CA1072312A - Combination hedge trimmer and clippings collector - Google Patents
Combination hedge trimmer and clippings collectorInfo
- Publication number
- CA1072312A CA1072312A CA305,678A CA305678A CA1072312A CA 1072312 A CA1072312 A CA 1072312A CA 305678 A CA305678 A CA 305678A CA 1072312 A CA1072312 A CA 1072312A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- hedge trimmer
- clippings
- enclosure
- combination
- handle
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Abstract
COMBINATION HEDGE TRIMMER AND CLIPPINGS COLLECTOR
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A portable device for trimming hedges, shrubs and trees, cutting grass etc. in which an integral clippings collector is provided. The device features a hedge trimmer consisting of reciprocating blades, a generally cylindrical rotatable brush juxtaposed with the hedge trimmer, and a baffle so disposed in relation to the hedge trimmer and brush that severed portions of the vegetation are directed to an enclosure in which the severed portions are collected. In a preferred embodiment the enclosure may be periodically emptied of accumulated vegetation by pivoting a panel portion of the enclosure about one edge thereof.
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A portable device for trimming hedges, shrubs and trees, cutting grass etc. in which an integral clippings collector is provided. The device features a hedge trimmer consisting of reciprocating blades, a generally cylindrical rotatable brush juxtaposed with the hedge trimmer, and a baffle so disposed in relation to the hedge trimmer and brush that severed portions of the vegetation are directed to an enclosure in which the severed portions are collected. In a preferred embodiment the enclosure may be periodically emptied of accumulated vegetation by pivoting a panel portion of the enclosure about one edge thereof.
Description
7~;3 ,.~ I I
I! BI~CKGI~OUND OF 'I'l-lE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention A portable device for both trimming vegetation and for concomitantly collec-ting t-he resultant clippings.
I! BI~CKGI~OUND OF 'I'l-lE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention A portable device for both trimming vegetation and for concomitantly collec-ting t-he resultant clippings.
2. Descriptio of the Frior ~rt ll Most commercial portable hedge and shrub trimmers are I! not furnished with an integral clippinqs collector. Such appurten-iances are common however in the case of lawn mowers such as the ¦well known rotary power mowers. In this case a simple catch bag D ¦is provided behind the mower, with the grass clippings simply ¦being flung, thrown or pushed into the bag.
jl The advantages of providing an integral clippings col-¦llector in conjunction with a portable hedge and shrub trimme~ are ¦Inumerous, and the prior art has suggested several configurations of feasible clippings collectors.
¦, Among the pertinent prior art in this field may be mentioned U.S. patents nos. 3,916,521; 3,795,050; 3,552,013; ¦
i! 3,073,025; 2,747,276; 2,281,189; and 1,833,246; and British patents ¦! nos. 632,539 and 618,339. These prior art patents generally pro-~¦ vide bulky and heavy configurations, albeit por-tability is contem-¦Iplated. Generally there is nothing to prevent clippings from fall ling back out of the devices if they are tipped forwards. In this ¦case, the clippings will fly out of the device due to brush action and will be widely scattered and dispersed~ Generally thes~-prior lart devices are not amenable to cutting the sides of hedges or ¦,shrubs, and they are heavy in weight which necessitates the pro-vision of straps etc. for mounting the device on the person of the¦
operator, rather than beiny truly lightweight enough to be com- ¦
pletely portable.
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SUM~RY OF T~IE IllVE;NTION , ¦~ 1. Purposes of the Inven-tion jl It is an objec-t of the present invention to provide an ,improved eombination hedge trimmer and clippings collector.
¦1 Another objeet is to preven-t severed vegetation from ¦¦being dispersed onto the ground, or onto hedges or shrubs or the llike, when being cut with a hedc~e trimmer.
' A further object is to provide a lightweight portable Ihedge trimmer and elippings eolleetor.
I An additional object is to provide an improved hedge ¦trimmer-with integral elippings collector.
Still another objeet is to provide a hedge trimmer and elippings eolleetor in whicll the jamming or clogging of the deviee lldue to aecumulation of clippings is effeetively prevented.
!l Still a further object is to provide a hedge trimmer ¦land elippings collector which may be operated at an angle to the !' horizontal plane without having collected elippings fall out oE ij ~¦the deviee or back onto the hedge trimmer blades.
! Still an additional object is to provide a hedge trim-¦ mer and elippings eollector which may be tipped ~orwards, or inelined rearwards, or employed in a sideways vertical orientation to eut the sides of hedges, shrubs or the like, without having aeeumulated elippings fall out oE the elippings eolleetor seetion !oE the deviee.
¦l ~n object is to provide a hedge trimmer ~nd clippings I
!I eolleetor in which elippings are immediately and permanently re- j Ij~ , i Imoved and separated from the hedge trimmer portion oE the device.
¦l An object of the invention is to provicle an improvecl device for the tri~ing or cutting of le~ves, twigs, vines, : I! , ...... i 1! ~ 3 - !
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z3~z ¦iexcessive grow-th, branches, ~lades or shoots from hedges, shrubs;
jgrass and/or weeds growth such as in parks, lawns, farms or c~meter Ijies; or from trees, bushes and the like vegetati.on.
ij These and other objects and advantages of the present jinvention will become evident from the description which follows.
¦ 2. Brief Description of the InventLon Within the context of the present invention, the term ¦hedge trimmer will be understood to encompass and include a mech- j ¦anical device provided with a plurality o~ ~uxtaposed blades, for the trimming or cutting of leaves, twigs, vines, branches, shoots, pr any form of excessi.ve growth of vegetation, from hedges, shrubs, ushes, trees, or from grass and/or weeds growth, such as in parks, ~awns, farms, cemeteries, or about and around private homes and lother dwellings.
¦1 In the present invention,a combination hedge trimmer and clippings collector is provided which includes a generally linear, i.e. straight, slightly curved, arcuate or C-shaped, hedge ¦
ifrimmer portion. The hedge trimmer portion in any case consists essentially of a plurality of juxtaposed blades to~ether with means .~ ~ to reciprocate the blades. Although reciprocation per se of the blades is the usual practice in hedge trimmer specification and de-¦
ign, within the context of the present invention reciprocation wil~
¦be understood to encompass and include not only conventional oppose~
shearing movement of adjacent blades relative to each other, but also a chain saw type of motion of the blades, i.e. in a continuous looped path. In any event, the blades are movable relative to sta-! I
tionary vegetation so that at least a portion of the vegetation may ibe severed from connection to ground. In most instances, gaps be- ¦
Itween the teeth or blades of the hedge trir~er ~rab and pull branch `` !! ' I; I
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¦or other vegeta-tion intc~ cutting grooves. Typically ~he blade is a ¦Isingle or double edged toothed blade of alloy s~el which provid~s thousands of cUts per minute. The blade or blades are driven in most ins-tances by an electric motor which receives power from Iordinary house current (cord-type) or from rechargeable batteries ¦
¦¦(cordless type) . .
The present device further includes a generally cylin-drical brush means which is of any generally c~ylindrical configura-ition, e.g. a plurality of parallel linear, spiral or circular rows 1~ !f tufts of bristles which extend outwards from an inner attach-¦ment to a rigid support such as a metal pipe or cylinder. In any case the brush means is rotatable abou-t its cen-tral axis 50 that the tufts describe circular paths and a cylindrical sweepinc3 action is attained. The central axis of the brush means is oriented sub-stantially parallel to the hedge trimmer.
In accordance with the present invention, a baffle of ¦specific orientation relative to the balance of the elements in the ¦Idevice is provided. One edge of the baffle is juxtaposed with the¦
I! hedge trimrner, and the baffle is disposed aboùt a portion of the circular path of motion of the terminal ends of the brush means, so ¦¦that these terminal ends of the tufts of the brush means are con-¦¦tiguous with the baffle during a portion of the rotation of the ¦Ibrush means.
