WO2006074531A1

WO2006074531A1 - Mechanized handle for operating pole-mounted pruning tools

Info

Publication number: WO2006074531A1
Application number: PCT/CA2005/000036
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniel D. Wiley
Original assignee: Wiley Daniel D
Priority date: 2005-01-13
Filing date: 2005-01-13
Publication date: 2006-07-20

Abstract

The invention is a mechanized handle that can be attached to the pole of any pole-mounted pruning tool to improve the efficiency of the pruning tool. It has two parallel connecting rods that are pivotally and permanently attached to a hollow cylinder and that can also be pivotally attached to any pruner pole by adjustable clamps. A hollow shaft fits inside the cylinder and slides longitudinally within the cylinder. The end of the existing pull-cord of the pruning tool is directed through the shaft and out through a hole in a hollow handle at the base of the shaft. The pull-cord is held in set positions by knots in the pull-cord locking into slots on the handle so that pulling the handle pulls the pull-cord which pulls the lever of the pruning tool thus closing the cutting blade and completing the pruning action.

Description

MECHANIZED HANDLE FOR OPERATING POLE-MOUNTED PRUNING TOOLS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pruning tools of many designs attached to extension poles have been used for many years. The thing that they almost all currently have in common is that they are operated by pulling on a long cord that is attached to a lever that controls the cutting blade of the pruning tool and hangs loosely down to the bottom of the pole. There is usually a wooden handle on the lower end of the pull-cord for gripping and pulling. There are several main problems in operating the pruning tool by means of this loose-hanging pull-cord. 1. When holding the pole and reaching up to prune a branch one must also carefully hold on to the pull-cord. Dropping the end of it usually means that the handle will swing away and one has to lower the pole again to retrieve it. 2. The loose pull-cord often becomes entangled in branches or wrapped around the pruning tool or the pole and again one has to lower the pole to free the pull-cord. 3. The wooden handle on the end of the pull-cord is usually not in the right position to provide a good grip and one often has to wrap the pull-cord around one's hand in order to get a good grip for a strong pull. This can be painful when one is pulling hard so the pulling force that one can apply to the pruning tool can be severely restricted. My preliminary searches have found no other inventions similar to mine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

My invention offers a solution to all of these problems in the following ways:

1. The end of the pull-cord will never be dropped because it is securely (but adjustably) attached to the invention which is in turn attached to the pruner pole. 2. The pull-cord will never become wrapped around the pruning tool or the pruner pole because it will never be slack enough to do so. 3. The handle of my invention will always provide a good comfortable grip because it is clamped to the pruner pole in a convenient and ergonomic position. Compared to a conventional loose-hanging pull-cord, this allows the user to get a faster and more powerful pull on the pull-cord every time. The size of the objects that can be pruned and the speed with which they can be pruned is therefore greatly increased. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of my invention attached to the extension pole of a pole-mounted pruning tool in the ready position. In this position the blade of the pruning tool is retracted and the pruning tool can be hooked onto the object to be pruned. It is held in this position by the return spring of the pruning tool.

