Gutter debris-grinding device
OwnerClay Plemmonsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The gutter debris-grinding device attaches to a rain gutter directly above a downspout. A float switch attached to a float in the gutter senses when water is collecting in the gutter instead of draining through the downspout. The float switch may trigger a grinder motor to turn on, causing rotation of a grinder blade at the end of a grinder shaft located above the downspout. The float switch may also trigger an elevation motor to lower the grinder motor by rotating a leadscrew, causing the grinder blade to cut and/or break debris that may be blocking the entrance to the downspout. Upon sensing that the water level has gone down, or after a predetermined time interval, the grinder motor may be raised and the grinder blade may be stopped.
Claims20
A gutter debris-grinding device comprising:
- a grinder, a lifter, a float, a float switch, a housing, a mounting plate, a control panel, and a battery;
- wherein the gutter debris-grinding device is a tool that comminutes debris blocking a downspout;
- wherein the gutter debris-grinding device couples to a rain gutter above the downspout and lowers a grinder blade into the downspout when the float switch indicates that the downspout is blocked;
- wherein the electrical energy applied to a grinder motor of the grinder is controlled by the control panel;
- wherein the lifter lowers the grinder when the float switch indicates that the downspout is blocked and raises the grinder when the float switch indicates that the downspout is not blocked;
- wherein the float switch is coupled to a bottom of the mounting plate such that the float is suspended above the rain gutter when the rain gutter is dry;
- wherein the float is oriented such that a lack of water in the rain gutter allows the float to drop down and the presence of water in the rain gutter causes the float to float up;
- wherein a bottom of the housing is coupled to the mounting plate;
- wherein the battery provides electrical energy to the control panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.