Telescopic hedge trimming apparatus

A telescopic cutting apparatus comprising an elongated outer tubular arm of not less than four feet in length; a first handle means coaxial with and closing off the lower end of said outer tubular arm; a biased electrical on/off switch means disposed within said handle means and being normally in the "off" position and requiring constant application of force to be translated into the "on" position. A second handle means mounted proximate the upper end of said outer tubular arm; adjustment means for varying the positioning of said second handle means axially and radially with respect to said outer tubular arm; an inner tubular elongated arm telescopically mounted within said outer tubular arm; locking means associated with said inner and outer tubular arms to lock said inner arm in selected relation to each; trimming means having an electrical motor drive mounted on the upper end of said inner arm; a conductor cord extending from said motor through said arms in series with said switch means and outwardly of said first handle means and terminating in a plug; said conductor being a fixed length equal to slightly more than the combined lengths of said inner and outer tubular arms; said conductor being permanently pre-coiled into a retractable spring portion having a length not greater than that of said first tubular member; whereby said conductor cord is free of slack at all times and at all adjustments of said telescopic arms.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to a new and improved apparatus for 
trimming by hand, hedges, shrubs, and/or other trees and foliage utilizing 
an electric motor powered cutting instrument mounted on a telescopic pole 
in a manner such that branches, limbs, and the like well above the head 
and normal reach of the operator of the apparatus may be reached easily 
and comfortably without need for scaffolding, ladders or other means which 
must be climbed or ascended by the operator to get access to the growth to 
be trimmed. 
While hand held pruning equipment, hedge clippers, weed trimmers and the 
like are well-known to the art, the use of this type of equipment for 
trimming high hedges, tall trees and other extended foliage which is well 
beyond the normal reach of the operator of such equipment has heretofore 
been inhibited if not prohibited. Existing equipment is limited, for safe 
use, to small shrubs, hedges and/or trees whose height does not 
substantially exceed the height of the gardener or other users of 
trimming/cutting apparatus. 
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, electric 
motor-driven cutting apparatus or hedge trimming apparatus or pruning 
apparatus of generally well-known construction is adapted for reaching 
heights well above those ordinarily accessible by an operator standing on 
the ground. This is achieved by virtue of integrating into such cutting 
equipment an expandable or telescopically expandable handle mechanism 
especially integrated with said cutting mechanism and its power supply to 
enable its safe and efficient operation from the ground but at elevated 
heights well above and well beyond the normal reach and height of the 
operator. It is, of course, to be understood that telescoping poles and 
handles are known to the gardening art as well as to the marine art; 
however, these telescoping pole devices have specific limited application 
and none have been readily suitable for use in association with electric 
motor-driven cutting tools. It is to the provision of a new and improved 
telescopic hedge trimming apparatus and the like that the present 
invention is specifically directed. 
For a better appreciation of the present invention and a more complete 
understanding of its attendant advantages, reference should be made to the 
following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with 
the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4, the new and improved telescopic hedge 
trimming apparatus of the present invention 10 comprises an elongated 
outer telescopic tubular arm 11 of approximately 5.0 feet in length 
fabricated from an insulating lightweight rigid strong material such as 
Fiberglass Reinforced Polyester (FRP) within which is slidingly 
telescopically mounted over an inner tubular elongated arm 12 manufactured 
of similar FRP material and having a length of approximately 4.5 feet. The 
outer tubular arm 11 has a hand grip member 13 affixed to its lower end 
which hand grip has a contoured surface 14 adapted to comfortably support 
the fingers of the hand of the user and which further includes an 
electrical push button switch 15 which is normally biased to an "off" 
position in accordance with the principles of the invention. The handle 13 
is made from a resilient rubber-like or synthetic rubber material so as to 
provide cushioning as well as electrical insulation to the new apparatus. 
