US3679003A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Lawn edge trimming machine
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-06-17
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Granted: 1972-07-25
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Expires: 1990-06-17
Abstract
Abstract A lawn edge trimming machine or edger is described wherein cutter blade height is controlled by relative angular adjustment of an opposed pair of handle grip members used by the operator in propelling the machine. The cutter adjustment mechanism includes coaxial pivotal means surrounding the take-off shaft and carrying a rocker arm rotatively supporting the cutter blade for belt connection with the drive shaft, the arrangement being such that the rotative axis of the cutter blade is in the vicinity of that of the ground wheel at the same side of the machine, for simplicity and compactness of structure, for improved performance, and for enhanced maneuverability. A protective cover guard surrounding the cutter blade assembly provides maximum protection against flying objects propelled by the cutter blade, while at the same time, being comprised partly of wire mesh screening, affording a view of the rotating cutter blade to the operator during use of the machine. Foot-pedal controlled means is provided for converting the machine between vertical and oblique planes of operation of the cutter blade, for correspondingly different modes of cutter operation.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald E Wadsworth
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 01:07
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01D; A01D34/00; A01D34/835; A01D34/84; A01G; A01G3/00; A01G3/06; A01G3/062
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
393 words
A lawn edge trimming machine comprising, in combination, a platform member, axle means supporting a pair of wheels, one at one side and the other at the other side of said platform member to provide for rolling said platform member along the ground, handle means extending upwardly and outwardly of the rear of said platform member for manually guiding the platform along the ground, an engine supported on said platform member and having a rotary drive shaft extending transversely outwardly at said one side of said platform member, an elongated rocker arm, means supporting one end of said rocker arm with respect to said platform for pivotal swinging motion in a plane substantially perpendicular to and about an axis coincident with the axis of rotation of said drive shaft, a rotary cutter blade, means journalling said cutter blade with respect to the other end of said rocker arm for rotation in a plane in spaced parallel relation with respect to the pivotal plane of said rocker arm, said cutter blade journalling means comprising a headed bearing shaft bolt fixed with respect to and extending sidewardly outwardly of said rocker arm, a bearing bushing rotably journalled on said bearing shaft bolt and constrained between said rocker arm and the head at the outer end of said bolt, a pulley sleeve circumjacent said bearing bushing and fixed thereto for rotation in unison therewith about said bearing shaft bolt, said pulley sleeve having a pulley at its inner end and extending, at its outer end, beyond the outer end of the head of said bearing shaft bolt, and means for securing said cutter blade at the outer end of said pulley sleeve, said cutter blade securing means being operative to seal said outer end of said pulley sleeve against the entrance of foreign matter to protect the sliding surfaces between said bearing shaft bolt and said bearing bushing, belt means drivingly interconnecting said engine drive shaft with said cutter blade journalling means, abutment means controlled by pivotal movement of said rocker arm for limiting the extent of pivotal movement of said rocker arm with respect to said platform, and and linkage mechanism interconnecting said rocker arm and said platform member for adjustably securing said rocker arm at any one of a plurality of selective pivotal positions witHin the range of movement permitted by said limiting means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
393 words
A lawn edge trimming machine comprising, in combination, a platform member, axle means supporting a pair of wheels, one at one side and the other at the other side of said platform member to provide for rolling said platform member along the ground, handle means extending upwardly and outwardly of the rear of said platform member for manually guiding the platform along the ground, an engine supported on said platform member and having a rotary drive shaft extending transversely outwardly at said one side of said platform member, an elongated rocker arm, means supporting one end of said rocker arm with respect to said platform for pivotal swinging motion in a plane substantially perpendicular to and about an axis coincident with the axis of rotation of said drive shaft, a rotary cutter blade, means journalling said cutter blade with respect to the other end of said rocker arm for rotation in a plane in spaced parallel relation with respect to the pivotal plane of said rocker arm, said cutter blade journalling means comprising a headed bearing shaft bolt fixed with respect to and extending sidewardly outwardly of said rocker arm, a bearing bushing rotably journalled on said bearing shaft bolt and constrained between said rocker arm and the head at the outer end of said bolt, a pulley sleeve circumjacent said bearing bushing and fixed thereto for rotation in unison therewith about said bearing shaft bolt, said pulley sleeve having a pulley at its inner end and extending, at its outer end, beyond the outer end of the head of said bearing shaft bolt, and means for securing said cutter blade at the outer end of said pulley sleeve, said cutter blade securing means being operative to seal said outer end of said pulley sleeve against the entrance of foreign matter to protect the sliding surfaces between said bearing shaft bolt and said bearing bushing, belt means drivingly interconnecting said engine drive shaft with said cutter blade journalling means, abutment means controlled by pivotal movement of said rocker arm for limiting the extent of pivotal movement of said rocker arm with respect to said platform, and and linkage mechanism interconnecting said rocker arm and said platform member for adjustably securing said rocker arm at any one of a plurality of selective pivotal positions witHin the range of movement permitted by said limiting means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
89 words
A lawn edge trimming machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said rocker arm supporting means comprises a pivotal support tube coaxially circumjacent said drive shaft and being fixed with respect to said platform member, and a pivotal sleeve telescopingly fitted with respect to said pivotal support tube for mutual rotative motion about a common axis, said one end of said rocker arm being secured to said pivotal sleeve and lying in a plane substantially normal to the common axis of said pivotal sleeve and said pivotal support tube.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
66 words
A lawn edge trimming machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said pivotal sleeve is telescopingly fitted within said pivotal support tube, and wherein said rocker arm pivotal movement limiting means comprises a peripheral slot in said pivotal sleeve and an abutment pin extending through an opening in the side of said pivotal support tube and having an inner end portion received within said peripheral slot.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A lawn edge trimming machine as defined in claim 3, including resilient means normally constraining said rocker arm to the uppermost of its limit positions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
