Abstract:
A thatching attachment for a rotary power lawn mower that uses short lengths of nylon trimmer cord as bristles to thatch lawns by mounting the brushes on a blade. The device uses alternatives to bristles and new arrangements of the blades to better groom lawns overall. The new thatching elements work on all types of grasses and perform better than plain nylon bristles. Moreover, these thatching elements last longer and are, therefore, more economical. Finally, my new designs are better at mulching the cuttings, which reduces the amount of waste picked up by the mower. This saves time and cost of bagging and disposal of the waste.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a Continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/713,605, filed Nov. 15, 2000, now abandoned, which is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 09/311,682, filed May 13, 1999, now abandoned. 

   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
   Not Applicable 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to powered thatching machines and particularly powered thatching machines that use bristle elements for the thatching. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   Power thatching machines have been used for years to groom lawns. Typically, thatching is done in the spring and involves removing as much of the old grass as possible. Thatching should also work to loosen and aerate the soil. Originally, thatching was done by hand using rakes. This process in strenuous at best. Raking is also not the best way to loosen the soil. To make the work easier, several devices have been developed to be used in combination with power drive units, such as lawn mowers. In these devices, the blade of the mower is removed and a new “blade” arm is added. The blade arm has some type of device attached that rakes the ground while the mower is operating. Typically, these devices use metal tines, similar to those found on rakes, to thatch the lawn. Although effective, these metal tines tend to dig excessively into a lawn. If these devices are used improperly, the lawn can suffer severe damage. 
   In U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,962, I disclosed a device for thatching laws that used a set of brushes mounted on a blade arm. The brushes thatch a lawn by “combing” the lawn surface instead of digging into the lawn. Consequently, the lawn suffers no damage from the process. The action of the brushes also works to loosen the soil, which is an additional benefit of the process. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to my previous invention of a thatching attachment for a rotary power lawn mower described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,962, which is incorporated herein by reference. As mentioned above, the brush action of my previous patent is an improvement over the metal tines. Since the time that the patent was issued, I have further improved the device. In my original design, I used bristle brushes to thatch lawns by mounting the brushes on a blade that was used with a standard lawn mower blade. I taught that the bristle pattern might be changed by removing some of the bristles to improve the performance of the brushes. In this new design, I now focus on alternatives to bristles and new arrangements of the blades to better groom lawns overall. Primarily, these new bristle elements are short lengths of nylon trimmer line. 
   When used in short lengths and sufficient thickness, the trimmer line stays in a vertical position, instead of the horizontal position usually used for trimmer line. The new thatching elements work on all types of grasses and perform better than plain nylon bristles. Moreover, these thatching elements last longer and are, therefore, more economical. Finally, my new designs are better at mulching the cuttings, which reduces the amount of waste picked up by the mower. This saves time and cost of bagging and disposal of the waste. 
   It is an object of this invention to produce a thatching attachment for lawn mowers that has replaceable bristles. 
   It is another object of this invention to produce a thatching attachment for lawnmowers that has variable bristle patterns within a brush. 
   It is yet another object of this invention to produce a thatching attachment for lawn mowers that uses a staggered set of bristles to mulch the thatched clippings to reduce the amount of material that must be disposed of after the thatching process is completed. 
   It is a further object of this invention to produce a thatching attachment for lawn mowers that produces more efficient thatching of lawns by using multiple lengths and types of bristles. 
   It is yet another object of this invention to produce a thatching attachment for lawn mowers that can thatch different varieties of grass by adjusting the bristle size and type for a particular type of grass. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a top plan view of one embodiment of my new blade and thatcher design. 
       FIG. 2  is an end detail view thereof. 
       FIG. 3  is a top plan view of a second embodiment of my new attachment. 
       FIG. 4  is a front elevation view thereof. 
       FIG. 5  is a front elevation view of a third embodiment of my new thatcher attachment. 
       FIG. 6  is a top plan detail view thereof. 
       FIG. 7  is a top plan view of the third embodiment in place on a lawn mower blade. 
       FIG. 8  is a partial front elevation view of a fourth embodiment of my new design. 
       FIG. 9  is a side detail view of my new bristle plugs. 
       FIG. 10  is a top detail view of the brush block of the fourth embodiment. 
