TITLE
AN IMPROVED NAIL WEEDER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improved nail weeder. The invention particularly relates to a hoeing type of mechanical implement adapted to destroy composite weeds, namely grass, broadleaved and sedges which grow in between row of crops at different stages of crop growth. More specifically, it relates to that type of implement which utilizes the narrow multiple nails made of metal or of any other hard material, preferably iron nails in series so as to cause minimal disturbances to soil and the crop. It is manually operated in between the crop rows so as to move along the weed flushes starting from germination for its control. The device employs mechanical hoeing principle to uproot the weeds. The invention particularly relates to mechanical weeder used in agriculture called nail weeder.
Manual weeders are known in the art of being mechanical i.e. non chemical weeding for use in between row crops. The applicators utilize manual weeders viz. wheel hoes and scrappers etc. to control weeds in between row crops at the stages when crop root systems are well established. The concept inherent in these devices is to uproot the weeds from the soil as well as to dig open the soil and expose the weeds to scorching sun for death. The weeder is conventionally handled in a standing posture when the user is to pick up a weed or weeds (hereinafter collectively referred to as "weeds") in the ground by using the weeder.

In field crops, a huge amount of money is drained due to manual weeding and this would be around 30% to 40% of the total cost of cultivation and its yield loss may reach up to 90 percent if the crops remain unweeded or weeding operation is not properly done in time. It is well accepted that mechanical weed control by mechanical weeders are however preferred due to its eco-friendliness. Nail weeder having multiple nails of various sizes are used for weeding operation.
The available weeders open the soil much and expose the soil to hot sun which results into loss of soil moisture during early crop stages and death of crop seedlings in hot summer is a usual phenomena. The available conventional weeders cut the roots of particularly young and tender jute seedlings which is a serious demerit during its early growth stage (4 to 5 days after its germination), as it is a close spacing crop. The existing weeders are single, double, and triple tyne wheel hoe or scrappers (CRIJAF, Ann Report, 1979 to 2008, CIAE, Bhopal, India). The animal drawn spike tooth harrow is difficult to operate when seedlings go beyond 4-5 cm (Gupta, O.P. 2003) as it breaks the seedlings during blind weeding. Because of high draft requirement, it is difficult to operate the existing weeders (wheel hoe and scrappers) when the soil gets dry.
A typical conventional weeder includes a longitudinal cylindrical or pipe-like shaft, an operating lever means pivotally supported via a support pin to a portion of the longitudinal cylindrical shaft which is adjacent an upper end portion of the longitudinal cylindrical shaft, chuck means provided at a lower end portion of the longitudinal cylindrical shaft for pinching and pulling out weeds in the ground, and a towing wire received and extending within a longitudinal bore of the longitudinal cylindrical shaft, and coupling the operating lever means and the chuck means. When a user grasps the upper end portion of the longitudinal cylindrical shaft and manually operates the operating lever means so as to cause the operating lever means to approach an axis of the longitudinal cylindrical shaft, the chuck means is adapted to be actuated. The chuck means of the conventional weeder includes a base frame provided at the lower end

portion of the longitudinal cylindrical shaft, a first pinching piece provided at the base frame so as to extend downward from the base frame, a swinging frame pivotally supported to the base frame, and a second pinching piece provided at the swinging frame.
When the user is to pick up weeds in the ground by using the conventional weeder, the user grasps the longitudinal cylindrical shaft in a standing posture and places the first pinching piece on an area of the ground in which the weeds grow. In this condition, when the user operates the operating lever means so as to cause the operating lever means to approach the axis of the longitudinal cylindrical shaft, the swinging frame is swung, whereby the second pinching piece approaches the first pinching piece. As a result, the weeds are pinched between the first pinching piece and the second pinching piece. In this condition, when the user pulls the longitudinal cylindrical shaft up, the weeds can be pulled out.
In the conventional weeder, a grasping force of the operating lever means by the user is transmitted to the chuck means as a weed-chucking force or a weed-pinching force, whereby the weeds are strongly pinched by the first and second pinching pieces. Therefore, when the user pulls the weeder up in condition where the weeds are pinched between the pinching pieces, the weeds can be positively pulled out by the roots. When the operating lever means is released from the user's hand, the swinging frame is adapted to be swung in such a manner that the second piece is moved away from the first pinching piece. By the movement of the second pinching piece away from the first pinching piece, the weeds are released from the first and second pinching pieces.
However, the releasing of the weeds from the first and second pinching pieces is carried out with resort to the movement of the second pinching piece away from the first pinching piece, so that when the second pinching piece is moved away from the first

