Earth splitter

• US 5,109,930 A
• Filed: 08/10/1990
• Issued: 05/05/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dennis K. Napier
• Original Assignee: Dennis K. Napier
• Inventors: Napier, Dennis K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reese, Randolph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMPSON, JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US07/565,955
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 172/13, 172/18, 172/371, 172/381, 172/611, 111/7.1, 111/99, 111/115, 30/277, 294/49, 294/57, 294/60, D 8/7, D 8/10, D 8/11
• US Class Current: 172/13
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 1/02 Spades; Shovels hand-operated dredgers E02F3/02

Abstract

An earth splitting tool comprised of a central shaft, a handle bar, a foot pressure bar and a wedge-shaped blade is disclosed. The blade has two primary trapezoid-shaped faces, two triangular side faces and a rectangular butt face. One primary face in the same plane as a tangent to the surface of the central shaft. The butt face has a width substantially the same as the thickness of the central shaft. The butt face may be perpendicular to the axis of the central shaft, or it may be sloped away from the perpendicular. The length of the butt face may also be substantially the same as the thickness of the central shaft.

Claims

1. A hand and foot-powered earth splitting tool, comprising:

a. An elongate, rigid central shaft having upper and lower ends;

b. A handle bar integral with and perpendicular to said central shaft at said central shaft'"'"'s upper end, said central shaft bisecting the length of said handle bar;

c. A foot pressure bar integral with and perpendicular to said central shaft near said central shaft'"'"'s lower end, said central shaft bisecting the length of said foot pressure bar, said foot pressure bar, further, residing in the same plane as said handle bar; and

,

d. A blade disposed at said central shaft'"'"'s slower end, said blade being shaped as a wedge having first and second quadrangular primary faces, third and fourth triangular side faces, and a fifth butt face integrally mated with said central shaft'"'"'s lower end and sloped away from a perpendicular relation with the axis of said central shaft, and having a width substantially the same as the thickness of said central shaft, said first and second primary faces having common lower peripheries defining a cutting edge.

2. A hand and foot-powered earth splitting tool, comprising:

a. an elongate, rigid central shaft having upper and lower ends;

b. a handle bar integral with and perpendicular to said central shaft at said central shaft'"'"'s upper end, said central shaft bisecting the length of said handle bar;

c. a foot pressure bar integral with and perpendicular to said central shaft near said central shaft'"'"'s lower end, said central shaft bisecting the length of said foot pressure bar, said foot pressure bar, further, resisting in the same plane as said handle bar; and

,

d. a blade disposed at said central shaft'"'"'s lower end, said blade being shaped as a wedge having first and second quadrangular primary faces, third and fourth triangular side faces, and a fifth quadrangular butt face integrally mated with said central shaft'"'"'s lower end and having at width substantially the same as the thickness of said central shaft, wherein one of said primary faces of said blade is disposed at a right angle to said butt face, and wherein the other of said primary faces is disposed at an acute angle to said butt face, said primary faces having common lower peripheries defining a cutting edge.

3. The earth splitting tool of claim 2, wherein said primary face disposed at a right angle to said butt face is also disposed in the same plane as a tangent to the surface of said central shaft.

4. A hand and foot-powered earth splitting tool, comprising:

a. an elongate, rigid central shaft having upper and lower ends;

b. a handle ba integral with and perpendicular to said central shaft at said central shaft'"'"'s upper end, said central shaft bisecting the length of said handle bar;

c. a foot pressure bar integral with and perpendicular to said central shaft near said central shaft'"'"'s lower end, said central shaft bisecting the length of said foot pressure bar, said foot pressure bar, further, residing in the same plane as said handle bar; and

,

d. a blade disposed at said central shaft'"'"'s lower end, said blade being shaped as a wedge having first and second quadrangular primary faces, third and fourth triangular side faces, and a fifth quadrangular but face integrally mated with said central shaft'"'"'s lower end and having a width substantially the same as the thickness of said central shaft, wherein one of said primary faces of aid blade is disposed at an acute angle to said butt face and the other of said primary faces is disposed at an obtuse angle to said butt face, and wherein said acutely angled face is also disposed in eh same plane as a tangent to the surface of said central shaft, said primary faces having common lower peripheries defining a cutting edge.

5. A hand and foot-powered earth splitting tool, comprising:

a. an elongate, rigid central shaft having upper and lower ends;

b. a handle bar integral with and perpendicular to said central shaft at said central shaft'"'"'s upper end, said central shaft bisecting the length of said handle bar;

c. a foot pressure bar integral with and perpendicular to said central shaft near said central shaft'"'"'s lower end, said central shaft bisecting the length of said foot pressure bar, said foot pressure bar, further, residing in the same plane as said handle bar; and

,

d. a blade disposed at said central shaft'"'"'s lower end, said blade being shaped as a edge having first and second quadrangular primary faces, third and fourth triangular side faces, and a fifth quadrangular butt face integrally mated with said central shaft'"'"'s lower end and having a width substantially the same as the thickness of said central shaft, wherein said third and fourth triangular side faces are shaped as right triangles, and wherein said primary faces have common lower peripheries defining a cutting edge.

6. A hand and foot-powered earth splitting tool, comprising:

a. an elongate, rigid central shaft having upper and lower ends;

b. a handle bar integral with sand perpendicular to said central shaft at said central shaft'"'"'s upper end, said central shaft bisecting the length of said handle bar;

c. a foot pressure bar integral with and perpendicular to said central shaft near said central shaft'"'"'s lower end, said central shaft bisecting the length of said foot pressure bar, said foot pressure bar, further, residing in the same plane as said handle bar; and

,

d. a blade disposed at said central shaft'"'"'s lower end, said blade being shaped as a wedge having first and second quadrangular primary faces, third and fourth triangular side faces, and a fifth quadrangular butt face integrally mated with said central shaft'"'"'s lower end and having a width substantially the same as the thickness of said central shaft, wherein said fist and second primary faces are isosceles trapezoids and said third and fourth side faces are right traingles, and wherein said butt face is bound to said central shaft in perpendicular relation to aid shaft'"'"'s axis, said primary faces having common lower peripheries defining a cutting edge.