       FIG. 11  is a front detail view of a new attachment bar design. 
       FIG. 12  is a top plan view of the fifth embodiment. 
       FIG. 13  is an end detail view of a fifth embodiment of my new design. 
       FIG. 14  is a top plan detail view of the fifth embodiment in place on a lawn mower blade. 
       FIG. 15  is a detail view of the cutting edges of the fifth embodiment and the preferred spacing thereof. 
       FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional view of one side of a sixth embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 17  is a top view of a seventh embodiment of the invention showing the bottom of a cap with the bristles extending out from the top of the cap. 
       FIG. 18  is an end view of the cap of  FIG. 17  being mounted on the bottom of the blade. 
       FIG. 19  is a modified inverted cap that has a lip only on the leading edge of the cap. 
       FIG. 20  is a modified version of the inverted cap in which the upper edges are curved to fit over a curved blade. 
       FIG. 21  is a side view of a clip type A used to hold trimmer line when mounted on a carrier bar used in the eighth embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 22  is a top view of the clip shown in FIG.  21 . 
       FIG. 23  is an end view of the clip shown in FIG.  21 . 
       FIG. 24  is an end view of a carrier bar used in the eighth embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 25  is a side view of the clip of  FIG. 21  with trimmer line installed, and bolt installed to install it on a carrier bar. 
       FIG. 26  is an end view of the clip of  FIG. 25  shown mounted on a carrier bar. 
       FIG. 27  is a side view of a clip type B used to hold trimmer line when mounted on a carrier bar used in the eighth embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 28  is a top view of the clip shown in FIG.  27 . 
       FIG. 29  is an end view of the clip shown in FIG.  27 . 
       FIG. 30  is an end view of a carrier bar used in the eighth embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 31  is a side view of the clip of  FIG. 27  with trimmer line installed, and bolt installed to install it on a carrier bar. 
       FIG. 32  is an end view of the clip of  FIG. 27  shown mounted on a carrier bar. 
       FIG. 33  is a side view of a clip type C used to hold trimmer line when mounted on a carrier bar used in the eighth embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 34  is a top view of the clip shown in FIG.  33 . 
       FIG. 35  is an end view of the clip shown in FIG.  33 . 
       FIG. 36  is an end view of a carrier bar used in the eighth embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 37  is a side view of the clip of  FIG. 33  with trimmer line installed, and bolt installed to install it on a carrier bar. 
       FIG. 38  is an end view of the clip of  FIG. 33  shown mounted on a carrier bar. 
       FIG. 39  is a detail view of a length of trimmer line bent in a staple form to be used in clips A, B or C or lawn mower blades. 
       FIG. 40  is a detail view of a length of trimmer line bent in a threaded form to be used in clips A, B or C or lawn mower blades. 
       FIG. 41  is a top view of a carrier bar for a WALKER brand style mower using a modified EURO deck. 
       FIG. 42  is a side view of the carrier bar of FIG.  41 . 
       FIG. 43  is a top view of a drive/shear plate for a WALKER brand style mower. 
       FIG. 44  is a side view of the plate shown in FIG.  43 . 
       FIG. 45  is a side view of an assembled mower blade, carrier bar and drive/shear plate for a WALKER type mower. 
       FIG. 46  is a top view of a WALKER mower blade. 
       FIG. 47  is a top view of an assembled mower blade, carrier bar and drive/shear plate for a WALKER type mower. 
       FIG. 48  is a side view of a WALKER mower blade. 
       FIG. 49  is a top view of a WALKER mower blade modified to receive trimmer line. 
       FIG. 50  is a top view of a WALKER carrier bar modified to receive clips A, B, and C. 
       FIG. 51  is a side view of a WALKER carrier bar for a regular deck mower. 
       FIG. 52  is a side view of a WALKER main blade with carrier bar for a regular deck mower. 
       FIG. 53  is a top view of a main blade with carrier bar for a variety of mowers. 
       FIG. 54  is a top view of a WALKER main blade for use with a WALKER mulcher deck. 
       FIG. 55  is a side view of a WALKER main blade for use with a WALKER mulcher deck. 
