Folding pole hedge trimmer

The present invention is a folding pole hedge trimmer, which is capable of operating at unusual heights, twenty (20) feet or more from the ground. It includes an elbow joint in which the upper hollow pole and the lower hollow pole can be folded for easy storage. The present invention utilizes a very light-weight reciprocating cutting head used for hedge trimming, shaping of tree crowns, cypresses, bougainvilleas and other tall growing plants. The present invention relates to a spring biased mechanical cable drive. The present invention is designed to reduce the weight, complexity and cost of the spring biased mechanical cable drive.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to a mechanical tree pruning 
device. In particular, the present invention relates to a hedge trimmer 
with a folding pole, which has the capability of operating at unusual 
heights, twenty (20) feet or more from the ground. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Numerous devices for pruning and trimming hedges from the ground up are 
known in the prior art. Generally, such devices have a power source, a 
long pole and a cutting apparatus at the top end of the pole. The power 
source is typically a combustion engine or an electric motor. The 
following prior art references are relevant to the field of the present 
invention. 
1. U.S. Pat. No. 2,703,928 issued to Southwick (hereafter the "Southwick 
Patent"). 
2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,048,722 issued to Howard (hereafter the "Howard 
Patent"). 
3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,971 issued to Fettes (hereafter the "Fettes 
Patent"). 
4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,646 issued to Siegler (hereafter the "Siegler 
Patent"). 
5. U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,298 issued to Matre (hereafter the "Matre Patent"). 
In the prior art, the power transmission is typically a rotating shaft 
inside a telescoping pole. The length of the pole section of these devices 
are typically changed by telescoping one pole section into another pole 
section which includes the drive shaft, or attaching pole sections to each 
other to obtain the desired length. The disadvantage of these devices are 
related to the overall weight and particularly the weight of the cutting 
apparatus at the top end of the telescoping pole section. When the device 
becomes too heavy to operate, it gets to be uncomfortable and its use will 
be limited. Another disadvantage is the high cost to manufacture these 
devices which is not practical for today's consumer market. 
It has been established that the telescoping pole is functional for a cable 
drive. However, it requires a storage system for the cable, which consist 
of several parts and adds weight and cost to the device. With a 
telescoping pole, the biasing spring load must be adjusted whenever the 
pole length is adjusted so that the spring can cope with the acceleration 
forces of the mechanism. It is typical for all pole type tree pruning 
devices to establish the adjustment to a low limit representing a 
practical transport and package length. The length is approximately 6 to 7 
feet and various other factors limit the practical extended length from 11 
to 14 feet. By adding to the extended length the operators proportions and 
arm position, the reach of the cutting head may be as high as 20 feet. The 
length of the telescoping poles can be changed by unlocking the 
telescoping pole members to extend the device to the desired length and 
re-locking the telescoping pole members. 
The Siegler Patent is a spring biased mechanical cable drive. It is a 
cranking mechanism which creates a reciprocating motion in the cable and 
two guide rollers guide the cable between the pole entrance and the crank 
mechanism. It has a rotary action hedge trimmer attachment to the cutting 
head. The advantage of this approach is that it increases the use of the 
machine for various purposes. The disadvantage is that it is time 
consuming to convert the device from one use to the other and back. In 
addition, the weight of the device is heavy and the main body of the 
cutting head must cope with chain saw forces. 
It is desirable to make the cutting head light in weight, and locate the 
power source at ground level next to the operator. Because the cutting 
head and the power source are at least ten (10) feet apart the efficiency 
and weight of the transmission means is important. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is a folding pole hedge trimmer. The present 
invention provides for an electric motor powered or a gasoline engine 
powered device. The novel design of the invention permits a plurality of 
several embodiments which are powered by different means and can be built 
from the same principal components but at different price ranges and for 
different market segments. 
