GB2612613A - Stem and branch cutter - Google Patents

Abstract

A stem and/or branch cutter for garden waste includes a chassis 1 arranged to be secured over a container 2 having an open top. The chassis has a depending lip arranged to rotate over an outer edge of a distal side of the container and an adjustable clamping mechanism arranged to engage an opposing proximal side of the container. The chassis supports a cutting station having a fixed blade and a movable cutting blade with a hopper being provided for introducing stems and/or branches into the cutting station. An outlet from the cutting station is arranged to deposit cut stems and/or branches into the container. The movable cutting blade may be driven by power means, e.g. electric drill 3, or an electric motor. Alternatively a manual crank may be used. The movable blade may be driven by a crank arrangement to generate a reciprocal motion of the blade.

Description

STEM AND BRANCH CUTTER

This invention relates to a stem and/or branch cutter and is principally intended for domestic use to cut plant stalks and/or small branches.

Pruning and maintenance of gardens creates small branches and stems which are required to be put into rigid containers or flexible bags for disposal.

Cutting pruned stems and branches into such a size that they may be deposited into containers or bags is currently achieved by using hand loppers, which is tedious, or using a shredder, which is bulky and tends to be expensive.

The present invention seeks to provide a stem and branch cutter which is readily portable and easy to store.

According to this invention there is provided a stem and/or branch cutter apparatus including a chassis arranged to be secured over a container having an open top, said chassis having at one end thereof a depending lip arranged to locate over an outer distal side of said container and an adjustable clamping mechanism arranged to engage an opposing proximal side of said container, whereby said chassis is capable of being fixedly secured to said container, said chassis supporting a cutting station comprising a fixed blade and a movable cutting blade that is arranged to cooperate with said fixed blade, hopper means for introducing stems and/or branches into said cutting station and an outlet from said cutting station for depositing cut stems and/or branches into said container.

Preferably, said movable cutting blade is arranged to be driven with respect to said fixed blade by power means.

Advantageously, said movable cutting blade is arranged to be driven by said power means with a reciprocal motion.

In an alternative embodiment, said movable cutting blade is arranged to be driven by said power means with a rotary motion.

In another embodiment, said movable cutting blade is arranged to be driven by said power means by a crank arrangement to provide a slicing motion Advantageously, said power means is a portable electric drill, or an electric motor, or a manual hand crank.

In order that the present invention may be more fully understood a specific embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, of which: Figure 1 shows a stem and/or branch cutter apparatus in accordance with this invention located on a container and connected with a portable electric drill, Figure 2a shows an exploded view of one embodiment of the apparatus of this invention, Figure 2b shows the embodiment of Figure 2a assembled, Figure 3 shows an underside view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figures 2a and 2b that provides a reciprocal motion of the cutting blade, Figure 4 shows mutually orthogonal top and side views of an alternative form of the movable cutting blade that has a rotary motion, Figure 5a shows the movable cutter driven by a crank arrangement to provide a slicing motion in which the movable blade is in an open position with respect to the fixed blade, and Figure 5b shows the embodiment of Figure 5a in which the movable cutting blade is in a closed position with respect to the fixed cutting blade.

In the Figures, like references denote like parts.

Referring to Figure 1, a stem and/or branch cutter apparatus 1 is located on an open top container 2 and a movable cutter is arranged to be driven by a portable electric drill 3.

As shown in Figures 2a and 2b, the apparatus 1 has a rectangular chassis 10 having upturned longitudinal sides and a depending lip 11 at a distal end thereof which is arranged to locate over an outer distal side of the container 2. Remote from the lip 11 is a central longitudinal slot 12 and two outer slots 13.

A U-shaped container lock 14 has opposing ends 15 which extend through the slots 13 and the ends 15 have a protruding portion 16 which may be used to engage under an outer lip of the container 2.

Alternatively, the U-shaped container lock 14 may be located so that the ends 15 are secured to abut an inside of the container remote from the lip 11. A hand-operated knob 17 has an external screw thread 18 which locates through a hole 19 in the U-shaped container lock 14 and through the slot 12 to be tightened against a nut 20 on an underside of the chassis.