       FIG. 56  is a top side view of a WALKER main blade for use with a WALKER mulcher deck prepared to receive clips A, B, or C. 
       FIG. 57  is a side view of a second blade for use with a WALKER mulcher deck. 
       FIG. 58  is an end view of a blade plate to lock the blades in a WALKER mulcher deck. 
       FIG. 59  is a top view of a blade plate of  FIG. 59 , used to lock the blades in a WALKER mulcher deck. 
       FIG. 60  is a top view of the assembled WALKER mulcher deck blades. 
       FIG. 61  is a side view of the assembled WALKER mulcher deck blades with clips and trimmer line attached. 
       FIG. 62  is a top view of a blade for any type of rotary mower, modified to receive trimmer line. 
       FIG. 63  is a side view of a blade with trimmer line installed using the threaded configuration of FIG.  40 . 
       FIG. 64  is a side view of a blade with trimmer line installed using the staple configuration of FIG.  39 . 
       FIG. 65  is a top view of a blade for any type of rotary mower, modified to receive trimmer line in a single row configuration. 
       FIG. 66  is a side view of the blade of  FIG. 65  with trimmer line installed using the threaded configuration of FIG.  40 . 
       FIG. 67  is a side view of the blade of  FIG. 65  with trimmer line installed using the staple configuration of FIG.  39 . 
       FIG. 68  is a top view of a plate, designed to receive trimmer line, for all types of weed trimmers. 
       FIG. 69  is a side view of the plate of  FIG. 68  with trimmer line installed using the staple configuration of FIG.  39 . 
       FIG. 70  is a side view of the plate of  FIG. 68  with trimmer line installed using the staple configuration of FIG.  39  and also having a number of fused bristles. 
       FIG. 71  is a side detail view of the plate of  FIG. 68  with trimmer line installed using the threaded configuration of FIG.  40 . 
       FIG. 72  is a top view of a plate modified for use with a SEARS CRAFTSMAN HASSLE-FREE trimmer. 
       FIG. 73  is a side view of a plate with trimmer line installed, mounted on a HASSLE-FREE trimmer head. 
       FIG. 74  is a side detail view of a plate with trimmer line and fused bristles installed, mounted on a HASSLE-FREE trimmer head. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the first embodiment of my new design shows a blade, or mounting bar  1  that has a center hole  2  for attaching the blade  1  to a lawn mower drive shaft. Note that throughout this specification the terms blade and mounting bar are synonymous, except as noted. The blade can be a flat bar, or can be a regular lawn mower blade that has been drilled with the proper hole arrangement. 
   The blade  1  also has a number of hole pairs  3  as shown. These hole pairs  3  are used to hold the thatching elements as described below. Note that  FIG. 1  shows these holes  3  only on one side of the blade  1 . In fact, the holes are repeated on the other side of the blade  1 , but are hidden by the cover  6  as shown. The cover  6  is discussed below. 
   In this design, several thatching elements may be used. As shown, the outer courses  3   a  of the blade holes  3  are designed to accept wire rope wire or cable (which may be twisted or braided)  7 . The gauge of this wire can vary. As shown in the figure, the wire or cable  7  is folded into a flattened “U” shape for placement into a pair of holes  3  as shown. In the center course of holes  3   b , either a folded length of nylon cord  8  or a plug of brush type bristles  9  may be used. The nylon cord  8  is also folded onto a flatted “U” shape and fits into a pair of holes. 
   In the preferred embodiment, and throughout this specification, the nylon cord or trimmer line  8  is the type used in garden trimmers. This cord comes in various diameters. Ordinarily, trimmer line is used in longer lengths. As the trimmer head is rotated, the trimmer line lies horizontally. This allows the cutter to trim the tops of grass and weeds without digging into the soil. Moreover, when used in such lengths, the trimmer line is too flexible to dig into the soil. The length and thickness of trimmer line used in the instant application are designed to keep the trimmer line vertical during use. In other words, the line is so short and thick that it will not lie horizontally when the trimmer head is turning. This ensures that the trimmer line acts as a bristle to work down into the grass instead of riding atop it. In this way, the instant invention can dethatch and work a lawn in a completely different manner than a standard weed trimmer with standard length line can. 
