Patent ID: 7757405

Claim:
A trimmer comprising: a first cutting blade having a first cutting edge; a second cutting blade having a second cutting edge; a first drive gear assembly that rotates as one piece around a first axis, the first drive gear assembly cooperating with the first and second cutting blades so that as the first drive gear assembly rotates around the first axis continuously in a first rotational direction, the first and second cutting blades are caused to reciprocatingly move, one relative to the other, respectively in first and second paths, so that the first and second cutting edges cooperate to produce a cutting action, a second drive gear assembly comprising a second drive gear that has teeth that are in mesh with teeth on the first drive gear assembly, the second drive gear rotatable around a second axis, transverse to the first axis, continuously in one rotational direction to thereby cause the first drive gear assembly to be continuously rotated in the first rotational direction; and a powered drive assembly for rotating the second drive gear around the second axis in the one rotational direction, wherein the teeth on the first drive gear assembly are defined by a first bevel gear and the second gear is a bevel gear that is in mesh with the first bevel gear so that rotation of the second bevel gear around the second axis causes direct driving rotation of the first drive gear assembly around the first axis, wherein the first bevel gear has substantially flat surfaces on first and second axially opposite sides, the surfaces facing axially oppositely with respect to the first axis, wherein the teeth on the first bevel gear are on the first side of the first bevel gear, wherein a first cam element projects axially relative to the first axis from one of the axially oppositely facing surfaces on the first bevel gear and drives the first cutting blade in the first cutting path as the first bevel gear rotates, wherein a second cam element projects axially relative to the first axis from the other of the axially opposite facing surfaces of the first bevel gear and drives the second cutting blade in the second cutting path as the first bevel gear rotates, wherein there is a first connecting rod at the first side of the first bevel gear that spans across the teeth on the first bevel gear and transfers drive forces between the first cam element and the first cutting blade, wherein there is a second connecting rod at the second side of the first bevel gear that transfers drive forces between the second cam element and the second cutting blade.