Handling: hand and hoist-line implements – Hand forks and shovels – Snow shovel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-07
2001-09-18
Cherry, Johnny D. (Department: 3652)
Handling: hand and hoist-line implements
Hand forks and shovels
Snow shovel
C294S053500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290273
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a manual snow shovel, more specifically to an articulated and adjustable snow shovel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The use of a snow shovel as well as the drawbacks and the risk of accidents accompanying its use are well known in many regions of the world. The snow discarding operation requires significant amount of physical effort not efficiently managed that impact on its security.
Shovels with angularly adjustable handle or adjustable blades to ease these problems have already been disclosed in the prior art in U.S. Pat. No. 2,098,609 issued on Nov. 9, 1937 to Bishop entitled “Shovel with adjustable handle” and U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,838 issued on Oct. 21, 1969 to Rankin entitled “Snow removal device”. These two U.S. Patents show snow removal equipment that do not ease the physical effort by requiring a significant bending of user's back and a poor functioning on rough surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,726 issued on Dec. 24, 1985 to Moisan entitled “Snow mover” shows complex pivoting and locking mechanisms of the blade that badly affect its efficiency. U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,633 issued on May 20, 1997 to Dupre et al. entitled “Shovel with driven tiltable blade” discloses a shovel equipment that is primarily made to move a load from one location to another, with a mechanism adapted for frequent changes of the blade angle.
The above-mentioned prior arts all have a pivotable system linking the shaft to the blade, hence allowing to either adjust the blade at various angles in relation with the ground surface and/or positioning the shaft of the shovel at various angles in relation with the user. However, none of those systems has a dual improved design as suggested in this invention.
The previous art often brings the handle of the shaft at a very low vertical position which is not ergonomically designed to relief the strain on the back of a user when the angle between the blade and the shaft is increased. In the same manner, the shovels of the prior art are not designed to help users of different height to equally and safely use the devices.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a manually operated snow shovel device of the character described which obviates the above noted disadvantages.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a manually operated snow shovel device that is ergonomically designed to avoid significant bending to the user's back by providing an elevated handle position that also provides a low inclination position of the shaft from horizontal, and consequently a larger angle between the shaft and the plan of the blade of the shovel.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a manually operated snow shovel device that allows a similar use of the shovel to users of different height.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a manually operated snow shovel device that provides a positioning mechanism to put the curved (concave) blade of the shovel at various angles in relation with the ground surface to enhance multiple uses such as snow clearing, scraping, and/or shoveling; the positioning mechanism also provides an enhanced lateral stability of the device.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a manually operated snow shovel device that provides an easier and more ergonomic hand-gripping action on the handle of the shovel.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a manually operated snow shovel device that vertically keeps the users' hands in line with or above the hips of the user at all times.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a manually operated snow shovel device that is further adapted, with a T-shaped hand grip, to properly clear snow out of delicate surfaces such as a substantially horizontal house roof or veranda floor, and also efficiently clearing snow out of an exterior ice skating-rink by a user wearing ice skates.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a snow shovel comprising a shaft having a handle member at a first upper extremity and a downwardly oriented bent section at a second lower extremity and defining a substantially vertical plane, a generally concave blade member pivotally mounted at said second extremity of said shaft around an horizontal axis perpendicular to said vertical plane, a securing member providing a plurality of securing positions of said bent section of said shaft to said blade member into different relative angular positions, thereby adjusting a vertical position of said handle member relative to said blade member, said bent section having a lower end essentially vertically oriented and curved to substantially assume a shape of said concave blade member
Preferably, the snow shovel further comprises an attachment member to pivotally secure said blade member to said: lower end of said bent section at a pivot axis.
Preferably, the securing member includes an arcuate member rigidly secured at one end to said blade member, said arcuate member being centered around said pivot axis of said attachment member.
Preferably, the arcuate member includes a pair of parallel arcuate strips rigidly secured at one end to said blade member, said two arcuate strips slidably receiving said lower end of said bent suction therebetween and having a plurality of symmetrical perforations therealong, said bent section of said shaft having a transverse through hole consecutively aligning with a pair of said symmetrical perforations under pivotal movement of said attachment member, and a locking pin simultaneously releasably engaging into said transverse hole and one of said pair of symmetrical perforations corresponding to one of said securing positions.
Preferably, the locking pin includes a clamping member to releasably secure the same in locking position.
Preferably, the clamping member is an upper resilient hook clamping to said bent section and maintaining said locking pin in said locking position.
Preferably, the handle member is a T-shaped grip with top transverse bar slightly inclined toward said blade member, thereby providing comfortable position of a user's hands.
REFERENCES:
patent: 813983 (1906-02-01), Luney
patent: 1162845 (1915-12-01), Armstrong
patent: 1196206 (1916-08-01), Bulger et al.
patent: 1666334 (1928-04-01), Larson
patent: 2098609 (1937-11-01), Bishop
patent: 2239297 (1941-04-01), Allen et al.
patent: 2266542 (1941-12-01), Fox
patent: 2967363 (1961-01-01), Meier
patent: 3078604 (1963-02-01), Neuman
patent: 3473838 (1969-10-01), Rankin
patent: 38031 (1955-06-01), None
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