Solid material comminution or disintegration – Apparatus – Comminuting surface provided with openings to permit...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-09
2001-05-29
Ostrager, Allen (Department: 3725)
Solid material comminution or disintegration
Apparatus
Comminuting surface provided with openings to permit...
C241S101780
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237864
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the art of methods and apparatuses for lawn care devices, and more particularly to methods and apparatuses for directing lawn debris within a chipper shredder apparatus.
II. Description of the Related Art
It is well known to provide chipper shredder apparatuses with a chute or hopper for use in directing lawn debris such as leaves and sticks into the cutting portion of the chipper shredder. A known problem that has remained unsolved in the art relates to the use of a positionable chute. Such a chute may be positioned in an upward facing position or, alternately, in a downwardly facing position. It is desirable to provide some type of guard that will prevent debris from being projected out of the chute while the chute is in the upward facing position. It is also desirable to provide a means for moving the guard out of the way while the chute is in the downwardly facing position. In this way, lawn debris can be easily swept into the chute without having to be forced through or around the guard.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,459 to Gearing et al. discloses a hopper fixedly attached to the main body of a chipper shredder machine. A multi-fingered guard is attached near one edge of the hopper and is used to prevent debris from being projected back out of the hopper. One disadvantage of this hopper is that it is fixed into an upwardly facing position. Debris close to the ground must be lifted to the height of the hopper before it can be inserted into the hopper. Another disadvantage is that the guard remains in the same relative position with regard to the hopper opening. In other words, the guard maintains a constant coverage over the cross-sectional area of the hopper opening.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,035, Ford discloses a chipper shredder having two input chutes. One of the input chutes can be pivoted such that the chute opening faces in an upward direction or in a downward direction. A disadvantage is that no guard is provided with this chute. The other chute, fixed in an upwardly facing position, includes a manually adjustable cover that can be used to fully cover, or shut off, the opening of the chute. The disadvantage here, as in the shredder noted above, is that the chute cannot be adjusted into a downwardly facing direction and thus debris close to the ground must be lifted to the height of the hopper before it can be inserted into the chute.
Other similar designs are also known. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,416, Bendig et al. disclose a shredder that includes an input chute that has a dislodge press that is hinged to one side of the input chute. The chute of this patent is not position adjustable, and the dislodge press is only manually adjustable. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,152, Mooring discloses a chipper having a delivery chute with a gate that is automatically closed when a metal sensor senses metal entering the delivery chute. This invention requires the operator to wear gloves that have metal fragments. The delivery chute is not disclosed to be adjustable nor is the gate operable except in cooperation with the metal sensor. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,654, Fulghum Sr. discloses a feed chute used to feed a bark hog. Within the feed chute there is disclosed a material and air deflector rigidly mounted to the feed chute. There is no disclosure of the feed chute or deflector being adjustable in any way.
What is needed is a chute that includes a guard flap that covers at least a portion of the chute opening when the chute is positioned in an upwardly facing direction, but that automatically adjusts so that none of the chute opening is covered by the guard flap when the chute is positioned in a downwardly facing direction. The difficulties inherent in the art are therefore overcome in a way that is simple and efficient, while providing better and more advantageous overall results.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of this invention, a shredder includes a frame, a housing with a housing opening mounted to the frame, and a cutting blade mounted within the housing for use in shredding associated lawn debris. The shredder also includes an engine mounted to the frame for use in driving the cutting blade and a hopper assembly for use in directing the associated lawn debris into the housing opening and to the cutting blade. The hopper assembly includes a chute having a first end pivotably connected to the housing and having a chute opening for receiving the associated lawn debris. The chute opening communicates with the housing opening. The chute can be positioned into first and second positions with respect to the housing. The hopper assembly also includes covering means for automatically covering at least a portion of the chute opening when the chute is placed in the first position and for automatically uncovering the opening when the chute is placed in the second position.
According to another aspect of this invention, the chute has a first side with a first hole and a second side with a second hole. The covering means includes a flap having a first end operatively connected to a first inner surface of the chute and a flap bail having a generally U-shape. The flap bail has first and second ends forming first and second shaft portions that can be pivoted within the first and second holes in the chute, respectively. The covering means also includes an adjustment mechanism for use in selectively pivoting the flap bail from a first position to a second position. When in the second position, the flap bail holds a non-first end portion of the flap against the first inner surface of the chute.
According to another aspect of this invention, the adjustment mechanism includes a control rod having a first end and a second end that is pivotably connected to the housing. The adjustment mechanism also includes an arm bracket having a first end fixedly connected to the first end of the flap bail and a second end pivotably connected to the first end of the control rod.
According to still another aspect of this invention, the hopper assembly also includes securing means for securing the chute in the first position. Preferably, the chute includes at least a first groove and the securing means includes a release rod operatively connected to the housing. The release rod can be positioned into first and second positions. The release rod is received within the first groove in the chute when the chute is in the first position and the release rod is in the first position. The securing means may also include biasing means, such as springs, for biasing the release rod toward the first position.
One advantage of this invention is that when the chute is in the first, preferably upright position, the chute opening will be covered thereby preventing lawn debris from being thrown from the shredder assembly up through the chute opening.
Another advantage of this invention is that when the chute is in the second, preferably downward position, the chute opening will be uncovered thereby permitting lawn debris to be swept into the chute opening where it then easily proceeds to the shredder assembly.
Still another advantage of this invention is that the covering and uncovering of the chute opening occurs automatically as the chute is adjusted between its positions.
Still other benefits and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the following detailed specification.
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patent: 5137219 (1992-08-01), Morey
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patent: 5240189 (1993-08-01), Majkrzak et al.
patent: 5305959 (1994-04-01), Chesser
patent: 5323939 (1994-06-01), Young
patent: 5340035 (1994-08-01), Ford
patent: 5381970 (199
Bennett Timothy D.
Emerson Roger D.
Emerson & Skeriotis
Hong William
MTD Products Inc
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