# US 10,440,872 B2 · Adjustable hand trowel

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- Number: US 10,440,872 B2
- Document ID: US10440872B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/140,020
- Filed: 2016-04-27
- Published: 2016-11-03
- Granted: 2019-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2012-03-20
- Applicants: Bryan John Stoddard
- Inventors: Bryan John Stoddard
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10440872B2

## CPC

- A01B 1/08: with a single blade
- A01B 1/02: Spades; Shovels
- A01B 1/022: {Collapsible; extensible; combinations with other tools}
- B05C 17/10: Hand tools for removing partially or for spreading or redistributing applied liquids or other fluent materials, e.g. colour touchers
- A01B: SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL (making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting or manuring A01C5/00; mowers convertible to soil working apparatus or capable of soil working A01D42/04; mowers combined with soil working implements A01D43/12; soil working for engineering purposes E01, E02, E21)
- B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08)

## Abstract

An adjustable hand trowel comprising a handle, a blade-neck assembly comprising a blade and a neck, and an adjustable fastener system is disclosed herein. The adjustable fastener system provides a secure method of fastening the blade-neck assembly to the handle wherein the adjustable hand trowel is able to withstand forces typically exerted when using a trowel for digging and wherein the user may readily dig in confined spaces. The disclosed adjustable hand trowel further allows a user to adjust the relative position of the blade and handle using an adjustable fastener system that may be operated using one hand. The adjustable hand trowel may thereby allow the user to dig in an ergonomic and efficient manner in applications that would otherwise be unsuitable for ergonomic and efficient digging.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An adjustable hand trowel comprising:
a. a handle;
b. a blade-neck assembly comprising a blade and a neck; and
c. an adjustable fastener system that fastens the handle to the blade-neck assembly;
wherein the handle and neck comprise adjustment elements that interface with the adjustable fastener system to allow the user to readily adjust and secure the blade-neck assembly in various positions in relation to the handle; and
wherein the neck comprises a neck seat, a neck locking ridge, and a proximal extension, wherein the proximal extension comprises a threaded male extension.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The adjustable hand trowel of claim 1 wherein the handle comprises an opening at its distal end, wherein the opening opens into an internal chamber at the top of the handle and opens into an internal shaft at the bottom of the handle, and wherein the opening at the end of the internal chamber that is interior to the handle and the opening at the end of the internal shaft that is interior to the handle are coincident.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The adjustable hand trowel of claim 2 wherein the adjustable fastener system comprises an actuator.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The adjustable hand trowel of claim 3 wherein the actuator comprises an inner part that contacts the neck and an outer part that may be operated by the user, wherein the inner part of the actuator comprises female threads.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The adjustable hand trowel of claim 4 wherein the adjustable fastener system further comprises a spring.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The adjustable hand trowel of claim 5 wherein the spring contacts the proximal end of the threaded male extension, wherein one end of the spring is positioned at the interior end of the internal chamber and the other end of the spring contacts the end of the inner part of the actuator.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The adjustable hand trowel of claim 3 wherein the handle further comprises one or more position locking grooves.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The adjustable hand trowel of claim 4 wherein the outer part of the actuator comprises a wrench head that allows the actuator to be tightened onto the threaded male extension of the neck.