Spade

The spade is used to excavation work primarily tools (garden tools) consisting of the flat spade blade and connected to that spade handle. The spade is regarded as a special form of the blade.

Construction and use

The spade is mainly for the purpose of tillage, that is used for loosening, moving and turning ( digging ) in culture with or to participating soils (called spade culture ) were used.

The spade blade should be adapted in size and shape of the soil and the forces of the user. The heavier ( clayey ) is the in-situ soil, the smaller the spade blade to be used should fail. There are two basic forms of sheet, rectangular with straight or slightly arcuate Einstechkante for homogeneous, stone -poor soils, and triangular or semi-circular front pointed leaves for stony soils. The Anstechkante is sharpened and hardened the blade. The spade is used especially in resolving compacted soil, while the spade blade is pushed or kicked into the ground.

The execution of the performance edge is adjacent to the steel quality an essential quality, as their production requires a further operation, and " Lost " with cheap products will. The performance edge improves the force transmission from the shoe to the device, sharp edges, easily lead to the cutting of the soles and cause pain during prolonged work. In some embodiments, the appearance of the sheet edge is flanged or it is simplified a cut pipe attached and firmly hammered.

The spade handle the modern spade is clamped usually by riveting firmly in the spade blade. As a handle shape there are in addition to the simple knob the spade grip as T- or D-handle. The handle having an optimum length when the perpendicular erected on the earth spade extends to the bottom rib of the user.

A human operator can dig with a spade in the hour on light soils about 30 m² and on heavy soils, only about 15 m². Although detachable floor and bulk material can also be moved with the spade, advantageously a shovel is due to the better performance to this but used. Where the spade from no longer to solve the ground because, for instance, make stones or roots of its use excessively difficult or impossible, so can a pimple ( pickaxe ) previously used for loosening.

Special shapes

• The Rodespaten or " Aushebespaten " has because of the high loads during Roden or transplanting of trees ( pry out the root ball ) a particularly stable spade blade, usually long and narrow (40 cm or more) and a strong, thick stalk. He is, therefore, especially in agriculture and horticulture and landscaping use.
• Torfspaten: For cutting peat served a spade with extra long blade, so comes the formerly typical long brick shape of the Heiztorfs. In the Oldenburg region of Pann is called.
• Conifers godparents have a particularly narrow blade to work in tight spaces.
• Feldspars: Military spade model, which is mostly performed in a leather or leatherette case the coupling of the soldiers with him and is much smaller than a normal spade.
• A folding shovel is a relatively smaller and lighter spade, its metallic handle can be folded so that it is easy and space-saving transport. It is used especially in the military, for camping or outdoor activities.
• Half Godfather: prehistoric wooden spade with only one shoulder. It has been found such a device made ​​of maple ( and a wooden hoe ) in a fountain Erkelenzer the Linear ceramist. (Source: Bild der Wissenschaft 1995)
• Fork spade, also called digging fork: The spade blade is pierced as with a fork, but with mostly three or four about 2-3 cm wide tines. The fork spade is the same used the spade to turn the soil, and is similar in function to the - angled - Karst.
• Hole sponsors, also known as Erdlochausheber, foxhole shovel, hole in the ground jack or hand excavator, consists of two opposing half shells, which allow the vertical digging a hole - is usually used for setting fence posts and in a reduced form for the insertion of flower bulbs. For setting of fence posts and auger are used.
• A lawn edger is a spade with a straight, not curved blade and is usually pointed forward. It is used for producing a straight seal between the lawn and a flower bed, path or a mulched tree pane.
• Spade with stainless steel blade or with copper-plated surface are advertised as particularly smoothly. Stainless steel blades are sometimes softer and more flexible than sheets of stainless steel, in case of overload does not break the stem, but the sheet is after.

Military feldspars from the early 20th century

History

Historically broke the spade from the grave floor for primary tillage in agriculture until it was itself replaced by the plow. When trenches ( three spade digging deep ) it can be (for example, in the wine ) even today not consistently replaced by deep plow. In horticulture, particularly in the leisure sector, the spade is also in the topsoil tillage ( one spade deep ) continue to be used.

When two Dutch spade is dug deep. The transform grave end piece of land is staked into strips. If, the mold layer from the first strip to the end of the piece, then the first strip to digging, and sets the humus layer of the second strip on it, then the second strip to digging, etc.

Even in civil engineering and earthworks were dug before the mechanization with spade and bucket foundations, excavations, and even channels. Roman legionaries built with spade ditches and banks for camp as well as 2,000 years later modern soldiers trenches and shelters. In the building industry is today carried the classic combination of spade, pick and shovel even for smaller works or fine and associated dredging works, such as when you need to " work around " to utility lines, power lines or postal cable.