Filament trimmer head

An improved filament trimmer of the type having a trimmer head, a spool having a spool core and upper and lower spool flanges extending outwardly from the core to define a line storage area between the spool flanges, a supply of filament line wound around the core and located in the line storage area of the spool with a free end of the line extending radially outwardly from the spool to form a cutting length of line located exteriorly of the head, drive means for rotating the trimmer head about an axis to cause the cutting length of line to be spun in a cutting plane to sever vegetation, and indexing means for feeding additional line out from the spool, wherein the indexing means includes a first group of indexing teeth comprising first and second sets of indexing teeth that are spaced apart relative to one another along the axis of rotation, the indexing teeth in each set thereof being circumferentially spaced apart relative to one another and the indexing teeth in the first and second sets thereof being circumferentially offset relative to one another, the indexing means further including a second group of locking teeth comprising at least one set of locking teeth in which the locking teeth are circumferentially spaced apart relative to one another, the locking teeth in the second group being alternately engageable with the indexing teeth in the first and second sets of indexing teeth in the first group in response to relative reciprocal motion along the axis of rotation between the first and second groups of teeth, wherein the improvement relates to the indexing means and comprises:

• (a) the spool having a tubular member having upper and lower ends, wherein the spool flanges are located on the tubular member between the upper and lower ends thereof such that a middle portion of the tubular member is located between the spool flanges to form the spool core, an upper portion of the tubular member extends above the upper spool flange to form an extension of the spool core, and a lower portion of the tubular member extends below the lower spool flange;
• (b) wherein one of the two groups of teeth in the indexing means is carried on the core extension formed by the upper portion of the tubular member to be vertically spaced above the upper spool flange, wherein the teeth in the one group of teeth carried by the core extension are substantially parallel to the upper spool flange and are located radially inwardly from an outermost peripheral edge of the upper spool flange;
• and
• (c) wherein the lower portion of the tubular member has a closed lower end forming a ground bump member that is bumped against the ground to initiate line indexing.

An improved filament trimmer of the type having a trimmer head, a spool having a spool core and upper and lower spool flanges extending radially outwardly from the core to define a line storage area between the spool flanges with the spool flanges having outermost peripheral edges, a supply of filament line wound around the core and located in the line storage area of the spool with a free end of the line extending radially outwardly from the spool to form a cutting length of line located exteriorly of the head, drive means for rotating the trimmer head about an axis to cause the cutting length of line to be spun in a cutting plane to sever vegetation, and indexing means for feeding additional line out from the spool, wherein the indexing means includes a first group of indexing teeth comprising first and second sets of indexing teeth that are spaced apart relative to one another along the axis of rotation, the indexing teeth in each set thereof being circumferentially spaced apart relative to one another and the indexing teeth in the first and second sets thereof being circumferentially offset relative to one another, the indexing means further including a second group of locking teeth comprising at least one set of locking teeth in which the locking teeth are circumferentially spaced apart relative to one another, the locking teeth in the second group being alternately engageable with the indexing teeth in the first and second sets of indexing teeth in the first group in response to relative reciprocal motion along the axis of rotation between the first and second groups of teeth, wherein the improvement relates to the indexing means and comprises:

• (a) the spool including a core extension attached to the spool core and which vertically protrudes past the spool flanges such that the core extension is located vertically outside of the line storage area of the spool, wherein the spool core has a predetermined outside diameter, and wherein the core extension has an outside diameter that is generally the same as the spool core;
• and
• (b) wherein one of the two groups of teeth in the indexing means is carried by and integrally formed on the core extension and is vertically spaced from the spool flange closest to the one group of teeth carried by the core extension, wherein the teeth in the one group of teeth carried by the core extension extend radially outwardly from the core extension but do not extend radially outwardly past the outermost peripheral edges of the spool flanges.