Harvesters – Motorized harvester – Including cutter yieldably mounted on its drive means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-21
2001-02-13
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Harvesters
Motorized harvester
Including cutter yieldably mounted on its drive means
C056S016700, C056S017500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185916
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is an apparatus for trimming grass, weeds, and other vegetation. Desirable qualities of such trimmers include maneuverability to cut around obstacles such as fence posts or trees, robustness to cut thick vegetation, durability, and ease of operation to facilitate use by persons of limited physical abilities. The present inventive apparatus possesses these qualities to an extent unequaled by any prior known device.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,670 to Perry and the brochure entitled “Introducing the DR® TRIMMER/MOWER™” describe a balanced-wheeled grass and weed trimmer with a single cutting head.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,191 to Welton describes a cutting head for a string trimmer with a whirling disk having a plurality of heavy gauge flexible members attached thereto.
The relevant teachings of these three references are hereby incorporated by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a vegetation trimmer apparatus with two rotary cutting heads. This provides numerous operating advantages. The apparatus easily cuts around fence posts and small trees when the operator maneuvers the apparatus such that one head passes on each side of the object to be cut around. The apparatus then cuts the grass and weeds 360 degrees around the fence post or small tree with only one motion rather than four or five required by existing machines. Additionally, the apparatus cuts a wide path approximately twice as wide and faster than known trimmers when moving in the forward direction. This allows the wheels to roll over vegetation that has already been cut, rather than potentially tall vegetation that may hinder movement. Similarly, this also allows greater ease when cutting along a boundary, in particular an irregularly shaped boundary, because the side wheel does not have to be abutted directly against the boundary and the apparatus does not have to be rotated to achieve close cutting up to the boundary.
The apparatus comprises one or more cutting members attached to a whirling disk at each head. The apparatus is most versatile for cutting around obstacles when these cutting members are flexible. Such flexible cutting members may be referred to as heavy strings. Alternatively, more rigid cutting members may be advantageously used to cut thicker vegetation.
Also pertinent to the instant invention are various features of the apparatus designed to improve the durability of the cutting strings or blades. The inventor has found that the two heads preferably rotate in opposite directions. This rotation may be accomplished with a crossed “V” belt to reverse rotation of one side. The inventor has also discovered that where two strings are mounted angularly close to one another on a whirling disk, or where both ends of a single string are used for cutting, the lead string or string end is preferably affixed further from the axis of the disk than the trailing string or string end. Alternatively, two strings may be attached to the whirling disk via a rotatably affixed member. Furthermore, a curved backing may trail each of the strings or string ends.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4335567 (1982-06-01), Comer
patent: 4571831 (1986-02-01), White, III
patent: 4703613 (1987-11-01), Raymond
patent: 4905465 (1990-03-01), Jones et al.
patent: 5313770 (1994-05-01), Smothers
patent: 5577374 (1996-11-01), Huston
patent: 5640837 (1997-06-01), Ueyama
patent: 5659958 (1997-08-01), Goings
patent: 5701728 (1997-12-01), Koka et al.
patent: 5713191 (1998-02-01), Welton
patent: 5771670 (1998-06-01), Perry
patent: 5862655 (1999-01-01), Altamirano et al.
Brochure, Country Home Products, 1998, Introducing the DR Trimmer/Mower.
Keil & Weinkauf
Pezzuto Robert E.
LandOfFree
Double-headed vegetation trimmer does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Double-headed vegetation trimmer, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Double-headed vegetation trimmer will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2561075