The present invention utilizes a very light weight reciprocating cutting 
head used for trimming hedges, shaping of tree crowns, cypresses, 
bougainvilleas and other tall growing plants. The present invention is an 
improvement of the spring biased mechanical cable drive in the Sieglar 
Patent. The present invention is designed to reduce the weight, complexity 
and cost of the spring biased mechanical cable drive. 
The Siegler Patent consists of a power head driven by an electric motor or 
a gasoline engine generating the reciprocating motion in a cable which is 
biased by a spring in the cutting head. The reciprocating cable motion is 
converted by the cutting head into a rotary motion which drives the 
cutting tool. 
The power head is typically a very expensive item. In most devices the 
housing of the power head incorporates the power source, such as the 
electric motor or combustion engine. By flange mounting and locating the 
power source to the opposite side of the housing from the grips, the power 
source can be altered to meet market demands without changing the control 
elements of the device. The crankshaft of the power head can be located 
between the horizontal grip and the vertical grip of the power head 
housing, which will provide a light weight and compact size. 
The cable in the cable drive is always under tension which is capable of 
transmitting approximately fifteen hundred (1500) pounds or more pulling 
force. The ratio of the operating load to the breaking load is important 
because to retain the cable stretch to a minimum, the cable still must be 
considered as a spring when the dynamics of the mechanism is analyzed. By 
installing a finned nylon tubular guide inside the pole, the whip of the 
cable can greatly be reduced, thereby assuring a smooth operation. 
The cable guide rollers, shafts and supporting elements of the Siegler 
Patent can be replaced by a split nylon or teflon slide which is trapped 
around the cable and inserted into the pole to guide the cable in its up 
and down motion, comparable to a piston. This will decrease the weight and 
the cost of the device. 
The prior art telescoping pole design permits the use of finned tubular 
inserts only in the inner member because the outer member has to provide 
room for the inner member to slide into. With this type of implementation, 
only half of the cable length can be guided by the finned tubular insert. 
By having the present invention designed in a folding pole configuration, 
it permits the use of a finned tubular insert in the full length of the 
pole, and further provides total control of the cable. 
The fulcrum of the rotation must not be less than 10 times the cable 
diameter, which represents the bend radius of the cable when in the folded 
and stored position. When the pole is unfolded, it must be tangent to the 
circle defined by the bend radius and when the pole is unfolded a stop 
member must be incorporated into the elbow joint on the opposite side from 
the fulcrum of rotation to keep the joint from buckling under the 
operating load. A plastic spool anchored to one half of the elbow joint 
and located between the other half can provide a bearing surface for 
rotation, which can control the bend radius of the cable in the folded 
position and can guide the cable in the unfolded position. By anchoring 
one rotating half to the other in the unfolded position by means of a 
spring loaded tapered pin to the mating hole in the spool, it can limit 
the rotation of the two halves to a desired degree by means of a face 
groove in the spool and the spring loaded tapered pin. The normally open 
electrical limit switch must be mounted in the cavity of the non-rotating 
member of the elbow joint which is connected to the electric motor or 
ignition circuit of the gasoline engine to prevent the power source from 
starting when the pole is in the folded position. 
The geometry and construction of the elbow joint is critical because it 
must be rigid in all directions when the device is unfolded. When the 
device is folded, it must protect the cable from being permanently 
deformed. It must also withstand considerable axial load without buckling 
when the device is unfolded and it must control the folding arc. 
The excessive play in the elbow joint can be eliminated by a central screw 
in the fulcrum of rotation and clamping one half to the other which 
introduces a friction between the two halves with the spool in between. 
The sideways stability of the joint is greatly affected by the outside 
diameter of the spool which must be selected as large as possible. 