   To make the trimmer line stay vertical, its length and thickness must be coordinated. Thinner line must be kept shorter than thicker line. In any event, the thickest line should extend not more than 2 inches (50 mm) below the bottom of the carrier bar or cutting blade. In the preferred embodiment, the thickness and length of various trimmer lines are as follows: For line having a cross-section or diameter of 0.065, 0.080, and 0.095 inches, the lengths should be between ⅛ inch and ½ inch. For cross-section or diameter of 0.105 and 0.130 inches, the lengths should be between ½ inch and 1½ inches. Finally, for cross-section or diameter of 0.155 and 0.170 inches, the lengths should be between ½ inch and 2 inches. 
   Note that the nylon trimmer line can be any of the available lines such as: square, twisted or braided. Moreover, other sizes may be used as well; although the sizes listed above are the preferred. Finally, it is also possible to mix various thicknesses and lengths on a carrier bar, see, e.g., FIG.  15 . 
   The bristle plugs  9  are placed one by one into single holes. To secure the thatching elements in place for use, a cover  6  is slid over the end of the blade (see  FIG. 2 ) and on top of the holes  3  and thatching elements. A fastener  10  is used to secure the cover  6  to the blade  1 . Two covers  6  are needed for each blade. Once the covers are in place, the blade  1  can be attached to a lawn mower using a bolt  11  through the hole  2 . 
     FIG. 3  shows an adaptation of this design. Here, the thatching elements, covers and fasteners remain the same. The difference is in the ends of the blade  20 . The blade  20  has two extensions  21  as shown. The blade extensions  21  are bent into a curve as shown. The edges  22  of the blade are then sharpened to a cutting edge as shown. (See  FIG. 3. )  FIG. 4  shows the ends of the blade  20  with the curved ends.  FIG. 4  also shows the various bristle elements and the cover, as discussed above. 
     FIGS. 5-7  show yet another embodiment of this design. Here, the thatching blade  30  is flat. At the center of the thatching blade  30  is a mounting hole  31  as shown. The thatching blade  30  has a number of mounting holes for bristle elements, as discussed above that are not shown here for clarity. As above, the twisted cable, nylon cord, wire or brush type bristles may be used either separately or in combination. This blade  30  is intended to be used in conjunction with a standard mower-cutting blade  100 . Two support flanges  36  are formed on the top of the blade  30  as shown. These flanges hold the mower blade  100  in place and prevent the mower blade from turning with respect the thatcher blade  30 .  FIG. 6  shows a top view of the thatcher blade  30  showing the flanges  36 .  FIG. 7  shows the thatching blade  30  placed under the standard mower blade  100 . The standard mower blade aligns with the flanges  36  to maintain the position of the mower blade, as discussed above. 
     FIGS. 8 ,  9  and  10  show yet another embodiment of my new thatching system. This embodiment uses a structure very similar to my original design found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,962.  FIG. 8  shows a partial side view of the blade  40 . In this embodiment, the blade  40  is also called a carrier bar. Secured to the carrier bar  40  is a brush block  41 . In my original design, this block has permanently installed bristles, arranged in a pattern. In this embodiment, the brush block  41  has a number of holes cut into it to allow bristle elements  42 , shown in  FIG. 9 , to be placed into the brush block  41 . The individual bristle elements  42  can be made of nylon, plastic, wire, wood fiber, or any similar type material. The bristle elements  42  have a number of bristles  42   a  and a molded head  42   b . See FIG.  9 . The molded head  42   b  is used to hold the bristle elements  42  in the brush block  41 .  FIG. 10  shows a top view of the brush block  41  with the bristle elements in place. Note that this figure shows the molded heads  42   b  secure in the brush block  41 . The brush block  41  has two mounting holes  43  as shown to secure it to the carrier bar  40 , using bolts  44  and nuts  45  as shown in FIG.  9 . Note that in practice, two brush blocks are mounted to the carrier bar  40 . The brush block  41  can be made of hard nylon, from a softer, resilient belting rubber, metal, or from any similar type material. Use of the rubber allows more “give” in the block, which improves performance over uneven terrain. Note that this brush block  41  may be attached to other blades discussed above. For example, they can be attached to the blade of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 11  shows another variation on this design. Here, the brush blocks and bristle elements are the same. The carrier bar  50 , has been modified by articulating the center portion  51  as shown. In this design, a normal mower blade  100  is secured between the sloped sides of the carrier bar  50 . 