Gutter cleaner

• US 6,925,676 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2003
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Quickie Tool Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: Quickie Tool Company, LLC
• Inventors: Heavner, Bruce G., Smith, Earl L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Balsis, Shay L.
• Application Number:
  US10/410,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20030213086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 151/05, 152/360.4, 294/106, 294/19.1, 294 22- 24, 294/49, 294/50.8, 294/51, 563/33, 563/34
• US Class Current: 15/236.04
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/0765 Cleaning tools

Abstract

The cleaner includes a long pole having a mirror adjacent its upper end for inspection of the gutter from the ground without using a ladder. A gutter-clearing tool above the mirror has a downwardly angled arm provided with a lower working tip that may be in the nature of a scoop. The arm may comprise a two-part construction having an inner work component in the form of a pick for removing downspout clogs and an outer component in the nature of a scoop so that the cleaner can either be used with the scoop or pick as the exposed operating device. Components of the tool can be infinitely adjusted to accommodate gutters of various shapes and sizes and to assure that the user has positioned the device at the most advantageous angle of attack for inspection and cleaning.

Claims

1. A gutter cleaner comprising:

a pole having an externally threaded, normally upper end;

a mirror adjacent said normally upper end of the pole for enabling a user grasping a normally lower end of the pole to inspect an overhead gutter by viewing an image of the gutter in the mirror; and

a tool including a base secured to the upper end of the pole for removing accumulated residue from the gutter as the pole is manipulated by the user,

said base having an internally threaded end threadably receiving the upper end of the pole and being provided with at least one flat external side surface,

said mirror having a mounting flange projecting outwardly therefrom,

said flange including a socket complementally receiving said end of the base to prevent rotation of the mirror relative to the tool,

said flange further being provided with a hole aligned axially with said socket to permit the upper end of the pole to project through the flange and into threaded engagement with the base of the tool,

said pole having a shoulder adjacent said upper end thereof,

said flange of the mirror being clamped between said shoulder and the base of the tool.

2. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 1,

said tool comprising a scoop.

3. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 1,

said tool comprising a pointed component.

4. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 3,

said pointed component including a barb.

5. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 1,

said tool comprising a combination pointed component and scoop,

said pointed component being housed within a hollow portion of said scoop,

said scoop being selectively removable from said pointed component to permit either the scoop or the pointed component to be selected for use.

6. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 1,

said tool further including an arm having a work component at an end of the arm,

said arm being adjustably secured to said base for permitting the working angle of the arm relative to said pole to be adjusted.

7. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 6,

said base and said arm having mutually interengageable teeth thereon for retaining the arm in a selected angular position when the teeth are interengaged,

said base and said arm further being provided with a releasable pivot bolt capable when tightened of releasably holding the teeth in interengaged relationship and when loosened of permitting the arm to be adjustably pivoted about the axis of the bolt between multiple angularly adjusted positions.

8. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 6,

said arm being adjustable through an arc of more than 180°

to permit the work component to be alternatively positioned for pushing through the gutter ahead of the pole or pulling through the gutter behind the pole.

9. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 8,

said mirror projecting laterally outwardly from the pole and being adjustably positionable about the longitudinal axis of the pole.

10. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 6,

said work component comprising a scoop.

11. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 10,

said arm having a longitudinal axis,

said scoop projecting laterally outwardly away from said longitudinal axis at an oblique angle thereto,

said arm being adjustably rotatable about said axis.

12. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 10,

said arm having a longitudinal axis,

said scoop being mounted on said arm for lateral angular adjustment relative to said longitudinal axis of the arm.

13. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 1,

said tool comprising a pair of work components housed one within the other,

said other component being selectively removable from said one component to permit either the one component or the other component to be selected for use.

14. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 13,

said other component being threadably secured to the one component.

15. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 13,

said one component comprising a pick.

16. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 13,

said other component comprising a scoop.

17. A gutter cleaner as claimed in claim 16, said one component comprising a pick.

18. A gutter cleaning attachment for the externally threaded end of a pole comprising:

a gutter cleaning tool including a base adapted to be secured to the pole,

said base having an internally threaded end for receiving the externally threaded end of the pole and being provided with at least one flat external side surface; and

a mirror attachable to said tool and having a mounting flange projecting outwardly therefrom,

said flange including a socket configured for complementally receiving said end of the base to prevent rotation of the mirror relative to the tool when the mirror is attached thereto,

said flange further being provided with a hole aligned axially with said socket to permit the threaded end of the pole to project through the flange and into threaded engagement with the base of the tool when the tool and the mirror are attached to the pole.

19. A gutter cleaning attachment as claimed in claim 18,

said tool including a first work component angularly mounted on said base;

and

a second work component mounted on and enclosing said first component,

said second work component being selectively removable from said first component.

20. A gutter cleaning attachment as claimed in claim 19,

said first work component being pointed.

21. A gutter cleaning attachment as claimed in claim 19,

said second work component comprising a scoop.

22. A gutter cleaning attachment as claimed in claim 21,

said first work component being pointed.