The stroke of the cutting head should be less than the 180.degree. arc 
length of the bent cable of the elbow joint to facilitate the design and 
selection of the biasing spring in the cutting head. The preload and 
operating deflection of the spring must meet the dynamic force 
requirements of the mechanism, but when the pole is folded the arc length 
of the bent cable will compress the spring beyond its maximum operating 
deflection. The spring must be designed when it is fully compressed in the 
folded position for the spring stress to remain below the yield point of 
the material. This does not mean that the stroke of the cutting head can 
not be longer than the 180.degree. arc length of the bent cable. In either 
case, the spring must be designed for the maximum deflection and 
acceptable stress at that point and meet the operating load requirements 
at the same time. 
The cutting head operation is based on the state of the art principles 
which has a stationary blade with several sharp edged cavities and a 
reciprocating blade with the same number of sharp edged cavities. As the 
cavities open and close, the shrubs are cut which are trapped inside the 
cavities. 
The state of the art tools are typically two sided, which means the cutting 
cavities are on both sides of the tool. Typically they are double acting, 
which means that as the blade reciprocates, it cuts in both directions. 
Typically the moving blade has slots in the center to guide the stationary 
and moving blade axially to each other. The moving blade is screwed or 
riveted between a cover plate and the stationary blade. The size of the 
cutting cavities is a function of the size to be cut and the available 
power. The stroke is a function of the cavity size and action. The cable 
actuated spring biased mechanisms are best combined with single acting 
blades so that cutting takes place when the cable drive is under a powered 
stroke which provides the cutting force and winding up of the spring. The 
moving blade stroke must have sufficient over-travel to close the cavity 
and cut the shrubs but must have the shape to keep the cavity closed and 
prevent shrubs from entering the cavity prior to opening again under 
spring load. This is essential since the spring load is established to 
cope with the dynamic blade acceleration forces which are small compared 
to the required cutting forces. The total width of the reciprocating blade 
cannot be more than the inner diameter of the pole or the spring housing 
which it is mounted on, so that the reciprocating blade can slide into the 
inner diameter when the pole is folded. 
The "C" shaped stationary blade configuration is the most practical and 
cost effective design because it provides a long relative displacement 
between the stationary blade and the reciprocating blade which is required 
when the pole is folded for storage. The "C" shaped guide is superior to 
the conventional slot type guide because the blade is not weakened by the 
slot which permits larger cutting cavities in the blade. 
For minimum trimming height, the operating position of the device is 
supported by one hand on the horizontal grip of the power head and the 
other hand holding the main pole above the power head. For maximum 
trimming height, the operating position of the device is supported by one 
hand on the vertical grip of the power head and the other hand holding 
onto the bottom grip. The arrangement of the grips provides a considerable 
reach change of approximately 5 feet for the average operator without 
readjusting the pole length. The interconnected dual controls in the grips 
permits the shifting from one operating position to the other without 
readjusting the device, thereby saving operating time and also reducing 
weight and cost. 
The long reach pole type cutting apparatus is frequently used next to high 
tension electric lines, which is hazardous. By properly selecting the 
external and internal components, the operator can be completely protected 
from electrical shock even if the operator accidentally cuts the 
electrical line. 
It has been discovered, according to the present invention, that if the 
pole section is foldable, it will provide a way to change the pole length 
and at the same time it can become the storage device for the cable and 
thereby eliminate the need for a separate storage device. Then the weight 
and cost of the device can be significantly reduced. 
It has been further discovered, according to the present invention, that if 
the folding joint is correlated with the biasing spring, then it is not 
necessary to readjust the spring load, and the weight and cost of the 
device can be significantly reduced. 
It has also been discovered, according to the present invention, that 
properly selecting the pole folding point relative to the power head, most 
of the work can be accomplished at 14 to 16 feet. 
It has been further discovered, according to the present invention, that 
after the pole is folded out to the fully extended position and the 
removable bottom grip is clamped to the power head, then the length of the 
pole can be increased considerably without making further adjustments. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a foldable 
pole section, wherein the pole length is capable of changing and storaging 
the cable, so that the weight and the cost of the device can be 
significantly reduced. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a folding joint 
correlated with the biasing spring, so that it is not necessary to 
readjust the spring load, and the weight and the cost of the device can be 
significantly reduced. 
