What are the parts of a rake?
What are the parts of a rake? |
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Rakes are fairly simple hand tools, used for tasks such as clearing garden debris or turning soil. They differ greatly, depending on their intended use, but they all share a basic design of just three parts. | |||
Handle |
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The handle on most rakes is long, as it is designed to be held with both hands while standing. Hand rakes have shorter handles, so the user has to get closer to the surface being raked. Much of the strength of the tool comes from the handle. Some rakes have rubber or soft plastic grips, to make them more comfortable to hold. | |||
Head |
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The head is joined to the handle and holds the tines. The size and style of the head depends on what the rake is designed to do. Wider heads are used on rakes which need to cover large areas, such as clearing leaves from a lawn. Smaller heads are used for reaching smaller areas, for instance between plants. | |||
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Some rakes’ heads are attached to the handle at a single point, usually with a ferrule (metal collar that clamps the two parts together) or some type of bolt or screw. Other rakes use two braces, either in addition to, or instead of, the central joint. The braces support either side of the head and should give the rake a little extra strength across the head width. | |||
Tines |
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The tines of rakes are sometimes called prongs or teeth. There are many different types of tines, depending on what they are designed for. The tines may be long or short, narrow or wide, flexible or rigid, close together or spaced far apart, and squared, rounded or sharp at the end. Some tines are straight, while others are curved.
For more information see: What are the different types of rake? |
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