FIG. 2 shows the position of my invention after the handle has been pulled. The blade of the pruning tool is now closed and the object has been severed.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the shaft and handle of my invention.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of one of the adjustable clamps that attach the invention to the extension pole.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the details of my invention in the ready position. A hollow cylinder (1) is attached to to the extension pole (2) of a pole-mounted pruning tool (11) by means of two parallel connecting rods (3) which are attached to the cylinder (1) by means of two permanent clamps (4) and to the extension pole (2) by means of two removable and adjustable clamps (5). Both pairs of clamps allow the connecting rods to pivot on the same plane as the lever and cutting blade of the pruning tool when a force is applied to the cylinder (1). A hollow shaft (6) that is longer than the cylinder fits inside the cylinder (1) and slides longitudinally within the cylinder (1). There is a specialized asymmetric hollow handle (7) on the lower end of the shaft (6) and an enlargement (8) at the top end to prevent the shaft (6) from sliding out of the cylinder (1 ). The existing pull-cord (9) of the pruning tool (11) is inserted through a hole in the enlargement (8), pushed longitudinally through the hollow shaft (6) and exits through a hole on the bottom side of the handle (7). A knot tied on the end of the pull-cord (9) is secured in a slot at the long end of the handle (7) and the excess of the pull-cord (9) hangs in a loop (10) or could be wrapped around the handle (7). Strategically located knots tied in the pull-cord (9) prior to insertion lock removably into a slot adjoined directly to the hole on the bottom of the handle (7) through which the pull-cord (9) exits. This is to provide adjustability of the taut portion of the pull- cord (9) between the handle (7) and the pruning tool (11) to adapt to the adjustable length of the extension pole (2). For example, if it was desired to increase the length of the extension pole, the user would remove the current knot from the slot on the handle (7), pull the desired amount of pull-cord (9) up through the shaft (6), secure the knot that is closest to the desired amount of adjustment in the slot, then lengthen the extension pole (2) so that the pull-cord becomes taut when the invention is in the ready position. FIG. 3 shows the handle in detail.

FIG. 2 shows the invention after the handle (7) has been pulled, thereby pulling the pull- cord (9) which has in turn pulled the lever and closed the cutting blade of the pruning tool (11). The start of the pull has caused the shaft (6) to start sliding downward within the cylinder (1) and has simultaneously caused the connecting rods to begin to pivot away from the pole to provide a more ergonomic pulling position. The shaft (6) has continued to slide downward within the cylinder (1) until the enlargement (8) has contacted the upper end of the cylinder (1) thus forcing the connecting rods (3) to pivot outward and downward further until the point is reached where the tensile force on the pull-cord (9) has completely closed the cutting blade of the pruning tool (11) and the pruning action has been completed. A light push combined with the bias of the spring on the pruning tool (11) will return the device to the position shown in Fig. 1 , ready for the next pruning.

FIG. 3 shows more detail of the hollow shaft (6) and handle (7). This figure shows the knots (12) which have been tied at approximately thirty centimetre spacings along the lower portion of the existing pull-cord (9) of a pruning tool (11). The pull-cord (9) has then been inserted through the hole in the enlargement (8) at the upper end of the hollow shaft (6), then directed longitudinally through the shaft (6) and out through the hole (13) on the bottom side of the asymmetric hollow handle (7). The cap (14) on the short side of the handle (7) is removable to provide access to the inside of the handle (7) to facilitate the egress of the pull-cord (9) through the hole (13). A final knot (15) has then been tied on the end of the pull-cord (9) and secured in the slot (16) on the long open side (17) of the handle (7). This ensures that the end of the pull-cord (9) will not accidentally slip back up through the hole (13). Any of the knots (12) can now be secured in the notch (18) which directly adjoins the hole (13) (and is narrow enough to prevent the knots from slipping through it) to provide adjustability of the functional portion of the pull-cord (9) between the pruning tool (11) and the handle (7) to correspond to the adjustable length of the extension pole (2, FIG. 1) so that the pull-cord (9) will always be taut when the invention is in the ready position shown in FIG. 1 and the cutting blade of the pruning tool (11, FIG. 1) will start to close instantly when a pulling force is commenced upon the handle (7). The excess loop (10) of the pull-cord (9), which will become longer or shorter depending on the adustment of the extension pole (2, FIG.1) and the pull-cord (9), can either be left hanging or wrapped around the handle (7).

