Concrete trowel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12163341-B2
Application number	US-202217691339-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2022
Priority date	Mar 11, 2021
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

Abstract

A concrete trowel includes a frame, a drive assembly including a motor mounted on the frame and a drive hub configured to receive torque from the motor, a handle assembly extending from the frame for controlling the concrete trowel, a rotor including a plurality of blades, the rotor rotatably coupled to the drive assembly for rotating about a rotational axis, and a steering control system mounted on the handle assembly to selectively adjust an orientation of the drive hub relative to a work surface in a plurality of different directions to adjust a pressure applied by the blades against the work surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A concrete trowel comprising:
a frame;
a drive assembly including a motor mounted on the frame and a drive hub configured to receive torque from the motor;
a handle assembly extending from the frame for controlling the concrete trowel, wherein the handle assembly includes a post extending obliquely from the frame and handlebars coupled to the post, wherein the post is fixed to the frame;
a rotor including a plurality of blades, the rotor rotatably coupled to the drive assembly for rotating about a rotational axis; and
a steering control system mounted on the handle assembly to selectively adjust an orientation of the drive hub relative to a work surface in a plurality of different directions to adjust a pressure applied by the blades against the work surface to steer the concrete trowel along the work surface.

2. The concrete trowel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different directions includes a forward direction and a rearward direction, and wherein the steering control system further comprises:
a left-hand lever for biasing the drive hub and the blades in the forward direction to move the concrete trowel leftward; and
a right-hand lever for biasing the drive hub and the blades in a rearward direction to move the concrete trowel rightward.

3. The concrete trowel of claim 2 , wherein the left-hand lever and the right-hand lever bias the drive hub and the blades in the forward or rearward direction by actuating an actuator mounted on the frame.

4. The concrete trowel of claim 3 , wherein the actuator is selectively actuated by a wire, a hydraulic line, or an electrical signal from an operator control unit mounted on the handle assembly.

5. The concrete trowel of claim 3 , wherein the actuator is a hydraulic cylinder operable to bias the drive hub in a first direction and a second direction to steer the concrete trowel.

6. The concrete trowel of claim 1 , wherein the motor is an electric motor, and wherein the concrete trowel further comprises a battery pack supported on the frame for supplying electrical power to the motor.

7. A concrete trowel comprising:
a frame having a blade guard;
a drive assembly including a motor mounted on the frame and a drive hub within the blade guard configured to receive torque from the motor;
an actuator disposed on the frame between the blade guard and the drive hub, the actuator operable to tip the drive hub in a forward or rearward direction relative to the frame;
a handle assembly extending from the frame for controlling the concrete trowel, wherein the handle assembly includes a post extending obliquely from the frame and handlebars coupled to the post, wherein the post is fixed to the frame;
a rotor including a plurality of blades, the rotor rotatably coupled to the drive assembly for rotating about a rotational axis; and
a steering control system mounted on the handle assembly to selectively actuate the actuator to adjust an orientation of the drive hub relative to a work surface in a plurality of different directions to steer the concrete trowel along the work surface.

8. The concrete trowel of claim 7 , wherein the steering control system further comprises
a left-hand lever for biasing the drive hub in the forward direction to move the concrete trowel leftward.

9. The concrete trowel of claim 8 , wherein the steering control system further comprises
a right-hand lever for biasing the drive hub and the blades in a rearward direction to move the concrete trowel rightward.

10. The concrete trowel of claim 7 , wherein the actuator is selectively actuated by a wire, a hydraulic line, or an electrical signal from an operator control unit mounted on the handle assembly.

11. The concrete trowel of claim 7 , wherein the motor is an electric motor, and wherein the concrete trowel further comprises a battery pack supported on the frame for supplying electrical power to the motor.

12. The concrete trowel of claim 7 , wherein the actuator is a hydraulic cylinder operable to tip the drive hub in the forward direction or the rearward direction.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Reed Michael C
• Mergener Travis S

Classifications

• E01C19/42

  Machines for imparting a smooth finish to freshly-laid paving courses other than by rolling, tamping or vibrating (for distributing only E01C19/12; {hand-actuated smoothing tools E01C19/44}) · CPC title

• E04F21/248 Primary

  used by an operator walking behind the trowel, i.e. walk-behind power trowels · CPC title