Electrically powered grass trimmer

Claim 2

In an electrically powered grass trimmer, a split motor housing longitudinally divided into a pair of separately formed, mating shells, means for securing said shells together, an electric motor mounted in said housing, a grass-cutting blade located below said housing and drive connected to said motor for rotation about a substantially vertical axis when the housing is in an upright position, an elongated member extending from said housing, handle means positioned on said elongated member remote from said housing, and a support structure carried by said housing and having a portion underlying said blade and adapted to seat on the ground to limit the approach of said blade to ground, said structure being trapped at an end region between interior surfaces of said shells and secured in place only by separable seating surface engagement with interior surfaces of said shells.

Claim 3

In an electrically powered grass trimmer, a split motor housing longitudinally divided into a pair of separately formed, mating shells, means for securing said shells together, an electric motor mounted in said housing, a grass-cutting blade located below said housing and drive connected to said motor for rotation about a substantially vertical axis when the housing is in an upright position, an elongated member extending from said housing, handle means positioned on said elongated member remote from said housing, and a support structure carried by said housing and having a portion underlying said blade and adapted to seat on the ground to limit the approach of said blade to ground, said structure being trapped at an end region between interior surfaces of said shells and secured in place only by separable seating surface engagement with interior surfaces of said shells.

Claim 4

In an electrically powered grass trimmer, a split motor housing longitudinally divided into a pair of separately formed, mating shells, means for securing said shells together, an electric motor mounted in said housing, a grass-cutting blade located below said housing and drive connected to said motor for rotation about a substantially vertical axis when the housing is in an upright position, an elongated member extending from said housing, handle means positioned on said elongated member remote from said housing, and a support structure carried by said housing and having a portion underlying said blade and adapted to seat on the ground to limit the approach of said blade to ground, said structure being trapped at an end region between interior surfaces of said shells and secured in place only by separable seating surface engagement with interior surfaces of said shells.

Claim 5

The electrically powered grass trimmer defined in claim 1 wherein said structure is an elongated rod member and wherein said portion of said structure has a looped configuration that is substantially parallel with said blade.

Claim 6

In an electrically powered grass trimmer, a split motor housing longitudinally divided into a pair of separately formed, mating shells, means for detachably securing said shells together, an electric motor mounted in said housing, a grass-cutting blade located below said housing and drive connected to said motor for rotation about a substantially vertical axis when said housing is in an upright position, an elongated member extending from said housing, and handle means positioned on said elongated member remote from said housing, the improvement comprising a one piece rod member carried by said housing and having a portion underlying said blade and adapted to seat on the ground to limit the approach of said blade to the ground, said rod member being secured against movement relative to said housing only by separable seating surface engagement with interior surfaces of said shells.

Claim 7

In an electrically powered grass trimmer, a split motor housing longitudinally divided into a pair of separately formed, mating shells, means for detachably securing said shells together, an electric motor mounted in said housing, a grass-cutting blade located below said housing and drive connected to said motor for rotation about a substantially vertical axis when said housing is in an upright position, an elongated member extending from said housing, and handle means positioned on said elongated member remote from said housing, the improvement comprising a one piece rod member carried by said housing and having a portion underlying said blade and adapted to seat on the ground to limit the approach of said blade to the ground, said rod member being secured against movement relative to said housing only by separable seating surface engagement with interior surfaces of said shells.

Claim 8

The electrically powered grass trimmer defined in claim 3 wherein said portion of said rod member has a looped configuration extending substanTially parallel with said blade.

Claim 9

The electrically powered grass trimmer defined in claim 3 wherein said portion of said rod member is in the form of a loop that extends substantially parallel with said blade, said vertical axis extending through said loop.

Claim 10

In an electrically powered grass trimmer, a split motor housing longitudinally divided into a pair of separately formed, mating shells, means for detachably securing said shells together, an electric motor mounted in said housing, a grass-cutting blade located below said housing and drive connected to said motor for rotation about a substantially vertical axis when said housing is in an upright position, an elongated member extending from said housing, and handle means positioned on said elongated member remote from said housing, the improvement comprising a one-piece elongated structural member carried by said housing and having an intermediate looped portion (a) underlying said blade in substantially parallel relation thereto and (b) adapted to seat on the ground for limiting the approach of said blade to the ground, said structural member being trapped between said shells at a region remote from said looped portion and being secured against movement relative to said housing only by separable seating surface engagement with interior surfaces of said shells.

Claim 11

In an electrically powered grass trimmer, a split motor housing longitudinally divided into a pair of separately formed, mating shells, means for detachably securing said shells together, an electric motor mounted in said housing, a grass-cutting blade located below said housing and drive connected to said motor for rotation about a substantially vertical axis when said housing is in an upright position, an elongated member extending from said housing, and handle means positioned on said elongated member remote from said housing, the improvement comprising a one-piece elongated structural member carried by said housing and having an intermediate looped portion (a) underlying said blade in substantially parallel relation thereto and (b) adapted to seat on the ground for limiting the approach of said blade to the ground, said structural member being trapped between said shells at a region remote from said looped portion and being secured against movement relative to said housing only by separable seating surface engagement with interior surfaces of said shells.

Claim 12

In an electrically powered grass trimmer, a split motor housing longitudinally divided into a pair of separately formed, mating shells, means for detachably securing said shells together, an electric motor mounted in said housing, a grass-cutting blade located below said housing and drive connected to said motor for rotation about a substantially vertical axis when said housing is in an upright position, an elongated member extending from said housing, and handle means positioned on said elongated member remote from said housing, the improvement comprising an elongated one-piece structural member carried by said housing and having an intermediate looped portion (a) underlying said blade in substantially parallel relation thereto and (b) adapted to seat on the ground to limit the approach of said blade to the ground, the ends of said structural member extending beyond said intermediate looped portion being disposed in side-by-side relation and being bent to define first and second portions, said first portion extending substantially parallel to said intermediate portion, and said second portion extending between said first and intermediate portions, said first portion and a region of said second portion being received in said housing, said structural member being trapped between said shells along regions of said first and second portions and being secured against movement relative to said housing only by separable seating surface engagement with interior surfaces of said shells.

Claim 13

In an electrically powered grass trimmer, a split motor housing longitudinally divided into a pair of separately formed, mating shells, means for detachably securing said shells together, an electric motor mounted in said housing, a grass-cutting blade located below said housing and drive connected to said motor for rotation about a substantially vertical axis when said housing is in an upright position, an elongated member extending from said housing, and handle means positioned on said elongated member remote from said housing, the improvement comprising an elongated one-piece structural member carried by said housing and having an intermediate looped portion (a) underlying said blade in substantially parallel relation thereto and (b) adapted to seat on the ground to limit the approach of said blade to the ground, the ends of said structural member extending beyond said intermediate looped portion being disposed in side-by-side relation and being bent to define first and second portions, said first portion extending substantially parallel to said intermediate portion, and said second portion extending between said first and intermediate portions, said first portion and a region of said second portion being received in said housing, said structural member being trapped between said shells along regions of said first and second portions and being secured against movement relative to said housing only by separable seating surface engagement with interior surfaces of said shells.