Rake
OwnerElsas L. Rocquininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible tine garden rake has a cross arm to which individual tines are attached, the attachments being effected by a retainer strip which is slip-fitted within a channel. The tines have end portions extending crosswise into the channel and terminating in hooks conforming to the interior surface of the channel and lie upon and are backed up by a laterally projecting surface of the cross arm so that the tines are stiffened and are anchored so as to avoid highly localized stress concentration when flexed incidental to normal use.
Claims11
A flexible tine rake having a handle with a cross arm attached thereto and a plurality of flexible tines carried by said cross arm, the improvement wherein:
- said cross arm is of generally channel-shaped form in cross section, said tines having end portions projecting into and within the channel section so as to lie across the bottom thereof, and retainer means removably received in the channel for anchoring said end portion of the tines therewithin whereby individual tines may be removed and replaced without the aid of tools, one side of said channel section being slotted to receive said tines, the ends of the tines within the channel being hooked to conform with the channel contour and said retainer means being resilient to allow the tines to flex over substantial portions of their lengths, inclusive of within the channel.
A flexible tine rake having a handle with a cross arm attached thereto and a plurality of flexible tines carried by said cross arm, the improvement wherein:
- said cross arm is of generally channel-shaped form in cross section, said tines having end portions projecting into and within the channel section so as to lie across the bottom thereof, and retainer means removably received in the channel for anchoring said end portion of the tines therewithin whereby individual tines may be removed and replaced without the aid of tools, said cross arm including a base and upstanding side walls on said base defining the channel, and said base extending laterally beyond one side wall to present a backing surface, said tines projecting through said one side wall and engaging said backing surface to project therebeyond so that the free ends of the tines are free to flex in use, said one side wall being slotted to receive said tines, the ends of the tines within the channel being hooked to conform with the channel contour and said retainer means being resilient to allow the tines to flex over substantial portions of their lengths, inclusive of within the channel.
A flexible tine rake having a handle with a cross arm attached thereto and a plurality of flexible tines carried by said cross arm, the improvement wherein:
- said cross arm is of generally channel-shaped form in cross section, said tines having end portions projecting into and within the channel section so as to lie across the bottom thereof, and retainer means removably received in the channel for anchoring said end portion of the tines therewithin whereby individual tines may be removed and replaced without the aid of tools, the channel being defined in part by upstanding side walls terminating in overhanging edge portions, the retainer means being lockingly engaged with the edge portion of one of said side walls, said one side wall being slotted to receive said tines, the ends of the tines within the channel being hooked to conform with the channel contour and said retainer means being resilient to allow the tines to flex over substantial portions of their lengths, inclusive of within the channel.
A flexible tine rake having a handle with a cross arm attached thereto and a plurality of flexible tines carried by said cross arm, the improvement wherein:
- said cross arm is of generally channel-shaped form in cross section, said tines having end portions projecting into and within the channel section so as to lie across the bottom thereof, and retainer means removably received in the channel for anchoring said end portion of the tines therewithin whereby individual tines may be removed and replaced without the aid of tools, said retainer means comprising at least one strip of synthetic resinous material, said strip being of cross sectional shape generally conforming to the interior surface of the channel and being snugly received therein so as to be held in place by friction, said cross arm including a base and upstanding side walls on said base defining the channel, and said base extending laterally beyond one side wall to present a backing surface, said tines projecting through said one side wall and engaging said backing surface to project therebeyond so that the free ends of the tines are free to flex in use, said one side wall being slotted to receive said tines, the ends of the tines within the channel being hooked to conform with the channel contour and said retainer means being resilient to allow the tines to flex over substantial portions of their lengths, inclusive of within the channel.
A flexible tine rake having a handle with a cross arm attached thereto and a plurality of flexible tines carried by said cross arm, the improvement wherein:
- said cross arm is of generally channel-shaped form in cross section, said tines having end portions projecting into and within the channel section so as to lie across the bottom thereof, and retainer means removably received in the channel for anchoring said end portion of the tines therewithin whereby individual tines may be removed and replaced without the aid of tools, said retainer means comprising at least one strip of synthetic resinous material, said strip being of cross sectional shape generally conforming to the interior surface of the channel and being snugly received therein so as to be held in place by friction, each of said end portions of the tines terminating in a hook generally conforming to an adjacent contour of the channel and said strip terminating at one side edge in a shape snugly fitting within such hooks so as to sandwich them against the channel, said cross arm including a base and upstanding side walls on said base defining the channel, and said base extending laterally beyond one side wall to present a backing surface, said tines projecting through said one side wall and engaging said backing surface to project therebeyond so that the free ends of the tines are free to flex in use, said one side wall being slotted to receive said tines, the ends of the tines within the channel being hooked to conform with the channel contour and said retainer means being resilient to allow the tines to flex over substantial portions of their lengths, inclusive of within the channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.