Patent ID: 8046982

Claim:
An apparatus for retrieving soft objects, comprising: a continuous rim having a leading edge, a top and two planes, one a substantially horizontal plane and the other a substantially vertical plane; a storage section having a top, a bottom, a front, a back, a depth and an axis of curvature, and comprising an aggregate of tines that is affixed to and extends from the top of the rim in a rearward direction about the axis of curvature to the back and then in a frontward direction about the axis of curvature to form the bottom with an opening at the front defined in the substantially vertical plane of the rim; a gathering section comprising the aggregate of tines extending forward from the bottom of the storage section to the leading edge and having a width, a bottom that is substantially perpendicular to the opening in the storage section, a top for constraining the objects that is defined in the substantially horizontal plane of the rim, a length that is at least half the depth of the storage section, and at least two barrier regions that are approximately parallel to the leading edge and have widths that extend across the gathering section and heights that extend upward at least 0.5 inch and not more than 2.0 inches from the bottom of the gathering section and are separated by a retaining region, and each region has an axis of curvature substantially parallel to the axis of curvature of the storage section; at least one cross tine having two ends with each end affixed to the rim and the cross tine affixed to the aggregate of tines to stabilize the space between adjacent tines; and an elongated handle projecting upward from the top of the rim and having an angle of between 110 degrees and 45 degrees to the gathering section to permit a raking motion to collect objects.