US3804450A — Multi-purpose hand tool

Claim 1

Independent Claim 275 words

A multi-purpose hand tool comprising: a scoop section having a flat rearwardly thickened bottom with a planar underside, elongate longitudinally extending substantially upright slightly upwardly divergent sides, an arcuate semicircular end wall or heel merging arcuately with said bottom and said sides and gradually thickened rearwardly from said sides to its central thickest portion, and an open end opposite said heel; a downwardly and outwardly inclined cutting edge formed on said bottom at said open end perpendicular to said sides; rearwardly and upwardly inclined outwardly beveled cutting edges on each side at the ends thereof at the open end of the scoop section and merging smoothly with said cutting edge on said bottom; an elongate handle formed integrally at one end with the central thickened portion of said arcuate end wall of said scoop section opposite said open end, the other end of said handle being pointed, the longitudinal axis of said handle being inclined slightly upwardly from the thickest central portion of said heel at an angle to the planar underside of said bottom and in substantial longitudinal alignment with the downwardly and outwardly inclined cutting edge on the bottom at the open end of the scoop section to substantially intersect said cutting edge; said handle being formed with a plurality of longitudinally spaced ellipsoidal enlargements providing a plurality of longitudinally spaced grip means thereon intermediate its ends and having one grip means at the end opposite the scoop section and merging into said pointed end, and another of said plurality of grip means being formed medially between and spaced from said one grip means and said thickened central portion of said arcuate heel.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 275 words

A multi-purpose hand tool comprising: a scoop section having a flat rearwardly thickened bottom with a planar underside, elongate longitudinally extending substantially upright slightly upwardly divergent sides, an arcuate semicircular end wall or heel merging arcuately with said bottom and said sides and gradually thickened rearwardly from said sides to its central thickest portion, and an open end opposite said heel; a downwardly and outwardly inclined cutting edge formed on said bottom at said open end perpendicular to said sides; rearwardly and upwardly inclined outwardly beveled cutting edges on each side at the ends thereof at the open end of the scoop section and merging smoothly with said cutting edge on said bottom; an elongate handle formed integrally at one end with the central thickened portion of said arcuate end wall of said scoop section opposite said open end, the other end of said handle being pointed, the longitudinal axis of said handle being inclined slightly upwardly from the thickest central portion of said heel at an angle to the planar underside of said bottom and in substantial longitudinal alignment with the downwardly and outwardly inclined cutting edge on the bottom at the open end of the scoop section to substantially intersect said cutting edge; said handle being formed with a plurality of longitudinally spaced ellipsoidal enlargements providing a plurality of longitudinally spaced grip means thereon intermediate its ends and having one grip means at the end opposite the scoop section and merging into said pointed end, and another of said plurality of grip means being formed medially between and spaced from said one grip means and said thickened central portion of said arcuate heel.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 82 words

A hand garden implement as described in claim 1 wherein the thickened end wall or heel portion of said scoop section has rounded upper edges and is sufficiently thick to provide a third gripping means on said rear end of said scoop section for driving the pointed end of the handle as a pick or dibble, said medial grip means on said handle being spaced from said third grip means formed by said semicircular end wall or heel or said scoop section.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 66 words

A hand tool of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein the pointed outer end of handle is disposed at a slight angle to the longitudinal axis of the handle in a direction toward the plane in which the flat bottom of the blade lies, whereby the point does not injure the hand of the user when the tool is used for chopping or digging.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 198 words

A smoothly shaped one-piece hand tool comprising in combination: a flat bottomed blade or scoop having a straight front cutting edge and a rearwardly thickened bottom, with sides extending upwardly slightly divergently at an obtuse angle with respect to said flat bottom, said sides having sharp rearwardly inclined sloping front edges thereon and with the rear end portions of said sides curving and converging inwardly together with gradually increasing thickness to form on and with said blade or scoop a thick U-shaped smoothly formed heel thereon having rounded upper edges, the thickest mid-portion of said U-shaped heel having smoothly formed and joined therewith an elongate handle extending outwardly and upwardly at a slight angle to the flat bottom of said blade or scoop and with its longitudinal axis aligned to intersect the cutting edge at the front of the flat bottom of said blade or scoop, said handle having a plurality of longitudinally spaced smoothly shaped ellipsoidal gripping areas thereon, one near the outer end of said handle merging into a pointed end and another intermediate and spaced longitudinally medially of said handle from said one ellipsoidal gripping area and said U-shaped heel of said blade or scoop.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 198 words

A smoothly shaped one-piece hand tool comprising in combination: a flat bottomed blade or scoop having a straight front cutting edge and a rearwardly thickened bottom, with sides extending upwardly slightly divergently at an obtuse angle with respect to said flat bottom, said sides having sharp rearwardly inclined sloping front edges thereon and with the rear end portions of said sides curving and converging inwardly together with gradually increasing thickness to form on and with said blade or scoop a thick U-shaped smoothly formed heel thereon having rounded upper edges, the thickest mid-portion of said U-shaped heel having smoothly formed and joined therewith an elongate handle extending outwardly and upwardly at a slight angle to the flat bottom of said blade or scoop and with its longitudinal axis aligned to intersect the cutting edge at the front of the flat bottom of said blade or scoop, said handle having a plurality of longitudinally spaced smoothly shaped ellipsoidal gripping areas thereon, one near the outer end of said handle merging into a pointed end and another intermediate and spaced longitudinally medially of said handle from said one ellipsoidal gripping area and said U-shaped heel of said blade or scoop.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 67 words

A hand tool of the character set forth in claim 3 wherein the pointed outer end of the handle is disposed at a slight angle to the longitudinal axis of the handle in a direction toward the plane in which the flat bottom of the blade lies, whereby the point does not injure the hand of the user when the tool is used for chopping or digging.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-04-15	1977-10-15	1978-04-16	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-04-15	1981-10-15	1982-04-16	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-04-15	1985-10-15	1986-04-16	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Multi-purpose hand tool

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