GB2305841A

GB2305841A - Hedge trimming collection

Info

Publication number: GB2305841A
Application number: GB9520406A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Valentine Kay
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-10-06
Filing date: 1995-10-06
Publication date: 1997-04-23
Also published as: GB9520406D0

Abstract

Apparatus in the form of a receptor 21 for trimmings is adapted to be mounted on a hand-held hedge trimmer whereby, in use, trimmings enter the receptor via an opening. More particularly the receptor comprises a generally rectangular box open to one side and provided with a keyway 37 for engaging with a mating part 35 mounted on the blade of the hand-held hedge trimmer whereby the receptor is releasably slidably mountable on the hedge trimming blade. More particularly the receptor can be located in one of two alternative positions facing either leftwards or rearwards. There is also described a deflector plate (Fig.4) which is slidably releasably engageable with the receptor and in alternative embodiments one or both ends of the box are adjustable to accommodate the angle of a safety guard on the hedge trimmer.

Description

TITLE: Hedge Trimming Collection DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to the collection of hedge trimmings and in particular to apparatus for use with a hand-held hedge trimmer.

Hand-held hedge trimmers are well-known and therefore it is not considered necessary to describe them in detail. However, the present invention is particularly applicable to the type of hedge trimmer comprising an elongate blade member with a plurality of cutting blades spaced along the length thereof and projecting from two opposite sides to define a cutting plane. Cutting may be performed by either leftward or rightward movement of the elongate blade member. The elongate blade member projects from a handled portion which incorporates a drive motor for relative reciprocal movement of the cutting blades. Petrol and electrically operated hedge trimmers are commonly available.

No collection of the hedge trimming occurs with the known hedge trimmers and removal of hedge trimmings following the use of the known hedge trimmers is a timeconsuming operation. It is an aim of the present invention to ease the problem.

Accordingly, the present invention provides apparatus in the form of a receptor for trimmings which receptor is adapted to be mounted on a hand-held hedge trimmer whereby, in use, trimmings enter the receptor via. an opening.

The receptor is conveniently in the form of a box with said opening disposed along one side.

Preferably the receptor is mounted on a fixed part of the hedge trimming elongate blade member. Whilst the receptor may be fixedly mounted to the hedge trimmer, it is more convenient if it is releasably mounted. This enables the box to be appropriately positioned to collect trimmings according to movement of the hedge trimmer in a leftwards or rightwards direction.

Conveniently mounting is by way of a slidable connection although alternatives will be readily envisaged including a snap-on, snap-off connection. A preferred mounting comprises mutually cooperable projection and recess means with one part mounted to the elongate cutting blade of the hedge trimmer and the other mounted to the receptor on a lower side thereof and conveniently immediately adjacent the forward facing opening of the receptor. Preferably the mutually cooperable projection and recess means comprises mutually slidably engageable elongate channel members utilising respective channel sections with diverging and converging side walls whereby the two parts can slide together in the manner of keyway.It is convenient for the channel member on the receptor to be open ended in order to facilitate mounting of the receptor onto the elongate blade member with the opening facing in either the leftward or rightward direction. Of course, discrete mutually cooperable means may be employed as an alternative to one or both of the afore-mentioned elongate channel section members.

The blade member of existing hedge trimmers have a fixed portion secured in place by securing nuts spaced along the length thereof and these are conveniently used for locating one half of the mutually cooperable connection means.

It is common practice to provide hedge trimmers with a safety guard between the hand grip portion and the blade and the configuration of these varies from one trimmer to another. Accordingly, it is advantageous if the receptor of the present invention has at least one end adjustable, and preferably both ends adjustable, so as to accommodate the safety guard. According to one embodiment the end of the receptor is angularly movable and conveniently means is providing for fixing the end at the desired angle, say by way of nut and bolt, the shank of which is slidable in a groove in the receptor.

In some circumstances, hedge trimmings can be displaced upwardly and a further advantageous feature of the present apparatus is a deflector guard positioned above the opening and extending forwardly thereof whereby hedge trimmings are stopped in flight and then enter the receptor via. said opening. The deflector guard may be releasably mounted on the receptor by any convenient means.

Another aspect of the invention provides a hedge trimmer guard adapted to be fitted to a hedge trimmer of the type having a elongated blade member with cutting blades which face in two opposite directions and wherein the guard member extends over one of said blades.

Conveniently the guard is slidably received on the elongate blade member by way of mutually engageable securing means. Said means may be that provided for the afore-described hedge trimming receptor.

The present invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings; in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the apparatus of the present invention and one embodiment of a hand-held hedge trimmer, Figure 2 is a fragmentary end view to a larger such scale showing further details of the connection of the apparatus with a hedge trimmer, Figure 3 is a front view of the receptor according to the invention, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a hedge trimmer guard.

Referring firstly to Figures 1, 2 and 3. A hand-held hedge trimmer is illustrated at 1 and in the case of the illustrated embodiment is a petrol driven model. It has an elongate cutting blade 3 with pairs of cutting blades 3a, 3b facing to opposite sides of the elongate member to provide for cutting in a leftwards or rightwards direction. The hedge trimmer has two hand grips 5, 7 which is typical and a safety guard 9. A drive motor is shown at 11. The elongate blade member extends from the drive assembly and hand-grip portions and it will be noted that the safety guard is disposed inclined in an upward direction towards the elongate cutting blade. The cutting blade has a fixed member 15 which normally serves to secure a movable blade element 3a in closely spaced relation with a fixed blade 3b. A threaded connection is conveniently employed utilising the nuts illustrated at 19.