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a proper folding 
point of the pole relative to the power head, so that most of the hedge 
trimming can be accomplished at 14 to 16 feet. 
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a removable 
bottom grip clamped to the power head, so that when the pole is folded out 
to its fully extended position, the length of the pole can be increased 
without making further adjustments. 
It is a further object of the present invention to deal with the 
configuration of the elbow joint which is an important part of the folding 
pole principle. 
Further novel features and other objects of the present invention will 
become apparent from the following detailed description, discussion and 
the appended claims, taken in conjuction with the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Although specific embodiments of the present invention will now be 
described with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that 
such embodiments are by way of example only and merely illustrative of but 
a small number of the many possible specific embodiments which can 
represent applications of the principles of the present invention. Various 
changes and modifications obvious to one skilled in the art to which the 
present invention pertains are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and 
contemplation of the present invention as further defined in the appended 
claims. 
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a folding pole hedge trimmer 120 in the 
folded position which is also the package configuration. The preferred 
folding height 1 is six (6) to seven (7) feet in length, so that the 
folding pole hedge trimmer 120 can be easily transported and stored by the 
user. It is also designed to reduce the cost of the manufacturer 
packaging, inventory space and shipping costs, so that the cost of the 
device is reduced. To secure the upper pole 2 from movement, it is fasten 
to the lower pole 3 by a spring clamp 4. 
Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown the folding pole hedge trimmer fully 
extended which includes the bottom grip 5 clamped in place by a knob 6. 
The reciprocating cutting head 7 is connected to the spring housing 8 and 
attached to the elbow joint 9 by the upper pole 2. The elbow joint 9 is 
connected to the power head 10 by the lower pole 3. The power head 10 has 
a horizontal grip 11 and a vertical grip 12 which provides an interlocking 
trigger control 13. The power source 14 is mounted to one side of the 
power head 10. At the opposite side of the power head 10 are the 
horizontal grip 11 and the vertical grip 12. The power source 14 is an 
electric motor used on string trimmers or a small combustion engine also 
used on string trimmers to facilitate mobility. In FIG. 2, the preferred 
embodiment is shown with the electric version of the folding pole hedge 
trimmer with the electric plug 15. 
The extended length 16 between the bottom grip 5 and the tip of the 
reciprocating cutting head 7 is approximately fourteen (14) feet, 
depending on the design parameters. In operation, the folding pole hedge 
trimmer 120 is fully extended and connected to an electrical outlet with 
the electrical plug 15. The operator secures the horizontal grip 11 with 
one hand and secures the lower pole 3 with the other hand. With a relaxed 
arm holding the horizontal grip 11, a comfortable fourteen (14) to sixteen 
(16) feet reach can be worked by the operator. By securing the vertical 
grip 12 with one hand and the bottom grip 5 with the other hand the reach 
can be increased. By raising the device above the head with both arms, the 
reach is increased between nineteen (19) to twenty (20) feet for the 
average person. 
