Cutlery – Cutting tools – With blade moving means
Patent
1998-08-14
2000-11-21
Watts, Douglas D
Cutlery
Cutting tools
With blade moving means
30347, A01G 306
Patent
active
061485233
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to vegetation cutting line trimmers, and more particularly to a linefeed mechanism for a line trimmer.
BACKGROUND ART
Typically, reloading fresh line into a line trimmer head is a difficult and time consuming process. Reloading line onto the spool requires removal of the spool, and other components, which can be awkward.
First, the bump knob must be removed. This can be difficult when the bump knob has become tight as a result of normal use. Once the bump knob is removed, the spool and spring are removed from the housing. In order to load the line, the line must be secured to the hub and carefully wrapped around the spool. If the line is not tightly held while wrapping, it can release and quickly unwind from the spool. When the line is fully wrapped around the spool, the spring must be held closely adjacent the spool for insertion onto the drive shaft. As the spool and spring are inserted into the housing, the cutting ends of the line must be fed through a pair of eyelets in the housing as the line is carefully held in its wrapped position about the spool. Once the line is through the eyelets and the spool is inside the housing, the bump knob is replaced to secure the spool in position.
It is desirable to provide a line trimmer with a line feed configuration which does not require the installer to handle a variety of components while reloading the spool with new line.
This line assembly process may be difficult and time consuming because the installer is required to simultaneously hold the line, spool, spring and housing while feeding the line through the eyelets and carefully holding the line in its wrapped position about the spool to prevent the line from "coughing up" and releasing from the spool.
Another problem experienced in prior art designs is rubbing together of opposing lines which causes the lines to weld together while housed on the spool.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention avoids the above referenced problems experienced in prior art assemblies by providing a line trimmer head which does not require removal of the spool from the housing for reloading new line onto the spool. The line is received into the housing through an eyelet on the housing and is secured in a hole formed on a flange of the spool. Accordingly, the line may be wound around the spool while the spool remains inside the housing.
In an alternative embodiment, the line is received into the housing through an eyelet on the housing and secured in a pair of holes formed on a flange of the spool.
Welding of opposing lines together is avoided by providing a spool with separate line storage compartments.
In another embodiment, the line is easily wound about the spool while the spool remains in the housing by providing a spool subassembly, which includes a spool, a cog ring connected to the spool, and a ratchet and pawl assembly formed between the spool and cog ring to allow relative rotation of the spool and cog ring in one direction for winding, while preventing opposite rotation to facilitate line-feed bumping and line trimming operations.
In a further embodiment, the spool assembly includes a pawl integrally molded with one of the spool and cog ring, and a ratchet member integrally molded with the other of the spool and cog ring, thereby eliminating the spring/pawl assembly as separate components.
An object of the present invention is to provide a line trimmer head which may be reloaded with flexible line without removing the spool from the head.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a line trimmer head with separate compartments for storage of individual flexible lines.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a line trimmer head which is inexpensive to manufacture, durable and easy to reload with flexible line.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a speed-spool, line winding spool subassembly which allows spool rotation in one direction for winding while the spool is in the housing while preventing spool rotation in an
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Coleman Harold J
Everts Robert G
Rickard Harry G
Ryobi North America Inc.
Watts Douglas D
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