Abstract:
The present invention relates primarily to an improvement in a mucking rake that can also be adapted for landscaping use. The invention possesses parallel replaceable tines that are spaced apart at variable distances through the use of individual modular tines and/or spacers. The tines can also be manufactured in a wavy shape to enable the debris to be sifted and collected onto the rake without having to dispose of the debris each time debris is sifted and collected.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/437,636. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention generally relates to an improved mucking rake used in the farm and ranch fields, and in more particularity to a modular mucking rake. 
     Mucking rakes are a very common tool used in the farm and ranch fields. The rakes are made with multiple tines spaced apart in parallel from each other. These tines are spaced a fixed distance apart, narrow or wide, from each other. This allows material of multiple aggregates, such as saw dust, wood shavings, wood chips, sand and other types of bedding to pass through, while the manure and other larger material is caught in the rake and disposed of. 
     The wider the tines are spaced from each other, the more material falls through and is not collected. The narrower the tines are spaced to each other, the less material falls through the tines and more debris is collected. Currently, whoever wants a mucking rake must decide on whether to get a mucking rake with narrow or wide fixed spaced tines. These mucking rakes are made of unibody construction so there can be no changes once the rake is purchased. 
     While most mucking rakes are made of plastic, they are made out of metal for strength. As a result of the metal composition, mucking rakes with metal tines are heavy and burdensome. Plastic mucking rakes are not as strong as metal tines and tend to break more often. Should an individual plastic tine break, the rake is heavily compromised for its intended use and is ineffective. The individual raking with a broken tine would have to repeat the same areas that are already raked and items fall through the broken tine area. Essentially, should a single tine break the whole rake must be replaced. 
     Further, current mucking rake tines are straight. This requires the individual to take time to carefully sift through the material. The user must shake and sift the material through the rake first then take additional time to shake the rake some more in order to collect the material at the bottom of the rake if the user desires to retain some of the material collected in the rake. 
     Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have an inexpensive lightweight rake that incorporates individual modular tines that can be easily replaced if broken or damaged, can be variably spaced, and which can offer a variety of shapes and functions to act as an modular and interchangeable farming tool. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one embodiment, a mucking rake comprises a handle, a modular rail bar attached to the handle and a plurality of modular replaceable tines attached to the modular rail bar in parallel with variable modular spacers and modular connectors between the modular replaceable tines. Additionally, the individual modular tines themselves can be of varying widths, to do without the modular spacers. 
     The replaceable modular tines result in a significant cost savings should a single tine be damaged or broken. Instead of having to replace the whole tool should a single tine be broken/damaged, the current invention only requires replacement of the single broken/damaged tine. 
     By also using individual tines, the users can also customize their tools through the use of multi-colored tines. Color tines can be utilized to help identify their personal belongings. 
     In accordance with another embodiment, a mucking rake comprises a handle, a modular rail bar attached to the handle and a plurality of modular replaceable tines attached to the modular rail bar in parallel with variable modular spacers and modular connectors between the modular replaceable tines, and an end cap or end wall on each end (left and right) of the tool to form a bucket type rake. 
     The end cap or wall on each end of the tool effectively allows the user to utilize more material to be placed on the tool. 
     In accordance with another embodiment a mucking rake comprises a handle, a modular rail bar attached to the handle and a plurality of modular replaceable wave shaped tines attached to the modular rail in parallel with modular spacers and modular connectors between the modular replaceable wave shaped tines. 
     By utilizing wave-shaped tines, the debris will more naturally settle at the bottom, in a trough defined by the tines, and require less shaking and work to move around. The wave shape causes debris to be sifted through the high and low of the wave shape assisting the sifting process, making it more efficient to scoop and sift, saving more of the bedding. 
     In accordance with another embodiment, a shovel comprises a handle, a modular rail bar attached to the handle and a modular attachment to the bar for receiving a shovel blade. 
     In accordance with another embodiment, a modular hoe comprises a handle, a modular rail bar attached to the handle and a modular attachment to the bar for receiving a hoe. 
     In accordance with another embodiment, a modular squeegee comprises a handle, a modular rail bar attached to the handle and a modular attachment to the bar for receiving a squeegee. 
     The modular attachment rail bar provides the user with multiple tools in one device. Instead of a separate shovel, hoe, squeegee and rake to scoop, sift, scrape and throw, the current invention accomplishes all of these functions. 
     In order to more fully understand the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and objects of the invention are obtained, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting in scope, the invention in its presently understood best mode for making and using the same will be described with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which: 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the assembled rake with end caps or end walls. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the rake, rail, tines and end walls. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded sectional view of the rail, tines and locking clips. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view showing interchangeable working tool ends or tool heads. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the invention fitted as an adjustable modular tine muck and garden rake. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the invention permits an individual to use a mucking rake by grabbing a grip  1  attached to one end of a rigid handle  2 . As displayed in  FIG. 1 , a rigid bar  3  is attached to the opposite end of the handle  2 . Attached at each end of the rigid bar  3  are two special tines that serve as end caps or end walls  4  in order to better collect debris. 
     Between the two special tines or end walls  4  along the bar  3  are a series of modular wave shaped tines  5 , and the special tines  4  have a similar shape, each also including a wall  4   a  to provide an edge barrier. The wave shape of the tines allows a user to collect and sift more easily as the debris will naturally collect at the lower portion of the tines  5 . A trough is formed at  5   a  by the wave of the tines  5 . In the embodiment illustrated, a total of 15 tines are included, 13 of them being the tines  5  and two being the special tines  4 . 
     The tines  5  are stacked together laterally on the bar  3  and are held together to each other by means of locking clips  6  on each of left and right ends of the bar  3 , as well as by interlinking means, i.e., interlinking connectors  7  along transverse lines farther down the tines as shown. The interlinking connectors also act as spacers acting along lines parallel to and distant from the bar  3 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the tines  4  and  5  possess modular upper ends or base ends  8  that permit the tine  5  to slide laterally along a modular rail  9  of the bar  3 . 
     The tines  5  can be manufactured to possess narrow spacing widths  10  or manufactured with larger spacing widths as indicated at  11  depending on the aggregates the individual user is dealing with. The tine upper ends  8  preferably have a specific width as manufactured, as do the interlinking connectors  7 , defining the spacing. These can be varied to provide different spacing for rake fingers  5   b  that extend forward from the tine bases or upper ends  8 . The drawings show that these interlinking connectors  7  are positioned in two parallel laterally extending lines in the assembled modular rake, i.e. at two different positions down the tine fingers, these positions being the same for each tine of a set. One line of interlinking connectors/spacers is at  7   a  in  FIG. 2 , a short distance down or forward from the tine upper end. A second line  7   b  of interlinking connectors/spacers  7  is farther down or forward on the tines, roughly about half way through the length of the tines as shown, and slightly back from a high point or ridge  5   c  in the wave shape defined by the tines. As can be seen from  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the interlinking connectors/spacers in this preferred embodiment are comprised of a larger cylinder  7   c  from which extends a smaller cylinder or nipple  7   d  at one side of each connector/spacer. When the tines are brought together and stacked side-by-side, as can be envisioned from  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the nipple  7   d  of one connector fits into an adjacent barrel or cylinder end  7   e  of the adjacent connector/spacer, on the adjacent tine finger. As explained above, if desired the invention can employ modular spacers which are separate from the interlinking connectors, the spacers allowing tine spacing adjustment, and also can employ modular spacers to establish desired spacing between the modular replaceable tines. 
     On the lower end of each tine  4  or  5 , the tine is tapered to a narrow edge at  12  (narrow both vertically and horizontally) to enable the user to scoop much more easily. 
     The invention can be used for other toolsets, i.e. other working tool ends or heads, such as shovels, hoes, or squeegees, just by slipping the toolsets  13  comprising the rake tines  5  off the rail  9  and sliding onto the rail another desired toolset, i.e. a shovel  14 , a hoe  16  or a squeegee  18  as schematically indicated in  FIG. 4 . These can be secured by the locking clips  6 . 
     While manufacturing the tines  4 ,  5  individually, with their modular upper ends  8 , provides much more strength than that found on a unibody constructed mucking rake, the tines  4 ,  5  can be further strengthened by incorporating an I-beam cross section  20  into the tine design. The I-beam cross section is defined by upper and lower flanges  22  and  24  and a web  26  between them, each web  26  being in a plane perpendicular to the length of the bar  3 . The webs  26  are shown open at  28 , near the modular upper ends  8 . See  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 3  shows more detail and gives more insight of how the modular upper tine end  8  slides over the illustrated locking clip  6  and onto the rail  9  by utilizing a tapered end  30  of the rail bar. The tapered end of the rail  9  allows easy insertion of the modular ends  8 . 
     All of the generally C-shaped modular upper ends  8  slide over the tapered end  30  of the rail  9  and are held securely by the raised inside portion of the clip against the side edge  32  of the modular upper end. As shown, the rail  9  can be generally of an I-beam shape, with upper and lower flanges  9   a  and  9   b  and a central wall or web  9   c . This forms opposed channels  9   d  into which enlarged tips  8   a  of the capital C-shaped upper or base ends  8  of the tines slide and closely engage, keying into the channels for a strong connection to resist rotation of tines relative to the bar. The interior curve of the C-shaped end is shaped to mate with the similar shape of the bottom of the I-beam as shown in the drawings.