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 12-15 , another embodiment if my design is shown. In this embodiment, the flat carrier bar  30  of  FIGS. 5-7  is used. Here, the carrier bar is fitted with screws, bolts, nylon strips, bristles or wire. Note the discussion above on the use of nylon trimmer line for this application. This blade  30  also has provisions for using screws  32  or bolts  33  as grass cutting or chipping elements. These elements pick up the grass cuttings and reduce them in size and volume, as discussed below. See FIG.  13 . The length of the screws and bolts can vary. They are screwed into tapped holes in the blade  30  using ordinary tapping techniques. The bolts  33  and screws  32  can be used in combination with any of the bristle elements discussed above. Also, in this embodiment, the ends of the thatching blade  30  may be sharpened to a cutting edge  35  as shown. The layout is such that the bristle elements form a graduated system of cutting and chipping the grass.  FIGS. 12 and 13  show the placement of the screws and nuts.  FIG. 14  shows the placement of the two blades.  FIG. 15  shows the stepped levels of cutting and chipping. In the preferred embodiment, there are four levels, A, B, C, and D, of cutting and chipping approximately ⅛ inch apart. Here, longer lengths of nylon or wire can be used to groom the lawn while shorter lengths of wire or screws are used to cut and mulch the grass, thereby reducing the bagged volume of material that is caught by the mower. This system reduces bagged volume by as much as three to one over conventional mower blades. In this embodiment, the blades are attached to the mower in the configuration shown in FIG.  14 . The mower is then used normally, and the blades, wires, screws and bolts automatically cut and groom the lawn. 
     FIG. 16  shows yet another embodiment. Here, a cross sectional view of the embodiment is shown. A flat blade  70  is used to hold a pair of blocks  71 . (The figure shows only one block.) These blocks  71  are preferably made of resilient rubber belting, or similar material. The blocks  71  are attached to the blade  70  using the same methods as those described above. An element support cup  72  is attached to the underside of each of the blocks  71  as shown. The support cups  72  are attached using method common to the art. The support cups  72  are curved to bow out from the blocks  71 . The support cups  72  have a number of holes formed in them to receive a number of elements  73 . These elements are the same as those discussed above: bristles, wire, nylon strips, screws, or bolts. The patterns for the distribution of the elements  73  are identical to those described above. The difference between this embodiment and the others is that the support cup  72  creates an open space between the surface of the cup and surface of the block  71 . This space allows the support cup  72  and the elements  73  to move with respect to the block  71  when the blade is moving over uneven ground. Instead of the elements digging in to a high spot, the support cup allows the elements to retract somewhat over these high spots. This produces a uniform treatment for the lawn. 
     FIGS. 17-20  show another embodiment. In this embodiment, a cap  50  is formed similar to the cap of FIG.  2 . In this cap, however, the bristle elements are placed from the inside of the cap and extend out of the top of the cap. The cap is then placed on the bottom of the blade and bolted into place. This embodiment allows the use of preformed blades. Mounting the cap with the bristle elements only requires one or two mounting holes per cap. Instead of the many holes required in the embodiment of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 18  shows an end view of the cap  50  in place on the bottom of a blade.  FIG. 19  shows a cap  51  that is a modification of cap  50 . Cap  51  has only one vertical flange  52  that covers the leading edge of the blade. This is done to prevent the buildup of grass and dirt between the cap  51  and the blade. 
     FIG. 20  shows a cap  60  that is another variation of the basic cap. In this cap, the flanges are curved to fit the curved edges on certain types of blades. Here the cap  60  is slid over the end of blade and bolted into position as before. 
   In all cases of the clips  50 ,  51 , and  60 , the bristle elements are placed from the inside out as shown in the figures. 
     FIGS. 21-67  show another set of embodiments. These embodiments cover designs of blades and carrier bars suitable for use with WALKER brand type mowers, as, as noted, other types of walk behind style mowers. The new embodiments also use clips similar to those described above. In these embodiments, there are three types of clips.  FIG. 21  is a side view of a clip type A  200  used to hold trimmer line when mounted on a carrier bar as described below. This clip  200  has mounting holes  201  and pairs of holes  202  for the trimmer line  205 . 
