Mechanical shovel

A mechanical shovel to be carried by and manipulated by an operator, said mechanical shovel comprising:

• a harness to be carried by said operator and including a back plate which rests against the lower back of the operator, a pair of shoulder pieces which engage over the shoulders of the operator and straps which retain said back plate and said shoulder pieces on the torso of the operator, said straps including a ventral strap and a pair of leg straps which extend around the thighs of the operator;
• a first substantially vertical boom mounted at its lower end on said back slate and secured by said harness onto the operator, said first boom having an upper end disposed above the head of the operator;
• a second boom extending from said upper end of said first boom over the operator and having a free extremity disposed forwardly of the operator;
• pivot means articulating said second boom to said upper end of said first boom and means for locking said first and second booms relatively in an angular relationship;
• a winch having a motor carried by one of said booms;
• a cable mounted to said winch and passing along said second boom and extending downwardly from said free extremity ahead of the operator to an end, and drawn in upon operation of said motor;
• a digging tool having a ground-engaging working end, a handle extending from said working end, and a pair of spaced-apart handle grips secured to said handle remote from said working end;
• means for securing said cable end to said handle intermediate said working end and said hand grips;
• and
• control means on at least one of said hand grips for operating said motor.