Pruning shears include a housing having a motor portion and a handle portion. A motor is disposed within the motor portion of the housing, and a trigger assembly is disposed within the housing portion. The trigger assembly is operable to control the motor. The trigger assembly includes a trigger and a trigger lock. The trigger lock prevents actuation of the trigger until the trigger lock is depressed.

Pruning shears include a housing having a motor portion and a handle portion. A motor is disposed within the motor portion of the housing, and a trigger assembly is disposed within the housing portion. The trigger assembly is operable to control the motor. The trigger assembly includes a trigger and a trigger lock. The trigger lock prevents actuation of the trigger until the trigger lock is depressed.

The present invention relates to cutting tools, in particular, to control systems for cutters such as vegetation cutters, especially hedge cutters or trimmers (10). Hedge cutters (10) frequently suffer in use from a problem of blocked cutting blades when they encounter a twig or branch whose size or density exceeds the capacity of the blades. We describe a vegetation cutting apparatus (10) having a plurality of cutting blades (11,12), at least one of which blades (11,12) is drivable by an electric motor. At least one driven blade (11,12) is movable between two predefined points of maximum travel. The apparatus (10) includes a control mechanism which causes a change of direction in the movement of the at least one movable blade at a point intermediate the points of maximum travel in response to an event sensed by the control mechanism.

The present invention relates to cutting tools, in particular, to control systems for cutters such as vegetation cutters, especially hedge cutters or trimmers (10). Hedge cutters (10) frequently suffer in use from a problem of blocked cutting blades when they encounter a twig or branch whose size or density exceeds the capacity of the blades. We describe a vegetation cutting apparatus (10) having a plurality of cutting blades (11,12), at least one of which blades (11,12) is drivable by an electric motor. At least one driven blade (11,12) is movable between two predefined points of maximum travel. The apparatus (10) includes a control mechanism which causes a change of direction in the movement of the at least one movable blade at a point intermediate the points of maximum travel in response to an event sensed by the control mechanism.

A handle includes: a switch lever having an operational portion in an inverted U-shape, and configured to press an on/off switch when the operational portion is gripped and pressed; a handle body provided with the on/off switch mounted thereto and having an inner peripheral slit from which the operational portion of the switch lever housed in the handle body projects; a spring having a supported portion and a pair of arms extending from the supported portion, housed in the handle body, and biasing and pushing the switch lever back; and a plurality of limiters provided at locations in either the handle body or the switch lever at a distance from the spring, and configured to limit movement of the switch lever.

A handle includes: a switch lever having an operational portion in an inverted U-shape, and configured to press an on/off switch when the operational portion is gripped and pressed; a handle body provided with the on/off switch mounted thereto and having an inner peripheral slit from which the operational portion of the switch lever housed in the handle body projects; a spring having a supported portion and a pair of arms extending from the supported portion, housed in the handle body, and biasing and pushing the switch lever back; and a plurality of limiters provided at locations in either the handle body or the switch lever at a distance from the spring, and configured to limit movement of the switch lever.

A limb and branch trimming apparatus includes a frame having a support platform and an upstanding mast member; a cutting assembly having a plurality of cutting members, wherein the cutting members are rotatably connected at the mast member; and a power source for powering the cutting members independently from the vehicle's power source. The support platform of the limb and branch trimming apparatus is removably mountable to or near the top front portion of a vehicle. The apparatus is used for vertically cutting limbs, branches, and brush along a walkway, pathway, or trail where a tractor would typically be too large to navigate said pathway or trail.

A hedge trimmer has at least one cutting blade and an internal combustion engine operatively connected to the at least one cutting blade so as to drive the at least one cutting blade reciprocatingly. The internal combustion engine has an exhaust gas muffler with an outlet for discharging exhaust gases from the exhaust gas muffler. A multi-part exhaust gas pipe is connected seal-tightly to the outlet of the exhaust gas muffler and connects the outlet of the exhaust gas muffler to an outlet opening where the exhaust gases exit from the hedge trimmer. The multi-part exhaust gas pipe has a plurality of pipe sections, including at least a first pipe section and a second pipe section, wherein the second pipe section is embodied separate from the first pipe section. At least one of the plurality of pipe sections is made of plastic material.

A hedge trimmer has at least one cutting blade and an internal combustion engine operatively connected to the at least one cutting blade so as to drive the at least one cutting blade reciprocatingly. The internal combustion engine has an exhaust gas muffler with an outlet for discharging exhaust gases from the exhaust gas muffler. A multi-part exhaust gas pipe is connected seal-tightly to the outlet of the exhaust gas muffler and connects the outlet of the exhaust gas muffler to an outlet opening where the exhaust gases exit from the hedge trimmer. The multi-part exhaust gas pipe has a plurality of pipe sections, including at least a first pipe section and a second pipe section, wherein the second pipe section is embodied separate from the first pipe section. At least one of the plurality of pipe sections is made of plastic material.

A pole hedge trimmer which is balanced about a pole axis and which has a handle which can be operated with a single hand to orient the trimming blade at a desired trimming angle. A pole hedge trimmer having a trimmer assembly having a motor unit and a trimmer unit, in which the trimmer assembly is supported by a pole at a distance from a power unit and the motor unit and trimmer unit are generally in balance with one another about a pole axis. The pole hedge trimmer can have a position system for orienting a trimmer blade using an orientation handle configured for one-handed operation by an operator to position the trimmer blade. The pole hedge trimmer can be a low-profile hedge trimmer allowing for very close trimming to surfaces.