Flexible bladed saw

• US 3,999,294 A
• Filed: 05/07/1976
• Issued: 12/28/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George Shoben
• Original Assignee: George Shoben
• Inventors: Shoben, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Al Lawrence
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peters, J. C.
• Application Number:
  US05/684,076
• Time in Patent Office: 235 Days
• Field of Search: 30/166 R, 30/166 A, 30/383, 30/378, 145/31 R, 145/31 A, 145/31 AB, 145/31 AD
• US Class Current: 30/166.3
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 57/023 hand-held or hand-operated
• CPC Class Codes: B27B 33/145 having plural teeth on a single link

Abstract

A pruning saw having an arcuately shaped housing which guides a flexible saw blade as the blade moves back and forth within the housing. The saw blade is comprised of toothed blade segments, pivotally fastened together. Each segment has its teeth bent or set to produce a kerf which is greater in width than the width of the housing.

Claims

1. An improved saw for use in manually pruning a tree limb comprising:

an arcuately shaped housing having a substantially hollow interior and a circumferential slot therein facing toward the center of the arc thereby forming a channel,

a plurality of saw toothed blade segments pivotally attached end to end in serial fashion so as to form a single flexible saw blade and being slidably positioned in said channel with the teeth extending through said slot,

means for continuously maintaining said housing and said saw tooth blade segments in contact with said tree limb, and

handle means attached to opposite ends of said single flexible saw blade for manually sliding said blade back and forth within said channel while being in contact with said tree limb.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising antifriction bearing means affixed to said flexible saw and being in contact with the substantially hollow interior of said housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said blade segments are formed having the saw teeth alternately set for producing a kerf of width greater than the thickness of said housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said means for maintaining contact comprises:

first and second bias elements each having one end attached to opposite ends of said housing, and

first and second flexible cable means each having one end attached to the free end of said first and second bias elements and each having the other end fixedly attached to the earth.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said handle means comprises a third and fourth flexible cable means each having a means for manually grasping one end.

6. A manually operated tree limb saw comprising:

a plurality of substantially flat toothed saw blade segments pivotally fastened end to end forming an elongated flexible saw blade,

housing means being arcuately formed and having a slot on the inner circumference thereby forming a channel and positioned so that said channel surrounds said elongated saw blade with the saw tooth extending through said slot whereby said elongated saw blade may slide within said channel,

a plurality of antifriction bearing means attached to said blade segments and resting within said channel for permitting the elongated saw blade to slide easily with said channel,

means attached to said housing for maintaining said elongated saw blade in continuous contact with said tree limb, and

cable means attached to both ends of said elongated saw blade for manually drawing said saw blade back and forth in contact with said tree limb.

7. The tree limb saw of claim 6 wherein the teeth of said toothed saw blade segment are bent to produce a kerf of width greater than the thickness of said housing.

8. The tree limb saw of claim 7 wherein said antifriction bearing means each comprise a roller bearing rotatably attached to said saw blade segment.

9. The tree limb saw of claim 8 wherein said saw blade segments are pivotally fastened end to end by elongated links fastened to each blade segment by means of a rivet.

10. The tree limb saw of claim 9 wherein said means for maintaining contact between said elongated saw blade and said tree limb comprises:

first and second spring means each having one end fastened to opposite ends of said elongated saw blade, and

first and second flexible rope means each having one end attached respectively to the free end of said first and second spring means and each having the opposite end anchored to the ground.