pinching piece, there is a possibility that the weeds and/or mud will remain attached to the first pinching piece and/or the second pinching piece
U.S. Patent No. 5,615,541 discloses a weeder which a user can operate in a standing posture when the user is to pick up weeds in the ground by using the weeder. It is known to have weeder which includes an elongated operating shaft, chuck means arranged at a lower end portion of the shaft for pulling out weeds by the roots, the chuck means including first and second chuck pawls for pinching the roots of the weeds, linkage means provided between the shaft and the chuck means, the linkage means including a pair of linkage members, grounding means for facilitating standing of the chuck means over the ground, spring means for urging the linkage means in such a direction as to cause the linkage means to be stretched, and locking means for releasably locking the linkage means and maintaining the chuck pawls of the chuck means in a closed state.
When a user is to pick up weeds in the ground by using the conventional weeder, the user grasps the operating shaft in a standing posture and places the grounding means on an area of the ground in which the weeds grow. In this condition, when the user pushes the shaft down against the ground, the first chuck pawl is stuck into the ground. When the user further pushes the shaft down against the ground, the linkage means is bent against an action of the spring means and the second chuck pawl is closed toward the first chuck pawl, whereby the weeds are pinched between the first chuck pawl and the second chuck pawl. Simultaneously, the first and second chuck pawls are maintained in the closed condition against the action of the spring means by means of the locking means.
In the conventional weeder, the pinching operation of the weeds between the chuck pawls is carried out with resort to the bending of the linkage means against the action of the spring means. Therefore, when the linkage means has play in it, there is a possibility

that the chuck pawls will be unable to pinch the weeds there between, and even if the chuck pawls can pinch the weeds, there is a possibility that the chuck pawls will be unable to pull out the weeds by the roots when the weeds take strong roots.
The present invention has been made with a view to mitigate the foregoing problems of the conventional weeders.
It is an object of this invention to provide a weeder having multiple nails, tynes of wheel hoe and scrapper blades for weeding particularly in jute field.
It is an object of this invention to provide a weeder which can securely pull out weeds from the roots even if the weeds take strong rooting.
It is another object of this invention is to provide a weeder which a user can stably operate by hand.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a weeder of eco friendliness.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a weeder having which will control germinating composite weed flora grown in between the crops rows.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a weeder having operating lever means which is simple in construction and can stably actuate chuck means for pinching weeds.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a weeder which requires low draft and can control weeds in very early stage and acts as soil mulching tool to conserve water in farming situation.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a weeder which can positively remove weeds and/or mud from the weeder, even if the weeds and/or mud remain adhering to the weeder.
It is still one more object of this invention to provide a weeder which has an advantage to kill high density germinating annual weeds after its emergence in field cops.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a weeder that is simple in construction and economical too.
The present invention provides an improved nail weeder of any suitable pattern adapted to destroy composite weeds comprising a main frame, a wheel assembly, a retainer nail assembly, a fixing bracket nail assembly and a handle bar; multiple nails, a shaft nail assembly and a holding bracket nail assembly; said nail assembly consist of a nail assembly fixing plate , a shaft nail assembly and a holding bracket nail assembly ; said retainer nail assembly being attached to said shaft nail assembly at one end and pivoted with said main frame through a pivot bracket retainer.
The said nails are made of hard materials like metal, preferably of iron and 2 to 15 in number in series so as to cause minimal disturbances to soil and the crop, said nail assembly being fixed to a bracket nail weeder and being manually operated in between the crop rows so as to move along the weed flashes.
The improved nail weeder being held within a main frame and mounted on a pair of wheels sufficiently large, preferably fitted with broad tyres, said wheel hoes are provided with blades of various shapes and sizes to adjust the requirements.
The tynes of said wheel-hoe are substantially 15 to 30 mm thick wherein about 2 to 15 nails are arranged in one to three arrays welded on a shaft to meet different hoeing

