Rotary filament assembly and method
First Claim
1. A rotary filament assembly for severing vegetation when used in a driven apparatus having a drive shaft, comprising:
- a horizontally disposed rotary member detachably mounted to said drive shaft, said rotary member having a mount just within its perimeter; and
a resilient monofilament communicating with said mount and removably attached to said rotary member by said mount, said resilient monofilament having a free portion protruding from said horizontally disposed rotary member and extending substantially vertically from said horizontally disposed rotary member when said horizontally disposed rotary member is at rest;
whereby said free portion of said resilient monofilament when rotating with said rotary member severs vegetation.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A rotary filament assembly is provided wherein a plurality of resilient monofilaments are attached to a rotary member such that free portions of the resilient monofilaments extend substantially vertically when the rotary member is at rest and such that upon rotation of the rotary member at a predetermined speed, the free portions sever vegetation, such severance serving purposes of mulching and/or cutting and trimming. In one embodiment (10) used in a power lawn mower (29), the rotary filament assembly can cut and/or mulch vegetation and has resilient monofilaments (14) mounted to a blade (12) such that their free portions (24) extend substantially upwardly when the blade (12) is at rest. In another embodiment (110) used in a hand-held power trimmer, resilient monofilaments (128, 128'"'"', 130, 130'"'"', 132, 132'"'"') are selectively mounted on a solid disk (112) such that their free portions (130a) extend substantially downwardly when the solid disk is at rest.
43 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A rotary filament assembly for severing vegetation when used in a driven apparatus having a drive shaft, comprising:
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a horizontally disposed rotary member detachably mounted to said drive shaft, said rotary member having a mount just within its perimeter; and a resilient monofilament communicating with said mount and removably attached to said rotary member by said mount, said resilient monofilament having a free portion protruding from said horizontally disposed rotary member and extending substantially vertically from said horizontally disposed rotary member when said horizontally disposed rotary member is at rest; whereby said free portion of said resilient monofilament when rotating with said rotary member severs vegetation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of converting a standard power lawn mower into a mulching lawn mower, comprising the steps of:
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providing a horizontally disposed rotary member having a mount just within its perimeter; attaching a resilient monofilament to said horizontally disposed rotary member by use of said mount such that a free portion of said resilient monofilament protrudes from said horizontally disposed rotary member and points substantially upwardly out of said horizontally disposed rotary member; and attaching said horizontally disposed rotary member to a drive shaft of said standard power lawn mower; whereby operation of a converted standard power lawn mower causes said resilient monofilament to reduce vegetation fragments to fine particles suitable for lawn mulch. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of using a horizontally disposed rotary member to produce lawn mulch, comprising the steps of:
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providing said horizontally disposed rotary member with a mount; bringing a resilient monofilament into communication with said mount so that said resilient monofilament is removably attached to said horizontally disposed rotary member and a free portion of said resilient monofilament protrudes from said horizontally disposed rotary member and points substantially upwardly out of said horizontally disposed rotary member; and attaching said horizontally disposed rotary member to a drive shaft of a power lawn mower; whereby operation of said power lawn mower causes said resilient monofilament to reduce fragments of cut vegetation into fine particles suitable for lawn mulch. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A rotary filament assembly for severing vegetation when used in a driven apparatus having a drive shaft, comprising:
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a horizontally disposed rotary member detachably mounted to said drive shaft, said horizontally disposed rotary member having a mount; and a resilient monofilament communicating with said mount and removably attached to said horizontally disposed rotary member by use of said mount, said resilient monofilament having a free portion protruding from said horizontally disposed rotary member and extending along a substantially vertical plane when said horizontally disposed rotary member is at rest; whereby said free portion of said resilient monofilament when rotating with said rotary member severs vegetation. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification