Abstract:
An assembly for holding a self-powered hedge cutter at a selected height and orientation so that a hedgerow can be more readily and consistently trimmed. The assembly includes a wheeled base that is filled with a weighted material. A vertical support extends upwardly from the base. A support bracket is provided that is free to move up and down along the length of the vertical support. A push handle also extends from the base. The push handle enables a person to readily push the wheeled base to a desired location. Controls are attached to the push handle. One control adjusts the height of the support bracket on the vertical support. The other control is a throttle control that can be selectively attached to the hedge cutter. A self-powered commercial hedge cutter is temporarily mounted to the support bracket. The hedge cutter can be mounted to the support bracket in a plurality of orientations. The hedge cutter can then be rolled along a hedgerow to trim that hedgerow.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to hedge cutters of the type that are typically used by homeowners and landscapers to trim hedges and similar shrubs or bushes. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices that are used to support such hedge cutters as they are used.  
           [0003]    2. Prior Art Statement  
           [0004]    The prior art record is replete with different types of hedge cutters. Over the years, hedge cutters have been manufactured in a variety of different designs. One of the most popular designs is that of a hedge cutter with a sickle bar cutter. A sickle bar cutter has two elongated blades with teeth that extend laterally from the sides of the elongated blade. One cutter is held stationary while the second cutter is reciprocally moved along the length of the stationary cutter. As the various teeth on the blades move past one another, a shearing action is created that is very effective in cutting hedges and similar plant growth.  
           [0005]    To reciprocate the sickle bar on a hedge cutter, the hedge cutter is provided with a motor. Depending upon the type of hedge cutter, the motor is typically an A/C electric motor, a battery operated D/C electric motor or a gasoline powered engine. Many thousands of each type of hedge cutter are sold in the United States each year.  
           [0006]    When using a hedge cutter, the hedge cutter is typically manually held as it is moved across the surface of a hedgerow or similar landscaping structure. Hedge cutters are heavy, and after time, it becomes very burdensome to hold a hedge cutter. Consequently, many people who have to cut large rows of hedges must rest at times before they can complete the task of trimming. This adds significantly to the time it takes to trim using a hedge cutter.  
           [0007]    Electric hedge cutters that use A/C power are popular because they are lightweight. However, such hedge cutters must be tethered to an extension cord, which significantly limits the range and mobility of the hedge cutters. Battery powered and gasoline powered hedge cutters are much more mobile, however, they are heavier and are thus harder to hold.  
           [0008]    In an attempt to make the use of hedge cutters less physically demanding, hedge cutters have been designed that are connected to wheeled carts. In this manner, the cart can be pushed along the side of a row of hedges while the hedge cutter cuts. Such prior art cart mounted hedge cutters are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,803 to McClure, entitled Mobile Variable Head, Hedge Trimmer and U.S. Pat. No. 2,762,186 to Janata, entitled Hedge-Trimming Machine. One problem associated with such cart mounted hedge cutters is that the hedge cutter cannot be removed from the cart. Accordingly, a homeowner or landscaper must own a separate hedge cutter to trim non-linear surfaces, such as rounded bushes. Another problem with such prior art devices is that the hedge cutters cannot be adjusted in height while the hedge cutter is cutting. Rather, the hedge cutter must be stopped and adjusted using hand tools.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,501 to Cole, entitled Hedge Trimmer Carriage discloses a cart that retains a self-powered hedge cutter. However, only a lightweight hedge cutter with a straight handle can be used. Most hedge cutters do not have straight handles that can be connected to the Cole device. Furthermore, the position that the hedge cutter is held cannot be adjusted while the hedge cutter is in operation.  
           [0010]    A need therefore exists for an improved hedge cutter support cart that can be used to hold most any existing hedge cutter, yet enables the hedge cutter to be easily removed. A need also exists for a support for a hedge cutter that can be readily adjusted in position while the hedge cutter is in the operation of cutting. These needs are met by the present invention as described and claimed below.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    The present invention is an assembly for holding a self-powered hedge cutter at a selected height and orientation so that a hedgerow can be more readily and consistently trimmed. The assembly includes a wheeled base that is filled with a weighted material. A vertical support extends upwardly from the base. A support bracket is provided that is free to move up and down along the length of the vertical support. A push handle also extends from the base. The push handle enables a person to readily push the wheeled base to a desired location.  
           [0012]    Controls are attached to the push handle. One control adjusts the height of the support bracket on the vertical support. The other control is a throttle control that can be selectively attached to the hedge cutter.  
