Beveled edger

• US 7,806,196 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Echo Incorporated (Yamabiko Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echo Incorporated (Yamabiko Corporation)
• Inventors: Peterson, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto; Robert E
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCGOWAN, JAMIE LOUISE
• Application Number:
  US12/381,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20100224378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 172/13, 172/15, 172/16, 172/17, 172/41, 172/42
• US Class Current: 172/15
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/84 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 Class Codes: A01G 3/062 Motor-driven edge trimmers

Abstract

An edger has a main frame that can be advanced controllably relative to a subjacent terrain, a cutting assembly on the main frame, a drive for rotating the cutting assembly around a first axis, and material repositioning structure on at least one of the main frame and cutting assembly. The cutting assembly is configured to produce a trench in underlying terrain as the cutting assembly is rotated by the drive in operation. The material repositioning structure controllably repositions material dislodged from underlying terrain by the cutting assembly to thereby avoid accumulation of dislodged material upon the edger as the edger is operated.

Claims

1. An edger comprising:

a main frame that can be advanced controllably relative to subjacent terrain;

a cutting assembly on the main frame;

a drive for rotating the cutting assembly around a first axis,

the cutting assembly configured to produce a trench in underlying terrain as the cutting assembly is rotated by the drive in operation; and

material repositioning structure on at least one of the main frame and cutting assembly for controllably repositioning material dislodged from underlying terrain by the cutting assembly to thereby avoid accumulation of dislodged material upon the edger as the edger is operated,

wherein the material repositioning structure comprises a first material moving wall with a substantially flat surface that resides in a plane and faces in a leading circumferential direction as the cutting assembly is rotated, the first material moving wall intercepting and propelling material dislodged from underlying terrain by the cutting assembly as the edger is operated,

wherein the plane is parallel to a plane containing the first axis,

wherein the cutting assembly comprises a plurality of cutting teeth that are elongate each with a length extending along a line and the lines are transverse to the plane of the flat material moving wall surface.

2. The edger according to claim 1 wherein the main frame comprises at least one shield component against which material dislodged from underlying terrain and intercepted by the first material moving wall is propelled by the first material moving wall as the edger is operated.

3. The edger according to claim 1 wherein the cutting assembly comprises a cutting frame upon which a plurality of the cutting teeth are provided, the cutting frame comprising a plurality of elongate walls that extend around a circumferentially opening space and the first material moving wall is connected between a plurality of the elongate walls.

4. The edger according to claim 3 wherein the cutting frame comprises at least three of the elongate walls joined angularly end-to-end and the first material moving wall is connected to each of the three walls.

5. The edger according to claim 3 wherein the plurality of walls between which the first material moving wall is connected project in a leading direction from the surface on the first material moving wall to thereby define a confining rim at least partially around the surface of the first material moving wall.

6. The edger according to claim 1 wherein the cutting assembly has a cutting frame with first and second sides diametrically oppositely located with respect to the first axis, there is a plurality of the cutting teeth on the first side of the frame and a plurality of the cutting teeth on the second side of the frame and the first material moving wall is on the first side of the cutting frame.

7. The edger according to claim 6 wherein the material repositioning structure comprises a second material moving wall with a surface that faces in a leading circumferential direction as the cutting assembly is rotated, the second material moving wall on the second side of the cutting frame.

8. The edger according to claim 7 wherein the first and second material moving walls are spaced from each other in a direction radially with respect to the first axis.

9. The edger according to claim 1 wherein the cutting assembly has a cutting frame with first and second sides diametrically oppositely located with respect to the first axis, there is a first cutting tooth in the plurality of cutting teeth on the first side of the frame with a leading end that engages underlying terrain to effect cutting thereof as the edger is operated and the leading end of the first cutting tooth is spaced circumferentially from the first material moving wall, the first material moving wall in a circumferential trailing position with respect to the leading end of the first cutting tooth so that material dislodged from underlying terrain by the leading end of the first cutting tooth can be substantially instantaneously intercepted by the first material moving wall.

10. The edger according to claim 9 wherein the leading end of the first cutting tooth is substantially flat to reside within a plane and the plane is not parallel to the first axis and inclined so as to deflect material dislodged by the leading end of the first cutting tooth towards a path traveled by the first material moving wall as the edger is operated.