Referring to FIGS. 2, 4, 5 and 11, the interlocking trigger controls 13 are 
acting on a single electric switch 17 or the throttle of a gasoline 
engine. The reciprocating cutting head 7 consists of a "C" shaped 
stationary blade 18 in which a reciprocating blade 19 is guided, so that 
it can be axially displaced. The stationary blade 18 has several sharp 
edged circular cavities 20 opened and intersected by tapered cut-outs 21 
to guide and trap the shrubs and twigs into the circular cavities 20, when 
the pole is moved along the side of the hedge. The reciprocating blade 19 
has the same number of tapered cut-outs 21 as the stationary blade 18 
which has a slanted cutting edge 22. Cutting takes place when the 
reciprocating blade 19 is axially displaced by the power stroke 23. The 
interaction of the sharp edges of the circular cavities 20 of the 
stationary blade 18 and the slanted cutting edges 22 of the reciprocating 
blade 19 shears the trapped materials. The above cutting action is 
repeated many times when the stroke 23 is mechanically powered, resulting 
in a reciprocating blade motion. The reciprocating blade 19 is forced to 
open the circular cavities 20 and the slanted cutting edge 22 by a spring 
24, and it is forced to close by a cable force 25 generated by the power 
head 10. The reciprocating blade 19 has a flat edge 26 which prevent the 
shrubs from entering the circular cavities 20 at the end of the power 
stroke 23, because the spring 24 has only sufficient power to cope with 
the dynamic forces, but insufficient power to provide a cutting force. The 
spring 24 is located inside the spring housing 8 which is made of thin 
aluminum tubing. One end of the spring 24 is supported by a cylindrical 
insert 27 which has a central hole 28 through which the braided steel 
cable 29 is threaded. The cylindrical insert 27 is made out of nylon to 
guide the cable and to reinforce the joint between the spring housing 8 
and the upper pole 2. The use of nylon for the cylindrical insert 27 also 
provides an electric insulation of the steel cable 29 from adjacent 
components. 
Referring to FIGS. 4 through 12, the spring housing 8 slides over the upper 
pole 2 which is preferably made from fiberglass tubing and secured 
together by a screw 30 or preferably a clamp. The reciprocating blade 
width 31 is less than the inner diameter of the spring housing 8, so that 
the reciprocating blade 19 can slide into the spring housing 8, when the 
pole is folded and the steel cable 29 is shortened by the folding arc 
length 32 of the elbow joint 9. The other end of the spring 24 is attached 
to the reciprocating blade slide 33 which is pinned to the reciprocating 
blade 19 by a pin 34 and is preloaded by the cable force 25, so that a 
small clearance 35 exists between the reciprocating blade slide 33 and the 
cutting head body 36. The steel cable 29 is connected to the reciprocating 
blade slide 33 with a cylindrical knob 37 and is brazed to the steel cable 
29. The cylindrical knob 37 slides into the cylindrical cavity 38 through 
the slot 39 from the side to provide a joint. The reciprocating blade 
slide 33 is made of nylon for electrically insulating the reciprocating 
blade 19 from the steel cable 29 which also provides a material 
combination between the sliding elements, thereby requiring minimum 
lubrication. The stationary blade 18 is secured to the cutting head body 
36 with screws 40. The cutting head body 36 is clamped to the spring 
housing 8 with a screw 41. The reciprocating motion required by the 
cutting head 7 is generated in the power head 10 with a crankshaft 42, 
which consists of a shaft 43 attached to a gear 44 with a pin 45. 
Referring to FIGS. 11 through 19, the tooth portion 46 of the gear 44 are 
molded of nylon around the aluminum diecast hub portion 47 of the gear 44, 
to provide a quiet non-lubricated gear mesh with a sintered steel pinion 
48. The sintered steel pinion 48 is attached to the power source 14 of an 
electric motor or the output end of a centrifugal clutch which is 
typically part of a small internal combustion engine. The speed reduction 
ratio from the sintered steel pinion 48 to the gear 44 is matched to the 
power source 14 characteristics. The crankshaft stroke 49 is equal to the 
cutting head stroke 23 by pressing a crankpin 50 off center from shaft 43 
into the gear hub 47 by half the value of the stroke 23. Any stroke can be 
obtained from the same crankshaft 42 by making provisions for other 
crankpin locations. A sintered oilite bronze crank bearing 51 is rotatably 
mounted to the crankpin 50 and secured from sliding off by the snap ring 
52. The crankpin bearing 51 is threaded at the top end 53 to receive the 
cable connector 54 and brazed to the steel cable 29. The lock nut 55 
secures the assembly. 