requirements including its use as motorized mode. The said nails are thiner in diameter in the range of 5 to 6 mm, preferably 6mm and said tyne width ranging from 20 to 30 mm.
An Improved nail weeder further comprises an operating lever means which is simple in construction and is stably actuate chuck for pinching weeds, wherein said wheel- hoe comprises 1 to 5 blades which is meant to be used in very narrow rows.
The said nail weeder is provided with 2 to 15 nails in series, preferably 5 to 6 with a diameter of 6 mm and it comprises a single row of nails of 6mm diameter at 2.5 to 3 cm apart.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS -
The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings accompanying the provisional specification-Fig. 1 shows a power operated conventional weeder having spike-tooth and spring-tooth cultivator;
Fig. 2a, 2b and 2c show different types of available spike-tooth harrows and are used to work in larger areas;
Fig. 3 shows an excellent type of wheel-hoe with five blades;
Fig.4 shows one with a single blade and that may be used in very narrow rows;
Fig.5 shows double-wheeled hoes which are often used particularly when it is necessary to have the implement very steady, and the wheels may straddle the rows of low plants;

Fig. 6 shows a wheel- hoe (a) single tyne and (b) double tyne (of CRIJAF, Barrackpore, WB, India);
Fig. 7a shows a schematic top and side view of the new nail weeder of the present invention; and
7b show the new nail weeder according to the present invention.
The weeder of the present invention is provided with 2 to 15 nails in a series, preferably 5 to 6 with a diameter 6 mm each which will control composite weed flora (grass, broad leaved weeds and sedges) starting from its germination in between rows crop, covering 80 to 85 % of the total cultivable area. Remaining weeds within the row crops (15 to 20 % of the total area) has to be manually weeded out. More specially, the crops where seeds are too small this equipment is an answer for its weed control in very early stage (4 to 5 days after emergence from soil).It has merits over other mechanical weeders in that, it require lower draft, controls weeds in very early stage and will act as soil mulching tool to conserve rain water in rainfed farming situation. It can also be operated when the crop is well grown and the weed flora is just germinating (2-5 mm long) in growing crop fields. It is suitable for soil water conservation in dry farming situations. It is very effective for loose soils from field capacity to dry stage. It is cheaper and convenient than the manual weeding and suitable for places where man power availability is less during peak hours. In total only 21 man days are required to hoe one hectare area whereas 150 to 200 man days are required for manual weddings twice in jute crop.
These tools are available for the tilling of the surface when crops are well established with strong root system. The spring-tooth cultivator is a most useful tool for cultivating strong-rooted crops like raspberries and blackberries and is not suitable for shallow

rooted and just germinated crops. On alluvial and loose soils, the spring-tooth harrow may follow the plough but in very hard lands, these spring-tooth harrows can only follow the disk and Acme types. These spike-tooth smoothing-harrows do for the field what the hand-rake does for the garden-bed. However, these equipments are not suitable for close spacing field crops like, jute, mesta, rice (dry land), wheat, pulses , oilseeds and garden and ornamental horticultural crops.
The animal drawn spike tooth harrow requires at least a pair of animals to draw the harrow in between the row crops but becomes difficult to operate when seedlings go beyond 4-5 cm height (Gupta, O.P. 2003) as it breaks the seedlings during blind weeding. Like power operated wedges, animal drawn harrows are also not suitable in closely space row crops
For smaller areas, in which draught animals cannot be used and which are still too large for tilling wholly by means of hoes and rakes, various types of wheel-hoes may be used. These implements are now made in great variety of patterns, to suit any taste and almost any kind of tillage. For the best results, it is essential that the wheel should be large and with a broad tire, that it may override obstacles and many of these wheel-hoes are provided with various shapes of blades, so that the implement may be adjusted to many kinds of work. Nearly all the weeding of beds of vegetable like onions and similar plants can be done by means of these wheel-hoes, if the ground is well prepared in the beginning; but it must be remembered that they are of comparatively small use on very hard and cloddy and stony lands.
The prior manual weeders (single, double and triple tyned wheel hoe or scrappers developed at CRIJAF, (Ann Report, 1979 to 2008) are only applicable when the crops are sufficiently established with their root system. While weeding, these weeders open up the soil to a greater extent thus reduces the reserve soil moisture (due to exposure to scorching sun in summer) essential for initial establishment and growth or