A fixed blade 21 and a movable cutting blade 22 are located within a housing 23 that is arranged to be fixed by any convenient means, such as screw fixing or rivets to the chassis 10.

As shown in greater detail in Figure 3, the movable cutting blade 22 is to be reciprocally guided along parallel, opposed, guide rods 24 toward and away from the fixed blade 21, with the reciprocal motion being provided by a rotatable disc 25 having an axle 26 driven by a power source, such as a portable electric drill.

A connecting rod 27 is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 28 that is located off centre of the rotatable disc 25 with an opposing end of the connecting rod 27 being pivotally mounted by a pin 29 on the movable blade cutting 22. The movable cutting blade is located on a moving plate 30 and supported by a linear bearing 31.

The power source provided by, for example, the portable electric drill, or an electric motor, or a manual hand crank is connected by a drive shaft 32 that is mounted in a bearing 33 having a housing 34.

A hopper 40, for insertion of branches and to protect a user's hand from the movable cutting blade, is provided on an upper surface of housing 23 and the branches are pushed through a hole 42 in the housing 23 and a hole 43 in the fixed blade, the movable cutting blade sliding under the fixed blade to cut the branches with a U-shaped cutting edge.

Located on an underside of the chassis 10 is a chute 44 arranged to direct cut branches into the bin 2.

In an alternative embodiment shown in Figure 4, the drive shaft 32 is connected to a pulley 45 which connects by a belt or chain 46 to a further pulley 47.

The pulley 47 is connected to a cutting blade 48 which has a rotary motion indicated by double arrow-headed line 49 to cooperate with the fixed blade 21. A counterweight 50 is provided on an opposite side of the pulley 47 from the cutting blade 48 to provide a counter balance for the cutting blade 48.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 5a and 5b, in which the drive shaft 26 is connected to a rotatable disc 60 having an off-center pivot 61 that is connected to a first arm 62. The arm 62 is connected by a pivot 63 to a further arm 64, and opposing the pivot 63 is a movable hook-shaped cutting blade 65 that is mounted by a pivot 66 to a cooperating hook-shaped fixed blade 67.

In the position shown in Figure 5a, the fixed and movable blades are in an open position to permit insertion of a branch therebetween and with rotation of the rotatable disc 60, as shown by double arrow-headed line 68 in Figure 5b, the movable blade cutting 65 moves to slice a branch 69 located between the two blades.

In this specification an apparatus/method/product "comprising" certain features is intended to be interpreted as meaning that it includes those features, but that it does not exclude the presence of other features.

Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (9)

1. CLAIMS1. A stem and/or branch cutter apparatus including a chassis arranged to be secured over a container having an open top, said chassis having at one end thereof a depending lip arranged to locate over an outer distal side of said container and an adjustable clamping mechanism arranged to engage an opposing proximal side of said container, whereby said chassis is capable of being fixedly secured to said container, said chassis supporting a cutting station comprising a fixed blade and a movable cutting blade that is arranged to cooperate with said fixed blade, hopper means for introducing stems and/or branches into said cutting station and an outlet from said cutting station for depositing cut stems and/or branches into said container.
2. 2. A stem and/or branch cutter apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable cutting blade is arranged to be driven with respect to said fixed blade by power means.
3. 3. A stem and/or branch cutter apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable cutting blade is arranged to be driven by said power means with a reciprocal motion.
4. 4. A stem and/or branch cutter apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable cutting blade is arranged to be driven by said power means with a rotary motion.
5. 5. A stem and/or branch cutter apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable cutting blade is arranged to be driven by said power means by a crank arrangement to provide a slicing motion.
6. 6. A stem and/or branch cutter apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said power means is a portable electric drill, or an electric motor, or a manual hand crank.
7. 7. A method of cutting stems and/or branches comprising the step of providing the apparatus of any preceding claim.
8. 8. The method of claim 7 comprising the further step of attaching power means to the apparatus.
9. 9. The method of claims wherein said power means is a portable electric drill, or an electric motor, or a manual hand crank.