With Movable Cooperating Load-engaging Member Patents (Class 294/50.8)
  • Patent number: 6457238
    Abstract: An eating utensil with a spoon shell fastened to a handle enables handicapped people, who have, e.g., only one usable hand, to reduce in size pieces of food, e.g., meat, by cutting into bite-sized pieces. To achieve this, the spoon shell (1, 31) and the handle (6) are of a two-part design. The spoon shell (1) has a first shell part (2) with a first handle shaft (4) and a second shell part (3) with a second handle shaft (5). The respective shell parts (2, 3) and handle shafts (4, 5), which are rigidly connected to one another, are connected to one another by a scissor hinge (7) and can be moved against one another in a scissor-like manner. The shell parts (2, 3) have cutting edges (8, 9) cooperating in a scissor-like manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Inventors: Michael Maier, Thomas Maier, Thilo Schauer
  • Patent number: 6338512
    Abstract: A shovel apparatus for digging holes has an H-shaped frame providing at one end, a handle integrally joined to the frame, and at the other end, a blade mounting support. A pair of spaced apart shovel blades are pivotally engaged with the blade mounting support for drawing the blades from essentially parallel rest positions, toward each other, to form a modified cone-shaped enclosure. A draw arm assembly is engaged for sliding within a pair of opposing slots in the H-shaped frame. The draw arm assembly is engaged with the shovel blades through a pair of links to move the shovel blades toward each other when the draw arm assembly is pulled toward the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Inventors: Jonathan Paul Ruppert, Mark Allen Ruppert
  • Patent number: 6336314
    Abstract: A rake having grasping features, the rake including and elongated and tubular rake handle. A main rake head is attached to the handle and an auxiliary rake head is pivotally attached to the main rake head by an auxiliary head hinge. The auxiliary head hinge allows the auxiliary rake head to pivot relative to the main rake head between an opened and a clamping configuration in a jaw like manner. A actuating sleeve is slidably mounted on the rake handle and an actuating rod is pivotally attached between the actuating sleeve and the auxiliary rake head. Biasing sleeve is mounted on the rake handle between the actuating sleeve and the main rake head. Slidable movement of the actuating sleeve towards the main rake head resiliently compresses the biasing sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Inventor: Jocelyn Crevier
  • Publication number: 20010037886
    Abstract: The disclosed invention is a means of providing a means of removing unwanted plants from a specific area of soil. The invention is comprised of a blade that is adapted to penetrate the surface of the soil and moving substantially parallel to the surface thereof. Proper movement of the blade is assisted by fins positioned on the sides of the blade, and act similarly to the rudder of a boat. The blade has a support member that has one end attached to the blade and the other end is capable of receiving a handle. The handle is configured in an arcuate shape to better facilitate grasping and holding by the user. This combination allows the user to grasp the handle, one hand on each side of the support member and blade, and push the invention forward undercutting the undesirable plant roots, thereby killing them. Minimal disruption of the soil is experienced, thereby optimizing the efficiency of work done by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2000
    Publication date: November 8, 2001
    Inventor: Gerald R. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6283521
    Abstract: A support and control device (11) for opening or closing a grip element (19) in two parts, where the two parts can mutually rotate in order to grip objects, the device (11) comprising a body (12) to which a handle (14) is connected, bearing a control sleeve (20) operationally connected, through a cable (23), to drive gears (26,29) to range the two parts of the grip element (19) between a first, open, position and a second, closed, position where the two parts determine a space for containing the objects to be gripped and/or picked up, in which the drive gears (26,29) comprise a kinematic motion mechanism, internal to the body (12), controlled by the cable (23), an exit-part controlling the kinematic mechanism, bearing the grip-element (19), being positioned according to an axis substantially parallel to that of movement of the cable (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: G. Agrati S.n.c. di Agrati Giuseppe & C.
    Inventor: Giuseppe Agrati
  • Patent number: 6273482
    Abstract: The subject invention provides a post hole digger which facilitates the digging of deep uniform diameters post holes. The post hole digger accomplishes this by crossing the handles to close the shovel blades. This allows the handles to stay within the diameter of the hole opening, removing the need to increase the diameter of the hole opening as the depth of the hole is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Inventor: Porter T. Pickren
  • Patent number: 6257346
    Abstract: A device for removing weeds from the ground comprises an elongated shaft, a handle mounted to an upper end of the shaft, a pair of blades mounted for opposed pivotal movement at a lower end of the shaft, and a plunger. Each blade has an upper section located above a pivot point of the blade and a lower section located below the pivot point. The plunger is mounted for reciprocal sliding movement between an extended position intermediate the lower sections of the blades and a retracted position intermediate the upper sections of the blades. The plunger and the upper sections of the blades include cam surfaces configured such that movement of the plunger from the extended position to the retracted position forces the upper sections of the blades away from one another, whereby tips of the blades are forced to converge towards one another to capture the weed and accompanying root structure. The weed and surrounding soil plug can be released by squeezing a hand-lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Alterra Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Robert T. Schofield, Paul A. Schneider