Rotary cutting member for use with lawn mowers and the like

An apparatus for cutting vegetation, comprising:

• a) a rotary member;
• b) said rotary member including a hub;
• c) said member including a continuous rim disposed around said hub;
• d) said member including a disk operably associated with said rim and said hub;
• e) a plurality of flexible cutting filaments each having a triangular cross-section and including first and second portions extending outwardly from said rim;
• f) said member including a plurality of substantially U-shaped passageways keyed to the triangular cross-section of said cutting filaments for permitting each of said cutting elements to be positioned within each respective said U-shaped passageways at a specific orientation;
• g) each of said U-shaped passageways including first and second leg portions operably associated with said first and second portions of respective said cutting filaments;
• and
• h) said passageway first and second portions extending radially through said rim and terminating at different elevations above the ground at said rim for permitting each of said cutting filaments first and second portions to cut the vegetation at different heights.

An apparatus for cutting vegetation, comprising:

• a) a rotary member;
• b) said rotary member including a hub;
• c) said member including a rim disposed around said hub;
• d) said member including means for securing said rim to said hub;
• e) a flexible cutting element having an angular cross-section and having first and second end portions extending outwardly from said rim;
• f) said member including means for securing said flexible cutting element;
• g) said element securing means including first and second passageways keyed to the cross-section of said cutting element for permitting said cutting element first and second end portions to be positioned at a specific orientation;
• h) said cutting element having first and second intermediate portions being operably associated with respective said first and second passageways;
• i) each of said first and second passageways extending through said rim at different elevations above the ground for permitting said cutting element first and second end portions to cut the vegetation at different heights;
• and
• j) said first and second passageways extending radially from said hub to said rim.