Gutter cleaner

Claim 2

A hand-held gutter cleaner for removing leaves and other debris from a gutter, said gutter cleaner comprising: an elongated handle; a pair of cooperating arms pivotably mounted about a common axis about one end of said elongated handle; a tine assembly secured to a remote end of each cooperating arm, and including a plurality of tines projecting generally inwardly therefrom; a guide frame assembly having a pair of spaced apart parallel extending guide members disposed on each side of said pair of cooperating arms and defining an opening therebetween for enabling said arms to move therethrough; means for biasing said pair of cooperating arms outwardly relative to each other such that said arms and the tine assemblies associated therewith normally assume an open outwardly spaced apart position; and actuating means operatively connected to said pair of cooperating arms and extending therefrom for moving said arms inwardly towards each other and closing said tine assemblies toward each other, said actuating means including a flexible connecting means operatively connected to each of said cooperating arms at a point intermediate the ends thereof and extends therefrom whereby said cooperating arms can be actuated by an individual at a location remote from said cooperating arms such that when placed within a gutter said tine assemblies upon actuating move inwardly toward each other and in so doing, leaves and other debris are accumulated and held therebetween, thereby allowing the leaves and other debris to be cleaned and removed from the gutter.

Claim 3

The gutter cleaner of claim 1 wherein each tine assembly includes a generally planar back fixed to the inward side of a respective cooperating arm about the remote end thereof, and wherein said tines are secured about periphery portions of said back and project inwardly therefrom.

Claim 4

The gutter cleaner of claim 2 wherein said generally planar back is generally T-shaped and wherein the tines project from the outer side and bottom border areas of said generally T-shaped back, and wherein the tines about a lower base portion of the T-shaped back extend inwardly from the plane of said back a predetermined distance at which point the tines are curved generally downwardly a relatively short distance at which point the tines are curved back inwardly generally parallel with the other tines of respective tine assembly.

Claim 5

The gutter cleaner of claim 1 wherein said guide frame assembly further includes a pair of brace members, each brace member being secured at one end to said handle and extending therefrom where the other end is secured to a respective end portion of one of said parallel extending guide members.

Claim 6

The gutter cleaner of claim 1 wherein said means for biasing said cooperating arms outwardly includes a cross member extending between the respective cooperating arms and having a coil spring disposed therearound such that said coil spring engages the inner side of each of said respective cooperating arms, thereby tending to urge and bias the same outwardly.

Claim 7

A hand-held and hand-actuated gutter cleaner adapted to be utilized by an individual at ground level to clean and remove leaves and other debris from a gutter, said gutter cleaner comprising: a. an elongated handle adapted to be held by the individual at ground level and to project upwardly therefrom above the level of a gutter to be cleaned; b. a pair of cooperating arms pivotably mounted about a common axis to an upper portion of said elongated handle and extending downwardly therefrom; c. a tine assembly fixed to the lower end of each cooperating arm and including a back portion and a plurality of tines fixed to said back portion and extending generally inwardly therefrom; d. biasing means interposed between said cooperating arms for normally biasing both arms outwardly to where said tine assemblies assume an open spaced apart positions, said biasing means including a cross member extending through openings formed within said spaced apart cooperating arms and having a coil spring wound around said cross member and engaging the inner sides of said cooperating arms so as to bias and urge the same outwardly; e. a guide frame assembly for guiding said pair of cooperating arms when actuated, said guide frame assembly including a pair of spaced apart parallel extending guide members disposed on each side of said cooperating arms so as to define an opening therebetween in which said arms may freely move back and forth, said guide frame assembly further including a pair of brace members fixed at one end to said elongated handle and extending therefrom where the other end is secured to one of the respective parallel guide members; and f. a flexible connecting means operatively connected to both of said cooperating arms and extending downwardly therefrom where the same is held by said individual at ground level, said flexible connecting means operative when pulled to actuate said gutter cleaner by pulling said arms inwardly against the outwardly biasing force of said spring so as to cause said tine assemblies to move inwardly towards each other and to accumulate and gather leaves and other debris from the gutter during the process.

Claim 8

A hand-held and hand-actuated gutter cleaner adapted to be utilized by an individual at ground level to clean and remove leaves and other debris from a gutter, said gutter cleaner comprising: a. an elongated handle adapted to be held by the individual at ground level and to project upwardly therefrom above the level of a gutter to be cleaned; b. a pair of cooperating arms pivotably mounted about a common axis to an upper portion of said elongated handle and extending downwardly therefrom; c. a tine assembly fixed to the lower end of each cooperating arm and including a back portion and a plurality of tines fixed to said back portion and extending generally inwardly therefrom; d. biasing means interposed between said cooperating arms for normally biasing both arms outwardly to where said tine assemblies assume an open spaced apart positions, said biasing means including a cross member extending through openings formed within said spaced apart cooperating arms and having a coil spring wound around said cross member and engaging the inner sides of said cooperating arms so as to bias and urge the same outwardly; e. a guide frame assembly for guiding said pair of cooperating arms when actuated, said guide frame assembly including a pair of spaced apart parallel extending guide members disposed on each side of said cooperating arms so as to define an opening therebetween in which said arms may freely move back and forth, said guide frame assembly further including a pair of brace members fixed at one end to said elongated handle and extending therefrom where the other end is secured to one of the respective parallel guide members; and f. a flexible connecting means operatively connected to both of said cooperating arms and extending downwardly therefrom where the same is held by said individual at ground level, said flexible connecting means operative when pulled to actuate said gutter cleaner by pulling said arms inwardly against the outwardly biasing force of said spring so as to cause said tine assemblies to move inwardly towards each other and to accumulate and gather leaves and other debris from the gutter during the process.