AN IMPROVED HOE, PART OF WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO RAKES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bernard Staniforth Harrison, of the firm of 'John
Harrison and Sons of Dronfield in the County of Derby, Edge Tool Manu-
facturers, for an Invention of AN IMPROVED HOE, PART OF WHICH INVENTION
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. Bernard Staniforth Harrison
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th September 1883.
BERNARD STANIFORTH HARRISON of the firm of John Harrison and Sons of
Dronfield in the County of Derby, Edge-tool Manufacturers. AN IMPROVED HOE,
PART OF WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO RAKES."
"
This Invention relates to an improved construction of Hoe for the use of
gardeners agriculturists and others which I term an interchangeable and hold fast
hoe, the object of the invention being to facilitate the use of various sized hoe
blades in one handle and at the same time to make the blades secure without
rivetting them; part of the invention is also applicable to Rakes.
The Invention consists in making the boe holder in the form of a fork or bow
and of elastic cast steel; the two prongs of the fork are bent or curved to a suitable
shape to give the proper inclination to the hoeing part or blade of the implement,
and to this forked holder or bow the hoe blades are attached as hereinafter
described.
The ends of the two prongs of the holder or bow are each cut sawn or formed
with a slit made to a suitable depth and width to admit the hoe blade, the slits in
the prongs are each provided with a rivet or pin which passes through the prongs
and across or at right angles to the slits, the rivets or pins serving the double
purpose of strengthening the slits and jaws of the prongs and also for locking the
hoe blade securely and safely to the holder or bow.
The holder or bow is hardened and tempered so as to give it elasticity and thus
manufactured the prongs thereof have a spring action imparted to them by means
of which the blade is securely and safely attached to and held in the holder
or bow.

page_text: On or near the back of the hoe blade at a distance equal to the width of the
prongs of the holder two angular slots or perforations are cut or made the depth
of each of which is equal to the depth of the slits or jaws of the prongs and of such
a size as to allow the rivet or pin which passes through the jaws of the prongs
being easily admitted.
By placing each prong of the holder or bow over each slot or perforation and
by pressing the prongs a little together the shape of the angular slots or porforations
causes the prongs to become contracted or slightly closed until the rivets within
the prongs reach the angles of the slots which then allows the prongs to recover
their original position and the rivets pass (as it were) to the opposite ends of the
slots and thereby the hoe-blade is effectually prevented from being withdrawn
until it is requisite to substitute another blade which can be done by contracting
or pressing towards each other each prong of the holder or bow which will then
admit of the hoe-blade being withdrawn by allowing the rivets of the prongs, as
before described, to pass the angles of the slots or perforations.
In order to apply this invention to Rakes the head of the rake is cut or made
with similar angular slots or perforations to those hereinbefore described with.
reference to the hoe blade and the holder or bow is made and attached to the rake
head in the same way as the hoe holder is, but the prongs of the rake holder will
be made either straight or bent as may be required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Bernard Staniforth Harrison in the Patent Office on the
4th March 1884.
BERNARD STANIFORTH HARRISON of the firm of John Harrison and Sons of
Dronfield in the County of Derby Edge Tool Manufacturers "AN IMPROVED
HOE, PART OF WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO RAKES"
This Invention relates to an improved construction of Hoe for the use of
gardeners, agriculturists and others, which I term an interchangeable and hold
fast hoe, the object of the invention being to facilitate the use of hoe blades of
any size in or with one handle, and means are provided for instantaneously and
securely attaching the blades thereto without rivetting them; part of the invention
being also applicable to Rakes.
In order that my invention may be the more readily and completely understood
I have illustrated it on the accompanying sheet of drawings.
The invention consists in making the hoe of two separate portions or parts,
namely the holder which is made in the form of a bow or fork, which is shown at
a, a, in Figure 1, of the drawings, and which is forged or made of elastic cast
steel, and the blade, which is shown in Figure 2.
The two prongs of the bow or fork are made of suitable strength; but so as to be
capable of being compressed by the hand, and they are tempered and made of
sufficient elasticity, so as to be able to spring to and fro', and to regain and retain
their original shape and position.-Both prongs are bent or curved to a suitable
shape, as shown in Figure 1, to give the proper inclination to the hoeing part or
blade of the implement, and to this forked holder or bow, at b, b, Figure 1, the hoe
blades are attached as hereinafter described. The ends of the two prongs are each
cut or sawn or formed, with a slit or slot in each, as shown at Figure 3, made of
a proper size to admit or receive the blade, and cut to a sufficient depth to allow
the shoulder on each prong of the bow or holder to rest upon the back of the hoe
blade; a rivet or pin is passed through each jaw of the prongs in the centre, and
at right angles to the slits in the jaws as shown in Figure 3, and rivetted thereto,
thus serving the double purpose of strengthening the jaws of the prongs and also
for locking or securing the hoe blade securely and safely to the bow or holder.
The blade is made similar to an ordinary hoe-blade, and is perforated or cut with
angular slits as shown by the dotted lines c, c, in Figure 2, and also shown at d,
in Figure 4; or the slits may be made of any other shape that will answer the
same purpose. The distance between the extreme angles of the perforations or
portions cut is made equal to the width of the prongs e, e, of the bow or holder,
measuring from the outside of each rivet or pin in each prong.
Various sizes of hoe blades can be easily made or adapted to be fitted to one
bow or holder when a change of size is required, by making the perforations or
portions cut equi-distant in all the sizes.
The method of attaching the blade to the bow or holder is by compressing
the latter until the pins or rivets in each prong will pass down the perpendicular
alits in the blade which, when pressed to the bottom, the elasticity of the bow or
holder will cause the pins or rivets in each prong to pass to the extreme angle of
each perforation or portion cut, of the blade, and thereby will safely secure the
blade to the bow or holder which can be detached when required by compressing
the bow or holder and withdrawing the blade.
In order to apply this invention in the manufacture of rakes, such for example
as garden rakes, the bow or holder is made straight instead of being bent or curved,
but in other respects it is made in the same way as the hoe bow or holder and the

page_text: head of the rake is perforated or cut, and the bow or holder attached thereto in the
same manner as hereinbefore described with reference to the hoo; or the head of
the rake may be attached to the bow or holder by making the teeth of the rake
act as a kind of lock or fastener to the bow or holder.
Having thus described my Invention and illustrated it, by the accompanying
explanatory drawing of the manner or modo in which it is carried out in practice I
have to state in conclusion that what I claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein before mentioned Letters Patent is :-
The manufacture of an improved interchangeable, and holdfast Hoe in or with
which hoe blades of any size or form can be used in the same handles or holders,
substantially as described and as illustrated on the drawing; or any convenient and
suitable modification or variation in the forms shapes or construction or arrange-
ments of the component parts of the implement; and the application and use of a
modified form of bow or holder for rakes substantially as herein set forth.
In Witness whereof I the said Bernard Staniforth Harrison have hereunto
set my hand and seal this twenty oighth day of February in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty four..