Straight through line feed vegetation trimmer apparatus

A bidirectionally operable trimmer head for selectively mounting to either one of both a trimmer machine having a clockwise drive direction and a trimmer machine having counterclockwise drive direction, comprising:

• a trimmer head having a spool rotatably mounted within a trimmer head housing;
• said spool having at least one chamber for winding trimmer line threaded through said spool and around the spool in a first winding direction;
• said trimmer head having a pair of eyelets for receiving the ends of the trimmer line therethrough from said spool to an area outside of the housing;
• an activation knob slidably connected to said trimmer head housing for moving said spool from a first axial position relative to said housing to a second axial position relative to said housing;
• said trimmer head having a ratchet mechanism selectively switchable between a first winding mode when said trimmer head is in a first axial position for only allowing manual rotation of said activation knob to wind the trimmer line from outside the housing onto said spool in the first winding direction while preventing rotation in a rotational direction opposite of the first winding, and
• said trimmer head having a second bidirectional line dispensing mode when said trimmer head is a second axial position for dispensing a length of the trimmer line out through the pair of eyelets;
• wherein said spool includes a replaceable module within said spool for routing said trimmer line straight through said spool in a radial direction when a first module is in said spool and for routing said trimmer line through said spool in a non-radial direction when a second module is in said spool.

A trimmer head for use with a trimmer machine, comprising:

• a trimmer head having housing and a spool rotatably mounted within the trimmer head housing;
• said spool having a central core with an axial opening extending therein, said spool defining at least a first chamber for winding trimmer line threaded through said spool and around the spool central core in a first winding direction;
• said spool having at least one flange defining a first passage therein extending from the core to a first side of the spool and a second passage therein extending from the core to an opposite side of the spool from the first side of the spool;
• said trimmer head having a pair of eyelets for receiving the ends of the trimmer line therethrough from one eyelet through said first and second passages through said core and through said second eyelet to an area outside of the housing;
• an activation knob slidably connected to said trimmer head housing for moving said spool from a first axial position relative to said housing to a second axial position relative to said housing;
• said trimmer head having a ratchet mechanism selectively switchable between a first winding mode and a second line dispensing mode;
• and
• said spool further including a replaceable module section removably attached to said spool, wherein said module section includes a first radial module passage section having a radial passageway connecting said first and second passages for routing said trimmer line straight through said spool first and second passages in a radial direction when the first module section is in said spool aligned with said first and second chambers;
• and
• said replaceable module section includes a second non-radial module passageway section having a passageway connecting said first and second chambers for routing said trimmer line in a non-radial direction from said spool first passage to said spool second chamber when the second non-radial module section is in said spool aligned with said first and second passages.

A spool for use with a string trimmer head, said spool having a central core and at least one flange extending therefrom, said spool and flange defining at least a first chamber section for winding trimmer line threaded through said spool and around the spool central core in a first winding direction;

• said spool having at least one flange defining a first passage therein extending from the core and through the flange to a first side of the spool and a second passage therein extending from the core and through the flange to a side of the spool opposite from the first side of the spool;
• said spool further includes a replaceable module section removably attached to said spool, wherein said module section includes a first radial module passageway section having a radial passageway connecting said first and second passages for routing said trimmer line straight through said spool first and second passages in a radial direction when the first module section is in said spool aligned with said first and second chambers;
• and
• said replaceable module section includes a second non-radial passageway section having a passageway connecting said first and second passages for routing said trimmer line in a non-radial direction from said spool first chamber to said spool second passage when the second non-radial module section is in said spool aligned with said first and second passages.