An Easy Rake That Rolls
If picking up leaves or grass with an old-fashioned rake gives you a pain in the back, consider the new Roll-n-Rake. It’s designed to push, not drag, lawn cuttings and leaves.
“I got aggravated with raking and tried to think of a better way,” said Roll-n-Rake inventor Bob MacIvergan of Wilmington, N.C., explaining that raking his yard had caused a back injury to flare up. “I wanted a more balanced tool, one that could be pushed.”
The result: a rolling rake that travels on 11 1/2-inch wheels, while tines gather up grass, leaves, pine needles any anything else when pushed toward them.
The overall width of the steel mechanism is 36 inches, including wheels. Its raking width is 29 inches; the height of the handles--made of chrome-plated steel tubing--can be adjusted according to the user’s height for comfort.
Several orthopedic surgeons checked out Roll-n-Rake for its manufacturer, PNI, a North Carolina specialty-tool company, and pronounced it a back-saver, said PNI president Jerry Coleman: “They said it takes the stress off the lower back and reduces the twisting motion of the hips. And it also can rake two or three times faster than a regular hand rake.”
Suggested retail price for Roll-n-Rake, which comes in forest green, is $89.95. It is available nationwide in many Ace and True Value hardware stores, selected garden shops and rental stores. If you can’t find it in your area, contact PNI, P.O. Box 1257, Wilmington, N.C. 28402. In North Carolina, call (919) 762-6334; outside the state, (800) 634-9281.
Scaled for Health
Counting calories, carbohydrates or salt content for your diet? You may want to try the latest upscale scale--a computerized, digitalized kitchen unit that does all that and more, its manufacturers say.
Sentron Health Scale, from Alpine Care, a La Puente health care products firm, gives data on individual food items, complete recipes or whole meals. It can calculate the exact amount of eight nutrients--carbohydrates, calcium, fat, cholesterol, protein, fiber, iron and sodium--as well as the caloric value of almost any food item, says Alpine Care president Elizabeth Souw. It also can keep a running total of ingredients or food items.
The Sentron also is lightweight (3 1/2 pounds) and compact (11 1/4 inches long, 10 1/4 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches high). To use it, simply place the food, say, three eggs, in a bowl atop the scale. It automatically gives the weight in grams or ounces on the digital display. Then, key in the name of the food and press the analysis buttons on the keyboard for the desired breakdown; the machine can keep a running tally of individual items in a meal.
It has a memory bank and can store data on 1,200 foods, so if you’re calculating ingredients in a recipe and err on one, you can delete it and start over; the scale will remember the rest. Sentron runs on a 12-volt power pack.
To order the scale, priced at $179, contact Alpine Care, 1232 N. Hacienda Blvd., La Puente, Calif. 91744. In California, call (818) 918-0392; outside the state, (800) 447-6822.
Holding Fast
Just on the market is the Towel Hugg’r, a plastic holder that fits over the top of a beach or lawn chair and holds your towel in place so it won’t slip or slide down when you sit on it.
The unusual holder is 12 inches wide, and fits over “95% of all beach and patio furniture manufactured in the U.S.,” according to representatives of Emmy, Emmy Inc. in Los Angeles. It won’t fit over redwood patio chairs or the high-tech ones with thin flat backs.
The Towel Hugg’r retails from $3.99 to $4.99 and comes in white and black, pink, orange, yellow and green. It’s available at May Co., Robinson’s, J. C. Penney, Broadway, and other selected department stores, gift shops and surf shops. For more information, contact Emmy, Emmy Inc., 3599 Cahuenga Blvd., Suite 420, Los Angeles, 90068; phone, (213) 850-5007.