118 words
A lawn edge trimming machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said axle means comprises an elongated axle member, means journalling said other wheel at the outer end of said axle member, means pivotally securing the other end of said axle member with respect to said platform member for pivotal swinging in a vertical plane coincident with the rotational axis of said one wheel, and means for selectively securing said axle member either in a first position whereat its longitudinal axis is substantially coincident with the rotational axis of said one wheel or a second position whereat said longitudinal axis of said axle member defines an obtuse angle with respect to the rotational axis of said one wheel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
62 words
A lawn edge trimming machine as defined in claim 5, wherein said selective securing means comprises a vertically-extending slot in said platform member at said other side thereof and through which said axle member extends, and foot-operated latch means operative to constrain said axle member to its lowermost position within said vertical slot when said axle member is in said first position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
85 words
A lawn edge trimming machine as defined in claim 1, including a protective guard fixed with respect to said platform member and enclosing said cutter blade from above, at the outside, at the front and at the back, said protective guard providing sufficient clearance to permit free rotation of said cutter blade throughout its range of pivotal swinging movement, and said protective guard further comprising a wire mesh upper portion permitting see-through observation of the cutter blade by the operator during use of the machine.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
94 words
A lawn edge trimming machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said handle means comprises at its upper end a pair of opposed left-hand and right-hand handle grip members, the inner end of one of said handle grip members being pivotally attached with respect to the other said handle grip members for relative pivotal motion with respect thereto, and wherein said means for adjustably securing said rocker arm comprises a resilient link rod linkingly interconnecting an intermediate portion along said one of said handle grip members with an intermediate portion along said rocker arm.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
A lawn edge trimming machine as defined in claim 8, wherein said rocker arm adjustable securing means further comprises an arcuate ratchet integrally formed with said one of said handle grip members and a spring-pressed pawl pivotally secured to the other of said handle grip members and having a dog receivable, selectively, in one of a plurality of detent recesses comprising said ratchet.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
333 words
In a lawn edge trimming machine having a platform member, axle means supporting a pair of wheels, one at one side and the other at the other side of said platform member to provide for rolling said platform member along the ground, handle means extending upwardly and outwardly of the rear of said platform member for manually guiding the platform along the ground, an engine supported on said platform member and having a rotary drive shaft extending transversely outwardly at said one side of said platform member, an elongated rock arm, means supporting one end of said rock arm with respect to said platform member for pivotal swinging motion in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said drive shaft, a rotary cutter blade, means journalling said cutter blade with respect to the other end of said rock arm for rotation in a plane in spaced parallel relation with respect to the pivotal plane of said rock arm, pulley and belt means drivingly interconnecting said engine drive shaft with said cutter blade journalling means, and linkage mechanism interconnecting said other end of said rock arm with respect to said platform member for manual adjustment of said rock arm as to the lowering and raising of said rotary cutter blade in performance of the lawn edge trimming work, that improvement, in combination, wherein said axle means consists of an elongated axle member, means journalling said other wheel at the outer end of said axle member, means pivotally securing the other end of said axle member with respect to said platform member for pivotal swinging in a vertical plane coincident with the rotational axis of said one wheel, and means for selectively securing said axle member either in a first position whereat its longitudinal axis is substantially coincident with the rotational axis of said one wheel or a second position whereat said longitudinal axis of said axle member defines an obtuse angle with respect to the rotational axis of said one wheel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
333 words
In a lawn edge trimming machine having a platform member, axle means supporting a pair of wheels, one at one side and the other at the other side of said platform member to provide for rolling said platform member along the ground, handle means extending upwardly and outwardly of the rear of said platform member for manually guiding the platform along the ground, an engine supported on said platform member and having a rotary drive shaft extending transversely outwardly at said one side of said platform member, an elongated rock arm, means supporting one end of said rock arm with respect to said platform member for pivotal swinging motion in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said drive shaft, a rotary cutter blade, means journalling said cutter blade with respect to the other end of said rock arm for rotation in a plane in spaced parallel relation with respect to the pivotal plane of said rock arm, pulley and belt means drivingly interconnecting said engine drive shaft with said cutter blade journalling means, and linkage mechanism interconnecting said other end of said rock arm with respect to said platform member for manual adjustment of said rock arm as to the lowering and raising of said rotary cutter blade in performance of the lawn edge trimming work, that improvement, in combination, wherein said axle means consists of an elongated axle member, means journalling said other wheel at the outer end of said axle member, means pivotally securing the other end of said axle member with respect to said platform member for pivotal swinging in a vertical plane coincident with the rotational axis of said one wheel, and means for selectively securing said axle member either in a first position whereat its longitudinal axis is substantially coincident with the rotational axis of said one wheel or a second position whereat said longitudinal axis of said axle member defines an obtuse angle with respect to the rotational axis of said one wheel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
61 words
A lawn edge trimming machine as defined in claim 10, wherein said selective securing means comprises a vertically-extending slot in said platform member at said other side thereof and through which said axle member extends, and latch means operative to constrain said axle member to its lower-most position within said vertical slot when said axle member is in said first position.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-07-25 | 1976-01-24 | 1976-07-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-07-25 | 1980-01-24 | 1980-07-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-07-25 | 1984-01-24 | 1984-07-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |