Shovel depth determiner
OwnerGlenn E. Burkhartinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improvement to a shovel used while grading or cleaning out the area adjacent to a previously constructed surface such as a curb and gutter adjacent to a road bed comprising a guide for fixing the depth the shovel blade can penetrate the soil, aggregate, or other debris adjacent to the previously constructed surface so that when the shovel is moved parallel to the structure when the guide is located on top of the structure the debris is cleared away. The guide is rotatably and slidably connected to the handle of the shovel so that: (a) the guide can be located any where along the shovel handle to set the distance the guide is above the shovel blade's lower end and (b) the guide can be located on either side of the shovel blade.
Claims17
An improvement to a shovel having a shovel blade and a handle extending from the shovel blade wherein the handle is connected to the shovel blade, the shovel blade and handle both having an upper and lower end and the shovel blade further having a front and back side and a right and left side, the improvement comprising a guide means for fixing the depth the shovel blade can clear away soil as a function of the distance between a stop surface of a previously constructed structure and the lower end of the shovel, said guide means locatable on the top surface of the previously constructed structure located parallel to the side of the shovel, means for adjustably connecting the guide means to the handle of the shovel, said connecting means both rotatably and slidably secured to the handle so that when the connecting means is loosened and not secured to the handle, the connection means can be located along the shovel handle to determine the distance of the guide means above the shovel blade's lower end as a function of the top surface of the previously constructed surface and when desired rotated about the handle so that the guide means may be located on either the right or left side of the shovel blade.
An improvement to a shovel having a shovel blade and a handle extending from the shovel blade wherein the handle is connected to the shovel blade, the shovel blade and handle both having an upper and lower end and the shovel blade further having a front and back side and a right and left side, the improvement comprising a guide means, a member having an integral vertical portion and horizontal portion perpendicular to each other, each portion having an end, the end of the vertical portion of the member connected to the guide means, the end of the horizontal portion fabricated to encircle the handle of the shovel so that the end of the horizontal portion encircling the handle is slidably located on the handle, means for securing said encircling portion to the handle, a horizontal member extending from the guide means to the front of the shovel so that when a user of the shovel walks parallel to a previously constructed structure a predetermined amount of soil adjacent to the structure is removed without significant horizontal movement of the guide means with respect to the shovel blade.
An improvement to a hand shovel having a shovel blade and a handle extending from the shovel blade where the handle is connected to the shovel blade, the shovel blade and handle both having an upper and lower end and the shovel blade further having a front and back side and a right and left side, the improvement comprising a guide means, said guide means having a vertical slot, the guide means movably secured to the shovel blade so that the guide means may be moved up and down to achieve a predetermined elevation of the guide means as a function of the shovel blade bottom and a top surface of a previously constructed surface and then secured at the predetermined elevation so that when the guide means is placed on the top surface of the previously constructed structure located parallel to the side of the shovel and the user of the shovel walks parallel to the structure, the guide means glides across the top surface of the structure and soil adjacent to the structure is removed by the shovel blade.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.