     FIG. 22  is a top view of the clip shown in  FIG. 21  showing the trimmer line  205  in place.  FIG. 23  is an end view of the clip shown in FIG.  21 . Note the curved leading edge  212  and the straight back edge  213 .  FIG. 24  is an end view of a carrier bar  210  used in the eighth embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 25  is a side view of the clip of  FIG. 21  with trimmer line installed, and bolts  215  installed to install it on a carrier bar.  FIG. 26  is an end view of the clip of  FIG. 25  shown mounted on a carrier bar. Note the bolts  215 , securing the cap to the bar. 
     FIG. 27  is a side view of a clip type B  220  used to hold trimmer line when mounted on a carrier bar used in the eighth embodiment of the invention. Note that this cap has a set of sidewalls  221  that isolate the trimmer line and help to keep the cap from being plugged up with dirt.  FIG. 28  is a top view of the clip shown in FIG.  27 .  FIG. 29  is an end view of the clip shown in FIG.  27 . Both of these views show trimmer line  205  in place. 
     FIG. 30  is an end view of a carrier bar  210  used in the eighth embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 31  is a side view of the clip of  FIG. 27  with trimmer line installed, and bolts  225  installed to install it on a carrier bar. 
     FIG. 32  is an end view of the clip of  FIG. 27  shown mounted on a carrier bar  210 . 
     FIG. 33  is a side view of a clip type C  230  used to hold trimmer line when mounted on a carrier bar used in the eighth embodiment of the invention. Note that cap type C has two straight edges instead of the curved front edge of cap A.  FIG. 34  is a top view of the clip shown in FIG.  33 .  FIG. 35  is an end view of the clip shown in FIG.  33 . These views show the cap with trimmer line  205  installed.  FIG. 36  is an end view of a carrier bar  210  used in the eighth embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 37  is a side view of the clip of  FIG. 33  with trimmer line installed, and bolts b 235  installed to install it on a carrier bar.  FIG. 38  is an end view of the clip of  FIG. 33  shown mounted on a carrier bar. 
     FIG. 39  is a detail view of a length of trimmer line  205  bent in a staple form to be used in clips A, B or C or lawn mower blades. This trimmer line is that typically used in rotary weed trimmer. It is available in a number of different diameters and is typically sold in rolls. 
     FIG. 40  is a detail view of a length of trimmer line  205  bent in a threaded or “bent U” configuration, to be used in clips A, B or C or lawn mower blades. The threaded form is discussed in more detail below. In this form, the trimmer line is passed through two sets of hole pairs, while the staple form is passed through one hole pair. The threaded form provides greater holding power, but takes more time to assemble. 
     FIG. 41  is a top view of a carrier bar  210  for a WALKER brand style mower using a modified 42-inch EURO deck. Note that the carrier bar  210  has mounting holes  250  for the clips A, B, or C as shown.  FIG. 42  is a side view of the carrier bar  210  of FIG.  41 . 
     FIG. 43  is a top view of a drive/shear plate  251  for a WALKER brand style mower.  FIG. 44  is a side view of the plate  251  shown in FIG.  43 . 
     FIG. 45  is a side view of an assembled mower blade  260 , carrier bar  210  and drive/shear plate  251  for a WALKER type mower.  FIG. 46  is a top view of a WALKER mower blade  260 . 
     FIG. 47  is a top view of an assembled mower blade  260 , carrier bar  210  and drive/shear plate  251  for a WALKER type mower. 
     FIG. 48  is a side view of a WALKER mower blade  260 . 
     FIG. 49  is a top view of a WALKER mower blade  270  modified to receive trimmer line. This blade  270  is a type used on all non-Euro style decks of 36″, 42″, 48″and other diameters. The blade is predrilled a series of holes  275  with to receive trimmer line. For de-thatching, install trimmer line using the staple format (see FIG.  39 ). To secure the trimmer line  205 , tap the tops of the bent line with a hammer. This locks the line in place. You can also install a combination of staple format and threaded format, if desired. 
