Tools and methods for retrieving buried coins and other treasure
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
A01B-035/16
A01B-035/00
출원번호
US-0858604
(2004-06-02)
발명자
/ 주소
Michael,Kenneth E.
출원인 / 주소
Michael,Kenneth E.
대리인 / 주소
Armstrong, Kratz, Quintos, Hanson &
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
4인용 특허 :
21
초록▼
A "sod saver" tool for digging to acquire an object buried in the ground, and a non-metallic scraping tool utilized when carefully examining the soil. The sod saver tool includes a main cylindrical body rotated about its longitudinal axis for digging a substantially cylindrical plug of soil from the
A "sod saver" tool for digging to acquire an object buried in the ground, and a non-metallic scraping tool utilized when carefully examining the soil. The sod saver tool includes a main cylindrical body rotated about its longitudinal axis for digging a substantially cylindrical plug of soil from the ground, the object being contained in the plug of soil, and a plurality of circumferentially-disposed resilient non-metallic fingers located at a bottom portion of the main cylindrical body. When the digging of the plug is being performed, the resilient fingers tend to spread radially outward from the longitudinal axis of the main cylindrical body, being deflected away from directly hitting and scratching the buried object, tend to generally direct the soil upwardly into the main cylindrical body, and tend to cause the plug to be substantially-compacted and cylindrical. The compacted plug may be easily reinserted into a hole in the ground. The sod saver tool also includes a rod with markings for setting a digging level, with a retractable cutting tool with teeth attached to the rod.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. A method of digging a hole in soil to acquire an object without damaging the object, the method comprising: setting a digging level of a hand-held digging tool according to a detected amount of the soil covering the object, the setting being performed by sliding a rod through
What is claimed is: 1. A method of digging a hole in soil to acquire an object without damaging the object, the method comprising: setting a digging level of a hand-held digging tool according to a detected amount of the soil covering the object, the setting being performed by sliding a rod through a main body of the digging tool to a first position corresponding to the detected amount, wherein a cutting tool is secured to an end of the rod; arranging the digging tool so that a plurality of fingers of the digging tool encircle a surface of the soil covering the object, the fingers being flexible and non-metallic; pushing the digging tool down toward the soil, and rotating the digging tool around an axis substantially parallel to a body of the digging tool, wherein the fingers extend down toward the soil; when the pushing and rotating are performed, digging the fingers through the surface of the soil; when the fingers encounter an obstacle in the soil, arranging the digging tool so that the fingers encircle the soil covering the object, sliding the rod down through the main body of the digging tool toward the fingers to a second position to advance the cutting tool and place the cutting tool in contact with the obstacle, and rotating the rod around the axis substantially parallel to the body of the digging tool to operate the cutting tool to cut through the obstacle; when the cutting tool cuts the obstacle, sliding the rod from the second position to the first position, and arranging the digging tool so that the fingers encircle the soil covering the object; pushing the digging tool toward the soil, and rotating the digging tool around the axis substantially parallel to the body of the digging tool, until the cutting tool contacts the surface fo the soil; when the cutting tool contacts the surface of the soil, which indicates that the digging has reached through the predetermined amount of the soil, lifting the digging tool up and automatically holding a quantity of the soil inside the digging tool, wherein the object is contained inside the held soil; incrementally advancing the rod toward the fingers a predetermined distance to push a portion of the held soil out from the digging tool, the incremental advancing being performed by pulling a lever on the digging tool; and separating the soil from the object with a non-metallic scraping tool. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: removing a cover from the cutting tool when the fingers encounter the obstacle in the soil; and placing the cover back on the cutting tool after the cutting tool cuts the obstacle, so that the cover is disposed between the soil and the cutting tool. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the cover is held to the cutting tool on the interior of the body of the digging tool by a magnetic force, and the cover is held to the digging tool on an exterior of the body by a magnetic force. 4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: after the digging tool is lifted up with the quantity of soil held inside the digging tool, placing a protector over a hole formed in the soil by the digging tool, wherein the protector has a screen, the screen being formed to allow small pieces of soil to fall through the screen into the hole and to prevent large pieces of soil from falling through the screen into the hole; when the rod is incrementally advanced toward the fingers a predetermined distance to push a portion of the held soil out from the digging tool, positioning the digging tool so that the soil pushed out of the digging tool is directed to the screen of the protector, wherein the separating of the soil from the object with the non-metallic scraping tool is performed over the screen which is over the hole; and when the object is acquired from the soil, placing the soil back into the hole and placing the protector over the fingers of the digging tool to protect the fingers. 5. A hand-held digging tool for digging a hole in soil to acquire an object without damaging the object, the digging tool comprising: a body having a cylindrical shape, a hollow interior, an open front end, and a wall at a back end; a plurality of fingers at the front end of the body, the fingers being formed of a non-metallic and flexible material, the fingers digging the hole in the soil when the body is pushed down toward the soil and is rotated around an axis of the body; a rod slidably extending through the wall, the rod having a front and a back end on opposite sides of the wall, the back end of the rod being located outside the body, the back end of the rod having markings corresponding to predetermined digging depths; and a cutting tool having a cylindrical hollow shape, the cutting tool being secured to the front end of the rod, the cutting tool being retracted in the interior of the body when the fingers are digging the hole, wherein when the front end of the rod is pushed toward the open front end of the body to advance the cutting tool to contact soil or an obstacle at the open front end of the body, and the rod is rotated around the axis of the body, the cutting tool cuts through the soil or obstacle. 6. A hand-held digging tool for digging to acquire an object buried in the ground, the object being located by a metal detector, the tool comprising: a main cylindrical body being rotated about its longitudinal axis for digging a substantially cylindrical plug of soil from the ground, the object being contained in the plug of soil, and a plurality of circumferentially-disposed resilient fingers being located at a bottom portion of the main cylindrical body, wherein when the digging of the plug is being performed, the resilient fingers tend to spread radially of the longitudinal axis of the main cylindrical body, being deflected away from directly hitting and scratching the buried object, tend to generally direct the soil upwardly into the main cylindrical body, and tend to cause the plug to be substantially-compacted and cylindrical, wherein the compacted plug may be easily reinserted into a hole in the ground, further comprising: a rod disposed within the main cylindrical body, the rod having a first end connected to the cutting tool within the main cylindrical body and an opposite second end extending outwardly from the main cylindrical body and connected to a handle; and a plurality of markings on the rod externally of the main cylindrical body, the markings corresponding to predetermined digging depths. 7. The digging tool of claim 6, further comprising a lock unit connected to the rod to retain the rod at a desired digging depth.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (21)
Richter David L. (Ponca City OK) Kasl Michael C. (Ponca City OK) Overman David (Ponca City OK) Wilson Joel F. (Ponca City OK), Apparatus and method for obtaining subterranean samples.
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