Lawn edger

A portable power operated implement comprising:

• a support including an elongated boom portion;
• a power unit including a prime mover mounted on one end of said support;
• a cutter head including drive mechanism disposed at the opposite end of said support and drivably connected to substantially vertically disposed rotary cutting blade means;
• drive shaft means drivingly interconnecting said power unit and said blade means;
• adjustable surface engaging roller means mounted on said implement at said opposite end of said support and adapted to partially support said implement to control the cutting depth of said blade means;
• handle means spaced apart on said support and adapted to be grasped by an operator in the normal position of operating said implement in such a way that said operator is remote from said blade means, said handle means including a first handle portion disposed on said power unit, and a second handle portion including an elongated handlebar mounted on said boom portion;
• and
• a bracket adapted to be clamped to said support in a selected position along said support and including means for pivotally mounting said handlebar on said bracket whereby said handlebar may be moved between a working position projecting substantially laterally with respect to said support to a folded position toward said power unit while said handlebar is prevented from being pivoted toward said opposite end of said support;
• said bracket including portions spaced apart to form a slot adapted to receive said handlebar and to releasably lock said handlebar in said laterally projecting position;
• said bracket portions forming reentrant edges of said slot defining therebetween an opening having a width less than the cross sectional thickness of said handlebar, said edges being engageable with said handlebar in response to the pivotal movement of said handlebar to provide for yieldably deflecting said bracket portions away from each other to permit said handlebar to be pivoted into and out of said laterally extending position.

A portable power operated implement comprising:

• an elongated support;
• a power unit connected to one end of said support;
• a cutter head mounted at the opposite end of said support and including substantially vertically disposed rotary cutter blade means;
• handle means spaced apart on said implement and adapted to be grasped by an operator for said implement, said handle means including a handlebar disposed on said support between said power unit and said cutter head, and a bracket for connecting said handlebar to said support for movement between a folded position and a position projecting laterally in a generally horizontal direction in a normal operating position of said cutter head, said bracket comprising a platelike member formed to have a generally cylindrical portion disposed around said support, a pair of opposed legs projecting from said cylindrical portion and including portions forming said slot and cantilever leaf portions defining reentrant edges of said slot for releasably retaining said handlebar in said laterally projecting position of said handlebar.

A portable power operated implement comprising:

• a support including an elongated boom portion;
• a power unit including a prime mover mounted on one end of said support;
• a cutter head including drive mechanism disposed at the opposite end of said support and drivably connected to rotary cutting blade means;
• handle means spaced apart on said support and adapted to be grasped by an operator in the normal position of operating said implement in such a way that said operator is remote from said blade means, said handle means including a first handle portion disposed on said power unit, and a second handle portion including an elongated handlebar mounted on said boom portion;
• and
• a bracket adapted to be mounted on said support in a selected position along said support and including means for pivotally mounting said handlebar on said bracket whereby said handlebar may be moved between a working position projecting substantially laterally with respect to said support to a folded position toward said power unit while said handlebar is prevented from being pivoted toward said opposite end of said support;
• said bracket including portions spaced apart to form a slot adapted to receive said handlebar and to releasably lock said handlebar in said laterally projecting position.

A portable power operated lawn edger comprising:

• a support including an elongated boom portion;
• a power unit including a prime mover mounted on one end of said support;
• a cutter head including drive mechanism disposed at the opposite end of said support and drivably connected to substantially vertically disposed rotary cutting blade means;
• drive shaft means drivingly interconnecting said power unit and said blade means;
• adjustable surface engaging roller means mounted on said edger at said opposite end of said support and adapted to partially support said edger to control the cutting depth of said blade means;
• handle means spaced apart on said support and adapted to be grasped by an operator in the normal position of operating said edger in such a way that said operator is remote from said blade means, said handle means including a first handle portion disposed on said power unit, and a second handle portion including an elongated handlebar mounted on said boom portion;
• and
• a bracket adapted to be mounted on said support and including means for pivotally mounting said handlebar on said bracket whereby said handlebar may be moved between a working position projecting substantially laterally with respect to said support to a folded position extending generally alongside said support toward said power unit while said handlebar is prevented from being pivoted toward said opposite end of said support, said bracket including means for releasably locking said handlebar in said laterally projecting position.

A portable power operated implement comprising:

• a support including an elongated boom portion;
• a power unit including a prime mover mounted on one end of said support;
• a cutter head including drive mechanism disposed at the opposite end of said support and drivably connected to rotary cutting means;
• drive shaft means drivingly interconnecting said power unit and said blade means;
• handle means spaced apart on said support and adapted to be grasped by an operator in the normal position of operating said implement in such a way that said operator is remote from said blade means, said handle means including a first handle portion disposed on said power unit, and a second handle portion including an elongated handlebar mounted on said boom portion;
• means for pivotally mounting said handlebar on said boom portion whereby said handlebar may be moved between a working position projecting substantially laterally with respect to said support to a folded position extending generally alongside said support toward said power unit;
• and
• said power unit includes a housing for an internal combustion engine, a fuel tank, and a fuel filler neck cap disposed on a longitudinal side of said housing, and said handlebar is adapted to be folded toward said housing along a longitudinal side thereof opposite said first mentioned longitudinal side for partially supporting said implement in a reclined position wherein said filler cap is facing generally upward to permit filling said tank with fuel for said engine.