development of young seedlings within 15 days of its sowing and may cause death of crop due to desiccation.
In rainfed crops grown under dry and hot environment in summer season, very often crop seedlings are established with great difficulty due to scanty rainfall or drought. These weeders have high draft requirement and hence it is difficult to operate in dry soil limiting its application also in loose and moist soil when the weed has sufficiently developed root system.
To overcome the demerits of said manual weeders, a nail weeder has been developed (Figs 7a and 7b) that will control composite weed flora (grass, broadleaved and sedges) in between closely spaced row crops in larger area starting from weed germination to the late crop growth stage as long as an operator can freely move in-between the rows. This covers about 80 to 85 % of the total cultivated area. Remaining weeds along the crop rows (15 to 20 % of the cultivated area) has to be manually removed. It contains single row of narrow nails of 6 mm dia. (2 to 15 nos., preferably 5 to 6 nos.) at 2.5 to 3 cm apart.
The tynes of wheel-hoe and scrapper are in general 15 to 30 mm thick that needs higher draft while operation and opens up larger amount of soil that is detrimental to the germinating crop. The claimed weeder requires less draft while operation than the existing wheel-hoe and scrappers as the nails incorporated are narrower. This is suitable for wide range of field and horticultural crops and applicable from field capacity to dry stage.
These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
As illustrated in Fig. 7a and 7b the nail weeder comprises a main frame (1) (made of M S angle 25mm x 25mm x 5mm x 307mm long) that holds the nail assembly and wheel assembly (2), the handle (7) and the fixing bracket - nail assembly (6). The nail assembly consists of nail assembly fixing plate (9), nails (8), shaft nail assembly (10), and holding bracket nail assembly (11). The nail assembly fixing plate (9) holds the nails (8) which are rigidly welded to it. The nails are uniformly spaced at 30 mm intervals. The retainer nail assembly (5) is attached to the shaft nail assembly (10) at one end and pivoted with the main frame (1) through pivot bracket-retainer (14).
The depth control of the nail assembly can be varied by screwing in or out the fixing bolts and nuts (15) at the holding bracket- nail assembly (11). Draw bar handle i.e. handle (7) fixed to the main frame (1) at pivot bracket handle (13) and its height is adjusted with the help of angular-bracket-handle (12) to suit height adjustment as per operators' suitability. The retainer helps to absorb a part of the draft generated at the nails in maintaining stability and rigidity of the nails. The angular orientation of the nails helps it to penetrate easily for desired weed control. Thus the draft requirement of the implement is lesser than prior weeders.
IMPROVED FEATURES OF THE INVENTION
■ Two to 15 nails can be arranged in an array to meet different hoeing requirements in different type of soils. Provisions have also been made to keep three arrays of nails welded on a shaft to feet different hoeing requirements including its use in motorized mode.

■ The nails being thinner (6 mm) in diameter, draft requirement is much less than existing weeders having tyne widths ranging from 20 to 30 mm.
■ The depth of hoeing (2-3 cm only) being shallower than other weeders, it conserves soil moisture and thus acts as soil mulching tool to conserve water in rainfed farming situation. However, the depth of hoeing can be varied for varying requirements by screwing in or out the fixing bolts and nuts at the holding bracket nail assembly.
■ The implement scratches the soil superficially thus kills the germinating weeds inflicting minimum or no harm to the germinating crop seedlings (4 to 5 days after germination) in summer months.
■ It will control germinating composite weed flora in between closely spaced crop rows. With this implement weeds in about 80 to 85 % of the total cultivated area can be controlled.
■ Provisions have been kept here to attach other tynes /scrappers generally used in wheel hoe in place of nail assembly to control deep rooted weeds (sedges).
■ This implement can control weeds in very early stage (4 to 5 days after emergence from soil) of crop growth where crop root development is not sufficient to withstand much soil disturbances.
■ The Animal drawn spike tooth harrow is difficult to operate when seedlings go beyond 4-5 cm height as it breaks the seedlings during blind weeding. However, the nail weeder can be applied in between crop rows as long as an operator can move in between the rows.

