Patent ID: 7625025

Claim:
Apparatus for picking up pet excrement from the ground comprising a longitudinally extending housing having a longitudinal axis, side walls, an open lower end, and an upper end wall having a central opening on said housing axis, a claw supporting member positioned on said axis nonually disposed outside of said housing spaced from said end wall and movable along said axis from and towards said end wall, a plurality of rod-like claw elements, each of said elements extending through said central opening and being secured at an upper proximal end portion to said claw supporting member for movement therewith, each of said elements further having a medial portion extending radially outwardly from the lower end of its associated proximal end portion and within said housing, said elements also having distal portions with spring-like characteristics extending away from said end wan and sloping radially outwardly to resiliently engage said housing adjacent said lower open end thereof, said medial portions connecting said proximal end portions and said distal portions, said rod elements being moveable along said axis upon relative movement of the housing and support member, the outer end of each of said distal portions having a generally flat scoop member generally normal to the axis of its respective distal portion and primarily directed inwardly towards the axis of said housing, and said housing being moveable along said axis relative to said rod support member and said rod elements between a first closed position wherein the ends of said distal portions and said scoops are positioned entirely within said housing and each of said scoops is disposed close to an adjacent scoop, and a second open position wherein said ends of said distal portions and said scoops are positioned below and outside of said lower open end of said housing and spaced further from said axis than when said ends of said distal portions and said scoops are in said first position.