The present invention provides apparatus for collecting hedge trimmings comprising a receptor 21 in the form of a box having a base 23, a top 25, a connecting rear wall 27 and two end walls 29, 31. In the illustrated embodiment the other side 33 is completely open.

In order the secure the receptor with respect to the elongate cutting blade 3, mutually cooperable mounting means are provided comprising first and second elongate channel sections 35, 37. Any convenient cross section may be employed to provide a sliding connection between the two members. Member 35 is secured to the fixed portion 15 of the elongate blade member by way of the nuts 19. It is convenient for the sides of the member 35 to extend upwardly so as to provide a recess to receive the nuts 19 although it is desirable for the spacing of the lower edge 39 of the receptor to be as close as possible to the blades 3.

The receptor in the illustrated embodiment is shown as a substantially rectangular box although it may be shaped, for example with the sides 29, 31 inclined towards one another in a direction moving away from the lower edge 39 so as to accommodate the inclination of the safety guard 9 which are commonly provided on hedge trimmers. Alternatively, and more preferably, the ends 29 and 31 are adjustable and in the illustrated embodiment these ends are angularly adjustable to suit the precise angle of the safety guard on the hedge trimmer. A respective arcuate groove 29a, 31a is provided in the wall 27 to receive a securing bolt 41 carried with respect to the end wall.

The channel 37 is open ended so that the receptor can be slid onto the mating part 35 from either end whereby the opening 33 can face either leftwardly as in the illustrated embodiment or rightwardly if the receptor is rotated through 1800 and then slid onto the elongate blade member. Arrows A and B show the alternative entry directions.

In certain circumstances hedge trimmings may be projected upwardly and this may cause them to miss the opening during its continued forward movement. In order to address this problem the present invention provides a deflector shield 43 which, when in place, extends forwardly of the opening 33 from its uppermost extent.

Conveniently the deflector shield is releasably engageable with the receptor and in the illustrated embodiment respective mutually engageable channel members are employed corresponding in design to channels 35 and 37 although this is only optional and other means of fixing the deflector shield in place may be utilised if more convenient.

The receptor can have on one or more sides, one or more clips, shown at 50, which may be useful for entraining the cable for the case of an electric hedge trimmer.

The receptor can be made of any suitable material, for example plastics, alloy or even wood and it does not restrict the operation of the hedge trimmer in any way. The length of the box is closer to suit the standard lengths of elongate cutting blade. When the quantity of trimmings have built up in the box then they can simply be emptied into a waste container, eg. bin or plastics bag. It is up to the operator whether he chooses to slide the receptor off the blade for the purposes of emptying or carries the hedge trimmer with receptor attached to the waste container and discharging the collected trimmings through the opening 33.

Referring now to Figure 4, here is illustrated a trimmer guard which is intended for covering one of the two blades of the elongate blade member 3. It comprises an elongate member 53 having means for engaging it releasably with, for example the channel section 35 provided to receive the receptor 21. Thus, the member 53 is provided with a corresponding section 57 whereby it can be slid onto element 35 from either end. Thus when it is slid on in the direction of arrow D only the rightward facing blades are exposed. This provides a useful safety feature in protecting the bottom cutting blades whilst moving. The guard is conveniently constructed from perspex or reinforced plastics or metal and is made in appropriate lengths to suit the standard lengths of cutting blade.

Claims

1. Apparatus in the form of a receptor for trimmings which receptor is adapted to be mounted on a hand-held hedge trimmer whereby, in use, trimmings enter the receptor via. an opening.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the receptor is in the form of a box with said opening disposed along one side.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the receptor is mounted on a fixed part of the hedge trimming elongate blade member.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the receptor is releasably mounted to the hedge trimmer.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the receptor is mountable with its opening facing in either a leftwards or rightwards direction.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the receptor is mounted by way of a slidable connection.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the mounting comprises mutually cooperable projection and recess means with one part mounted to the elongate cutting blade of the hedge trimmer and the other mounted to the receptor on a lower side thereof.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which said other part is disposed immediately adjacent the forward facing opening of the receptor.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 or 8 in which the mutually cooperable projection and recess means comprises mutually slidably engageable elongate channel members utilising respective channel sections with diverging and converging side walls whereby the two parts can slide together in the manner of a keyway.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which the channel member on the receptor is open ended in order to facilitate mounting of the receptor onto the elongate blade member with the opening facing in either the leftward or rightward direction.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 in which the receptor is mounted using a snap-on, snapoff connection.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which nuts holding in place a fixed portion of the hedge trimming blade, and spaced along the length thereof are used either directly or indirectly for locating one half of the receptor in position.

13. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which at least one end of the receptor is position adjustable.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 in which both ends are position adjustable.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 or 14 in which said end or ends are angularly movable and means is provided for fixing the end at the desired angle.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising a deflector guard positioned above the opening of the receptor and extending forwardly thereof.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 in which the deflector guard is releasably mounted on the receptor by any convenient means.

18. A hedge trimmer guard adapted to be fitted to a hedge trimmer of the type having a elongated blade member with cutting blades which face in two opposite directions and wherein the guard member is releasably mountable so as to extend over one or the other of said blades.

19. A guard as claimed in claim 18 in which the guard is slidably received on the elongate blade member by way of mutually engageable securing means.

20. A guard as claimed in claim 18 in which said means comprises a slidable connection.

21. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and further comprising a hand-held trimmer.

22. Apparatus constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings of Figures 1, 2 and 3.

23. Apparatus constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.