           [0013]    A self-powered commercial hedge cutter is temporarily mounted to the support bracket. The hedge cutter can be mounted to the support bracket in a plurality of orientations. The present invention assembly enables the hedge cutter to be set at a selected orientation and height. The hedge cutter can then be rolled along a hedgerow to trim that hedgerow. The height at which the hedge cutter is mounted can be adjusted as the hedge cutter is cutting by operating the adjustment control on the push handle. Similarly, the throttle of the hedge cutter can also be selectively controlled by an adjustment control on the push handle. A user can therefore change the height and speed of the hedge cutter as it is being rolled along a hedgerow. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a side view of a traditional prior art hedge cutter;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a hedge cutter support assembly in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a prior art hedge cutter being mounted in a horizontal position to a section of the support assembly that was previously shown in FIG. 2;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a prior art hedge cutter being mounted in a vertical position to a section of the support assembly that was previously shown in FIG. 2; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a segment of the throttle control that connects to a hedge cutter.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]    Referring to FIG. 1, a typical hedge cutter  10  is shown. Like most all sickle bar hedge cutters, the hedge cutter  10  has a sickle bar  12  that leads into a main housing  14 . In the main housing  14  is the motor that reciprocates the sickle bar  12 , thereby creating the cutting action. Such hedge cutters  10  typically have two handles, wherein each handle is to be held by one hand of the user. One handle is a cross bar handle  16  that extends across the top of the hedge cutter  10 . Commonly, the cross bar handle  16  extends above the center of gravity of the hedge cutter  10 . As such, the entire hedge cutter  10  can readily be lifted and carried in a balanced orientation by the cross bar handle  16 . The second handle  18  extends from the rear of the main housing  14 . The rear handle  18  typically extends from the main housing  14  with a downward slope of between 30° and 60°. Under the rear handle  18  is typically positioned the throttle control  20  for the hedge cutter  10  that controls the speed at which the sickle bar  12  reciprocates.  
         [0021]    The positions of the cross bar handle  16 , the rear handle  18  and the throttle control  20  remain in a generally consistent range among a majority of the commercially available hedge cutters, regardless of whether the hedge cutters are A/C powered, battery powered or gasoline powered.  
         [0022]    In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the hedge cutter  10  is a battery operated hedge cutter. This type of hedge cutter typically has a battery pack  22  that is attached to the rear handle  18 . The illustration of such a hedge cutter  10  is merely exemplary and it should be understood that either an A/C powered hedge cutter or a gasoline powered hedge cutter could have been used.  
         [0023]    Referring to FIG. 2, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention hedge cutter support assembly  30  is shown. In this embodiment, there is a base  32 . The base  32  is supported by at least three wheels  34  so that the base  32  can be rolled in a forward and rearward direction. The base  32  is preferably a hollow structure that has an access port  36  on its top surface. The access port  36  enables either water or sand to be poured into the interior of the base  32 . Once full with either sand or water, the base  32  can have a weight of between thirty pounds and one hundred pounds. This provides the hedge cutter support assembly  30  with a very low center of gravity.  
         [0024]    A push handle  38  extends from the base  32 . The push handle  38  supports the operational controls for the overall assembly, that will later be explained. The push handle  38  provides an ergonomically efficient manner to push the base  32  forward or pull the base  32  backward.  
         [0025]    At least one vertical support  40  extends upwardly from the base  32 . The vertical support  40  is rigidly mounted in the vertical plane and may contain support braces  42  to add lateral structural strength to the vertical support  40 . The combined vertical length of the base  32  and the vertical support  40  is preferably between three feet and seven feet.  
         [0026]    A support bracket  44  is provided that actually connects to the hedge cutter  10  (FIG. 1). The support bracket  44  has two primary sections. There is a vertical section  46  that engages the vertical support  40  in a manner that enables the vertical section  46  to freely slide up and down along the vertical support  40 . There is also a horizontal section  48  that connects to the vertical section  46 . Consequently, when the vertical section  46  moves up and down, the horizontal section  48  moves in unison with the vertical section  46 .  
         [0027]    There are many configurations that would enable the vertical section  46  of the support bracket  44  to freely move up and down the length of the vertical support  40 . For example, the vertical support can be round and the vertical section of the support bracket can include a tubular guide that rides around the exterior of the vertical support. In the shown example, a slot  49  is formed in the vertical support  40 . Track elements extend from the vertical section  46  of the support bracket  44  that engage the slot  49  and enable the support bracket  44  to ride up and down the length of the slot  49 . Such an embodiment is merely exemplary and it should be understood that any configuration that enables the support bracket  44  to move along the length of the vertical support  40  can be used.  
         [0028]    The support bracket  44  is attached to a cable  50 . The cable  50  extends from the top of the support bracket  44  and through a pulley  52  at the top of the vertical support  40 . The cable  50  then connects to a bi-directional crank  54  that is located on the push handle  38 . By turning the crank  54 , the effective length of the cable  50 , between the support bracket  44  and the crank  54 , can be selectively lengthened or shortened. As the cable  50  is shortened, the support bracket  44  is pulled up the length of the vertical support  40 . Conversely, as the length of the cable  50  is increased, the support bracket  44  descends down the length of the vertical support  40 .  
