily suited for raking leaves, grass clippings or other small debris from grass lawns, as the flexibility and thinness of the tines allows them to pass through the grass causing little or no damage. Although it is possible to manufacture such leaf rakes out of plastic, the rakes are typically composed of metal for strength and durability. In contrast, a garden or bow rake typically comprises a plurality of rigid tines that extend perpendicularly from a frame forming the rake head. The garden rake is designed for moving piles of objects, tilling soil, etc. and is not suitable for use on grass lawns, as the inflexibility of the tines damages the grass roots or runners. As with the leaf rakes, the garden rakes are usually formed of metal, but stiff and relatively thick plastic may also be used to produce a rake less damaging to surfaces.  
         [0003]     While the design of a leaf rake is well suited for gathering leaves, clippings and the like from grassy areas, the inherent flexibility of the tines that produce optimum efficiency in these raking operations is not suited for moving large piles of gathered debris, whether during the raking operation on the grass or after piles of leaves and the like have been gathered. Prior attempts have been made to address this problem, with the proposed solution usually involving rakes having multiple sets of tines. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,591,738 to Bell shows a rake having a set of rigid tines extending perpendicularly from the rake head and a set of flexible tines extending generally forward from the rake head in planar manner and to the front of the rigid tines. This design is essentially a combination rake, in that the tines are used separately depending on the task to be performed. Another combination rake is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,264,810 to Lowell, with the rake having a set of relatively rigid, upwardly extending, short tines mounted to the upper side of the flexible tines comprising a leaf rake, whereby inverting the rake allows it to be used in the manner of a garden rake. U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,458 to Barrett shows a construction similar to the Bell patent, but wherein a series of larger profile bars are utilized instead of a series of rigid tines, the bars acting to move piles of leaves or the like during the raking operation. Other patents show staggered rows of flexible tines, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,223 to Polisso and U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,208 to King, U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,638 to Bass, and U.S. Patent RE 35,604 to McDonough, Jr., or staggered rows or rigid tines, such as U.S. Pat. No. 1,715,613 to McFadden and U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,145 to Frakas. None of these patents provide a rake structure that enables the rake to be utilized as both a leaf rake and a garden rake while optimizing efficiency and ease of use.  
         [0004]     It is an object of this invention to provide a rake that addresses the problems set forth above, wherein the rake has the functionality of both a leaf rake and a garden rake, wherein a set of rigid tines and a set of flexible tines are present, the rigid and flexible tines being relatively disposed in a manner that allows the separation distance and angle to be adjusted as desired to determine the amount of cooperation between the two sets of tines during the raking operation.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The invention comprises a rake having an elongated handle and a pair of generally planar rake heads, one rake head having a plurality of relatively rigid or stiff tines, such as typically provided in a garden rake, and a second generally planar rake head having a plurality of relatively flexible tines, such as typically provided in a leaf rake, the second rake head being mounted beneath the first rake head in a manner whereby preferably the rake heads are not in parallel and whereby the two rake heads can be adjusted to increase or decrease the angle between the two rake heads and/or the separation distance. The rake head adjustment means may comprise, for example, a threaded rod and threaded nut in combination, with the rod passing through both rake heads. The stiff tines extend farther forward than the flexible tines and comprise tip portions preferably joined substantially perpendicularly to relatively stiff shank members, while the tip portions of the flexible tines preferably are connected to relatively flexible shank members at a non-perpendicular angle. Biasing means to maintain the rake heads at a chosen separation distance during use with a desired amount of tension or compression, such as a spring mounted onto the threaded rod, is provided.  
         [0006]     At maximum separation of the rake heads the rake functions primarily as a leaf rake, since the stiff tines are disposed well above the ground surface. At minimum separation the rake functions primarily as a garden rake, since the tips of the flexible tines will have minimal ground contact. At separation distances between maximum and minimum both the flexible tines and the rigid tines are operational, with the flexible tines acting as a support to maintain the rigid tines a desired height above the ground surface, dependent on the type of material being raked and the condition and type of ground surface. In this manner the amount of downward pressure needed to cause the rigid tines to become operational in conjunction with the flexible tines may be varied as required.  
         [0007]     Preferably, a transverse deflector shield extends across the far ends of the stiff tines behind the tip portions to cover the area between the rigid tip portions and the flexible tip portions to prevent debris kicked up by the flexible tines from passing through the rake during use. The tines and rake heads may be composed of metal, plastic, bamboo or any other material having suitable physical characteristics of rigidity, flexibility, durability and strength well known in the rake art. The handle may be straight, curved or ergonomically shaped.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a top view showing primarily the first or upper rake head and the stiff tines.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a bottom view showing the second or lower rake head and flexible tines, along with the rigid tines and tip portions.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional side view taken along Line III-III of  FIG. 1 , showing the rake heads, the flexible tines and the rigid tines, and further illustrating by dashed lines a configuration with the rigid tines and flexible tines separated a maximum distance.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a partial cut-away view similar to  FIG. 1 , showing the lower rake head and flexible tines as exposed as depicted on an embodiment with no deflector shield.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a partial front view showing the tip portions of the rigid tines.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     With reference to the drawings, the invention will now be described in detail with regard for the best mode and the referred embodiments. In a broad general sense, the invention is a rake comprising two rake heads, an upper rake head that is relatively stiff and has the characteristics of a garden rake, and a lower rake head that is relatively flexible and has the characteristics of a leaf rake.  
