Abstract:
An improved pole pruner for pruning a limb from a tree is provided which includes structure which grabs or grasps that portion of the tree limb to be detached as the cutting blade of the pole pruner severs the tree limb from the tree thereby preventing the severed tree limb from falling downwardly and injuring the operator of the pole pruner. The operator of the pole pruner may maneuver the pole pruner to a location wherein it is safe to release the severed tree limb from the pole pruner.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a pole pruner for trimming branches or limbs from a tree and more particularly to a pole pruner which has means associated therewith to grasp or grab the severed limb as it is being severed from the tree. The grasping or grabbing of the severed tree limb prevents the severed tree limb from falling downwardly onto the person performing the pruning operation. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified. 
     Many types of pole pruners have been provided with the conventional pole pruners comprising an elongated handle having a hook at the upper end thereof which defines a U-shaped opening formed therein which is adapted to receive a limb to be pruned. A blade is pivotally mounted on the upper end of the pole and is adapted to move through the hook and the U-shaped opening formed therein to severe a portion of a tree limb from the tree. In the conventional pole pruners, once the limb has been severed from the tree, the severed limb falls downwardly from the tree and poses a danger to the person performing the pruning operation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     A pole pruner is described for severing or pruning a tree limb from a tree. A body member is mounted at the upper end of the pole and extends upwardly therefrom. The body member has a first hook, with first and second ends, provided thereon which defines an inverted U-shaped opening which is adapted to receive a tree limb therein. The first hook has a vertically disposed slot formed therein which communicates with the inverted U-shaped opening. An elongated generally flat cutting blade member, having upper and lower ends, is pivotally secured intermediate its length to the body member so as to have its lower end selectively movably positioned in the slot. The cutting blade member has a cutting edge formed therein at its lower end. The cutting blade member is pivotally movable from a non-pruning position to a pruning position. The cutting edge of the cutting blade member is positioned within the slot when the cutting blade is in its non-pruning position. The cutting edge is movable into the inverted U-shaped opening of the first hook when the cutting blade member is moved from its non-pruning position to its pruning position to cut or sever the tree limb positioned in the inverted U-shaped opening. A first spring is secured to the cutting blade member to yieldably maintain the cutting blade member in its non-pruning position. An elongated rope is secured to the cutting blade member to enable a person to pivotally move the cutting blade member from its non-pruning position to its pruning position. 
     A second hook is secured to the body member laterally of the first hook. The second hook defines an inverted U-shaped opening which is in lateral alignment with the U-shaped opening in the first hook. An elongated grabber arm, having upper and lower ends, is pivotally secured to the first hook at one side thereof between the first and second hooks. The grabber arm is movable between an inoperative position to an operative position. The grabber arm is normally in its inoperative position. The lower end of the grabber arm is positioned laterally of and in alignment with the U-shaped opening of the first hook. A spring is secured to and extends between the cutting blade member and the grabber arm so that when the cutting blade member is moved towards its pruning position, the grabber arm will be yieldably moved from its inoperative position to its operative position to force the detached portion of the limb against the second hook to grab the same as it is being cut from the limb. 
     It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an improved pole pruner. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved pole pruner which includes means associated therewith for grabbing or grasping the severed tree limb as it is being severed from the tree to prevent the severed tree limb from falling downwardly from the tree. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a pole pruner of the type described which provides a safety measure for the person operating the pole pruner. 
     These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the upper end of the pole pruner of this invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the upper end of the pole pruner of this invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the upper end of the pole pruner in its non-pruning and non-grabbing position; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating how the upper end of the pole pruner is placed over a tree limb to be pruned; 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the pole pruner, a limb positioned in the U-shaped opening of the first and second hooks; and 
         FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5  except that the cutting blade has been moved through the tree limb to be severed and the grabber arm has been moved into engagement with the severed tree limb to prevent the same from falling downwardly from the tree. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Embodiments are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying figures, which form a part hereof and show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are disclosed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. However, embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense in that the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims. 
     The pole pruner of this invention is generally designated by the reference numeral  10  and includes a pole  12  having a lower end (not shown) and an upper end  16 . A pruner assembly  18  is mounted on the upper end of pole  12 . Pole assembly  18  includes a body member  19  having a hollow tubular portion  20  at its lower end which receives the upper end of the pole  12  and which is secured to the pole  12  by means of a bolt  22  extending therethrough. Body member  19  includes a hook  24  at the upper end thereof. For purposes of description, hook  24  will be described as having a first portion  26  which is generally parallel to the tubular portion  20 , a second intermediate portion  28  which extends transversely from the first portion  26  and a third end portion  30  which extends downwardly from the outer end of the second portion  28 . Portions  26 ,  28  and  30  define a generally inverted U-shaped opening or operating area  32 . A slot  34  is formed in first portion  26 , intermediate portion  28  and the third end portion  30 . 
