A cutting head system for a vegetation cutting machine comprising:
- a cutting head having a disk that includes a bottom cover portion, an outer wall extending upwardly from a peripheral edge of said bottom cover portion, and a top cover portion opposite said bottom cover portion that, together, define an interior area, said cutting head defining an imaginary rotational axis passing vertically through a center of said cutting head, wherein said an outer wall defines a plurality of filament apertures spaced apart from one another about said outer wall;
- a receiver fixedly attached atop said top cover portion fix operatively coupling said cutting head to a rotary drive of the vegetation cutting machine, said receiver defining an aperture through which said rotary drive is received;
- a top face of said top cover portion defining a central relief for selectively receiving a spacer into said top cover portion of said cutting head;
- a plurality of cutting filaments situated partially in the interior area of said cutting head, each cutting filament having a flexible construction that includes a straight body, a proximal end, and a distal end configured to extend in part through a respective, filament aperture;
- a plurality of filament aperture receivers each being positioned in communication with the plurality of filament apertures, respectively, each filament aperture receiver having an elongate and tubular configuration extending outwardly and away from the respective filament aperture and away from the outer wall and configured to receive a respective cutting filament therethrough;
- at least one cutting filament retention mechanism positioned in the internal area of the cutting head and that includes a single fulcrum cylinder defining a fulcrum axis that is parallel to the rotational axis, said at least one cutting filament retention mechanism including one and only one wedge-shaped filament engaging cam pivotably coupled to the one and only one fulcrum cylinder and pivotally movable between a closed configuration blocking removal of said respective cutting filament from said internal area through said respective filament receiver and an open configuration allowing removal of said respective cutting filament from the internal area through said respective filament receiver;
- wherein said one and only one filament engaging cam includes an outer face and having a plurality of teeth distributed on said outer face;
- said one and only one earn defining a earn receiver slot opposite said outer face thereof;
- a spring housing having a housing receiver slot;
- a spring positioned intermediate said earn receiver slot and said housing receiver slot, said spring being normally biased to push said one and only one filament engaging cam toward said closed configuration and being configured to compress as said one and only one filament engaging cam rotates about said fulcrum axis toward said open configuration;
- said proximal end of said respective cutting filament configured to be inserted through said respective filament aperture when said respective cutting filament pushes past said teeth of said one and only one filament engaging cam, thereby forcing said one and only one filament engaging cam to rotate counter-clockwise about said fulcrum cylinder, and thereby depressing said spring;
- wherein said one and only one filament engaging cam is configured to pivot opposite of the rotation of said cutting head such that said one and only one filament engaging cam further engages said respective cutting filament through centripetal force;
- wherein each fulcrum axis is positioned proximal to said outer wall at a position 28° or greater relative to each respective filament aperture and the rotational axis;
- wherein a user may selectively remove said respective cutting filament from said filament aperture by pulling said distal end of said respective cutting filament away from said filament aperture;
- wherein said spacer is removably placed within said central relief of said top cover portion of said cutting head, said removable spacer being configured for connection to a connecting end of said rotary drive, wherein said spacer comprises a circular opening that includes the plurality of notches;
- wherein said central relief including grooves configured to provide grip against said removable spacer;
- and
- a bushing configured to reduce a diameter of said receiver;
- said rotary drive belonging to the vegetation cutting machine;
- and
- thereby allowing said rotary drive to fit within said receiver via said bushing;
- wherein:
- each said cutting filament includes a plurality of filament teeth;
- and
- said plurality of filament teeth being configured to engage with said teeth of said one and only one filament engaging cam, such that said teeth of said filament engaging cam further retains said cutting filament via said plurality of filament teeth;
- wherein said cutting head is configured to be installed on a vegetation cutting machine selected from the list including a hand-held trimmer, a push lawnmower, and a riding lawnmower.