US 4,483,070 AGranted

Portable backpacked cutter

AssigneeJoane G. Tannehill

InventorHoward C. Junkermann

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a portable cutter particularly useful in trimming and shaping standing growing trees of the evergreen type which has a cutting head mounted on one end of a rod, and a pistol grip type control handle on the other end. A second handle is secured on the rod substantially midway between the control handle and cutting head. A back pack having partial waist encircling support means with a belt and a securing buckle is provided with a pair of spaced apart vertical standards secured to said encircling support having a transverse connector therebetween above said waist support. The back pack is retained on the operator by a pair of shoulder strap connector means attached to each end of center of said transverse connector and connectable to said waist support. Back pack extension and guide means is carried by and secured to at least one of the vertical standards. A cutter suspension shock cord is adapted to be connected between the back pack extension and the cutter rod proximate the cutting head and being adjustable along the rod to permit adjustability for varying the apparent weight of the cutter from an apparent zero to an amount desired by the operator to provide maximum maneuverability with a minimum of operator fatigue. The prime mover is carried by the back pack above the waist encircling support and supplies power to a motor connected to drive the cutting head and being carried thereby. There is a selectively operable control connected between the prime mover and motor for selectively driving the motor under control of the pistol grip control handle.

Claims8

Dependent claims

In combination, a portable cutter having:

(a) a cutting head mounted on one end of a rod,
and a piston grip type control handle means on the other end of said rod,
and having a second handle means on said rod substantially midway between the control handle and cutting head,
(b) a back pack having
partial waist encircling support means with belt and a securing buckle,
a pair of spaced apart vertical standards secured to said encircling support having a transverse connector therebetween above said waist support,
a pair of shoulder strap connector means attached to each end of center of said transverse connector and connectable to said waist support,
back pack extension and guide means carried by and secured to at least one of said vertical standards,
(c) elastomeric cutter suspension shock cord connected between said back pack extension and guide means and said cutter rod proximate the cutting head
(d) a prime mover carried by said back pack above said waist encircling support means,
(e) motor means connected to drive said cutting head and being carried thereby,
(f) and selectively operable switch control means connected between said prime mover and motor means for selectively driving the motor means under control of said pistol grip control handle
(g) wherein said suspension shock cord extends from the back pack extension and guide means, passes over a pulley connected to the back of the cutting head along the control rod to a pulley secured to a forward portion of the pistol grip handle on the control rod and then to an adjustable collar means between said pulleys which is positionable along the control rod to allow the apparent weight of the cutting head combination and control rod, on the arms of the operatior, to be varied from zero to that desired by the operator based upon cutting conditions, thus affording the operator maximum maneuverability and minimum fatigue.

10 more elements

In combination, a portable cutter having:

(a) a cutting head mounted on one end of a rod,
and a pistol grip type control handle means on the other end of said rod,
and having a second handle means on said rod substantially midway between the control handle and cutting head,
(b) a back pack having
partial waist encircling support means with belt and a securing buckle,
a pair of spaced apart vertical standards secured to said encircling support having a transverse connector therebetween above said waist support,
a pair of shoulder strap connector means attached to each end of center of said transverse connector and connectable to said waist support,
back pack extension and guide means comprising a tubular extension received and anchored in one of said vertical standards,
(c) elastomeric cutter suspension shock cord connected between said tubular extension and said cutter rod proximate the cutting head and being adjustable along said rod to permit adjustability for varying the weight of said cutter from an apparent zero to an amount desired by the operator thereby reducing operator fatigue to a minimum,
(d) a prime mover carried by said back pack above said waist encircling support means,
(e) motor means connected to drive said cutting head and being carried thereby,
(f) and selectively operable switch control means connected between said prime mover and motor means for selectively driving the motor means under control of said pistol grip control handle.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.