Hand operated weeding device with operating depth stabilizer plate and weed displacer strip

Abstract

A hand operated weeding device. The device is used in weeding such places as flower beds and vegetable gardens. It comprises a weed displacing structure composed of sections which have multiple functions. One section, when operated under the surface of the soil, is used as a self stabilizer of its operating depth in the soil; it crumbles the soil it passes under, the soil being around the top sections of the cut off weed roots; and it has a forward cutting edge. A second section further crumbles soil around this top part of the roots and pushes most of these root parts with attached weed tops out of the soil and pushes them all way. Weeds cut off on the surface of the ground are also pushed away.

I claim: 
     
       1. A hand operated weeding device comprising: (a) flat stabilizer plate, said stabilizer plate including an upper surface, a forward cutting edge and a rearward edge opposite to said cutting edge;   (b) a row of upright rods fixedly attached to the upper surface of said stabilizer plate, said row of rods extending from near said rearward edge forwardly toward but spaced from said cutting edge, the one of said rods nearest said cutting edge being slanted with the tip thereof touching the one of said rods next nearest to said cutting edge;   (c) an elongated handle shank, said shank being fixedly attached to the rearmost one of said rods with an orientation such that the trailing portion of said shank extends upwardly and rearwardly from said stabilizer plate;   (d) a platform plate fixedly attached to the top of said rods;   (e) a weed displacer strip mounted on top of said platform plate and extending forwardly and downwardly therefrom so as to touch said upper surface of said stabilizer plate between said cutting edge and said rod nearest said cutting edge, said weed displacer strip adapted to shove weeds away which have been cut by said stabilizer plate as said stabilizer plate is shoved forwardly during the weeding process, said stabilizer plate acting as a self-stabilizer of its operating depth when it is operating in soil.   
     
     
       2. The weeding device of claim 1, wherein said weed displacer strip is adjustably mounted on said platform plate so as to be selectively adjustable in the forward and rearward directions with respect to the said stabilizer plate. .Iadd. 
     
     
       3.  A hand operated weeding device comprising a generally flat plate having front, side and rear edge portions with the front edge portion including a cutting edge extending completely between the side edge portions, means adjacent the rear edge portion of said plate for connection with an elongated handle to enable a longitudinal force to be exerted on the plate for movement of the plate forwardly and horizontally in the soil during the weeding process with the plate serving as a stabilizer for maintaining itself at an operating depth during movement forwardly and rearwardly in the soil and a weed displacer supported from said plate, said weed displacer including an upwardly and rearwardly inclined member oriented adjacent to but spaced rearwardly of the forwardmost portion of the cutting edge on the plate for displacing weeds laterally in relation to the plate, said displacer being located along the longitudinal center line of said plate for displacing weeds laterally of the center line thereof, said displacer being in the form of a strip having an inclined portion forming said inclined member and including an upper horizontal portion generally paralleling said plate and extending toward the rear edge portion thereof, and means adjustably supporting the horizontal portion of the displace strip; in vertically spaced relation to the plate for adjustably positioning the displacer in relation to said plate, said means supporting the horizontal portion of the displacer strip including a supporting platform spaced above said plate, and spaced rod means rigidly interconnecting said plate and supporting platform to rigidly support the platform above said plate, said horizontal portion of the displacer strip including longitudinal slot means extending longitudinally of the platform and fastener means extending through the platform and slot means to enable longitudinal adjustment of the displacer strip in relation to the platform and plate..Iaddend. .Iadd.4. The weeding device as defined in claim 3 wherein said means for connection with a handle includes the rearmost of said supporting rods for the platform..Iaddend. .Iadd.5. The weeding device as defined in claim 4 wherein the front edge portion of said plate includes rearwardly diverging cutting edges joined at a central apex to define a generally V-shaped cutting edge, said inclined portion of the displacer strip terminating in a bottom end oriented adjacent the apex of the V-shaped cutting edge for displacing weeds laterally thereof during forward movement of the plate at a predetermined depth in the soil with the displacer strip also displacing soil passing over the upper surface of said plate..Iaddend. .Iadd.6. In combination with a weeding device in the form of a generally flat plate having a forward cutting edge for movement longitudinally along a soil surface for cutting and removing weeds, the improvement comprising a weed displacer strip extending upwardly and rearwardly in an inclined position rearwardly of the cutting edge on the plate for displacing weeds and soil laterally of the plate when weeds and soil passed along the upper surface of the plate, said displacer strip and plate including cooperating means supporting the displacer strip adjustably in relation to said plate, said means adjustably supporting the displacer strip including a supporting platform supported rigidly from said plate in vertically elevated relation thereto and in generally parallel relation thereto, said displacer strip including a horizontal rearward portion and a downwardly and forwardly inclined forward portion with the horizontal rearward portion being longitudinally adjustably connected to said platform to enable adjustment of the inclined portion in relation to said plate..Iaddend.