US 4,161,820 AGranted

Apparatus for cutting vegetation

AssigneeWeed Eater, Inc.

InventorJames L. Moore

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Abstract

Apparatus for cutting vegetation with a rotating head carrying cutting line extended into a cutting plane. Additional line is extended into the cutting plane by pushing a ball member against the ground while rotating the head. The ball member moves inwardly for releasing a spool carrying coiled cutting line to rotate a predetermined angular displacement in the head. After the cutting line length is extended, the spool is secured automatically against further rotation within the head. A cover is releasably secured to the head by a twist-lock connection to allow the ball member and spool to be removed from the head for rewinding, etc. The ball member and spool are journaled within the head and cover for rotation about a common rotational axis with the head and each other. As a result, head balance and smooth rotation are maintained during repeated extensions of cutting line.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An apparatus for cutting vegetation, comprising:

(a) a head rotatable about an axis of rotation with an integral drive connection carried on a first face and a second face having a smooth surface free of projections and recesses capable of trapping appreciable vegetation, and said head having an open-ended cavity with a smooth cylindrical wall coaxial to the rotational axis;
(b) a spool mounted in said cavity and having spaced-apart flanges defining a storage zone for cutting line, said flanges provided with two circular peripheries adapted to be journaled snugly within said cylindrical wall, and said spool having an axial opening;
(c) at least one flexible, non-metallic cutting line coiled in said storage zone of said spool and having a free end extending outwardly from said head into a cutting plane;
(d) a circular button member carried on said head and mounted for manually-induced axial movement from an outward station into said head to an inward station;
(e) a cover removably secured to said head to contain said button member and spool member and biasing means for urging said button member and spool towards the outward station;
(f) said cover, button member and spool having internested cylindrical bearing surfaces spaced intermediate of said axial opening and said cylindrical wall, said bearing surfaces forming low-friction journal means for common rotation relative to one another and said rotational axis;
and
(g) locking means on said head and received within said central axial opening of said spool, said locking means adapted to be activated by said button member in the inward station for releasing said spool for rotation within said head through a predetermined angular displacement for extending a certain length of cutting line from said head into said cutting plane whereat said locking means secure said spool against rotation relative to said head.

5 more elements

An apparatus for cutting vegetation, comprising:

(a) a head rotatable about an axis of rotation with an integral drive connection carried on a first face and a second face having a projecting ball member adapted to be moved selectively to an inward station;
(b) a reel-like spool having spaced-apart flanges forming a storage zone for cutting line and an axial opening therethrough;
(c) at least one cutting line coiled in said storage zone of said spool and having a free end extending outwardly from said head into a cutting plane;
(d) a cover releasably secured to said head at its second face and said cover adapted to contain said ball member and spool member in said head and biasing means for returning said button member towards an outward station;
(e) said ball member, said spool, said cover and said head having (1) internested cylindrical bearing surfaces providing low-friction journal means for common rotation relative to one another and to said rotational axis, and (2) annular flanges providing end bearing means for limiting longitudinal displacements relative to each other;
and
(f) locking means on said head and received within said axial opening of said spool, said locking means activated by said ball member being moved into the inward station for releasing said spool for rotation within said head through a predetermined angular displacement for extending a certain length of cutting line from said head into the cutting plane whereat said locking means secure said spool against rotation relative to said head.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.