US 4,048,791 AGranted

Reversible sickle-bar type lawn mower and trimmer

OwnerJ. Paul Treeninventor

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Abstract

A lawn mower of the sickle-bar type having an elongated straight double-edged blade mounted at either end by a planetary mount producing in the horizontal plane a generally laterally reciprocating motion combined with an orbital motion creating cutting forces in both directions with the double-edged blade. The basic support wheels, handle and blade mounting and driving system are so mounted to allow one of the cutting sides or edges of the blade to be used for usual lawn mowing operation, which side is located well within and under and centrally to the basic mower structure, and the other, opposite cutting side to be used for trimming close to walls, trees, etc., which side is located at and moves past the end of the basic mower structure. The handle is reversible from one side to the other to allow the operator to move to and push from the appropriate side, depending on whether mowing or trimming operation is desired. Utilizing only two ground contacting wheels allows the mower to be used for edge trimming in a vertical plane too.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A combined lawn mower and trimmer comprising:

a basic lawn mower support structure;
a cutting blade bar elongated in structure mounted on the underside of said mower support structure;
mounting and drive means connected to said support structure and said blade bar for mounting said blade bar onto said support structure and for driving said blade bar in a combined laterally reciprocating and longitudinally orbital motions in a generally horizontal plane, said blade bar being double-edged, having cutting edges on both of its long edge portions, said blade bar exhibiting a sliding cutting action while it is being laterally reciprocated and a chopping cutting action when it is being orbitally moved in the longitudinal direction;
ground contacting wheel means connected to said support structure for supporting said support structure and said blade bar above the ground;
said blade bar in its travel being located at least generally under said support structure and at least generally to one side of said wheel means but extending past said support structure at only one longitudinal end thereof, the opposite end of said support structure extending substantially past said blade bar;
a handle connected to and extending past said basic support structure and being reversibly movable from one of its longitudinal ends to the other, the mower being movable and operational in either longitudinal direction, one for regular mowing and the other for close-in trimming;
and
guard means positioned about said blade bar at least at the area it extends past said support structure.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.