At the upper end of the outer tubular arm 11 is a locking ring 16 which is 
cammingly wedged or otherwise mechanically connected to the arm 11 in a 
manner whereby it can lockingly grip the inner tubular arm 12 at a 
selectively extended position such as shown in FIG. 1 or in a fully 
contracted position as shown in FIG. 4. The locking ring may have an 
internal eccentric locking means (not shown) well known to the telescopic 
pole art or may be otherwise configured with means to securely lock the 
inner tubular member to the outer tubular member in an infinitely 
adjustable series of positions between fully extended and fully contracted 
as will be understood. It is also to be understood that in lieu of an 
external locking ring 16, other well known expedients for selectively 
adjusting an internal tubular arm telescopically with respect to an outer 
tubular arm such as a detents means may be employed if desired or 
necessary. 
In accordance with the principles of the invention, a second handle 20 
manufactured from the same or similar resilient insulating rubber or 
rubber-like material employed for the first handle 13 is mounted through a 
collar to the outer surfaces of the tubular arm 11. In accordance with the 
principles of the invention the collar 21 may be slid lengthwise of the 
tubular arm 11 so that the handle grip 20 may be adjusted with relation to 
the handle grip 13 in terms of longitudinal spacing; in addition, the 
collar 21 may be rotated about the axis of the tubular arm 11 so that the 
handle 20 may be adjusted radially with respect to the cutting device 25 
which is mounted at the upper most end of the inner arm 12 as will be 
described in detail hereinafter. More specifically, a locking screw 22 
associated with collar 21 is adapted to lock the collar in the desired 
adjusted position so as to maintain the handle 20 in the proper 
orientation and spacing with regard to the handle 13. 
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cutting device 25 which is 
mounted at the end of the telescoping arms 11, 12 is a double-edged blade 
hedge clipper driven by an electric motor 26 which reciprocates a blade 27 
back and forth adjacent a fixed blade 28 mounted on a support 29 in known 
fashion. The motor 26 may be bolted through bolts 27 and bracket 34 or 
otherwise suitably fastened permanently or semi-permanently to the upper 
end of the inner tubular arm 12. As will be understood, in lieu of a hedge 
trimming apparatus, other motor-driven foliage or tree trimming apparatus 
such as a minature chain saw may be employed. 
As an important aspect of the present invention the insulated, 3 wire power 
cord 30 for the motor 26 is in the form of a coiled spring 31 which in its 
retracted position fits snugly within the confines of the inner tubular 
arm 12. The cable coil 31 extends through the inner arm and is adapted, in 
accordance with the principles of the invention, to expand in length while 
decreasing in diameter to whatever the expanded relationship of the 
telescoping arms 11, 12 is set at. The end of the cord 30 projects through 
the handle 13 where it is fastened by a fitting 32, and terminates in a 
plug 33. 
The power cable 30 in its tightly coiled, retracted condition is shown 
schematically in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5. The cord in its generally extended or 
stretched condition is shown schematically in FIG. 3. 
In use a tall hedge may be trimmed by an operator standing on the ground by 
extending the tubular arms 11, 12 to a desired length which can then be 
fixed by locking the ring 16. The handle 20 is then adjusted axially and 
radially with respect to handle 13 for comfortable and balanced support of 
the trimmer for the set length of the arms 11, 12. The cord 30 is plugged 
into a power supply (not shown) and the unit is set for operation by 
depression of the switch 15. If the unit is dropped or pressure released 
from the switch 15 (a "dead man's switch") the unit will be shut off since 
the switch is biased to a normally "off" position and it must be 
constantly depressed to operate the motor 26 driving the cutter blades. 
Thus, the new unit provides safe and efficient operation. 
Advantageously, for use in an apparatus as described hereinabove in which 
the extended length of the telescoping inner and outer tubular arms is 
approximately nine feet, the wire coil 31 has a diameter of approximately 
1.25 inches in the retracted position of FIG. 4 and approximately 0.75 
inches in the stretched position of FIG. 2. The coiled wire can readily 
stretch in a ratio of approximately 10:1. 
It will be appreciated that with the new design there is no slack in the 
power cord 30, which is self-tensioning, and that the tubular arms 11, 12 
serve to armor the power cord during use. 
While the foregoing description has been given by way of a preferred 
embodiment related to hedge trimming apparatus of a particular 
configuration, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that 
other forms of the invention falling within the ambit of the following 
claims is contemplated, including the use of an electric chain saw or an 
electric pruning device in lieu of an electric hedge trimmer. 
Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in 
determining the full scope of the invention.