Vegetation cutting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10342175-B2
Application number	US-201414265922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2014
Priority date	May 3, 2013
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

A vegetation cutting device comprises: a rotating cutting head and having a cutting line, the cutting line arranged to define a swath for cutting vegetation. A cutting line feeding mechanism comprises a counterweight for balancing a free end of the cutting line protruding from the cutting head, the counterweight being configured to actuate the cutting line feeding mechanism and feed more cutting line when the length of free end the cutting line is shorter than or equal to a feed length. A guide wheel is mounted on the vegetation cutting device and has an outer surface for engaging the ground. The guide wheel is moveable between a retracted position and an extended position wherein when the guide wheel is in the retracted position, the feed length is substantially equal to a distance between the outer surface of the guide wheel engaging the ground and the cutting head.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vegetation cutting device comprising:
a rotating cutting head having a cutting line, the cutting line arranged to define a swath for cutting vegetation;
a cutting line feeding mechanism comprising a counterweight for balancing a free end of the cutting line protruding from the cutting head, the counterweight being configured to actuate the cutting line feeding mechanism and feed more cutting line when the length of free end the cutting line is shorter than or equal to a feed length; and
a guide wheel mounted on the vegetation cutting device and having an outer surface for engaging the ground, the guide wheel being moveable between a retracted position and an extended position wherein when the guide wheel is in the retracted position, the feed length is equal to or less than a radius of the outer surface of the guide wheel engaging the ground.

2. The vegetation cutting device according to claim 1 wherein the vegetation cutting device comprises a guard and the outer surface of the guide wheel in the extended position is configured to be at a radius substantially equal to the radius of the guard.

3. The vegetation cutting device according to claim 1 wherein when the guide wheel is in the extended position, the distance between an outer surface of the guide wheel engaging the ground and the cutting head is greater than the feed length.

4. The vegetation cutting device according to claim 1 wherein the feed length varies within a tolerance length range between a feed length which is equal to a distance between a portion of the outer surface of the guide wheel engaging the ground in the retracted position and the cutting head and a feed length which extends a predetermined distance beyond the outer surface of the guide wheel in the retracted position.

5. The vegetation cutting device according to claim 1 wherein the guide wheel is linearly spring biased to the extended position.

6. The vegetation cutting device according to claim 2 wherein the guide wheel is mounted on a guide wheel carrier which moves linearly with respect to the guard mounted to the vegetation cutting device.

7. The vegetation cutting device according to claim 6 wherein the string trimmer comprises a latch mechanism for releasably locking the guide wheel in the retracted position.

8. The vegetation cutting device according to claim 7 wherein the latch mechanism comprises a latch mounted on the guard for interlocking with a catch mounted on the guide wheel carrier.

9. The vegetation cutting device according to claim 1 wherein the guide wheel is moveable along a path intersecting the axis of rotation of the rotating cutting head.

10. The vegetation cutting device according to claim 9 wherein the rotating cutting head is operable in an edging mode whereby the plane of the swath of the cutting line is substantially vertical and the path is substantially vertical.

11. A vegetation cutting device comprising:
a rotating cutting head having a cutting line, the cutting line arranged to define a swath for cutting vegetation;
a cutting line feeding mechanism comprising a counterweight for balancing a free end of the cutting line protruding from the cutting head, the counterweight being configured to actuate the cutting line feeding mechanism and feed more cutting line when the length of free end the cutting line is shorter than or equal to a feed length;
a guide wheel mounted on the vegetation cutting device and having an outer surface for engaging the ground, the guide wheel being moveable between a retracted position and an extended position wherein when the guide wheel is in the retracted position, the feed length is equal to a distance between the outer surface of the guide wheel engaging the ground and the cutting head;
wherein the string trimmer comprises a latch mechanism for releasably locking the guide wheel in the retracted position; and
wherein the latch mechanism comprises a foot-actuated pedal for operating the latch mechanism.

Assignees

• Black & Decker Inc

Inventors

• Walmsley Neil

Classifications

• A01D34/902

  Ergonomic provisions · CPC title

• A01D34/4161 Primary

  Means for feeding cutter line · CPC title

• A01D34/4162 Primary

  automatically · CPC title

• A01D34/84

  for edges of lawns or fields, e.g. for mowing close to trees or walls ({for embankments A01D34/86 takes precedence;} edge trimmers A01G3/00) · CPC title