To balance the rotating and part of the reciprocating masses for smooth 
operation, provisions are made in the aluminum diecast crankshaft hub 47 
to install an appropriate number of balance weights 57. The crankshaft 42 
is supported with two crankshaft bearings 58 located in a flanged aluminum 
diecast housing 59 which is mounted to a stamped aluminum side plate 60. 
The sintered steel pinion 48 is supported with a pilot bearing 61 which is 
also mounted to the side plate 60. A top block 62 and a bottom block 63 is 
sandwiched between the side plates 60 and 64 to retain the various 
components together. This symmetrical structure provides a frame to 
support the loads and to attach the various components. 
The lower pole 3 is made of fiberglass and equipped with a short aluminum 
sleeve 65 at the power head joint. The aluminum sleeve 65 provides the 
support it needs to clamp the fiberglass pole. It also provides a surface 
quality and material combination to operate the nylon slides 66 and 67. 
The two nylon slides 66 and 67 are identical and split along its vertical 
axis, which forms a cylindrical body when snapped around the button 68 
which is brazed to steel cable 29. The bottom portion of the nylon slides 
66 and 67 are bell mouthed 69 which has a curvature to reduce the cable 
bending stress to a minimum. The steel cable 29 acts like a connecting rod 
between the button 68 and the crankpin 50, and it is always in tension. 
The cable force 25 fluctuates between the spring preload and the cutting 
load. The spring preload and spring rate are selected such that the 
operating speed is below the no follow speed of the mechanism. The lower 
pole 3 is clamped to the top block 62 with a U-clamp 70 which fits into a 
center slot of the top block 62 which is secured with screws 71 and 72. 
The bottom block 63 has a cylindrical cavity 73 to receive the shaft 74 of 
the bottom grip 5. The cylindrical cavity 73 is intersected with a bore 75 
and contains a cylindrical elastomer 76. The shaft 74 of the bottom grip 5 
is inserted into the cylindrical cavity 73 and by means of the knob 6 and 
threads 77, the cylindrical elastomer 76 in the bore 75 is squeezed 
against the shaft 74 of the bottom grip 5, locking it to the bottom block 
63 by means of friction. 
The folding pole hedge trimmer 120 can be operated without the bottom grip 
5 being attached. A hollow rubber bumper 78 is attached to the bottom 
block 63 to protect the power head 10 from being damaged when placing it 
on the ground. The horizontal grip 11 and the vertical grip 12 are part of 
a clamshell plastic housing 79 arranged so that the crankshaft bearing 
housing 59 is located between the horizontal grip 11 and the vertical grip 
12. For the trigger controls 13, the interlock 80 and the electric switch 
17, fastening details can be designed in several different ways and the 
described version illustrates only one preferred way. 
The power source 14 is flange mounted to the side plate 64 in which case 
the housing portion 81 is modified to accept the particular power source 
14. Locating the power source 14 on the opposite side of the trigger 
controls 13 assures that the power source 14 can be interchangeable while 
retaining the costly highly tooled portion of the machine. The upper pole 
2 and lower pole 3 are inserted with a finned nylon tubular guide 82 to 
restrict any cable vibration which may develop. 
The elbow joint 9 has a stationary half 83 clamped to the lower pole 3 with 
a screw 84. The upper pole 2 is clamped to the rotating half 85 with a 
screw 86. The fulcrum 87 of the rotation is offset by a distance 88, which 
is the bend radius of the steel cable 29 when the upper pole 2 is folded, 
as shown in FIG. 1. The distance 88 must not be less than ten times the 
steel cable 29 diameter to avoid overstressing of the cable. To assure 
that the upper pole 2 and the lower pole 3 are aligned when unfolding the 
stationary half 83 and the rotating half 85 of the elbow joint 9, both 
halves will contact each other at surface 89. The center of surface 89 is 
located about equal to the distance 88. 
The cable load 25 is equally shared at the fulcrum 87 and the surface 89. 