         [0029]    Referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that a slot  60  is formed in the horizontal section  48  of the support bracket  44 . A first hook clamp  62  extends through the slot  60  and engages an adjustment knob  64 . The hook clamp  62  has a hooked end  66  that passes around the cross bar handle  16  of the hedge cutter  10 . As the adjustment knob  64  is tightened, the hook clamp  62  biases the cross bar handle  16  against the horizontal section  48  of the support bracket  44 , thereby firmly engaging the cross bar handle  16 . The position of the cross bar handle  16  on various makes and models of hedge cutters differ. By providing the slot  60  in the horizontal section  48  of the support bracket  44 , the first hook clamp  62  can be adjusted in position to engage the cross bar handle  16  of a large majority of the hedge cutters currently being commercially sold.  
         [0030]    A second hook clamp  70  is positioned between the horizontal section  48  of the support bracket  44  and the vertical section  46  of the support bracket  44 . The second hook clamp  70  also engages an adjustment knob  72 . The second hook clamp  70  extends through an adjustment slot  74  that enables the position of the second hook clamp  70  to be selectively adjusted. The second hook clamp  70  has a hooked end  76  that passes around the rear handle  18  of the hedge cutter  10 . As the adjustment knob  72  is tightened, the second hook clamp  70  biases the rear handle  18  against the support bracket  44 , thereby firmly engaging the rear handle  18 . The position of the rear handle  18  on various makes and models of hedge cutters  10  are different. By providing the slot  60  in the horizontal section  48  of the support bracket  44 , the second hook clamp  70  can be adjusted in both position and angle to engage the rear handle  18  of a large majority of the hedge cutters currently being commercially sold.  
         [0031]    From the position of the first hook clamp  62  and the second hook clamp  70 , it will be understood that a commercial hedge cutter  10  can be selectively attached to the support bracket  44  in an orientation that holds the sickle bar blade  12  of the hedge cutter  10  in the horizontal. In this orientation, the assembly can be advanced along the side of a hedgerow and the hedge cutter  10  can cut the tops of the hedgerow to a consistent height.  
         [0032]    Referring now to FIG. 4, it can be seen that an attachment strap  80  is positioned toward the bottom of the vertical section  46  of the support bracket  44 . The hedge cutter  10  can be mounted in a vertical position utilizing the second hook clamp  70  and the attachment strap  80 . Once the hedge cutter  10  is oriented in the vertical plane, the rear handle  18  of the hedge cutter  10  is then engaged using the second hook clamp  70 . The housing  14  of the hedge cutter  10  is then engaged with the attachment strap  80 , thereby rigidly mounting the hedge cutter  10  to the support bracket  44  in a vertical orientation.  
         [0033]    From the position of the second hook clamp  70  and the attachment strap  80 , it will be understood that a commercial hedge cutter can be selectively attached to the support bracket  44  in an orientation that holds the sickle bar blade  12  of the hedge cutter  10  in the vertical. In this orientation, the assembly can be advanced along the side of a hedgerow and the hedge cutter  10  can cut the sides of the hedgerow to a straight vertical plane.  
         [0034]    Although some electrically powered hedge cutters only have on/off switches, most commercially available hedge cutters have a throttle control. The throttle control is the generic name herein given to any control that selectively adjusts the speed at which the hedge cutter operates. In most all commercially available hedge cutters, the throttle control is a lever control that is positioned under the rear handle.  
         [0035]    In the present invention, a throttle adjustment mechanism is provided that enables a person using the present invention device to control the throttle of the hedge cutter while pushing the device. Referring briefly back to FIG. 2, it can be seen that a manual lever control  90  is provided on the push handle  38  of the assembly. The lever control  90  is attached to a cable  92  that extends to an engagement assembly  94 . The engagement assembly  94  attaches to a hedge cutter near its throttle control and interconnects the lever control  90  to the throttle control. In this manner, the throttle control of the hedge cutter can be selectively controlled by moving the lever control  90 .  
         [0036]    Referring to FIG. 5, the details of an exemplary embodiment of the engagement assembly  94  are shown. The engagement assembly  94  includes a base  95 . A finger element  96  extends through the base  95 . The finger element  96  is directly connected to the cable  92 . The rear handle  18  (FIG. 1) and throttle control  20  (FIG. 1) of the hedge cutter are placed between the finger element  96  and the base  95 . When the cable  92  is tightened, the finger element  96  moves toward the base  95 , thereby squeezing the throttle control  20  (FIG. 1). When the cable  92  is slackened, the finger element  96  moves away from the base  95  and the throttle control  20  (FIG. 1) is not engaged. The engagement assembly  94  is held in place on the rear handle  18  (FIG. 1), over the position of the throttle control  20  (FIG. 1), using straps  99 . The straps  99  preferably contain hook and loop fastening material for easy adjustment.  
         [0037]    It will be understood that the assembly and method of the present invention described and illustrated herein are merely exemplary and a person skilled in the art can make many variations to the shown embodiment. For example, the hook clamps used to attach the hedge cutter to the support bracket can be replaced with any other types of clamps or mechanical fasteners. Furthermore, the shape of the base, the orientation of support braces and the like can be configured to the whims of a designer. All such alternate embodiments and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined below in the claims.