An enclosure is provided about and extending from the ,terminus of the baffle, such terminus beiny spac~d away from the hedge trimmer portion of the device. Thus -the severed portion of !
Il the vegetation is directed by the brush means to a disposition ¦l first adjacent to, and then contiguous with, the aforernentioned ji baffle. Thereafter, -the severed portion of thc vegetation is - ' ' ~''''1 ! !
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discharged by the brush means from ju~taposition with the baf1e and in~:o the enclosure, wherein the successive clippings, i.e. .
severed portions of the veyetation, are accumulated.
, The device is completed in itS broadest embodiment by the provision of suitable means to periodically remove accumulated ¦
llsevered portions of the vegetation from the enclosure, as well as ¦jby the provision of suitable means to manipulate the hedge trimmer ¦¦So that the plurality of juxtaposed blades are brought in contact ¦iwith further portions of stationary vegetation to be severed from connection to ground.
I The brush means generally will consist of a plurality ¦of juxtaposed tufts, each of such tufts consisting of a plurality lof contiguous linear bristles, fibers or strands, with the tufts ¦extending radially outwards from the central axis of the brush means as mentioned supra. However, the brush means may alternative1ly consist of any type of cylindrical brush configuration, e.g. one in which the individual tufts or bristles are mounted on a plurality Ij of parallel linear slats or holders which are spaced apart and ¦¦oriented so as to define a cylindrical configuration, with the slats ¦Ibeing attached by rods or the like to a central shaft or axle which ¦lin turn is rotated by suitable driving means.
The hedge trimmer in a preferred embodiment will con-sist of at least two rows of blades, with the blades in each row being spaced apart from each other, and with the two rows of bladec l being contiguous. Reciprocating motion oE one row of blades rela-¦
lltive to the next in this case provides the cutting ac-tion. In most 'instances the hedye trimmer will be o~ straight line form, however j other configurations such as a sliyh-t].y bowed, curved or arcuate '', linear hedge trimmer may be employed, in which case the vegetation I~ I
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.~ . ,, '1 being trimmed or cut would be urged inwards into thc blacles or teeth area, the center of the hedye trimmer in this case being rear-ards of the path of cuttincJ action.
Any sui-table means -to rotate the brush means about its i 'lcentral axis may be provided, however typically such rotation means, lincludes a motor and a shaEt, with the motor rotating the shaft and l'the shaft extending from the motor to connection with the central ¦laxis of the brush means. The shaft wi]l usually be a rigid member I
¦of straight line form, and in this case the shaft will be coaxial with the central axis of the brush means. Elowever, alternatively ~the drive shaft may be a flexible linear shaft within an annular ~casing, with the flexible linear shaft being curved to accommodate ¦
I for the relative dispositions of the motor and brush means.
The enclosure may be of any suitable configuration to accommodate the terminal dimension of the baffle and the path of travel of the severed portions of vegekation, however preferably ~!the enclosure is of generally rectangular parallelepiped form.
~Typically the enclosure is provided with a movable panel, which when shut allows for the accumulation of clippings, i.e. severed ~I,portions of vegetation, and which when open permits the dumping ofi ¦,accumulated clippings of severed portions of vegetation into a ¦,trash bin or can or for other suitable disposal of the clippings, which clippings in some instances of home gardening will be added to a compost heap or pile. The movable panel may be slidably ad-justable in grooves to alternate open and shut position, however ,iin a preferred embodiment the movable panel is adjustable to alter ! nate open and shut positions by the provision oE suitable means to manually pivot the movable panel about one edge thereof.
A unique configuration of means to pivot the movable
jl The advantages of providing an integral clippings col-¦llector in conjunction with a portable hedge and shrub trimme~ are ¦Inumerous, and the prior art has suggested several configurations of feasible clippings collectors.
¦, Among the pertinent prior art in this field may be mentioned U.S. patents nos. 3,916,521; 3,795,050; 3,552,013; ¦
i! 3,073,025; 2,747,276; 2,281,189; and 1,833,246; and British patents ¦! nos. 632,539 and 618,339. These prior art patents generally pro-~¦ vide bulky and heavy configurations, albeit por-tability is contem-¦Iplated. Generally there is nothing to prevent clippings from fall ling back out of the devices if they are tipped forwards. In this ¦case, the clippings will fly out of the device due to brush action and will be widely scattered and dispersed~ Generally thes~-prior lart devices are not amenable to cutting the sides of hedges or ¦,shrubs, and they are heavy in weight which necessitates the pro-vision of straps etc. for mounting the device on the person of the¦
operator, rather than beiny truly lightweight enough to be com- ¦
pletely portable.
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SUM~RY OF T~IE IllVE;NTION , ¦~ 1. Purposes of the Inven-tion jl It is an objec-t of the present invention to provide an ,improved eombination hedge trimmer and clippings collector.
¦1 Another objeet is to preven-t severed vegetation from ¦¦being dispersed onto the ground, or onto hedges or shrubs or the llike, when being cut with a hedc~e trimmer.
' A further object is to provide a lightweight portable Ihedge trimmer and elippings eolleetor.
I An additional object is to provide an improved hedge ¦trimmer-with integral elippings collector.
Still another objeet is to provide a hedge trimmer and elippings eolleetor in whicll the jamming or clogging of the deviee lldue to aecumulation of clippings is effeetively prevented.
!l Still a further object is to provide a hedge trimmer ¦land elippings collector which may be operated at an angle to the !' horizontal plane without having collected elippings fall out oE ij ~¦the deviee or back onto the hedge trimmer blades.
! Still an additional object is to provide a hedge trim-¦ mer and elippings eollector which may be tipped ~orwards, or inelined rearwards, or employed in a sideways vertical orientation to eut the sides of hedges, shrubs or the like, without having aeeumulated elippings fall out oE the elippings eolleetor seetion !oE the deviee.
¦l ~n object is to provide a hedge trimmer ~nd clippings I
!I eolleetor in which elippings are immediately and permanently re- j Ij~ , i Imoved and separated from the hedge trimmer portion oE the device.
¦l An object of the invention is to provicle an improvecl device for the tri~ing or cutting of le~ves, twigs, vines, : I! , ...... i 1! ~ 3 - !
11 !
.~ . . . . ... . . .. ...
'''''^ 1~ . ''I
z3~z ¦iexcessive grow-th, branches, ~lades or shoots from hedges, shrubs;
jgrass and/or weeds growth such as in parks, lawns, farms or c~meter Ijies; or from trees, bushes and the like vegetati.on.
ij These and other objects and advantages of the present jinvention will become evident from the description which follows.
¦ 2. Brief Description of the InventLon Within the context of the present invention, the term ¦hedge trimmer will be understood to encompass and include a mech- j ¦anical device provided with a plurality o~ ~uxtaposed blades, for the trimming or cutting of leaves, twigs, vines, branches, shoots, pr any form of excessi.ve growth of vegetation, from hedges, shrubs, ushes, trees, or from grass and/or weeds growth, such as in parks, ~awns, farms, cemeteries, or about and around private homes and lother dwellings.
¦1 In the present invention,a combination hedge trimmer and clippings collector is provided which includes a generally linear, i.e. straight, slightly curved, arcuate or C-shaped, hedge ¦
ifrimmer portion. The hedge trimmer portion in any case consists essentially of a plurality of juxtaposed blades to~ether with means .~ ~ to reciprocate the blades. Although reciprocation per se of the blades is the usual practice in hedge trimmer specification and de-¦
ign, within the context of the present invention reciprocation wil~
¦be understood to encompass and include not only conventional oppose~
shearing movement of adjacent blades relative to each other, but also a chain saw type of motion of the blades, i.e. in a continuous looped path. In any event, the blades are movable relative to sta-! I
tionary vegetation so that at least a portion of the vegetation may ibe severed from connection to ground. In most instances, gaps be- ¦
Itween the teeth or blades of the hedge trir~er ~rab and pull branch `` !! ' I; I
'1 i~lZ'3~2 , I
~1 , .... .