The cable load 25 tends to keep the two pole halves aligned. Between the 
stationary half 83 and rotating half 85, a cylindrical nylon plastic spool 
90 with a diameter 91 is sandwiched coaxially with the fulcrum 87. The 
spool 90 fits into the cavity 92 of the stationary half 83 and is anchored 
by a button 93. The other end of the spool 90 fits into cavity 94 of the 
rotating half 85. When the elbow joint 9 is folded, the rotation is 
coaxial with fulcrum 87 and it takes place on bearing surface 95 between 
the spool 90 and rotating half 85. The stationary half 83, the spool 90 
and rotating half 85 are clamped together by a screw 96, a steel washer 
97, a teflon washer 98, thread 99 and a lock nut 100. The torque on the 
screw 96 is established such that all slack is eliminated and a drag 
friction is generated between the spool face 101 and the rotating half 85. 
To lock the upper pole 2 and the lower pole 3 to each other when the poles 
are unfolded, a tapered plunger 102 is engaged in the mating hole 103 of 
the spool 90. The plunger 102 is forced into engagement by a spring 104. 
The pole sections can only be folded when a manual force is applied to the 
knob 105 to disengage the plunger 102 from the spool 90. 
A face groove 106 and the interaction of the plunger 102 limits the maximum 
folding arc to approximately 180 degrees. The spool 90 has a groove 107 
all around with a minor radius equal to the distance 88. In the folded 
position, the minor radius dictates the cable bend radius and in the 
unfolded position, the groove sidewalls guide the steel cable 29 from one 
pole section to the other. The machine is inoperable when the poles are 
folded as shown in FIG. 1 and a normally open electrical limit switch 108 
is mounted to the stationary part 83 next to the surface 89, which opens 
the circuit of the power source 14. In the combustion engine, it disables 
the ignition circuit and in the case of an electric motor, it disables the 
motor circuit. The wire harness 109 is threaded through one of the 
chambers of the finned tubular guide 82. 
It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited as 
described above. It is emphasized that while the folding pole hedge 
trimmer and the electric motor is the preferred embodiment, it is also 
within the spirit and scope of the present invention to have a folding 
pole hedge trimmer with a combustion engine, or a chain saw with an 
electric motor or combustion engine. In addition, it will not be too hard 
for one skilled in the art to form a multiplicity of configurations. 
The present invention has many advantageous features including: (a) it can 
be used with an electric motor or a combustion engine; (2) the basic 
machine consisting of the power head and the folding pole can be mounted 
with either a chain saw cutting head or a hedge trimmer cutting head; (3) 
it has a folding pole for easy storage; (4) the weight of the present 
invention is reduced for easy maneuvering; and (5) it is inexpensive to 
manufacture. 