         [0014]     The invention is a rake  10  comprising a handle  40 , an upper rake head  20  and a lower rake head  30 . The handle  10  is joined to one or both of the rake heads  20  and  30  in suitable known manner. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the handle  10  may be joined using handle attachment means  41  disposed on upper rake head  20 , the handle attachment means  41  comprising for example a handle receiving bore  42 . The handle  10  may comprise any suitable shape, such as straight, curved or ergonomically shaped. The upper rake head  20  and lower rake head  30  are joined together in a non-parallel manner, preferably near the handle attachment means  41 , using mechanical fasteners, adhesive bonding, welding, etc. The rake heads  20  and  30  are joined in a manner that allows the angle between the upper rake head  20  and the lower rake head  30  to be adjusted and altered. Preferably, the rake heads  20  and  30  are generally planar, and upper rake head  20  is stiffer than lower rake head  30 . The rake heads  20  and  30  may be generally triangular as shown in the figures or may have differing shapes.  
         [0015]     Extending forward from the upper rake head  30  in the direction opposite to the handle  10  are a plurality of elongated, stiff tines  21 , each tine  21  comprising a shank or shaft  22  and a tip, end or prong member  23 , the tines  21  being separated from each other by slots  24 . Preferably, the end members  23  are mounted generally perpendicularly to the shanks  22 , but this is not required. The upper rake head  20  and the tines  23  are constructed from suitable material and suitably designed so as to be relatively stiff in comparison to the lower rake head  30  and its tines  33 , whereby the upper rake head  20  and its tines  23  function in a manner that is equivalent to the type of rake commonly referred to as a garden rake, there being reduced springiness in the action of the rake while it is use. In a preferred embodiment, a deflector shield member  25  is disposed transversely across the shanks  22  adjacent the tip members  23 , such that the deflector shield  25  lies between the tip members  33  of the lower tines  31  and the end members of the upper tines  21 . This deflector shield member  25  prevents leaves or debris that has been kicked up from the lower tines  31  from passing through the slots  24 , acts to reduce flexibility in the tines  21 , and functions as a scoop or blade when the rake  10  is being used to move large masses of debris or leaves.  
         [0016]     Extending forward from the lower rake head  30  in the direction opposite to the handle  10  are a plurality of elongated, flexible tines  31 , each tine  31  comprising a shank or shaft  32  and a tip, end or prong member  33 , the tines  31  being separated from each other by slots  34 . Preferably, the end members  33  are mounted non-perpendicularly to the shanks  32 , but this is not required. The lower rake head  30  and the tines  33  are constructed from suitable material and suitably designed so as to be relatively flexible in comparison to the upper rake head  20  and its tines  23 , whereby the lower rake head  30  and its tines  33  function in a manner that is equivalent to the type of rake commonly referred to as a leaf rake, the increased springiness in the action of the rake while it is use allowing it to be used in grass. The combination of lower rake head  30  and tines  31  are shorter than the combination of upper rake head  20  and tines  21 , such that the tip members  23  of the upper tines  21  extend beyond the tip members  33  of the lower tines  31 , as shown in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0017]     Rake head adjustment means  50 , best seen in  FIG. 3 , are provided such that the angle and separation distance between the upper rake head  20  and tines  21  and the lower rake head  30  and tines  31  can be increased or decreased as desired. As shown in the figures, the rake head adjusting means  50  may comprise in combination a threaded rod  51  that passes through the upper and lower rake heads  20  and  30 , which is secured by a threaded nut  52  and washer  54 . Preferably, a spring member  53  is disposed between the upper rake head  20  and the lower rake head  30 . Spring member  53  maintains the desired amount of separation between the rake heads  20  and  30 , while simultaneously allowing rake head adjustment means  50  to additionally function as a means to control the relative tension and compression between the rake heads  20  and  30 .  
         [0018]     The rake  10  as described serves multiple functions, as well as improving on the functionality of standard rakes. If the rake  10  is to be used primarily in the manner of a garden rake, the rake head adjustment means  50  is contracted such that the lower rake head  30  and its tines  31  are brought close to the upper rake head  20  and its tines  21 . Because the upper tines  31  extend a greater distance than the lower tines  21 , only the relatively rigid, stiff tines  21  contact the grass, concrete or other ground surface  99 , with the flexible lower tines  31  serving no or at most minimal purpose. If the rake  10  is to be used in the manner of a leaf rake, the rake head adjustment means  50  is expanded such that the upper rake head  20  and its tines  21  are separated a maximum distance from the lower rake head  30  and its tines  31 , such that only the flexible tines  31  contact the ground surface  99 .  
         [0019]     The primary functionality of the rake  10 , however, utilizes both sets of tines  21  and  31  simultaneously, with the rake head adjustment means  50  being adjusted into a middle position. In this configuration, both the flexible tines  31  and the stiff tines  21  act to move leaves, debris or the like. The tip members  33  of the flexible lower tines  31  are able to extend into grass, while the tip members  23  of the stiff upper lines  21  are maintained a short distance above by the biasing or spring-like effect of flexible tines  31 . In this manner the lower tines  31  remove debris from within the grass while the upper tines  21  serve to rake or move the larger debris that resides on the top of the grass or the smaller debris that has been kicked up by the lower tines  31 . By adjusting the rake head adjustment means  50 , the separation distance between the upper tines  21  and lower tines  31  is altered, such that the resident height of the upper tines  21  can be adjusted in response to the grass height to prevent damage to the grass from the relatively stiff tines  21 . In addition, the user can alter the angle of the handle  40  to increase of decrease the amount of ground contact by the tines  21  and  31 .  
         [0020]     It is understood that equivalents and substitutions to certain elements set forth above may be obvious to those skilled in the art, and thus the true scope and definition of the invention is to be as set forth in the following claims.