¦or other vegeta-tion intc~ cutting grooves. Typically ~he blade is a ¦Isingle or double edged toothed blade of alloy s~el which provid~s thousands of cUts per minute. The blade or blades are driven in most ins-tances by an electric motor which receives power from Iordinary house current (cord-type) or from rechargeable batteries ¦
¦¦(cordless type) . .
The present device further includes a generally cylin-drical brush means which is of any generally c~ylindrical configura-ition, e.g. a plurality of parallel linear, spiral or circular rows 1~ !f tufts of bristles which extend outwards from an inner attach-¦ment to a rigid support such as a metal pipe or cylinder. In any case the brush means is rotatable abou-t its cen-tral axis 50 that the tufts describe circular paths and a cylindrical sweepinc3 action is attained. The central axis of the brush means is oriented sub-stantially parallel to the hedge trimmer.
In accordance with the present invention, a baffle of ¦specific orientation relative to the balance of the elements in the ¦Idevice is provided. One edge of the baffle is juxtaposed with the¦
I! hedge trimrner, and the baffle is disposed aboùt a portion of the circular path of motion of the terminal ends of the brush means, so ¦¦that these terminal ends of the tufts of the brush means are con-¦¦tiguous with the baffle during a portion of the rotation of the ¦Ibrush means.
An enclosure is provided about and extending from the ,terminus of the baffle, such terminus beiny spac~d away from the hedge trimmer portion of the device. Thus -the severed portion of !
Il the vegetation is directed by the brush means to a disposition ¦l first adjacent to, and then contiguous with, the aforernentioned ji baffle. Thereafter, -the severed portion of thc vegetation is - ' ' ~''''1 ! !
! !
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. . ..
discharged by the brush means from ju~taposition with the baf1e and in~:o the enclosure, wherein the successive clippings, i.e. .
severed portions of the veyetation, are accumulated.
, The device is completed in itS broadest embodiment by the provision of suitable means to periodically remove accumulated ¦
llsevered portions of the vegetation from the enclosure, as well as ¦jby the provision of suitable means to manipulate the hedge trimmer ¦¦So that the plurality of juxtaposed blades are brought in contact ¦iwith further portions of stationary vegetation to be severed from connection to ground.
I The brush means generally will consist of a plurality ¦of juxtaposed tufts, each of such tufts consisting of a plurality lof contiguous linear bristles, fibers or strands, with the tufts ¦extending radially outwards from the central axis of the brush means as mentioned supra. However, the brush means may alternative1ly consist of any type of cylindrical brush configuration, e.g. one in which the individual tufts or bristles are mounted on a plurality Ij of parallel linear slats or holders which are spaced apart and ¦¦oriented so as to define a cylindrical configuration, with the slats ¦Ibeing attached by rods or the like to a central shaft or axle which ¦lin turn is rotated by suitable driving means.
The hedge trimmer in a preferred embodiment will con-sist of at least two rows of blades, with the blades in each row being spaced apart from each other, and with the two rows of bladec l being contiguous. Reciprocating motion oE one row of blades rela-¦
lltive to the next in this case provides the cutting ac-tion. In most 'instances the hedye trimmer will be o~ straight line form, however j other configurations such as a sliyh-t].y bowed, curved or arcuate '', linear hedge trimmer may be employed, in which case the vegetation I~ I
` 1, l ~ Z3~
.~ . ,, '1 being trimmed or cut would be urged inwards into thc blacles or teeth area, the center of the hedye trimmer in this case being rear-ards of the path of cuttincJ action.
Any sui-table means -to rotate the brush means about its i 'lcentral axis may be provided, however typically such rotation means, lincludes a motor and a shaEt, with the motor rotating the shaft and l'the shaft extending from the motor to connection with the central ¦laxis of the brush means. The shaft wi]l usually be a rigid member I
¦of straight line form, and in this case the shaft will be coaxial with the central axis of the brush means. Elowever, alternatively ~the drive shaft may be a flexible linear shaft within an annular ~casing, with the flexible linear shaft being curved to accommodate ¦
I for the relative dispositions of the motor and brush means.
The enclosure may be of any suitable configuration to accommodate the terminal dimension of the baffle and the path of travel of the severed portions of vegekation, however preferably ~!the enclosure is of generally rectangular parallelepiped form.
~Typically the enclosure is provided with a movable panel, which when shut allows for the accumulation of clippings, i.e. severed ~I,portions of vegetation, and which when open permits the dumping ofi ¦,accumulated clippings of severed portions of vegetation into a ¦,trash bin or can or for other suitable disposal of the clippings, which clippings in some instances of home gardening will be added to a compost heap or pile. The movable panel may be slidably ad-justable in grooves to alternate open and shut position, however ,iin a preferred embodiment the movable panel is adjustable to alter ! nate open and shut positions by the provision oE suitable means to manually pivot the movable panel about one edge thereof.
A unique configuration of means to pivot the movable
3~!i panel about one edge -thereof contemplated in the present inventionj ~¦ !
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~ , ,,,, " ,1, entails the provision o~ an angular handle, which handle is mounte~l on the enclosure with the inner portion o~ the handle being par-tially rotatable about its cen-tral axis. The handle extends from ! within the enclosure to external means for manipulation of the ~j handle. A lever is also provided, which lever extends laterally from the end of the handle within the enclosure. Finally, a rod is provided. One end of the rod is pivotally attached to the I outer end of the lever, and the other end of the rod is pivotally j attached to the movable panel, so that partial rotation of ~he 'I
l handle causes the lever to displace the rod, the rod thereby pivot-ing the movable panel about its ed~e.
l The aforementioned handle will preferably be right ¦ angled, with the inner portion of the handle being perpendicular ¦ to and extending through a planar wall of the enclosure and with ¦¦ the outer portion of the handle being parallel to the wall of the enclosure and provided with staggered serrations, bumps or ridges j for easy manipulation by the user.
¦ In a preferred embodiment, and in order to stabilize ¦ the movable panel in the closed position while still permitting ¦ easy manipulation of the movable panel to the opened position as ¦ a temporary expedient for periodic disposal of accumulated clip- !
! pings, suitable spring means are provided external to the enclo-¦ sure and in conjunction with the handle, to bias the handle away from the enclosure. At least one roller and detent means within the enclosure are provided in conjunction with the spring means.
The roller extends laterall~ from the handle and is in contact I
I wikh the detent means. The deten~ means extends about at least a I portion of the handle and is attached to the inner wall o~ the ¦l enclosure, so that the handle is rnaintained in a fixed position, ' - 8 -, ... ' ' 'I "'~
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with the movable panel in shut position, by the roller mating with' l the deten-t means except during periodic dumping of àccumulated r I clippings, at which time the handle is concomitantly m~nually l! depressed into the enclosure and then is partially rotated, so as il to pivot the movable panel about its edge.
ij The movable panel is preferably rec-tangular so as to ¦l con~orm to the preferred rectangu].ar parallelepiped configuration ¦l of the enclosure, and in this reyard the movable panel may be and ¦
¦¦ extend over all or a portion of a wall or walls of the enclosure.
As will appear infra, this wall may be either a top wall, a sicle II wall or a rear wall of the enclosure. ~ny of these configurations ! and orientations of discharge movable panel will work satisfactor-¦ ily. The top discharge offers the least chance of damaging the ¦ movable panel, which is comparable to a door, when emptying the clippings into a trash can or the like. The rear discharge is the most convenient, but is also the most susceptib]e to damage. The i side discharge is also highly susceptible to damage. Thus the main and most feasible orientation of the movable panel is as a ¦ top discharge door.