EXPERIMENTAL FINDINGS
Jute crop:
The nail weeder was operated to control composite weed flora in jute fibre crop. It was observed that it has the capacity to control mixed weed flora (grass, broad leaves and some sedges eg. Cyperus difformis spp.) with out hampering the jute crop. It pulverizes the soil well and promotes aeration in soil for quick seedling establishment. It helped in producing 38 to 40 quintal jute fibre / ha when variety JRO- 204 was grown at CRIJAF. It also performed well in jute seed crop production also. About 14-21 man days are required to cover one hectare area using the new tool. It will reduce the cost of weeding by more than 50 per cent on an average. It performed well in mesta also (photograph 10 and 11).
Other field crops:
The tool was successfully used for mechanical weed control in green gram (Cv. K-851, RMG-62), cowpea, rajmash crop. It was operated for weed control in transplanted paddy and other floricultural crop successfully. The tool has been found to be effective for weed control in wide range of flowering annuals at early stage.
It will be appreciated that the nail weeder as described herein above and illustrated in the drawings is only by way of an example and not exhaustive for any modification and addition of features of said weeder should be well within the knowledge of a person skilled in the art.

We claim:-
1. An improved nail weeder of any suitable pattern adapted to destroy composite weeds comprising a main frame (01), a wheel assembly (02), a retainer nail assembly (05), a fixing bracket nail assembly (06) and a handle bar (07); multiple nails (08), a shaft nail assembly (10) and a holding bracket nail assembly (11); said nail assembly consist of a nail assembly fixing plate (09), a shaft nail assembly (10) and a holding bracket nail assembly (11); said retainer nail assembly (05) being attached to said shaft nail assembly at one end and pivoted with said main frame (01) through a pivot bracket retainer (14). a wheel assembly (02), a handle bar (07) and a fixing bracket assembly ; said assembly fixing plate (09) and said nails (08) being rigidly welded and pivoted with said main frame (01) through a pivot bracket retainer (14).
2. An improved nail weeder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said nails are made of hard materials like metal, preferably of iron and 2 to 15 in number in series so as to cause minimal disturbances to soil and the crop, said nail assembly being fixed to a bracket nail weeder and being manually operated in between the crop rows so as to move along the weed flashes.
3. An improved nail weeder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said nail weeder being held within a main frame (01) and mounted on a pair of wheel-hoes (02) sufficiently large, preferably fitted with broad tyres, said wheel hoes are provided with blades of various shapes and sizes to adjust the requirements.
4. An improved nail weeder as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein tynes of said wheel-hoe are substantially 15 to 30 mm thick

5. An improved nail weeder as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein about 2 to 15 nails are arranged in three arrays welded on a shaft to meet different hoeing requirements including its use as motorized mode.
6. An improved nail weeder as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein said nails being thiner in diameter in the range of 5 to 6 mm, preferably 6mm and said tyne width ranging from 20 to 30 mm.
7. An Improved nail weeder as claimed in claim in claim 1 or 2 which further comprises an operating lever means which is simple in construction and stably actuate chuck means for pinching weeds.
8. An Improved nail weeder as claimed in claim in claim any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said wheel- hoe comprises 1 to 5 blades which is meant to be used in very narrow rows.
9. An Improved nail weeder as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein said nail weeder is provided with 2 to 15 nails in series, preferably 5 to 6 with a diameter of 6 mm.
10. An Improved nail weeder as claimed in claim 6 wherein it comprises a single of narrow nails of 6mm diameter at 2.5 to 3 cm apart.