Defined in detail, the present invention is a portable folding pole hedge 
trimmer apparatus for trimming hedges, shaping of tree crowns, cypresses, 
bougainvilleas and other tall growing plants, comprising: (a) a hedge 
trimmer unit, an electric motor unit and a bottom grip; (b) an elongated 
foldable pole including an upper hollow pole and a lower hollow pole, each 
having an upper end and a lower end; (c) said hedge trimmer unit having a 
reciprocating cutting head affixed to a spring housing; (d) a narrow 
cutting blade slidably attached to said spring housing; (e) said upper end 
of said upper hollow pole attached to said spring housing of said hedge 
trimmer unit by a first clamping means; (f) an elbow joint having a 
fulcrum, a nylon spool, a stationary half and a rotating half pivoted to 
the stationary half; (g) said nylon spool sandwiched between said 
stationary and rotating halves of said elbow joint; (h) said lower end of 
said upper hollow pole attached to said rotating half of said elbow joint 
by a second clamping means, and said upper end of said lower hollow pole 
attached to said stationary half of said elbow joint by a third clamping 
means; (i) a power head having a horizonal grip and a vertical grip which 
includes an interlocking trigger control, the power head having a top end 
and a bottom end, the top end attached to said lower end of said lower 
hollow pole by a fourth clamping means; (j) said bottom grip attached to 
said bottom end of said power head for providing an extended cutting 
distance; (k) a gear mechanism engaged by a pinion means of said electric 
motor unit and engaged with a crankshaft mechanism for providing power to 
said hedge trimmer unit; (l) said electric motor unit mounted to a 
sidewall of said power head and located oppositely to said horizontal and 
vertical grips; (m) a finned tubular guide extending through inside said 
upper and lower hollow poles for housing a driving cable which is inserted 
there through and connecting said crankshaft mechanism to said hedge 
trimmer unit to provide power; and (n) a locking mechanism for locking 
said upper and lower hollow poles to each other when said upper and lower 
hollow poles are unfolded; (o) whereby when said portable folding pole 
hedge trimmer apparatus is not used, said elongated foldable pole can be 
folded at said elbow joint by folding said upper hollow pole towards and 
in parallel with said lower hollow pole and attached together, and when 
said portable folding pole hedge trimmer apparatus is to be used, said 
elongated foldable pole can be unfolded at said elbow joint by unfolding 
said upper hollow pole away from and in coaxial alignment with said lower 
hollow pole and locked in position by said locking mechanism. 
Defined broadly, the present invention is a portable folding pole apparatus 
which utilizes a hedge trimmer unit driven by a motor unit for trimming 
hedges, shaping of tree crowns, cypresses, bougainvilleas and other tall 
growing plants, the portable folding pole apparatus comprising: (a) an 
elongated foldable pole including an upper pole and a lower pole, each 
having a top end and a bottom end; (b) an elbow joint having a fulcrum, a 
nylon spool, a stationary member and a rotating member pivoted to the 
stationary member; (c) said nylon spool sandwiched between said stationary 
and rotating members of said elbow joint; (d) said bottom end of said 
upper pole attached to said rotating member of said elbow joint by a first 
fastening means, said top end of said lower pole attached to said 
stationary member of said elbow joint by a second fastening means; (e) 
said top end of said upper pole attached to said hedge trimmer unit by a 
third fastening means; (f) a power head having a horizontal grip and a 
vertical grip, the power head installed and attached to said bottom end of 
said lower pole by a fourth fastening means; (g) said power head having a 
gear mechanism engaged by a pinion means of said motor unit and engaged 
with a crankshaft mechanism for providing power to said hedge trimmer 
unit; (h) a finned tubular guide extending through inside said upper and 
lower poles for housing a driving cable which is inserted there through 
and connecting said crankshaft mechanism to said hedge trimmer unit to 
provide power; and (i) a locking means for locking said upper and lower 
poles to each other when said upper and lower poles are unfolded; (j) 
whereby when said portable folding pole hedge trimmer apparatus is not 
used, said elongated foldable pole can be folded at said elbow joint by 
folding said upper pole towards and in parallel with said lower pole and 
attached together, and when said portable folding pole hedge trimmer 
apparatus is to be used, said elongated foldable pole can be unfolded at 
said elbow joint by unfolding said upper pole away from and in coaxial 
alignment with said lower pole and locked in position by said locking 
means. 
Of course the present invention is not intended to be restricted to any 
particular form or arrangement, or any specific embodiment disclosed 
herein, or any specific use, since the same may be modified in various 
particulars or relations without departing from the spirit or scope of the 
claimed invention hereinabove shown and described of which the apparatus 
shown is intended only for illustration and for disclosure of an operative 
embodiment and not to show all of the various forms or modification in 
which the present invention might be embodied or operated. 
The present invention has been described in considerable detail in order to 
comply with the patent laws by providing full public disclosure of at 
least one of its forms. However, such detailed description is not intended 
in any way to limit the broad features or principles of the present 
invention, or the scope of patent monopoly to be granted.