A portion of the enclosure is preferably ~oraminous, ¦ i.e. all or a portion of one or more walls of the enclosure may be provided with perforations or an integral wire mesh screen or the like, so that air may escape from within the enclosure as the quantity of severed vegetation portions or clipping increases ¦, within the enclosure. Thus air pressure builclup within the il enclosure which could inhibit the action and movement of the brush means is prevented. I
il The baffle i9 preferably sliyhtly arcuate so as to con-¦1 form to the circular path of motion oE the ends of the tufts or il I
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, I' bristles o~ the brush means, however a flat planar baffle may al- I
ternatively be provided for reasons of simplicity, lower cost and l;
ease of assembly. ~owever in most instances an arcuate, i.e.
curved, bowed or otherwise confi~ured baf~le will be provided so as to conform to the cylindrical configuration of the brush means and ~hereby to rapidly and completely direct clippings to the enclosure without the accumulation of clippings at the interface between the brush means and the baffle or at the terminal end of the baffle.
In most instances, the means to reciprocate the cutter blades of the hedge trimmer, and the means to rotate the brush means about its central axis, extend from a common power genera-tion means such as the electric motor or the like mentioned supra.
However, it is evident that it is also feasible, and may prove desirable in some instances, to provide a separate individual drive means for the reciprocation of the blades, and a separat~ !
individual drive means for rotation of the brush means.
The present combination hedge trimmer and clippinss colr lector provides several salient advantages. One salient advantage is that the clippings are caught and collected in situ, so that the clippings are not scattered about adjacent to the hedge or shrub.
Thus the clippings, which if left ungathered would soon age and wither to an unsightly brown color, are collected before they fall into the hedge or shrub or onto the ground, and the necessity of tedious raking around the hedge or shrub, or the shaking of the hedge or shrub to dislodge clippings, is obviated. Another desir-¦
able attribute oE the presen-t-integral clippings collector is thatl the branches and/or stems, and leaves, when cut, cannot fall back ¦
into the cutting blades or associated mechanism, and hence the i !
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¦ likelihood of the appar~tus clogging or j~mming due to a bulky ¦¦ accumulation of severecl vege-tation is eliminated. The present de-¦;
¦l vice is lightweight and is truly portable, and may be operated at 1l ¦; an angle to the horizontal plane without having collected clippings ii fall out of the device or back onto the hedge -tri~ner blades.
Thus the present hedge trimmer and clippings collector, during operation, may be tipped forwards, or inclined rearwards, or em-¦l ployed in a sideways vertical orientation to cut the sides of I¦ hedges, shrubs or the like, without having accumulated clippings 1~ ~ fall out of the clippings collector enclosure section of the de- ¦
I vice, since the clippings are immediately and permanently removed I
¦ and separated from the hedge trimmer portion of the device. Finally ¦ the present device is of low cost and is relatively simple and easy to fabricate, assemble and market, since the present device does ¦ not entail the provision of complex or costly parts, structure and l!appurtenances ¦l The invention accordin~ly consists in the features of ¦¦ construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts ¦I which will be exemplified in the device hereinafter described and ' f which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended ¦! claims.
jl _RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THI~ DI~WINGS
Il In the accompanying drawings in which are shown several ¦l of the various possible embodiments of -the invention:
~¦ FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of one embodiment j, of the device;
1 FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation view of a portion of j the device, taken substantially along the line 2--2 oE FIG. l;
¦, FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation view of the device taken 3al substantially along the line 3--3 of FIG. l;
il.
ll ~0~'~31Z ;
- ~1 !-¦ FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the handle and appur- i te~l~nces thereto; Ir . i.
r ¦ FIG. 5 is a sectional elevat.ion view taken substantially ¦ along the line 5--5 of F:[G. ~;
FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view taken substantially along !
the line 6-~6 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the handle similar to FIG. 4 but showing movement, i.e. rotation, of the handle so as to i open the movable panel by a pivoting of the movable panel about 13¦ one edge thereof;
FIG. 8, located on the same sheet as FIGS. l and-~2~ i-s a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present devic~;
FIG. 9 is a sectional elevation ~iew showing ~n alterna tive embodiment in which the movable panel opens from the rear wal ¦ of the device; and ¦1 FIG. l0 is a plan view showing an alternative embodi-ment in which the movable panel opens from a side wall of the 1 device.
¦ DETAILED DESCRIPTION OE THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the device is yener-1 ¦1 ally characterized by the provision of a hedge trimmer section 20,¦
a clippings collector enclosure section 22, and a motor 24 to pro-¦
vide motive power for the device. The hedge trimmer section 20, 1 as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is provided with two rows 26 and ¦! 28 of reciprocating blades or teeth, mounted respectively in juxta1 ~ 1! position, so as to exert a cutting or shearing action, on station-¦
¦¦ ary straight linear frame 30 and movable straiyht linear frame 32, 1, which frame 32 is reciprocated by connection 34 and gearing, not 1i 6hown, to motor 24. The upper stationary frame 30 is attached via bolting such as 36 (FIG. 3) to stationary parts of the framework . i. , l ~ 12 -. ~Oi~Z:~Z
of the device, in this case to a stationary baf1e 38 furnished ln accordance with the present invention. It will be evident that both frames 30 and 32 may be reciprocated in successive cyclic op-posite directions by motor 24, if so desired.
The device is grasped by knobbed or knurled handles 40 , and 42. Forwards manual manipulative move;^.~n-t of -the device, as indicated by the arrow 44, across and through veyetation 46 while the hedge trimmer blades 26 and 28 are reciprocating causes the severing of portions 48 of vegeta-tion to take place, so that the severed portions 48 are no longer connected to ground. The severed portions or clippings 48 ultimately join a body of accumu-lated clippings 50 in the enclosure section 22 of the device as will appear infra.
The clippings 48 are initially swept upwards an-l away from the teeth or blades 26 by virtue of the provision of a gener-ally cylindrical brush means 52, best seen in FIG. 3 as composed of a plurality of tufts or bristles 54 in clumps which radially extend ou~.wards from a cen-tral annular longitudinal mounting 56 which in turn is driven by a central axle or shaft 58. The shaft 58 extends to motor 24, as bes-t seen in FIG. 2, so that the motor 24 provides motive power for both rotation of the bristles 54 and reciprocating movement of teeth or blades 28.
The direction of rotation of the bristles 54 is indi- ¦
cated by arrows 60 (FIG. 3). This counterclockwise rotation of the bristles 54 serves to sweep the clippings 48 upwards and rear-j wards above baffle 38, and thereafter the rnomelltum of the clippings 48 causes them to lodye with ~he accumulated clippings 50. ~s best seen in FIG. 3, the baffle 38 is slicJh-tly arcllate in this embodiment of the .invention, so a5 to accommodate for the circular ¦1 !
- 13 ~
. ~ ~j A!
!l " l 11. 3L07Z3~.;Z
!i . . . ..
¦I pa-th of travel of the terminal ends of the bris-~les 54.
Thus the clippings 50 lodge and accumulate on the lower , ¦I wall or floor 62 of the enclosure 22, which as shown is a rectangu-1, lar parallelepiped container extending rearwards from a curved !~ front panel section 64 which is provided as a yuard means to pre-~j vent inadvertent extension of limbs such as a hand or an arm Of ¦¦ the user into the moving ~?arts oE the device, which could cause ¦1 injury to the person. The floor 62 of the con-tainer 22 also ex-j tends rearwards from a stiffening panel 66 which depends from the 1 ¦ terminal end of baffle 38 so as to provide structural ri~idity to the baffle 38. The box-like configuration of section 22 is prefer ably obtained by the provision of upp~r and lower opposed halves, I
I sections 68 and 70, which are joined at a flanged interface 72 by !
