Trimmer handle

Details Trimmer handle Trimmer handle

2000-01-14

2001-12-11

Watts, Douglas D. (Department: 3724)

Cutlery

Cutting tools

With blade moving means

C030S298000, C030S340000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06327781

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates to a hand-held tool, particularly a garden tool such as a vegetation line trimmer, having a powered work tool at one end of a handle shaft.
In such a tool, the other end of the shaft is generally provided with a shaped handle which the user grasps with one hand when maneuvering the work tool over the area being worked. When the work tool is at the end of a relatively long shaft, the user has to apply considerable muscular effort to maintain the tool clear of the ground. The muscles of the arm supporting the tool can therefore begin to ache after operating the tool over a period of time.
To alleviate this problem, it is known to provide the handle shaft of such a tool with a second handle which the user may then grasp with his other hand. Two-handed operation is generally less tiring but can also be less convenient than single-handed operation.
For single-handed operation, it is also known to provide the handle shaft with a wrist and/or forearm support to give additional leverage when grasping the handle and thereby reduce the muscular strain.
According to the present invention there is provided a hand-held tool having a first handle and a second handle at one end of a handle shaft, wherein the second handle is adjustable between a first position and a second position, the second handle in its first position co-operating with the first handle to provide for two-handed operation, and the second handle in its second position co-operating with the first handle to provide support for the wrist and/or forearm of a user grasping the first handle with one hand in a single-handed operation. Preferably, the second handle is pivotally mounted for movement between the first position and the second position, and means are provided for releasably locking the handle in either one of the two positions. Moreover, at least one of the two positions is preferably adjustable and the handle is then releasably lockable in any one of a plurality of predetermined first and/or second positions.
In this manner a single component provides either a second handle or a wrist/arm support, and the user has the option of either two-handed operation or single-handed operation with wrist/forearm support.
In a vegetation line trimmer embodying the invention, the first handle preferably lies in a plane containing the handle shaft, while the second handle pivots from its first position to its second position about an axis transverse to the handle shaft. The user preferably grasps the first handle at a location forward of the center line of the shaft.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4894914 (1990-01-01), Mead
patent: 5474350 (1995-12-01), Gauthier
patent: 5662428 (1997-09-01), Wilson

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