FIG. 4 shows the details of the two adjustable clamps (5, FIGS 1 & 2) that removably secure the rest of the invention to the extension pole (2, FIGS 1 & 2). They each consist of two halves (19) each with a flange (20) on one end, a flange (21) on the other end and a central curved section. The curved section has a radius of approximately 1.6 cm which is slightly larger than the radius of most extension poles so that the clamp can fit onto most extension poles (or similar poles) and then be tightened securely onto the pole by the means described hereinafter. The end of each half with flange (20) has more degrees of arc in the curved section than does the end with flange (21). This also enables the clamp to be tightened onto most extension or similar poles as described hereinafter. The end of the connecting rod (3) fits between the two flanges (20) and there is a friction-reducing spacer (22) between each flange (20) and the connecting rod (3). A bolt (23) fits through holes in both flanges (20), both spacers (22) and the connecting rod (3). A nylon-centred locknut (24) on the protruding end of the bolt (23) can be loosened to permit the clamps (5, FIGS 1& 2) to fit onto any extension pole (or other similar pole), then re-tightened so that the connecting rod (3) can pivot easily but smoothly on the bolt (23) between the flanges (20) and the spacers (22). When the clamp is around an extension pole (or other similar pole), with the curved sections fitting against the pole and the flanges (20 & 21) extending on opposite sides of the pole, and the lock nut (24) is properly adjusted as described hereinbefore, there will still be a gap of 1 - 2 centimetres between the two flanges (21) on the opposite end of the clamp because the curved section of each half (19) has fewer degrees of arc on that end. A bolt (25) fits through holes on both flanges (21) and there is a nylon-centred locknut (26) on the protruding end of the bolt (25). The clamps can therefore be securely attached to the extension pole (or other similar pole) by tightening the lock nut (26) thereby forcing the two flanges (21) closer together until the clamp is tight on the pole.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH I CLAIM AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A mechanized handle that can be attached to the pole of any pole-mounted pruning tool and to which the pull-cord of the pruning tool can be secured for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of the pruning tool and comprising:

- a hollow cylinder pivotally attached by two permanent clamps to two connecting rods which are pivotally attached on the other end to two adjustable clamps that are used to attach the invention to the pole of a pole-mounted pruning tool.

- a hollow shaft that is longer than the cylinder and slides longitudinally within the cylinder and that has an enlargement on the upper end to keep it from slipping out of the cylinder and also has an asymmetric hollow handle on the lower end with a hole through which the pull-cord of the pruning tool can exit after it has been directed longitudinally through the hollow shaft and also has a slot directly adjoining the hole and another slot on the longer open end in which knots tied in the pull-cord can be removably secured and also has a removalbe cap on the shorter end to provide access to the interior of the handle to facilitate the egress of the pull-cord through the hole.

2. The adjustable clamps referred to in Claim 1 each comprised of two halves both with a flange on each end and a central curved section with the arc on one side of the curved section having fewer degrees than the arc on the other side so that when the flanges of each half on the side with more degrees of arc in the curved section are fitted together with an object or objects secured between them there will still be a gap between the two flanges on the side with fewer degrees of arc in the curved section so that the gap can be closed by the tigtening of a locknut on a bolt inserted through holes in the flanges to provide adjustablity of the clamp.

3. The cylinder defined in Claim 1 in which a shaft is free to slide longitudinally.

4 . The hollow shaft defined in Claim 1 having an enlargement on the upper end and through which the pull-cord of a pruning tool can be directed longitudinally, exiting through an assymetric hollow handle on the lower end.

5. The assymetric hollow handle defined in Cairns 1 and 4 having an exit hole on the lower side, a slot directly adjoining the hole, a slot on the longer end which is open and a cap on the shorter end which can be removed to provide access to the interior of the handle to facilitate the egress of a pull-cord through the hole.

6. The connecting rods of Claim 1 comprised of lightweight steel or other material of sufficient strength either flat or tubular with flattened ends to permit them to pivot within the permanent clamps and the adjustable clamps to which they are attached.

7. The permanent clamps of Claim 1 comprising a circular section that clamps tightly to the cylinder of Claim 1 and two opposing flanges between which one end of the of the connecting rods of Claim 6 is pivotally attached.

8. The system described in Claim 1 wherein knots tied in the pull-cord are removably secured in slots to provide adjustability to the functional length of the pull-cord.