Load launching shovel
OwnerDonald L. Frenchinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hand operated shovel system for moving materials that uses spring enhanced human power to increase force during the flinging part of shoveling. A user adds propulsive force to a shovel having a spring located between the handle and the blade. Motion of the handle and blade rotates the spring to store energy expended during the initial acceleration of lifting, and applies the stored energy back into the material during the deposition step, increasing the ballistic trajectory of the material. If material deposition can be accomplished without flinging, the shovel acts as a substantially rigid body for standard shoveling.
Claims20
A method of materials movement using spring enhanced human power to increase leverage, the steps comprising:
- a) supplying propulsive force to a spring assisted shovel system for said materials movement, said force being selected from the group:
- impulse and linear;
- b) modulating said force to said spring assisted shovel system;
- c) applying torque to a helical torsion spring;
- d) capturing potential energy within said helical torsion spring;
- e) varying said force to said spring assisted shovel system;
- f) releasing said potential energy from said helical torsion spring;
- g) applying said potential energy to said spring assisted shovel system;
- and
- h) applying said potential energy to said materials movement, wherein said application of said potential energy enhances the ballistic trajectory of said materials.
In a hand operated shovel system having a handle and a shovel blade, the improvement comprising:
- a) a helical torsion spring operatively connected to said handle;
- b) means operatively connected to said handle for hingedly attaching said shovel blade thereto;
- c) a removably attached retention device on said handle for restraining said helical torsion spring;
- d) means for capturing rotational energy within said helical torsion spring;
- and
- e) means for releasing stored energy within said helical torsion spring.
In a hand operated shovel system having a handle and a shovel blade, the improvement comprising:
- a) a horizontal bisection of said shovel blade having an upper blade section and a lower blade section;
- b) means operatively connected to said bisected shovel blade for hingedly attaching said bisected shovel blades thereto;
- c) a spring operatively connected to said bisected shovel blade sections;
- d) a removably attached retention device on said bisected shovel blade sections for restraining said spring;
- e) means for capturing rotational energy within said spring;
- and
- f) means for releasing stored energy within said spring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.