Harvesters – Hand rakes – Combined – convertible and attachments
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-03
2003-01-07
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Harvesters
Hand rakes
Combined, convertible and attachments
C056S400200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06502381
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to rakes, and more particularly to a pick-up rake that enables a user to grab leaves and other debris with the rake, thereby facilitating their disposal.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
vom Braucke et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,149, teaches a garden-clearing tool that includes a rake and a pivotally mounted grasping element that can be used to clamp debris under the motivation of a slider assembly similar to the present invention (see FIG.
3
). However, this tool does not teach the use of a connector element having first and second rake hinge elements that enable the proper folding of the grasping element. This tool will not function unless the tool is held perpendicular to the ground, otherwise the grasping element cannot be closed. Only the “double hinge” structure of the present invention allows this flexibility.
Kerry, U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,966, teaches a combination rake and pickup device consisting of a pair of oppositely disposed conventional broom rake heads, one of which has attached thereto an elongated handle. The other rake head is movably supported by the elongated handle, and may be selectively shifted to either an inoperative retracted position, or an advanced position where it enters into a holding relationship with the first mentioned rake head.
Gascon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,671, teaches a pick-up rake having a main rake head and an auxiliary rake head movably mounted with respect to the main rake head, enabling the auxiliary rake head to be moved from a storage position adjacent to the main rake head to a position where the two rake heads cooperatively act to grasp leaves and grass therebetween. When the auxiliary rake head is in storage position, the rake may simply be used in a conventional manner for the raking of leaves and grass; while in pick-up configuration, the rake enables grass and leaves to be picked up avoiding the necessity of one having to stoop or kneel to gather leaves or grass for disposal.
Gascon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,794, teaches a pick-up rake having a main rake head and an auxiliary rake head movably mounted with respect to the main rake head enabling the auxiliary rake head to be moved to an upper laterally-compacted position enabling the rake to be used in conventional fashion and movable to a lowered laterally-expanded position where the two rake heads cooperatively act to grasp leaves and grass and the like.
While Kerry and Gascon suggest a double-hinge similar to the present invention, they do not teach a slider element, a slider rod, and first and second slider hinge elements that enable the slider element to operably control the movement of the grasping element without interfering with the folding of the connector element.
Kalavitis, U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,878, teaches a rake having a supplemental rake pivotally attached for picking up leaves. In one embodiment (FIGS.
8
-
9
), the supplemental rake is pivotally attached with a double hinge. Significantly, however, the extension arm is pivotally attached to the double hinge, not to the supplemental rake (grasping element). While this design is close to the present invention, the critical change in the attachment of the slider rod leads to a significant change in the folding of the mechanism and function of the rake.
Sample, U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,864, teaches a trash and leaf gathering and pick up tool having two rake like gathering heads pivotally interconnected to close and open toward and away from each other in a jaw like action. One of the rake like gathering heads has a handle adapted to fit a user's arm and is equipped with an arm band for mounting of the tool on an arm. The other rake like gathering head has a handle extending through the pivot interconnect with the handle mountable on an arm to a hand grip equipped end positioned for being grasped by the hand of the arm mounting the tool whereby the tool is manually manipulated in its closing leaf and trash grasping action and jaw opening manipulation to dump trash.
Nelson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,189, teaches an attachment to a conventional rake having a grasping head pivotally attached to a link which is pivotally attached to the rake head such that an operable clamp is formed, the grasping head being operated by a lever attached to the rake's handle. The pivotal link separates the upper portions of the two heads such that the capacity of the “grasp” is greater than that of conventional rakes with grasping apparatus.
Blanco, U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,448, teaches a rake of the type having a fanned spring finger main raking head fixed at one end of a rake handle provided with an auxiliary, complementary fanned spring finger rake head pivotally supported with respect to the rake handle and movable into clamping jaw-like relation with respect to the main raking head for picking up raked trash piles. The individual spring fingers of one rake head are receivable between the spring fingers of the other rake head to provide for raking with either rake head when they are held in relatively clamped together position.
Wetherall et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,899, teaches an implement for gathering objects lying on the ground having an elongate handle. A transverse member is mounted at a forward end of the handle. This member has a rearward surface extending at an oblique angle to the axis of the handle. A movable member is pivotally mounted at or adjacent the forward-end of the handle for movement between an inactive position and an active position. In the active position it cooperates with the rearward surface of the transverse member for picking up objects from the ground. The movable member is biased towards its inactive position by spring means.
Sipe, U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,038, teaches a hand rake with grasping tines disclosed including a pair of multitined fork members, a frame assembly for pivotally holding the fork members in spaced facing relation, a handle assembly secured to the frame assembly for carrying the fork members, and a control mechanism for cooperatively varying the pivotal dispositions of the fork members from an open material raking condition to a closed material transporting condition.
Osadsky, U.S. Pat. No. 3,733,636, teaches a combination implement including a broom, a shovel mounted on one side of said broom adapted to be shifted from a raised, inoperative position to a lowered, operative position projecting below the broom head, and a scraper mounted on the opposite side of said broom adapted to be shifted from a raised position to a lowered position projecting below said broom, said shovel and scraper forming rigid elements when in their raised, inoperative positions preventing the broom bristles from bending too far and breaking during use, thereby promoting the useful life of said broom.
A. L. Jackson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,264,809, teaches the movement of objects of various kinds together in order that they may be collected and removed in a group and also relates to apparatus and equipment by which such collection and removal can be accomplished.
P. S. Vosbikian et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,105,348, teaches a novel construction and arrangement of a garden rake and more particularly a novel means to clamp the material, which has been raked up against the teeth of the rake.
T. A. Pasquine, U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,682, teaches a leaf rake and the like and more particularly a rake incorporating a second rake assembly so arranged to be used in connection with the principal rake assembly in carrying material such as leaves and grass.
A. B. Utley, U.S. Pat. No. 2,746,234, teaches a garden rake and has special reference to a garden rake provided with a trash gripping device.
M. F. Zifferer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,504,943, teaches a rake of the broom type in which is incorporated means whereby it may serve to pick up a quantity of leaves or rakings facilitate transportation thereof from
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