Gutter cleaning apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for remotely removing accumulated leaves and other debris from an overhead gutter of a building or the like, and comprising an elongate pole having one end adapted to be held by a workman and an opposite end adapted to reach above an overhead gutter or the like, a pair of cooperating scoops, with each of said scoops having a pair of side walls and a bottom wall to define a relatively large internal cavity adapted to receive a substantial quantity of debris therein, means mounting said scoops adjacent said opposite end of said pole for relative pivotal movement about an axis which extends transverse to the axis of said pole and such that said scoops are relatively pivotable between an open position wherein said cavities are separated and face generally toward said one end of said pole and a closed position wherein said cavities are substantially face to face and the scoops collectively define an enclosure of substantial volume, said scoops being freely rotatable in unison about said transverse axis to facilitate the alignment of said scoops with the bottom of a gutter when said pole is extended in an angular direction relative to the gutter, at least one tine attached to and extending forwardly from each scoop in a direction generally toward the other scoop such that the tines penetrate and grasp any debris positioned between the scoops as the scoops are pivoted to their closed position, and means operable from said one end of said pole for selectively pivoting said scoops between said open and closed positions, whereby a workman may lower the scoops into an overhead gutter with the scoops in said open position and then pivot the same to said closed position to collect a substantial quantity of debris within said enclosure.

Claim 2

An apparatus for remotely removing accumulated leaves and other debris from an overhead gutter of a building or the like, and comprising an elongate pole having one end adapted to be held by a workman and an opposite end adapted to reach above an overhead gutter or the like, a pair of cooperating scoops, with each of said scoops having a pair of side walls and a bottom wall to define a relatively large internal cavity adapted to receive a substantial quantity of debris therein, means mounting said scoops adjacent said opposite end of said pole for relative pivotal movement about an axis which extends transverse to the axis of said pole and such that said scoops are relatively pivotable between an open position wherein said cavities are separated and face generally toward said one end of said pole and a closed position wherein said cavities are substantially face to face and the scoops collectively define an enclosure of substantial volume, said scoops being freely rotatable in unison about said transverse axis to facilitate the alignment of said scoops with the bottom of a gutter when said pole is extended in an angular direction relative to the gutter, at least one tine attached to and extending forwardly from each scoop in a direction generally toward the other scoop such that the tines penetrate and grasp any debris positioned between the scoops as the scoops are pivoted to their closed position, and means operable from said one end of said pole for selectively pivoting said scoops between said open and closed positions, whereby a workman may lower the scoops into an overhead gutter with the scoops in said open position and then pivot the same to said closed position to collect a substantial quantity of debris within said enclosure.

Claim 5

An apparatus for remotely removing accumulated leaves or other debris from an overhead gutter of a building or the like, and comprising an elongate pole having one end adapted to be held by a workman and an opposite end adapted to reach above an overhead gutter or the like, a support rod mounted adjacent said opposite end of said pole and extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of said pole, a pair of cooperating scoops pivotally mounted on said rod in spaced relation from said pole, each of said scoops comprising a pair of spaced apart flat side walls lying in parallel planes which are perpendicular to the axis of said rod, and a bottom wall extending between said side walls, said side and bottom walls having coplanar forward edges defining a plane which includes the axis of said rod, and with said forward edges being positioned entirely on one side of said rod, said scoops being mounted in opposing aligned relation on said rod such that the forward edges of the scoops generally face each other, and means operable by a workman at said one end of said pole for selectively pivoting said scoops between an open position wherein said forward edges of said scoops are disposed at an angle on the order of about 90 degrees with respect to each other, and a closed position wherein said forward edges substantially contact each other such that the scoops collectively define an enclosure of substantial volume, whereby a workman may lower the scoops into an overhead gutter with the scoops in said open position, and then pivot the same to said closed position to collect a substantial quantity of debris within said enclosure, and with the pole being disposed substantially vertically.

Claim 6

An apparatus for remotely removing accumulated leaves or other debris from an overhead gutter of a building or the like, and comprising an elongate pole having one end adapted to be held by a workman and an opposite end adapted to reach above an overhead gutter or the like, a support rod mounted adjacent said opposite end of said pole and extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of said pole, a pair of cooperating scoops pivotally mounted on said rod in spaced relation from said pole, each of said scoops comprising a pair of spaced apart flat side walls lying in parallel planes which are perpendicular to the axis of said rod, and a bottom wall extending between said side walls, said side and bottom walls having coplanar forward edges defining a plane which includes the axis of said rod, and with said forward edges being positioned entirely on one side of said rod, said scoops being mounted in opposing aligned relation on said rod such that the forward edges of the scoops generally face each other, and means operable by a workman at said one end of said pole for selectively pivoting said scoops between an open position wherein said forward edges of said scoops are disposed at an angle on the order of about 90 degrees with respect to each other, and a closed position wherein said forward edges substantially contact each other such that the scoops collectively define an enclosure of substantial volume, whereby a workman may lower the scoops into an overhead gutter with the scoops in said open position, and then pivot the same to said closed position to collect a substantial quantity of debris within said enclosure, and with the pole being disposed substantially vertically.