¦ bolts such as bolt 74 (FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 2, bolting 76 secures connector beam 34 to the framework of the hedge trimmer and clippings collector so that mo-tor 24 is permanently attached to the device. Electric power to drive the motor 24, which in ¦ this embodiment of the invention is an electric motor, is furnished by cord 78 which extends to a terminal plug 80 which is inserted . ~ into a soc~et or other electrical outlet, not shown.
¦ A wire mesh screen 82 is mounted in and forms part of ¦¦ the rear wall of upper container portion 68 so as to per~it the !i egress of air from the interior of the device. Air pressure build up within the enclosure, both from accumulation of clippings 50 Il and from the rotary motion of the bristles 54 of the brush means ¦1 52, is thus effectively prevented. Such air pressure buildup ¦ could act as an impediment to-Eree rotary motion of the bristles 54 and thus as a drag and extra burden on the motor 24, as well ¦1 as impeding free flow and motion of the cuttings or clippings 48 1 ,, " , . ,. I
ll l ~7~3~.z ~ I
. ..
towards the rear of the enclosure.
I Referring now to the handle 40, and as best seen in !1;
¦I FIGS. 3-7, in this embodiment of the invention,structure is pro-vided to restrain a movable top panel 84 in a closed position dur-, ¦1 ing operation of the device to cut vegetation as shown in FIG. 3, 1 ¦ while allowing for periodic pivotal displacement of the panel 84, ¦
,as shown in phantom outline in FIG. 3 and also as shown in ~IG. 7,¦
I to permit opening of the enclosure or container 22 so that accumu-j lated clippings 50 may be removed from the device by inverting or lO ¦ tipping the unit thereby dumping the clippings 50 for suitable disposal as described supra.
¦ ~he handle 40 is mounted in front .section 86 of top porl ¦tion 68 of the enclosure 22 in such a manner as to permit restraine-l ¦partial rotation of the dependent front portion 88 of the handle !40, which portion 88 extends a-t a right angle to the horizontal ¦portion of handle 40 which is grasped by the hand of the user, andl !1 as shown in FIG. 3~ portion 88 extends vertically do~nwards through ¦Isection 86 and into the interior of the enclosure. A spring 90 ¦!circumscribes the portion 88 immediately external to section 86, and the spring 90 is maintained under compression by the provision ¦of an upper circular ring 92 about portion 88, which ring 92 is restrained from moving away from section 86 by pin 94. Upwards motion of the entire handle assemblage away from the interior of the enclosure 22 is prevented by the provision ~E a lower pin 96 t (FIGS. 5 and 6) which extends laterally through portion 88 to ,terminal rollers or roller bearings 98~ Since the spring 90 is _ lunder compresslon, rollers 98 are urged upwards against circular plate 100 which is fastened to the underside of section 86 by bolts 102 and which is provided with detents 104 and 106. Thus the ,.: i ' . I
- 15 ~
: 11 !
7~3~z ~1 . , , , , ,,i, ! handle section or port.ion 88 is urged upwards by the spring 90 so , jl that the rollers 98 tend to rernain seated in detents 104 and 106, ,' and the h~ndle is restrained from any motion, in particul.ar from partial rotational movement, unless and until downwards force is exerted against the handle 40 and/or concomitantly twisting fcrce i, is exerted by the hand of the user. This is only done when dump-ing of accumulated cli.ppings 50 i5 to take place, by the pivoting of panel 84 about one edge defined by hinye 108, as shown in FIG.7 I and in phantom outline in FIG. 3. The pivo-tal motion of panel 84 1 j at this time is indicated by arrow 109 (FIG. 3) and the concomitant partial rotational motion of handle 40 and especially sect.ion 88 ¦ is indicated by arrows 110 (~IG. 7).
¦ In order to accomplish these motions, a lever 111 j depends laterally from.the lowex and inner terminus of the handle portion 88. The lever 110 is secured to handle portion 88 by an !~ inner sleeve 112 which extends upwards concentrically within and !I contiguous to the lower part of portion 88 and which is secured in ¦ place by virtue of the pins 94 and 96 extending through opposed ¦ holes in both elements 88 and 112, see especially FIG. 5. A rod 1 114 is swiveledly or pivotally attached at one end to the outer ¦ end of the lever 111, and the other end of the rod 114 is swiveledly or pivotally attached to a fitting 116 which is secured to the ¦i lower surface of the movable panel 84. Thus the coaction of the ! handle portion 88, lever 111 and rod 114 serves to pivot panel 84 1, about hinge 108 when handle 40 is grasped and manipula-tively ¦, partially rotated from the position shown in FIG. 4 to that of ¦, FIG. 7, as indicated by arrows 110. When this happens, the rollers 98 leave the detents 104 and 106 and assume positions juxtaposed with bolts 102. It will be under.stood as rnentioned supra that !l I
. .
~ 10'7Z31Z ' I
l .. , . l ¦ during normal operating periods of t~e device, i.e. un].ess accumu-lated clippings 50 are being clumped, the handle 40 is in th~ pos~-¦I tion shown in FIG. 4 and the detents 104 and 106 serve to restrainthe handle 40 against inadvertent or accidental rotation and thus , I accidental opening of the enclosure via pivoting of panel 84 about ¦ hinge 108 is effectively prevented, which is important since the device as discussed supra is intended to be used in a varie-ty of I¦ dispositions, e.g. inclined forwards, back~ards or sideways, in ¦¦ which case accidental opening of the enclosure and premature spill-age of the accumulated clippings 50 onto the ground or onto the ¦ vegetation being trimmed or cut is effectively prevented.
FIG. 8 shows an alternative conficJuration of the hedge trimmer and clippings collector in which the means to rotate the brush means is a flexible linear shaft within an annular casing ¦ 118, which element 118,and also the flexible shaft disposed co-axially inside element 118, are curved to accommodate mechanical power transfer from an upper outlet 120 of mo-tor 24 to a side inlet 122 of the brush means por-tion of -the device. FIG. 8 also I shows an alternative configuration of the enclosure or container ~ ~ ¦ for clippings collection, namely an entirely foraminous cloth or wire screen or mesh rear section 124 provided with à back ~orizontal zipper means 126 which is periodically manipulated by sliding end slider 128 laterally so as to open the zippered section 124, ¦ so that accumulated clippings may be removed from the device. The rear section 12~ in this embodiment is supported by an intcrnal or I external rigid framework, ribs" or web composed oE rigid lin~ar , stiffening or beam members, not shown.
¦ FIG. 9 shows an alternative configuration in which the 11 movable panel is disposed at the rear of the device as a rear wall.
~jj The foraminous scrcen 82 in this cas~ is disposed in the top hori-j¦ zontal wall 68 of the device. FIG. 10 shows another alternative 1~ - 17 - j .. . . . . ...
!~
~ I ~1 . I' ~LO~Z~Z ', `, i embodiment in which the movable panel~ is dispose~ as part of a ¦¦ side wall of the device. T`ne disposition of the various appur~
r li tenances to accommodate for these confiyurations of FIGS. 9 and lO
i! is clearly evident.
, It thus will be seen tha-t there is provided a device which achieves the various objects of the invention and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.
! As various possible embodiments miyht be made of the ! above invention, and as various chanyes might be made in the em- I
bodiments above set ~orth, it is to be understood that all ma~ter !
! herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Th~s !
it will be understood by those skilled in the art that although ¦ preferred and alternative embodiments have been shown and des-cribed in accordance with the Patent Statutes, the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.
