Abstract: According to one embodiment, a shovel for excavating material within a utility location includes a blade made from a non-metal material. The blade has an overall thickness and a leading edge with a blunt surface and a beveled surface. The overall thickness of the blade includes a combined thickness of the blunt and beveled surfaces. The thickness of the blunt surface is between about 25% and about 75% of the overall thickness of the blade. The shovel also includes a neck coupled to the blade, as well as a handle coupled to the neck.

Abstract: A garden tool wherein the leading edge of the tool head has a leading edge coated with a hardness enhancing material.

Abstract: A method of making a shovel includes the steps of providing a substantially flat blank with portions for forming a blade and a shank; folding an edge of the blank from an initial position away from a plane of a surface of the blank to form a bent portion on the portion of the blank that forms the blade; and pressing the blank to restore the bent portion to the initial position to form the blade. The edge of the shovel is substantially straight and free from warps after the blank is pressed.

Abstract: The present invention has several aspects to it, one of which is the provision of a chisel point which is straight and tapered from its thinnest part at the extreme front to a thicker part at the rear thereof for causing a sweep to wear longer than prior art sweeps. This sweep also improves soil penetration and is self-sharpening. Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an earth working sweep having a front end, a right side, a left side, and a central upper portion for connecting the sweep to an implement. It also has a right rear wing portion and a left rear wing portion with an intermediate portion connecting the front end to the central upper rear portion and the left and right rear wing portions. A right edge and a left edge have concave edges on the front and convex edges on the back so as to form a somewhat S-shaped configuration which reduces scrap when being made and adds to the longevity and performance of the sweep.

Abstract: The present invention has several aspects to it, one of which is the provision of a chisel point which is straight and tapered from its thinnest part at the extreme front to a thicker part at the rear thereof for causing a sweep to wear longer than prior art sweeps. This sweep also improves soil penetration and is self-sharpening. Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an earth working sweep having a front end, a right side, a left side, and a central upper portion for connecting the sweep to an implement. It also has a right rear wing portion and a left rear wing portion with an intermediate portion connecting the front end to the central upper rear portion and the left and right rear wing portions. A right edge and a left edge have concave edges on the front and convex edges on the back so as to form a somewhat S-shaped configuration which reduces scrap when being made and adds to the longevity and performance of the sweep.

Abstract: A method of making earth tilling sweeps from disc scrap including a process of cutting a plurality of circular discs side-by-side to form disc cut-outs as well as discs. Each cut-out is formed around an axis which is perpendicular to the plane of the sheet of metal from which the discs are cut. The method herein includes leaving a predetermined width of material between the disc cut-outs and a predetermined width of metal between each respective disc cut-outs on at least one of the side edges. A sweep blank is made by cutting between and through the width of metal between the cut-outs and between the one edge and each one of two adjacent cut-outs. Further cutting of the sweep blank toward its final configuration includes forming attachment openings therein. The sweep blank is then bent into a three-dimensional shape for use in tilling the earth.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a hand tool includes the steps of assembling a tool handle to a molded composite handle adapter to form a tool handle assembly, and attaching the assembly to a tool head utilizing removable fasteners. The tool handle assembly is formed by utilizing a portion of the tool handle as an insert in the mold for the handle adapter. A handle receiving socket is formed during the molding process around the inserted end of the tool handle shaft, to securely fasten the tool handle to the handle adapter. The handle adapter has an enlarged base that is seated on a platform of the tool head. Threaded fasteners, such as machine screws, are received within the handle adapter and locked in place to attach a tool handle assembly to the tool head. A shim may be disposed between the tool head and the handle adapter to facilitate use of the tool handle assembly with a number of different tool heads.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a shovel includes the steps of stamping a substantially flat shovel blade from sheet metal stock, attaching a molded composite handle adapter to the shovel blade, and fastening a tool handle to the handle adapter. The resultant shovel includes a shovel blade having a platform on an upper surface thereof and a foot tread extending the width of a rear edge of the blade, and a handle securely fixed to the blade via the handle adapter. The handle adapter has an enlarged base at a first end thereof seated on the platform of the blade, a handle receiving socket at a second end thereof, and an angular intermediate portion. A connecting stud has a first end embedded in the intermediate portion of the handle adapter, and a second end which extends into the handle receiving socket. The tool handle has an end secured within the handle receiving socket such that the second end of the connecting stud is embedded therein.

Abstract: A closed back shovel is fabricated by placing a frog within a back-side cavity of a standard open back shovel head. The frog is configured to fill the back-side cavity of the shovel blade. A tang element interconnects the frog and a forward end of a tool handle positioned within a tool receiving socket of the blade, within a handle receiving socket, to secure the tool handle to the shovel head. A process for assembling a closed back shovel includes the steps of securing the tang element to the frog, heating the tang element and placing the frog within the back-side cavity of the shovel blade so that the tang element extends into the handle receiving socket, and aligning a tool handle with the tang element by inserting the handle front end into the handle receiving socket. The tool handle includes a thermoplastic section in proximity into the front end thereof, having an elongate tang receiving channel.

Abstract: A closed back shovel is fabricated by placing a frog within a back-side cavity of a standard open back shovel head. The frog is configured to fill the back-side cavity of the shovel blade. A tang element interconnects the frog and a forward end of a tool handle positioned within a tool receiving socket of the blade, within a handle receiving socket, to secure the tool handle to the shovel head. A process for assembling a closed back shovel includes the steps of securing the tang element to the frog, heating the tang element and placing the frog within the back-side cavity of the shovel blade so that the tang element extends into the handle receiving socket, and aligning a tool handle with the tang element by inserting the handle front end into the handle receiving socket. The tool handle includes a thermoplastic section in proximity into the front end thereof, having an elongate tang receiving channel.

Abstract: A process for assembling a hand tool includes the steps of heating an elongated tang element fixed relative to the tool head, aligning a front end of a composite tool handle with a rearwardly extending portion of the tang element, and driving the heated tang element into the tool handle. The tool handle includes a thermoplastic section in proximity to the front end thereof, having an elongate tang receiving channel. The heated tang element is driven into the tang receiving channel such that as the tang element engages the tool handle, the thermoplastic section surrounding the tang receiving channel is softened and flows into intimate contact around the tang element and then hardens as the heat of the tang element is dissipated to hold the tang element in place. In one preferred form, the tang element forms a portion of the tool head which is heated and then positioned in a stationary jig.

Abstract: A shovel blade comprises a body portion having an elongated socket at its rearward end and a digging portion integral with the socket and extending laterally outwardly and forwardly therefrom. The socket has a predetermined straight portion of longitudinal extent. The digging portion includes peripheral edges having rearward sections extending outwardly from opposite sides of the socket. The rearward sections include a pair of longitudinally extending slots spaced on either side of and substantially adjacent to the socket. The peripheral edge extending laterally outwardly from each slot is bent at a substantial right angle to form a platform step.

Abstract: A hand tool, such as a shovel, having unique working head or blade and shank elements. The blade includes a dished panel transversely disposed from its longitudinal axis and flaring from rear to working end. The trough of the blade is shallower at its distal or working end than at its rear end at which the shank is secured such as by welding. The shank is of a single-walled tubular construction and includes a cut, pinched, angled end which is welded to the rear of the blade, a buckled, curved portion extending from such securement to a straight portion integrally continuing from such buckled and curved portion, to an expanded hub swedged contiguous to the other end of the shank. A tapered handle fits to and through such hub, secured by a rivet to the shank. A plane of symmetry extends throughout the tool. The invention includes method for forming tool, blade, and shank.