Gathering device for semi-precious stones

Claim 1

A STONE SCOOP FOR USE IN GATHERING STONES COMPRISING, AN ELONGATED HANDLE HAVING A HAND GRIP PORTION AT ONE END AND A LENGTH TO REACH THE GROUND WHEN THE USER IS IN A GENERALLY ERECT POSITION, A CONCAVO-CONVEX BLADE HAVING THE REAR EDGE THEREOF SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF THE HANDLE AND EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE HANDLE IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE HANDLE TO FORM AN UPWARDLY FACING POCKET FOR RECEIVING STONES WHEN THE HANDLE IS POSITIONED UPRIGHT, SAID BLADE HAVING A FORWARD EDGE AND TWO SPACED PRONGS EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM THE FORWARD EDGE AND DISPOSED AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FRONT TO REAR CENTERLINE OF THE BLADE FOR LOOSENING STONES AND FOR GUIDING STONES INTO THE POCKET FORMED BY THE BLADE, SAID BLADE HAVING AT LEAST ONE OPENING THEREIN FOR PASSING LIQUID AND FINE PARTICLES FROM THE POCKET FORMED BY THE BLADE, A SPUR EXTENDING FROM THE CONVEX SIDE OF THE BLADE ADJACENT THE REAR EDGE THEREOF, SAID SPUR EXTENDING BELOW A PLANE WHICH IS TANGENT TO THE CONVEX UNDERSIDE OF THE BLADE AND WHICH PLANE IS PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE HANDLE TO PENETRATE THE GROUND WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE HANDLE, SAID BLADE BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND AND LIMIT PENETRATION OF THE SPUR.