!
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1~ - 18 -:` 1i
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~ , ,,,, " ,1, entails the provision o~ an angular handle, which handle is mounte~l on the enclosure with the inner portion o~ the handle being par-tially rotatable about its cen-tral axis. The handle extends from ! within the enclosure to external means for manipulation of the ~j handle. A lever is also provided, which lever extends laterally from the end of the handle within the enclosure. Finally, a rod is provided. One end of the rod is pivotally attached to the I outer end of the lever, and the other end of the rod is pivotally j attached to the movable panel, so that partial rotation of ~he 'I
l handle causes the lever to displace the rod, the rod thereby pivot-ing the movable panel about its ed~e.
l The aforementioned handle will preferably be right ¦ angled, with the inner portion of the handle being perpendicular ¦ to and extending through a planar wall of the enclosure and with ¦¦ the outer portion of the handle being parallel to the wall of the enclosure and provided with staggered serrations, bumps or ridges j for easy manipulation by the user.
¦ In a preferred embodiment, and in order to stabilize ¦ the movable panel in the closed position while still permitting ¦ easy manipulation of the movable panel to the opened position as ¦ a temporary expedient for periodic disposal of accumulated clip- !
! pings, suitable spring means are provided external to the enclo-¦ sure and in conjunction with the handle, to bias the handle away from the enclosure. At least one roller and detent means within the enclosure are provided in conjunction with the spring means.
The roller extends laterall~ from the handle and is in contact I
I wikh the detent means. The deten~ means extends about at least a I portion of the handle and is attached to the inner wall o~ the ¦l enclosure, so that the handle is rnaintained in a fixed position, ' - 8 -, ... ' ' 'I "'~
. , I . ~1 ~ Z31Z ~ I
with the movable panel in shut position, by the roller mating with' l the deten-t means except during periodic dumping of àccumulated r I clippings, at which time the handle is concomitantly m~nually l! depressed into the enclosure and then is partially rotated, so as il to pivot the movable panel about its edge.
ij The movable panel is preferably rec-tangular so as to ¦l con~orm to the preferred rectangu].ar parallelepiped configuration ¦l of the enclosure, and in this reyard the movable panel may be and ¦
¦¦ extend over all or a portion of a wall or walls of the enclosure.
As will appear infra, this wall may be either a top wall, a sicle II wall or a rear wall of the enclosure. ~ny of these configurations ! and orientations of discharge movable panel will work satisfactor-¦ ily. The top discharge offers the least chance of damaging the ¦ movable panel, which is comparable to a door, when emptying the clippings into a trash can or the like. The rear discharge is the most convenient, but is also the most susceptib]e to damage. The i side discharge is also highly susceptible to damage. Thus the main and most feasible orientation of the movable panel is as a ¦ top discharge door.
A portion of the enclosure is preferably ~oraminous, ¦ i.e. all or a portion of one or more walls of the enclosure may be provided with perforations or an integral wire mesh screen or the like, so that air may escape from within the enclosure as the quantity of severed vegetation portions or clipping increases ¦, within the enclosure. Thus air pressure builclup within the il enclosure which could inhibit the action and movement of the brush means is prevented. I
il The baffle i9 preferably sliyhtly arcuate so as to con-¦1 form to the circular path of motion oE the ends of the tufts or il I
-` ~1 1 .,i ' li ' l 1l -9 lO'~Z31Z
, I' bristles o~ the brush means, however a flat planar baffle may al- I
ternatively be provided for reasons of simplicity, lower cost and l;
ease of assembly. ~owever in most instances an arcuate, i.e.
curved, bowed or otherwise confi~ured baf~le will be provided so as to conform to the cylindrical configuration of the brush means and ~hereby to rapidly and completely direct clippings to the enclosure without the accumulation of clippings at the interface between the brush means and the baffle or at the terminal end of the baffle.
In most instances, the means to reciprocate the cutter blades of the hedge trimmer, and the means to rotate the brush means about its central axis, extend from a common power genera-tion means such as the electric motor or the like mentioned supra.
However, it is evident that it is also feasible, and may prove desirable in some instances, to provide a separate individual drive means for the reciprocation of the blades, and a separat~ !
individual drive means for rotation of the brush means.
The present combination hedge trimmer and clippinss colr lector provides several salient advantages. One salient advantage is that the clippings are caught and collected in situ, so that the clippings are not scattered about adjacent to the hedge or shrub.
Thus the clippings, which if left ungathered would soon age and wither to an unsightly brown color, are collected before they fall into the hedge or shrub or onto the ground, and the necessity of tedious raking around the hedge or shrub, or the shaking of the hedge or shrub to dislodge clippings, is obviated. Another desir-¦
able attribute oE the presen-t-integral clippings collector is thatl the branches and/or stems, and leaves, when cut, cannot fall back ¦
into the cutting blades or associated mechanism, and hence the i !
.
11 . I
I ~L()7Z3J~Z
! ' ' I
¦ likelihood of the appar~tus clogging or j~mming due to a bulky ¦¦ accumulation of severecl vege-tation is eliminated. The present de-¦;
¦l vice is lightweight and is truly portable, and may be operated at 1l ¦; an angle to the horizontal plane without having collected clippings ii fall out of the device or back onto the hedge -tri~ner blades.
Thus the present hedge trimmer and clippings collector, during operation, may be tipped forwards, or inclined rearwards, or em-¦l ployed in a sideways vertical orientation to cut the sides of I¦ hedges, shrubs or the like, without having accumulated clippings 1~ ~ fall out of the clippings collector enclosure section of the de- ¦
I vice, since the clippings are immediately and permanently removed I
¦ and separated from the hedge trimmer portion of the device. Finally ¦ the present device is of low cost and is relatively simple and easy to fabricate, assemble and market, since the present device does ¦ not entail the provision of complex or costly parts, structure and l!appurtenances ¦l The invention accordin~ly consists in the features of ¦¦ construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts ¦I which will be exemplified in the device hereinafter described and ' f which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended ¦! claims.
jl _RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THI~ DI~WINGS
Il In the accompanying drawings in which are shown several ¦l of the various possible embodiments of -the invention:
~¦ FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of one embodiment j, of the device;
1 FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation view of a portion of j the device, taken substantially along the line 2--2 oE FIG. l;
¦, FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation view of the device taken 3al substantially along the line 3--3 of FIG. l;
il.
ll ~0~'~31Z ;
- ~1 !-¦ FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the handle and appur- i te~l~nces thereto; Ir . i.
r ¦ FIG. 5 is a sectional elevat.ion view taken substantially ¦ along the line 5--5 of F:[G. ~;
FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view taken substantially along !
the line 6-~6 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the handle similar to FIG. 4 but showing movement, i.e. rotation, of the handle so as to i open the movable panel by a pivoting of the movable panel about 13¦ one edge thereof;
FIG. 8, located on the same sheet as FIGS. l and-~2~ i-s a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present devic~;
FIG. 9 is a sectional elevation ~iew showing ~n alterna tive embodiment in which the movable panel opens from the rear wal ¦ of the device; and ¦1 FIG. l0 is a plan view showing an alternative embodi-ment in which the movable panel opens from a side wall of the 1 device.
¦ DETAILED DESCRIPTION OE THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the device is yener-1 ¦1 ally characterized by the provision of a hedge trimmer section 20,¦
a clippings collector enclosure section 22, and a motor 24 to pro-¦
vide motive power for the device. The hedge trimmer section 20, 1 as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is provided with two rows 26 and ¦! 28 of reciprocating blades or teeth, mounted respectively in juxta1 ~ 1! position, so as to exert a cutting or shearing action, on station-¦
¦¦ ary straight linear frame 30 and movable straiyht linear frame 32, 1, which frame 32 is reciprocated by connection 34 and gearing, not 1i 6hown, to motor 24. The upper stationary frame 30 is attached via bolting such as 36 (FIG. 3) to stationary parts of the framework . i. , l ~ 12 -. ~Oi~Z:~Z
of the device, in this case to a stationary baf1e 38 furnished ln accordance with the present invention. It will be evident that both frames 30 and 32 may be reciprocated in successive cyclic op-posite directions by motor 24, if so desired.
The device is grasped by knobbed or knurled handles 40 , and 42. Forwards manual manipulative move;^.~n-t of -the device, as indicated by the arrow 44, across and through veyetation 46 while the hedge trimmer blades 26 and 28 are reciprocating causes the severing of portions 48 of vegeta-tion to take place, so that the severed portions 48 are no longer connected to ground. The severed portions or clippings 48 ultimately join a body of accumu-lated clippings 50 in the enclosure section 22 of the device as will appear infra.
The clippings 48 are initially swept upwards an-l away from the teeth or blades 26 by virtue of the provision of a gener-ally cylindrical brush means 52, best seen in FIG. 3 as composed of a plurality of tufts or bristles 54 in clumps which radially extend ou~.wards from a cen-tral annular longitudinal mounting 56 which in turn is driven by a central axle or shaft 58. The shaft 58 extends to motor 24, as bes-t seen in FIG. 2, so that the motor 24 provides motive power for both rotation of the bristles 54 and reciprocating movement of teeth or blades 28.
The direction of rotation of the bristles 54 is indi- ¦
cated by arrows 60 (FIG. 3). This counterclockwise rotation of the bristles 54 serves to sweep the clippings 48 upwards and rear-j wards above baffle 38, and thereafter the rnomelltum of the clippings 48 causes them to lodye with ~he accumulated clippings 50. ~s best seen in FIG. 3, the baffle 38 is slicJh-tly arcllate in this embodiment of the .invention, so a5 to accommodate for the circular ¦1 !
- 13 ~
. ~ ~j A!
!l " l 11. 3L07Z3~.;Z
!i . . . ..
¦I pa-th of travel of the terminal ends of the bris-~les 54.
Thus the clippings 50 lodge and accumulate on the lower , ¦I wall or floor 62 of the enclosure 22, which as shown is a rectangu-1, lar parallelepiped container extending rearwards from a curved !~ front panel section 64 which is provided as a yuard means to pre-~j vent inadvertent extension of limbs such as a hand or an arm Of ¦¦ the user into the moving ~?arts oE the device, which could cause ¦1 injury to the person. The floor 62 of the con-tainer 22 also ex-j tends rearwards from a stiffening panel 66 which depends from the 1 ¦ terminal end of baffle 38 so as to provide structural ri~idity to the baffle 38. The box-like configuration of section 22 is prefer ably obtained by the provision of upp~r and lower opposed halves, I
I sections 68 and 70, which are joined at a flanged interface 72 by !
¦ bolts such as bolt 74 (FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 2, bolting 76 secures connector beam 34 to the framework of the hedge trimmer and clippings collector so that mo-tor 24 is permanently attached to the device. Electric power to drive the motor 24, which in ¦ this embodiment of the invention is an electric motor, is furnished by cord 78 which extends to a terminal plug 80 which is inserted . ~ into a soc~et or other electrical outlet, not shown.
¦ A wire mesh screen 82 is mounted in and forms part of ¦¦ the rear wall of upper container portion 68 so as to per~it the !i egress of air from the interior of the device. Air pressure build up within the enclosure, both from accumulation of clippings 50 Il and from the rotary motion of the bristles 54 of the brush means ¦1 52, is thus effectively prevented. Such air pressure buildup ¦ could act as an impediment to-Eree rotary motion of the bristles 54 and thus as a drag and extra burden on the motor 24, as well ¦1 as impeding free flow and motion of the cuttings or clippings 48 1 ,, " , . ,. I
ll l ~7~3~.z ~ I
. ..
towards the rear of the enclosure.
I Referring now to the handle 40, and as best seen in !1;
¦I FIGS. 3-7, in this embodiment of the invention,structure is pro-vided to restrain a movable top panel 84 in a closed position dur-, ¦1 ing operation of the device to cut vegetation as shown in FIG. 3, 1 ¦ while allowing for periodic pivotal displacement of the panel 84, ¦
,as shown in phantom outline in FIG. 3 and also as shown in ~IG. 7,¦
I to permit opening of the enclosure or container 22 so that accumu-j lated clippings 50 may be removed from the device by inverting or lO ¦ tipping the unit thereby dumping the clippings 50 for suitable disposal as described supra.
¦ ~he handle 40 is mounted in front .section 86 of top porl ¦tion 68 of the enclosure 22 in such a manner as to permit restraine-l ¦partial rotation of the dependent front portion 88 of the handle !40, which portion 88 extends a-t a right angle to the horizontal ¦portion of handle 40 which is grasped by the hand of the user, andl !1 as shown in FIG. 3~ portion 88 extends vertically do~nwards through ¦Isection 86 and into the interior of the enclosure. A spring 90 ¦!circumscribes the portion 88 immediately external to section 86, and the spring 90 is maintained under compression by the provision ¦of an upper circular ring 92 about portion 88, which ring 92 is restrained from moving away from section 86 by pin 94. Upwards motion of the entire handle assemblage away from the interior of the enclosure 22 is prevented by the provision ~E a lower pin 96 t (FIGS. 5 and 6) which extends laterally through portion 88 to ,terminal rollers or roller bearings 98~ Since the spring 90 is _ lunder compresslon, rollers 98 are urged upwards against circular plate 100 which is fastened to the underside of section 86 by bolts 102 and which is provided with detents 104 and 106. Thus the ,.: i ' . I
- 15 ~
: 11 !
7~3~z ~1 . , , , , ,,i, ! handle section or port.ion 88 is urged upwards by the spring 90 so , jl that the rollers 98 tend to rernain seated in detents 104 and 106, ,' and the h~ndle is restrained from any motion, in particul.ar from partial rotational movement, unless and until downwards force is exerted against the handle 40 and/or concomitantly twisting fcrce i, is exerted by the hand of the user. This is only done when dump-ing of accumulated cli.ppings 50 i5 to take place, by the pivoting of panel 84 about one edge defined by hinye 108, as shown in FIG.7 I and in phantom outline in FIG. 3. The pivo-tal motion of panel 84 1 j at this time is indicated by arrow 109 (FIG. 3) and the concomitant partial rotational motion of handle 40 and especially sect.ion 88 ¦ is indicated by arrows 110 (~IG. 7).
¦ In order to accomplish these motions, a lever 111 j depends laterally from.the lowex and inner terminus of the handle portion 88. The lever 110 is secured to handle portion 88 by an !~ inner sleeve 112 which extends upwards concentrically within and !I contiguous to the lower part of portion 88 and which is secured in ¦ place by virtue of the pins 94 and 96 extending through opposed ¦ holes in both elements 88 and 112, see especially FIG. 5. A rod 1 114 is swiveledly or pivotally attached at one end to the outer ¦ end of the lever 111, and the other end of the rod 114 is swiveledly or pivotally attached to a fitting 116 which is secured to the ¦i lower surface of the movable panel 84. Thus the coaction of the ! handle portion 88, lever 111 and rod 114 serves to pivot panel 84 1, about hinge 108 when handle 40 is grasped and manipula-tively ¦, partially rotated from the position shown in FIG. 4 to that of ¦, FIG. 7, as indicated by arrows 110. When this happens, the rollers 98 leave the detents 104 and 106 and assume positions juxtaposed with bolts 102. It will be under.stood as rnentioned supra that !l I
. .