     The numeral  38  refers to an elongated flat cutting blade member having a lower end normally positioned in the lower inner end of slot  34  and which is pivotally secured to body member  18  by pivot bolt  40 . The lower end of blade member  38  has an arcuate cutting edge  42  formed therein. An elongated rod  44  is pivotally connected at its upper end to blade member  38  intermediate the ends thereof by pivot bolt  46  and extends downwardly therefrom. The lower end of rod  44  movably extends through an opening formed in ledge  48  which extends laterally from the lower end of tubular portion  20 . A compression spring  50  embraces rod  44  between pivot bolt  44  and ledge  48  to yieldably maintain cutting blade member  38  in its non-cutting position as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  5 . 
     Pulley bracket  52  is pivotally secured to the upper end of cutting blade member  38  by pivot bolt  54  and has a pulley  56  rotatably mounted thereon. Bracket  52  also has a pin  58  which extends between the sides thereof which is spaced from pulley  56 . A flexible chain  60  has its lower end secured to ledge  48  and extends upwardly therefrom. Chain  60  extends upwardly into pulley bracket  52  between the sides thereof between pin  58  and pulley  56  and thence around pulley  56 . The upper end of chain  60  has a rope or cable  62  secured thereto which extends downwardly to the lower end of the pole  12  to enable the operator of the pole pruner to selectively move the cutting blade member through the U-shaped opening  32  to sever a tree limb from a tree in conventional fashion. Through this point, all the pruner structure described is conventional in design. When a tree limb is to be pruned, the pole pruner will be moved so that the limb  63  is received within the opening  32 . When the rope  62  is pulled downwardly, the chain  60  causes the blade  38  to be moved from its non-cutting position to its cutting position whereby the cutting edge  32  moves upwardly into the opening  32  to sever or cut the tree limb therein. Upon the tree limb being severed, the severed portion of the limb normally falls downwardly and could possibly injure the operator of the pole pruner. When the limb has been severed, the downward pull on the rope  62  is released which causes the compression spring  50  to pivotally move the cutting blade member  38  to its non-cutting position. 
     It is the structure described above which has been modified or supplemented to grab or grasp that part of the tree limb which is severed from a tree to prevent the severed tree limb from falling downwardly towards the operator of the pole pruner. The tree grabber of this invention will be designated generally by the reference numeral  64 . First, the pivot bolt  40  is replaced with a longer bolt. Tree grabber  64  includes a support portion  66  which has its lower end secured to tubular portion  20  and pole  12  by the bolt  22 . Support portion  66  has a hook  70  at its upper end which is complimentary in shape to hook  24  which includes an inverted U-shaped opening  71 . Grabber arm  72  is pivotally secured intermediate its length, to bolt  40  so that its lower end is movably positioned between hook  70  and hook  24 . The lower end of grabber arm  72  has an arcuate recess  74  formed therein which defines a shoulder  76  at the lower inner end thereof. A spring  78  is connected at one end thereof to the upper end of grabber arm  72  and is connected at its other end to pivot bolt  54 . The weight of that portion of arm  72  which dwells above pivot bolt  40  normally maintains arms  72  in its non-grabbing position of  FIG. 1 . 
     In operation, the pole pruner will be manipulated and placed upon the tree limb  63  to be severed ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ) so that the tree limb  63  is positioned in the U-shaped opening  32  of hook  24  and opening  71  of hook  70  with the hook  70  being positioned on the tree limb outwardly of the hook  24 . As rope  62  is pulled downwardly to pivot cutting blade member  38  move through the slot  34  in the hook  24 , arm  72  is pivoted simultaneously with cutting blade member  38  so that the recessed portion  74  at the lower end of grabber arm  72  moves into engagement with that portion of the tree limb which is to be pruned or severed. When the grabber arm  72  has made contact with the tree limb, it will not pivot any more which is permitted by the stretching of the spring  78 . When the tree limb has been severed, as seen in  FIG. 6 , the severed tree limb will be held in hook  70  by the grabber arm  72 . The operator will then maintain downward pressure on the rope and maneuver the pruner with the severed branch held therein until the desired position has been reached, at which time the operator will release pressure on the rope  62  thereby permitting the grabber arm to pivotally move to its inoperative position at which time the severed tree limb will fall from the hook  70 . 
     It can therefore be seen that a novel and improved pole pruner has been provided which permits the operator of the pole pruner to maneuver the severed tree limb to a location where it may be released therefrom without danger to the operator of the pole pruner. It can therefore be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives. 
     Although the invention has been described in language that is specific to certain structures and methodological steps, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific structures and/or steps described. Rather, the specific aspects and steps are described as forms of implementing the claimed invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.