Apparatus for cutting vegetation
AssigneeWhite Consolidated Industries, Inc.
InventorGary H. Foster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for cutting vegetation with a rotatable head carrying a non-metallic cutting line extended into a cutting plane. Additional line is extended from a supply line coil within the head into the cutting plane without independent operation action. A mechanism in the head feeds a certain incremental length of line whenever the free end of the cutting line is reduced to this length by wear, or otherwise. After the cutting line length is extended to its original preset length, the cutting line is secured automatically against further extension from the head. The incremental line feeder mechanism is actuated by sensing an operating condition of the head, e.g., angular velocity of rotation.
Claims27
Apparatus for cutting vegetation comprising:
- a head rotatable about an axis of rotation, said head having at least one aperture and a cavity for storing a relatively long length of flexible cutting line;
- drive means capable when operative of effecting rotation of said head;
- a quantity of flexible cutting line disposed in said cavity and having a free end extending outwardly from said head through said aperture into a cutting plane;
- and
- feed effective means operable in response to a shortening of said free end during rotation of said head to enable additional cutting line to be released through said aperture to restore the length of said free end.
Apparatus for cutting vegetation comprising:
- a head rotatable about an axis of rotation, said head having store means for storing a relatively long length of flexible cutting line;
- drive means capable when operative of effecting rotation of said head;
- a quantity of flexible cutting line disposed in said store means for storing and having a free and extending outwardly from said head into a cutting plane;
- and
- control means including centrifugal force responsive means responding to a change in centrifugal force encountered by said head for enabling the length of said free en to increase when the rotational speed of said head exceeds a selected speed.
Apparatus for cutting vegetation comprising:
- a head rotatable about an axis of rotation;
- drive means capable when operative of effecting rotation of said head;
- store means for storing a relatively long length of flexible cutting line;
- a quantity of flexible cutting line disposed in said store means for storing and having a free end extending outwardly from said head into a cutting plane;
- and
- means responsive to a change in rotational speed of said head during rotation about said axis for extending said cutting line into said cutting plane.
Apparatus for cutting vegetation comprising:
- a head rotatably about an axis of rotation;
- drive means capable when operative of effecting rotation of said head;
- store means for storing a relatively long length of flexible cutting line;
- a quantity of flexible cutting line disposed in said store means with a free end extending outwardly from said head into a cutting plane;
- means for restraining said cutting line from advancing into said cutting plane when said cutting line is at a predetermined length in said cutting plane during rotation of said head;
- and
- means operable in response to a shortening of said free end of said cutting line during rotation of said head for causing said restraining means to release said cutting line for advancement into said cutting plane.
Apparatus for cutting vegetation comprising:
- a long length of flexible cord stored coiled and unmounted in a rotating head of said apparatus and having a free end passing from said head through an eye;
- a snubbing device for said cord, said snubbing device having a fixed part on said head and a moving part constrained to move toward and away from said fixed part;
- a guideway for training said cord between said fixed part and said moving part and in at least a partial curve around a portion of said moving part and thence essentially radially outward through said eye;
- said curve of said cord being so directed that tension caused by centrifugal force on said cord presses said moving part toward said fixed part;
- and
- means for biasing said moving part away from said fixed part with a force less than the maximum centrifugal force acting on said cord.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.