Metal detectors generally consist of an elongated pole with a detecting head at one end and electronic unit on the other end. They are often used over soft earth and sandy beaches to recover lost or hidden metal objects buried beneath the surface. The user may carry along a digging tool, such as a scoop or shovel, to dig through the earth or sand at a location found by the detector. The digging tool may be perforated in some cases to let loose sand or dirt pass through while retaining small solid or metal items. The operator generally needs both hands to use the digging tool so that the metal detector is laid aside. Once a metal object is detected, the operator must lay the metal detector aside and bend over or get on his knees to use the scoop or shovel. Also if the scoop or shovel comes near the metal detector it can give an erroneous reading if the scoop is made of a metal.
Different scoops have evolved which may be used for scooping up dirt and any located metallic objects. Some of these scoops include the use of sifters for letting sand, or the like, go through a sieve in order to collect objects found in the sand. These scoops, digging and sifting tools permit one to dig, scoop and sometimes sift through the various earth mediums. The process is quite tedious with the operator constantly putting the metal detector down and bending or stooping or kneeling down with a pin pointer metal detector and digging tool to locate a detected object.
In U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0321021 to Siegel, a metal detector excavation apparatus combines a hand scoop with metal detector circuit in the handle thereof for digging and locating a detected object. In the Montelione U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,281 a metal detector scoop sifter adds a sifter scoop to a metal detector by having the scoop slidable on a shaft attached to the metal shaft of the metal detector. The Podhrasky U.S. Pat. No. 7,575,065 is for a hand-held metal detector and soil excavation device for use in locating and retrieving metal objects concealed in soil.
The present invention both simplifies and speeds the process of finding detected metal objects for the user of a metal detector without the user having to bend over or stoop or get down on his knees with each detected item detected by a metal detector.
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