~ 10'7Z31Z ' I
l .. , . l ¦ during normal operating periods of t~e device, i.e. un].ess accumu-lated clippings 50 are being clumped, the handle 40 is in th~ pos~-¦I tion shown in FIG. 4 and the detents 104 and 106 serve to restrainthe handle 40 against inadvertent or accidental rotation and thus , I accidental opening of the enclosure via pivoting of panel 84 about ¦ hinge 108 is effectively prevented, which is important since the device as discussed supra is intended to be used in a varie-ty of I¦ dispositions, e.g. inclined forwards, back~ards or sideways, in ¦¦ which case accidental opening of the enclosure and premature spill-age of the accumulated clippings 50 onto the ground or onto the ¦ vegetation being trimmed or cut is effectively prevented.
FIG. 8 shows an alternative conficJuration of the hedge trimmer and clippings collector in which the means to rotate the brush means is a flexible linear shaft within an annular casing ¦ 118, which element 118,and also the flexible shaft disposed co-axially inside element 118, are curved to accommodate mechanical power transfer from an upper outlet 120 of mo-tor 24 to a side inlet 122 of the brush means por-tion of -the device. FIG. 8 also I shows an alternative configuration of the enclosure or container ~ ~ ¦ for clippings collection, namely an entirely foraminous cloth or wire screen or mesh rear section 124 provided with à back ~orizontal zipper means 126 which is periodically manipulated by sliding end slider 128 laterally so as to open the zippered section 124, ¦ so that accumulated clippings may be removed from the device. The rear section 12~ in this embodiment is supported by an intcrnal or I external rigid framework, ribs" or web composed oE rigid lin~ar , stiffening or beam members, not shown.
¦ FIG. 9 shows an alternative configuration in which the 11 movable panel is disposed at the rear of the device as a rear wall.
~jj The foraminous scrcen 82 in this cas~ is disposed in the top hori-j¦ zontal wall 68 of the device. FIG. 10 shows another alternative 1~ - 17 - j .. . . . . ...
!~
~ I ~1 . I' ~LO~Z~Z ', `, i embodiment in which the movable panel~ is dispose~ as part of a ¦¦ side wall of the device. T`ne disposition of the various appur~
r li tenances to accommodate for these confiyurations of FIGS. 9 and lO
i! is clearly evident.
, It thus will be seen tha-t there is provided a device which achieves the various objects of the invention and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.
! As various possible embodiments miyht be made of the ! above invention, and as various chanyes might be made in the em- I
bodiments above set ~orth, it is to be understood that all ma~ter !
! herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Th~s !
it will be understood by those skilled in the art that although ¦ preferred and alternative embodiments have been shown and des-cribed in accordance with the Patent Statutes, the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.
!
Il . .
., 1i, - 1"
,i, . ,~ I
1~ - 18 -:` 1i
Claims (17)
1. A combination hedge trimmer and clippings collector which comprises a substantially linear hedge trimmer, said hedge trimmer consisting essentially of a plurality of juxtaposed blades together with means to reciprocate said blades, so that said blades are movable relative to stationary vegetation whereby at least a portion of the vegetation may be severed from connection to ground, a generally cylindrical brush means, the central axis of said brush means being substantially parallel to said hedge trimmer, means to rotate said brush means about said central axis, a baffle, one edge of said baffle being juxtaposed with said hedge trimmer, said baffle being disposed about a portion of the circular path of motion of the terminal ends of said brush means so that said terminal ends are contiguous with said baffle during a portion of the rotation of said brush means, an enclosure about and extend-ing from the terminus of said baffle, so that said severed portion of the vegetation is directed by said brush means to a disposition first adjacent to and then contiguous with said baffle and there- ¦
after said severed portion of the vegetation is discharged by said brush means from juxtaposition with said baffle and into said enclosure, means to periodically remove severed portions of the vegetation from said enclosure, and means to manipulate said hedge trimmer so that said plurality of juxtaposed blades are brought in contact with further portions of stationary vegetation.
after said severed portion of the vegetation is discharged by said brush means from juxtaposition with said baffle and into said enclosure, means to periodically remove severed portions of the vegetation from said enclosure, and means to manipulate said hedge trimmer so that said plurality of juxtaposed blades are brought in contact with further portions of stationary vegetation.
2. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings collector of claim 1 in which the brush means comprises a plurality of juxta-posed tufts, each of said tufts comprising a plurality of contigu-ous linear bristles, said tufts extending radially outwards from the central axis of the brush means.
3. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings collector of claim 1 in which the hedge trimmer comprises at least two rows of blades, the blades in each row being spaced apart from each other, said two rows of blades being contiguous.
4. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings col-lector of claim 1 in which said hedge trimmer is of straight line form.
5. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings col-lector of claim 1 in which the means to rotate the brush means about its central axis comprises a motor and a shaft, said motor serving its central axis comprises a motor and a shaft, said motor to connection with the central axis of the brush means.
6. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings col-lector of claim 5 in which the shaft is of straight line form and is coaxial with the central axis of the brush means.
7. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings col-lector of claim 5 in which the shaft is a flexible linear shaft within an annular casing, said flexible linear shaft being curved.
8. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings col-lector of claim 1 in which the enclosure is of generally rectangu-lar parallelepiped form.
9. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings col-lector of claim 1 in which the enclosure is provided with a mov-able panel so that the enclosure may be periodically emptied of severed portions of the vegetation.
10. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings col-lector of claim 9 in which the movable panel is adjustable to alternate open and shut positions by the provisions of means to pivot the movable panel about one edge thereof.
11. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings col-lector of claim 10 in which the means to pivot the movable panel about one edge thereof comprises and angular handle, said handle being mounted on the enclosure and the inner portion of said handle being partially rotatable about its central axis, said handle ex-tending from within the enclosure to external means for manipula-tion of said handle, a lever, said lever depending laterally from the end of said handle within the enclosure, and a rod, one end of said rod being pivotally attached to the outer end of said lever, the other end of said rod being pivotally attached to the movable panel, so that partial rotation of said handle causes said lever to displace said rod, said rod thereby pivoting the movable panel about one edge thereof.
12. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings col-lector of claim 11 in which the handle is right angled.
13. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings col-lector of claim 11 in which spring means are provided external to the enclosure and in conjunction with the handle, to bias the handle away from the enclosure, together with at least one roller and detent means within the enclosure, said roller extending later-ally from the handle and being in contact with said detent means, said detent means extending about at least a portion of the handle and being attached to the inner wall of the enclosure, so that the handle is maintained in a fixed position, with the movable panel in shut position, by said roller mating with said detent means, except when the handle is concomitantly depressed into the enclo-sure and is partially rotated.
14. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings col-lector of claim 9 in which the movable panel is rectangular.
15. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings col-lector of claim 1 in which a portion of the enclosure is foramin-ous so that air may escape from within the enclosure as the quantity of severed vegetation portions within the enclosure increases.
16. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings col-lector of claim 1 in which the baffle is arcuate.
17. The combination hedge trimmer and clippings col-lector of claim 1 in which the means to reciprocate the blades and the means to rotate the brush means about its central axis extend from a common power generation means.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA305,678A CA1072312A (en) | 1978-06-16 | 1978-06-16 | Combination hedge trimmer and clippings collector |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA305,678A CA1072312A (en) | 1978-06-16 | 1978-06-16 | Combination hedge trimmer and clippings collector |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1072312A true CA1072312A (en) | 1980-02-26 |
Family
ID=4111719
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA305,678A Expired CA1072312A (en) | 1978-06-16 | 1978-06-16 | Combination hedge trimmer and clippings collector |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1072312A (en) |
-
1978
- 1978-06-16 CA CA305,678A patent/CA1072312A/en not_active Expired
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |