Cleaning Attachment for Lawn and Garden Rakes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Cleaning Attachment for Lawn and Garden Rakes.
I, ANDREW C. PEYNTON of Boise City, in the County of Ada, and State of
Idaho, United States of America, Merchantman, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The said invention consists in a cleaning attachment for lawn and garden rakes,
and is designed to be connected to the head and handle of an ordinary rake.
While I prefer to make the attachment entirely from steel wire or the like, yet
it may in some cases be made of sheet metal or other flat material.
The attachment comprises a cleaner bar formed from a piece of wire of sufficient
length by bending it backwards and forward alternately in a zig-zag or serpentine
manner so as to form a horizontal loop for each tooth of the rake. After forming
the desired number of bends the wire is carried transversely at the end and in a
straight manner, after which it is carried longitudinally to the other en1 of the
device. I then secure the bend between each loop to the straight longitudinal bar
or rod by means of light wire or other suitable material, by which the parts are
wrapped together. It is obvious however that the connection may be made in
various ways. The cleaner bar is designed to be placed over the teeth so that one
tooth will go through each loop a, and the whole will rest snugly against the
underside of the rake head.
In attaching the cleaner bar to the rake, I employ two pieces of wire and as
they are similar a description of one will answer for both. In forming these
attaching portions I take a piece of wire and form an angular loop at a sufficient
distance from one end and bend the branches of the loop in a rectangular manner.
I then carry one end of the material horizontally and, which branch is hooked or
otherwise attached to the straight portion of the cleaner bar and near one end
thereof; the angular loop assuming a vertical position with its angular branches
overhanging the rake head. The wire is carried from said angular loop in a curved
manner and up the opposite sides of the handle where it is turned into a coil or
eye and terminates in angular branches which are let into holes in the handle.
These attaching wires in which the bumpers are formed by the loops are secured
to the straight rod or bar of the cleaner by means of light wire wrapped around
both members.
A band of sheet metal is designed to secure the spring arms of the attachments
to the rake handle. This band is grooved longitudinally at diametrically opposite
points to receive the branches of the wires, and as a convenient means of securing
the free ends of the band together I turn a flange on opposite longitudinal edges
and slit one of the flanges and displace the material of the other so as to form
tongues which are let into the slots and bent or turned down.
I also make a cleaner bar out of flat material, and for cheapness sake I would
make it from sheet metal. In thus constructing the device I take a piece of sheet
metal and bend it so as to form flanges on its longitudinal edges, which flanges are
disposed upwardly. I then stamp the same in its longitudinal centre and at
suitable points so as to form boles or apertures for the passage of rake teeth. In
punching these apertures I would not remove any of the material, but simply
displace the same and bend it downwardly so as to strengthen the plate and serve
as guides for the cleaner bar on the rake teeth. This cleaner bar assumes a

page_text: position beneath the rake head similar to the construction before described, and is
attached to the handle of the rake .by rods and a band, the same as before
described.
In the modification however, I do not form the bumpers on the attaching rods,
but provide bumpers which are made from cast iron or the like shaped in an
augular form and secured to the cleaner bar by means of rivets or the like taking
through the flange in the base of the bumpers and into the cleaner bar. The
attaching rods or wires are attached to the sheet metal cleaner bar by taking
through two aligned apertures in the flanges of the bar.
The attachment is normally held snugly against the under side of the rake head
and when the teeth become filled or clogged with leaves or other trash, it is simply
necessary to invert the head and strike the bumpers upon the ground or other
substance, when the holder bar will be forced down on the teeth and displace such
trash as may have accumulated thereon so as to free the teeth therefrom. When
pressure is relieved from the head while in the inverted position, the rake may be
again turned and used as a rake.
In making the device of flat material, such as sheet metal, it is obvious that it
may be shaped according to the fancy of the manufacturer and need not necessarily
be of an angular form.
Dated this 14th day of February 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
1, ANDREW C. PEYNTON, residing at 1017 Main Street Boise City Ada,
Idaho, U.S.A., Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improvement in cleaning attachments for lawn and
garden rakes, and the novelty and advantages will appear from the following
description and claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing
in which:
Figure 1, is a perspective view of my improvements showing the same applied
to a rake with a part of the head and a part of the handle broken away.
Figure 2, is a longitudinal sectional view of my improvements taken through
the handle of the rake and illustrating a modification.
Figure 3, is a plan view of the improvements removed from the rake.
Figure 4, is a cross-sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the dotted
line, x, on Figure 3.
Figure 5, is a perspective detail view looking at one end of the improvement.
Referring by letter to said drawings:
A, indicates the head and B, the handle of an ordinary hand rake, and which
rake forms no part of my invention but is here shown for the purpose of better
illustrating the application of my improvements thereto.
While I prefer to make the invention entirely from steel wire or the like, yet it
may in some cases be made of sheet metal or other flat material.
Referring more particularly to Figure 1, of the drawings C, indicates the cleaner
bar. This bar is formed from a piece of wire of sufficient length, by bending it
backwards and forwards alternately in a zig-zag or serpentine manner so as to
form a horizontal loop a, for each tooth of the rake. After forming the desired

page_text: number of bends, the wire is then carried transversely at the end and in a straight
manner as shown at b, after which it is carried, longitudinally as shown at e, to the
other end of the device. I then secure the bend d, between each loop a, to the
straight longitudinal bar or rod e, by means of light wire e, or other suitable
material, by which the parts are wrappod together. It is obvious however that the
connection may be made in various ways. This cleaner bar is designed to be
placed over the teeth so that one tooth will go through each loop a, and the whole
will rest snugly against the under side of the head A.
In attaching the holder bar to the rake I employ two pieces of wire, and as each
is similar, a description of one will answer for both. In forming these attaching
portions, I take a piece of wire of a sufficient gauge and form an angular loop D,
at a sufficient distance from one end, and bend the branches of the loop in a
rectangular manner as shown at f. I then carry one end of the material
horizontally as shown at g, and which branch is hooked or otherwise attached to
the straight portion C, of the cleaner bar and near one end thereof; the angular
loop D, assuming a vertical position with its angular branches f, overhanging the
rake head. The wire is carried from said angular loop in a curved manner and up
the opposite sides of the handle where it is turned into a coil or eye A, and
terminates in angular branches i, which are let into holes or apertures, of the
handle. These attaching wires in which the bumpers are formed by the loops D,
are secured to the straight rod or bar c, of the cleaner by means of light wire k,
wrapped around both members. By this construotion it will be seen that the
cleaner bar will be held anugly against the underside of the rake head and out of
the way when the rake is in use.
E, indicates a band of sheet metal which is designed to secure the spring arms
of the attachment to the rake handle. This band is grooved longitudinally at
diametrically-opposite points as shown at l, to receive the branches of the wires m,
and as a convenient means of securing the free ends of the band together so that it
may be readily connected to any ordinary rake-handle I turn a flangen, on opposite
longitudinal edges of the band and provide slots in one of the flanges as shown at p,
and displace the material of the other so as to form tongues q, which are let into
the slots p, and bent or turned down:
In the modification shown on Sheet 2, of the drawings, I make the cleaner bar C¹,
out of flat material, and for the sake of cheapuess, I would make it out of light
sheet metal. In thus constructing the device, I would take a piece of sheet metal
of sufficient length and width and bend it so as to form flanges r, on its longitudinal
edges which are disposed upwardly. I then stamp the same in its longitudinal-
centre and at suitable points so as to form holes or apertures a¹, for the passage of
the rake teeth. In punching these apertures I would not remove any of the
material but simply displace the same and bend the same downwardly as shown.
at s, so as to strengthen the plate and serve as guides for the cleaner bar on the
rake teeth. This cleaner bar assumes a position beneath the head of the rake
similar to the construction shown in Fig. 1, of the drawing and is attached to the
handle of the rake by rods and a band, the same as that shown in the last named
figure. In the modification however, I'do not form the bumpers on the attaching
rods but provide bumpers D', which are made from cast iron or the like shaped in
an angular form and secured to the cleaner bar by means of rivets t, or the like
taking through the flange u, in the base of the bumpers and into the cleaner bar.
The wires m, are attached to the sheet-metal cleaner bar by taking through two
aligned apertures e, in the flanges r, of the bar C.
It will be seen that the attachment is ucrmally held snugly against the under
side of the rake bead and when the teeth become filled or clogged with leaves or
other trash, it is simply necessary to invert the head and strike the bumpers upon
the ground or other substance, when the holder bar will be forced down on the
teeth and displace such trash as may have accumulated thereon so as to free
the teeth therefrom. When pressure is relieved from the head while in the
inverted position, the rake may be again turned and used as a rake.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :.
1. The combination of a rake having socketsj, in opposite sides of its handle,
the band E, of sheet metal mounted and secured on the handle and having the
opposite grooves 1, at intermediate points of its length and also having a flange at
one end provided with slots and a flange at its opposite end provided with tongues
designed to take through the slots of the other flange so as to secure the ends of
the band together, a cleaner bar receiving the teeth of the rake, and the spring-
arms arranged on opposite sides of the rake handle and connected at one end to
the cleaner bar and extending through the grooves l, of band E, and having
angular branches at their opposite ends seated in the sockets j, of the handle,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The rake attachment described formed of wire and comprising the cleaner
bar having the straight portion c, adapted to rest on one side of a series of rake
teeth, the portion formed integral with the portion c, and bent to form the loops a,
adapted to receive the teeth of a rake, and connections e, between the bent portion
and the straight portion c, at points between the loops a, and the bumpers D, and
spring attaching arms formed by connecting pieces of wire to the straight portion c,
of the cleaner bar, then carrying said pieces of wire horizontally inward as
indicated by g, then upwardly and laterally to form the branches f, of the bumpers D,
then downwardly to the plane of the cleaner bar and connecting them again with
the portion c, and finally carrying them rearwardly in parallel positions so as
to enable them to receive a rake handle between then, all substantially as
.specified.
Dated this 9th day of November 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.