     FIG. 50  is a top view of a WALKER carrier bar  280  modified to receive clips A, B, and C. Note holes  281  that are used to secure the clips to the blade. Note that the hole pattern can be used on blades by other manufacturers as well. 
     FIG. 51  is a side view of a WALKER carrier bar  280  for a regular deck mower. 
     FIG. 52  is a side view of a WALKER main blade  290  used with the carrier bar  280  for a regular deck mower. 
     FIG. 53  is a top view of a main blade  300  with carrier bar  301  for use with a variety of mowers. 
     FIG. 54  is a top view of a WALKER main blade  310  for use with a WALKER mulcher deck, as prior art. 
     FIG. 55  is a side view of a WALKER main blade  310  for use with a WALKER mulcher deck as prior art. 
     FIG. 56  is a top side view of a WALKER main blade  320  for use with a WALKER mulcher deck prepared to receive clips A, B, or C. Note that holes  320  are used to secure the clips to the blade. 
     FIG. 57  is a side view of a second blade  340  for use with a WALKER mulcher deck. 
     FIG. 58  is an end view of a blade plate  341  to lock the blades in a WALKER mulcher deck. 
     FIG. 59  is a top view of a blade plate  341  of  FIG. 59 , used to lock the blades in a WALKER mulcher deck. 
     FIG. 60  is a top view of the assembled WALKER mulcher deck blades  340  plus  310 , with the blade plate  341 . Note that the assembly is attached to the drive stud  343  with a nut  342 . See FIG.  61 . 
     FIG. 61  is a side view of the assembled WALKER mulcher deck blades as shown in  FIG. 60  with clips  200  and trimmer line  205  attached. 
     FIG. 62  is a top view of a blade  350  for any type of rotary mower, modified to receive trimmer line. 
     FIG. 63  is a side view of a blade with trimmer line  205  installed using the threaded configuration of FIG.  40 . 
     FIG. 64  is a side view of a blade with trimmer line  205  installed using the staple configuration of FIG.  39 . Note the different spacing of the two configurations. 
     FIG. 65  is a top view of a blade  360  for any type of rotary mower, modified to receive trimmer line in a single row configuration. 
     FIG. 66  is a side view of the blade  360  of  FIG. 65  with trimmer line  205  installed using the threaded configuration of FIG.  40 . 
     FIG. 67  is a side view of the blade  360  of  FIG. 65  with trimmer line  205  installed using the staple configuration of FIG.  39 . 
   All of the above configurations are used on commercial type mowers. Typical applications include, de-thatching, removal of grass for overseeding with winter rye type grass. 
     FIGS. 68-74  cover another embodiment. These configurations are intended for use with rotary type weed trimmers. These trimmers can be either gas or electric operation. 
     FIG. 68  is a top view of a plate  400 , designed to receive trimmer line, for all types of weed trimmers. Note that the plate  400  has a series of hole pairs  401  as shown. 
     FIG. 69  is a side view of the plate of  FIG. 68  with trimmer line  205  installed using the staple configuration of FIG.  39 . Also shown are the mounting stud  450 , the locking bolt  451  and the lock washer  452 . 
     FIG. 70  is a side view of the plate of  FIG. 68  with trimmer line  205  installed using the staple configuration of FIG.  39  and having a number of fused bristles  402 . 
     FIG. 71  is a side detail view of the plate of  FIG. 68  with trimmer line  205  installed using the threaded configuration of FIG.  40 . 
     FIG. 72  is a top view of a plate  500  modified for use with a SEARS CRAFTSMAN HASSLE-FREE trimmer. Note that the hole pairs  501  have been reduce because of the larger center bore  502   FIG. 73  is a side view of a plate  500  with trimmer line  205  installed, mounted on a HASSLE-FREE trimmer head. 
     FIG. 74  is a side detail view of a plate  500  with trimmer line  205  and fused bristles  505  installed, mounted on a HASSLE-FREE trimmer head. 
   The present disclosure should not be construed in any limited sense other than that limited by the scope of the claims having regard to the teachings herein and the prior art being apparent with the preferred form of the invention disclosed herein and which reveals details of structure of a preferred form necessary for a better understanding of the invention and may be subject to change by skilled persons within the scope of the invention without departing from the concept thereof.