In combination with a mower including:
- a body with turned down sidewalls;
- wheels mounted on the body;
- a handle assembly mounted on the body;
- a prime mover mounted on the body;
- and a blade assembly including a spindle rotatably mounted on the body with a generally vertical rotational axis, a blade member mounted generally horizontally on the spindle, said blade member having distal ends;
- and drive train means drivingly interconnecting the prime mover and the spindle;
- the improvement of a flexible line vegetation cutting system, which comprises:
- (a) an opposing pair of substantially horizontally oriented elongated body slots encompassing the cutting height of said blade member;
- (b) a pair of delivery tubes each mounted on and extending longitudinally outwardly from the spindle along said blade member, each said tube having open proximal and distal ends and a bore extending therebetween, said tube proximal ends being positioned in spaced relation diametrically opposite to each other side of the spindle rotational axis;
- (c) a trimmer assembly, which includes:
- (1) a frame vertically slidably mounted on said spindle upper end;
- (2) a pair of spool and guide roller assemblies mounted in opposing, staggered relation with respect to said rotational axis on said frame;
- each spool and guide roller assembly having a generally horizontal rotational axis, a spool for winding flexible line thereon, and a guide roller having an annular groove, said groove being positioned in opposed relation between said guide rollers and forming a line channel therebetween adapted to receive flexible line;
- (3) each said roller having rachet teeth on the planar end faces thereof;
- (4) a plunger assembly including a rachet finger for interacting with said rachet teeth;
- (5) a pair of channels each having an open, upper end positioned below said groove and a lower end communicating with a different one of said delivery tubes;
- (6) means for vertically moving said frame between its upper and lower positions;
- and
- (7) means for vertically moving said plunger assembly between its upper and lower positions;
- (d) a housing mounted on said body;
- and
- (e) a pair of guards, each having a substantially horizontally oriented elongated slot and each mounted on a respective housing side;
- each said guard movable between a lower position, such that the respective slot thereof is substantially aligned with a respective one of the body slots, and an elevated position, such that the respective slot thereof is substantially non-aligned with the respective one of the body slots.