Trimmer head for use in flexible line rotary trimmers having improved line loading mechanism

A trimmer head for use with a length of flexible cutting line in a flexible line rotary trimmer, said head comprising:

• a housing adapted to be operatively connected to a rotary trimmer to effect rotation of said head, said housing defining a cylindrical depending skirt having a plurality of line outlet openings therein;
• a spool for carrying a length of cutting line thereon, said spool being operatively connected to said housing for rotation therewith in a first direction about a common axis in a drive mode and for rotation with respect to said housing in said first direction in a line winding mode, the operative connection between said spool and said housing includes a pair of vertically aligned and rotationally offset cams, each of said cams defining a plurality of spaced cam surfaces thereon and at least one of said cams defining a plurality of slide surfaces adjacent the cam surfaces thereon and a cam follower defining a plurality of spaced cam follower surfaces thereon and a plurality of slide surfaces adjacent said cam follower surfaces, said cam follower surfaces cooperating with said cam surfaces to effect said rotation of said spool with said housing and said slide surfaces on said cam follower cooperating with said slide surfaces on said one cam for effecting said reciprocal movement between said spool and said housing and wherein said spool includes a cylindrical body portion and at least one flange projecting radially therefrom so as to define at least one cutting line storage area about said body portion adjacent said flange, the operative connection between said spool and said housing effecting reciprocal movement between said spool and said housing along said common axis of rotation upon rotation of said spool with respect to said housing in said first direction;
• and
• a line receptor channel traversing said spool, said channel defining opposed open ends radially alignable with said line openings in said skirt upon relative rotation of said spool and said housing and an open portion intermediary of said opposed open ends so as to provide access thereto with said spool operatively connected to said housing, enabling a user to insert a length of cutting line through said receptor channel and the aligned openings in the housing skirt and wrap the length of line about the spool without having to interrupt the operative connection between the spool and the housing, and in the event of a line breakage proximate one or more of said line openings in the housing skirt, the user can grip and pull on the line in the open portion of said channel in a direction generally parallel to said common axis whereby the cutting line on said spool is pulled from the head for replacement without having to interrupt the operative connection between the spool and the housing.

A trimmer head for use with a length of flexible cutting line in a flexible line rotary trimmer, said head comprising:

• a housing adapted to be operatively connected to a rotary trimmer to effect rotation of the head, said housing defining a cylindrical depending skirt having opposed line openings therein;
• and
• a spool for carrying a length of cutting line thereon, said spool being operatively connected to said housing for rotation therewith about a common axis, said spool including a cylindrical body portion, at least one flange projecting radially therefrom so as to define at least one cutting line storage area about said body portion adjacent said flange and a walled line receptor channel traversing said spool for directing cutting line through said spool, said channel defining opposed open ends radially alignable with said line openings in said housing skirt upon relative rotation of said spool and said housing and wherein portions of said channel extend radially inwardly from said opposed open ends, downwardly along opposed portions of the body portion of the spool and transversely between said downwardly extending portions, at least a portion of the transversely extending portion of said channel being open so as to provide access to said channel with said spool operatively connected to said housing, whereby in the event of a line breakage proximate one or both of said line openings in the housing skirt, a user can grip and pull on the line in the open portion of said channel in a direction away from said spool and generally parallel to said common axis whereby the cutting line on said spool is pulled from the head for replacement without having to interrupt the operative connection between the spool and the housing.

A trimmer head for use with a length of flexible cutting line in a flexible line rotary trimmer, said head comprising:

• a housing adapted to be operatively connected to a rotary trimmer to effect rotation of the head, said housing defining a cylindrical depending skirt having opposed line openings therein;
• and
• a spool for carrying a length of cutting line thereon, said spool being operatively connected to said housing for rotation therewith about a common axis, said spool including a cylindrical body portion, at least one flange projecting radially therefrom so as to define at least one cutting line storage area about said body portion adjacent said flange and a walled line receptor channel traversing said spool for directing cutting line through said spool, said channel defining opposed open ends radially alignable with said line openings in said housing skirt upon relative rotation of said spool and said housing, enabling a user to insert a length of cutting line through said line receptor channel and the aligned openings in the housing skirt and wrap the length of line about the spool without having to interrupt the operative connection between the spool and the housing and wherein portions of said channel extend radially inwardly from said opposed open ends, downwardly along opposed portions of the body portion of the spool and transversely between said downwardly extending portions, at least a portion of the transversely extending portion of said channel being open so as to provide access to said channel with said spool operatively connected to said housing, whereby in the event of a line breakage proximate one or both of said line openings in the housing skirt, a user can grip and pull on the line in the open portion of said channel in a direction away from said spool and generally parallel to said common axis whereby the cutting line on said spool is pulled from the head for replacement without having to interrupt the operative connection between the spool and the housing.

A trimmer head for use with a length of flexible cutting line in a flexible line rotary trimmer, said head comprising:

• a housing adapted to be operatively connected to a rotary trimmer to effect rotation of the head, said housing defining a cylindrical depending skirt having opposed line openings therein;
• and
• a spool for carrying a length of cutting line thereon, said spool being operatively connected to said housing for rotation therewith about a common axis, said spool including a cylindrical body portion, at least one flange projecting radially therefrom so as to define at least one cutting line storage area about said body portion adjacent said flange and a line receptor channel traversing said spool, said channel defining opposed open ends radially alignable with said line openings in said housing skirt upon relative rotation of said spool and said housing and wherein a portion of said channel intermediary of said opposed open ends is open so as to provide access to said channel with said spool operatively connected to said housing, whereby in the event of a line breakage proximate one or both of said line openings in the housing skirt, a user can grip and pull on the line in the open portion of said channel in a direction away from said spool and generally parallel to said common axis whereby the cutting line on said spool is pulled from the head for replacement without having to interrupt the operative connection between the spool and the housing.