White Consolidated Industries, Inc.

Jeffery G Sadler

Lloyd H Tuggle

Imack L Collins

Power head for a vegetation cutter

A portable, hand-held blower/vacuum unit has a housing structure defined by an upper engine shroud removably connected to the top wall of a lower impeller housing. Disposed within the shroud is a small internal combustion engine having a vertical crankshaft which extends downwardly through a depending well section formed on the top wall of the impeller housing, the lower shaft end being drivingly connected to a centrifugal fan impeller positioned within the impeller housing and operative to force a flow of ambient air therethrough. The engine is resiliently and floatingly mounted within the shroud by a resilient support system which prevents rigid contact between the engine and the shroud or the impeller housing to thereby substantially reduce engine vibration transmitted to the housing structure, and permit deflection of the engine relative to the housing structure to lessen the possiblity of engine damage caused by impeller impact from ingested objects. The engine's carburetor is disposed within a shroud wall section that defines with a fan housing portion of the engine a double-walled thermal barrier disposed between the carburetor and the engine's muffler. A resilient air filter element is interconnected between the shroud and the carburetor air inlet and flexes in response to engine deflection to thereby absorb and damp engine vibration which might otherwise be transmitted to the housing structure through the carburetor.

Portable hand-held blower/vacuum unit with resilient engine mounting

A gasoline engine driven flexible line trimmer is provided with a modularly constructed power head section which significantly facilitates the original manufacturing assembly, and subsequent service disassembly, of the power head. In a clutch drive embodiment thereof, the power head has four readily separable modules--an engine module comprising a main engine shroud to which the engine is internally secured; a fan housing module; a starter module comprising a starter housing and a recoil starter mechanism retained therein; and a coupling module comprising a clutch housing carrying therein structure for operatively interconnecting the engine's clutch to the flexible drive shaft disposed within the trimmer shaft. In a direct drive version thereof, the power head has two separable modules--the engine module and a combined fan housing, starter and coupling module defined by a single housing within which the starter and coupling structure is carried. Pull rope installation in the starter mechanism is facilitated and made safer by pulley locking and retaining structure incorporated in the starter module, and improved air filter element sealing is provided by virtue of a specially designed air filter housing and choke plate assembly associated with the carburetor. Shaft vibration transmitted to the trimmer user through the supporting shoulder strap structure is significantly reduced by a specially designed resilient strap connector assembly securable to the trimmer shaft.

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Shreveport, LA, United States of America

Jeffery G Sadler