11. The edger according to claim 8 wherein the cutting frame comprises a plurality of elongate walls joined angularly end-to-end and there is a radial opening through the cutting frame bounded and fully surrounded by a plurality of the elongate walls and the first and second material moving walls.

12. The edger according to claim 1 wherein the cutting assembly has a cutting frame with a wall with an axially facing surface, the main frame has an axially facing surface that faces and is directly exposed to the axially facing surface on the cutting frame wall, there being a space between the axially facing surfaces on the cutting frame and the main frame and the material repositioning structure comprises at least one component that resides within the space and repositions material dislodged from underlying terrain by the cutting assembly to thereby avoid accumulation of dislodged material in the space between the axially facing surfaces on the cutting frame and the main frame as the edger is operated.

13. The edger according to claim 12 wherein the at least one component comprises a first projection from the axially facing surface on the cutting frame.

14. The edger according to claim 13 wherein the first projection comprises a first elongate fin.

15. The edger according to claim 13 wherein the at least one component comprises a second projection from the axially facing surface on the cutting frame, the first and second projections spaced from each other.

16. The edger according to claim 13 wherein the cutting frame wall is elongate with a length in a radial direction and the first projection is elongate with a length, the length of the first projection nominally aligned with the length of the elongate cutting frame wall.

17. The edger according to claim 16 wherein the cutting frame wall has a width between spaced edges and the first projection defines at least a portion of one of the spaced edges.

18. A cutting assembly for an edger, the cutting assembly comprising:

a cutting frame with cutting teeth and having a first, rotary axis,

the cutting assembly configured to produce a trench in underlying terrain as the cutting assembly is rotated in operation around the first axis,

the cutting assembly further comprising material repositioning structure for controllably repositioning material dislodged from underlying terrain by the cutting assembly to thereby avoid accumulation of dislodged material upon the edger as the edger is operated,

wherein the material repositioning structure comprises a first material moving wall with a substantially flat surface that resides in a plane and faces in a leading circumferential direction as the cutting assembly is rotated, the first material moving wall intercepting and propelling material dislodged from underlying terrain by the cutting assembly as the edger is operated,

wherein the plane is parallel to a plane containing the first axis,

wherein the cutting assembly comprises a plurality of cutting teeth that are elongate each with a length extending along a line and the lines are transverse to the plane of the flat material moving wall surface.

19. An edger comprising:

a main frame that can be advanced controllably relative to subjacent terrain;

a cutting assembly on the main frame;

a drive for rotating the cutting assembly around a first axis,

the cutting assembly configured to produce a trench in underlying terrain as the cutting assembly is rotated by the drive in operation; and

material repositioning structure on at least one of the main frame and cutting assembly for controllably repositioning material dislodged from underlying terrain by the cutting assembly to thereby avoid accumulation of dislodged material upon the edger as the edger is operated,

wherein the material repositioning structure comprises a first material moving wall with a surface that faces in a leading circumferential direction as the cutting assembly is rotated, the first material moving wall intercepting and propelling material dislodged from underlying terrain by the cutting assembly as the edger is operated,

wherein the main frame comprises at least one shield component against which material dislodged from underlying terrain and intercepted by the first moving wall is propelled by the first material moving wall as the edger is operated,

wherein the first material moving wall has at least one discrete opening that extends through the surface on the first material moving wall and fully through the first material moving wall to allow selective passage of material dislodged from underlying terrain as the edger is operated.

20. An edger comprising:

a main frame that can be advanced controllably relative to subjacent terrain;

a cutting assembly on the main frame;

a drive for rotating the cutting assembly around a first axis,

the cutting assembly configured to produce a trench in underlying terrain as the cutting assembly is rotated by the drive in operation; and

material repositioning structure on at least one of the main frame and cutting assembly for controllably repositioning material dislodged from underlying terrain by the cutting assembly to thereby avoid accumulation of dislodged material upon the edger as the edger is operated,

wherein the material repositioning structure comprises a first material moving wall with a surface that faces in a leading circumferential direction as the cutting assembly is rotated, the first material moving wall intercepting and propelling material dislodged from underlying terrain by the cutting assembly as the edger is operated,

wherein the first material moving wall has at least one discrete opening that extends through the surface on the first material moving wall and fully through the first material moving wall to allow selective passage of material dislodged from underlying terrain as the edger is operated.