Abstract: An air pressure regulator for a dehider includes a valve to open and close the flow of pressurized air in an air inlet, a first spring urging the valve in the direction of air flow through the inlet to close the valve, a plunger operable to move the valve from a closed to an open position against the direction of air flow, a piston connected to the valve exposed to the air flow, and a second spring between the piston and the plunger. Upon depressing the plunger, the second spring urges the piston to open the valve against the air flow direction to permit pressurized air to flow through the regulator. The maximum allowable air pressure through the regulator is determined by spring forces of the first and second springs and resistance of the piston to the flow of air through the valve.

Abstract: This invention is a dual function tree pruner and fruit harvester that use the same equipment for pruning and for harvesting. The Fruit Tree Pruner and Harvesting Machine features: a Self-Propelled-Vehicle (SPV), computer controlled robotic arms, a Digital Imaging System (DIS), a Radar Ranger System (RRS), Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) Guidance System, Geographic Information System (GIS), a Power Pruner or Power Stem Cutter as appropriate, a fruit vacuum system, a fruit catcher, a fruit handling system, and a fruit bin loader. The operation is automated and the operator monitors and sets parameters. The Fruit Tree Pruner and Harvesting Machine can prune a tree to a predetermined profile. The tree can be shaped per the orchard's requirements. The invention utilizes data obtained during the pruning process to find the fruit, and to remove the fruit while maintaining the fruit quality suitable for the fresh market.

Abstract: A hair clipper has a base housing, a secondary housing cover, and a rotary motor or vibrator motor secured between the base housing and the housing cover. The rotary motor has a shaft and a cam secured to an end of the shaft, and the vibrator motor has a drive arm with a drive finger. A cam follower is operably connected to the cam or drive finger on a top side. The top side of the cam follower also has an elongated guide rail that is operably secured to a guide channel in a blade guide, which in turn is secured to the base housing. A reciprocating blade is operably secured to the bottom side of the cam follower, and a stationary blade is secured to the base housing adjacent the reciprocating blade.

Abstract: A blade assembly of a hedge trimmer includes at least one cutting blade having cutting teeth. At least one portion of the cutting teeth are configured as protective teeth which, referred to the cutting blade axis, have an inner cutting region and from which an outer protective finger extends. The protective tooth is, referred to its tooth axis, configured unsymmetrically. The protective tooth has a cutting side and an opposite-lying holding side and a cutting edge in the cutting region on the cutting side and a holding edge on the holding side. The protective finger has a forward edge on the cutting side and a rearward edge on the holding side. Starting from the blade axis, the forward edge is inclined to the tooth axis and the rearward edge, starting from the blade axis, is inclined away from the tooth axis.

Abstract: A spine shaver designed with increased tissue removing efficiency is described. The shaver comprises a cylindrical shaver blade, an elongated body, and a pulley and belt drive mechanism. The shaver blade further comprises a tissue cutting surface that extends along the longitudinal axis of the shaver. The shaver is further designed with the shaver blade positioned perpendicularly to the elongated body. The increased surface area of the shaver blade and perpendicular blade orientation provide an efficient means of removing spinal tissue and debulking the area between two vertebrae.

Abstract: A rotary knife assembly includes a rotary knife with a spinning blade, a motor operable to power the rotary knife, a flexible drive cable with a proximal end drivingly connected to the knife to transmit rotational power to the blade while being flexed along the length of the cable, and a safety release drivingly connected to a distal end of the cable. The safety release is drivingly coupled to the motor and is operable to transmit rotational power from the motor to the drive cable and thereby the rotary knife. The safety release includes input and output members releasably drivingly engaged with one another. The safety release is operable to drivingly disengage the members.

Abstract: A shaving head assembly for a lint shaver includes a transmission shaft rotatably received inside the casing and having a V-shaped cutout defined in a distal end of the transmission shaft. The blade assembly has a blade seat with a V-shaped extension extending from a bottom of the blade seat to be securely received in the V-shaped cutout yet movable relative to the transmission shaft so that the blade seat is able to move upward and downward relative to the transmission shaft. A rotor is fixedly connected to a free end of the transmission shaft and rotatably received in the casing.

Abstract: A single rotary blade grooming trimmer for sculpting and trimming eyebrows in an attractive arched shape. The single rotary blade grooming trimmer includes a housing with a generally L-shaped configuration having upper and lower ends, and upper and lower portions. The upper end of the housing has a rotatable shaft extending therethrough. A plurality of rotary cutting blades outwardly radiate from the rotatable shaft adjacent an outer end of the rotatable shaft. A motor for rotating the rotatably shaft is disposed the housing. A protective cover substantially covers the cutting blades. The protective cover has a plurality of spaced apart radial slots therethrough with each radial slot comprising a pair of elongate portions preferably of equal lengths. A first of the elongate portions of each slot is located on an outer face of the protective cover and a second of the elongate portions of each radial slot is located on a perimeter side wall of the protective cover.

Abstract: A hedge trimmer is provided with a substantially circular housing and a substantially circular blade having a plurality of cutting elements thereon. The substantially circular blade is mounted within the substantially circular housing and adapted to rotate. A handle projects from the housing. A motor for rotating the circular blade is mounted in the handle. The substantially circular housing is provided with a plurality of digits between which hedge may be received wherein the cutting elements on the rotating circular blade may cut the hedge. The cutting elements on the circular blade may be substantially U-shaped elements equally spaced about the periphery of the substantially circular blade. A plurality of digits may be formed in a circular housing on each side of the handle.

Abstract: A tensioning means for a rotary handpiece is described in which the handpiece (2) is characterized in having a planar rotating blade (12) provided with a plurality of teeth and a plurality of cutting elements (22) capable of moving reciprocally in a linear direction in response to contact by the teeth of the rotary blade (12) when it rotates. There is a clearance gap between the rotary blade and the cutting chips, the size of which is varied by movement of the tensioning means so that the cutting characteristics of the handpiece are changed in accordance with movement of the tensioning means which applies tension to the rotary blade. In one form, the tensioning means comprises a rotating spindle, a flanged member, a bearing member and a resilient means such as an O-ring located between the flanged member and bearing member.

Abstract: A shaving apparatus is provided including a housing having an inboard portion and an outboard portion having a hollow configuration. Also included is a flexible wire mesh having a circular configuration being mounted within an end of the outboard portion of the housing. A drive assembly includes a motor situated within the inboard portion of the housing for rotating upon the actuation thereof. A blade unit includes an elongated rod with a disk-shaped blade fixedly coupled thereto and situated adjacent to the wire mesh. The rod has an inboard end which is coupled to the motor for rotating the blade upon the actuation thereof, thereby cutting hair of a user and depositing clippings within the hollow outboard portion of the housing.

Abstract: A hair cutting device has a movable arm for holding a comb and a mechanism for driving the movable comb which combines light weight with hardness. The mechanism to drive the movable arm comprises a bar screw rotated by a drive motor and a ring that ascends or descends, in accordance with the spiral groove of the bar screw. To eliminate hair damage caused by a haircut, high-frequency electricity or minute flame jets from minute holes can be alternatively used for cutting or burning off hairs nipped in the comb.

Abstract: A tool for removing nail fins from vinyl window frames comprising either a pneumatic wrench or an electric hand drill driving a tool having a slot into which cutter wheels project along with toothed rings above the cutter wheels. The toothed rings move the tool along the nail fin while the cutter wheels cut the nail fin from the frame.

Abstract: A hair cutter has a housing with a part-cylindrical cutter head and a comb member. The cutter head comprises an outer shear plate having a number of perforations and an inner cutter assembly. The inner cutter assembly includes a rotary shaft carrying a plurality of radially oriented cutter blades in a circumferentially spaced relation about an axis of the rotary shaft. The outer shear plate is arcuately curved in transverse cross section to cover a portion of the curve centered on the rotary shaft axis so as to have its inside surface in hair shearing engagement with the cutter blades. The inner cutter assembly is driven by a drive source in the housing in such a manner that the cutter blades sweep the inside surface of the outer shear plate for shearing hairs introduced through the perforations. The comb member has a number of comb teeth which are spaced along the rotary shaft axis and extend over an perforated area of the outer shear plate for smoothing the hairs into the perforations.

Abstract: A hand held vacuum hair cutting device containing a turning plate, a stationary plate, and a positioning plate which can be adjusted to cut hair to a desired length. An electric motor turns a flexible rotating nylon trim line which is located between the stationary plate and the positioning plate. A fan creates a vacuum which pulls the hair through the turning plate, the stationary plate, and the positioning plate where the hair is cut to the desired length by the rotating nylon trim line. A filter is located between the fan and the nylon trim line which collects the hair. The length of hair to be cut is determined by holes in the turning plate that are opened and closed by rotating the turning plate relative to the stationary plate and positioning plate. When rotating the turning plate so that the holes in the low position, hair is cut short. Likewise, when rotating the turning plate so that the holes are in the high position, hair is cut long.

Abstract: A pneumatic control system for a meat trimming knife in which an annular cutting blade of the knife is rotated by a flexible cable driven by an electric motor mounted remote from the knife. A diaphragm mounted in the handle of the knife is compressed by the manual movement of a piston by an operator. The diaphragm is connected to a pressure switch which senses compression of the diaphragm and generates an electric control signal which actuates an electric clutch which couples the output shaft of the electric motor to the flexible cable for rotating the cutting blade. Upon release of the lever by the operator, the pressure switch senses the change in pressure which signals the clutch to disengage the motor shaft from the flexible cable to stop the rotation of the cutting blade. In a modified embodiment a diaphragm pump supplies a flow of low pressure, low volume air to the handpiece.

Abstract: A hand-held clipper for removing entangled fibers from the surface of fabrics has a grip handle with a cutting head. The cutting head comprises a perforated shear foil and cutter blades rotating in shearing engagement with the interior face of the shear foil. The shear foil is curved into a generally semi-cylindrical configuration having a longitudinal axis and define first and second side faces on the opposite sides of a curved top portion. The cutter blade has a cutting edge extending along the longitudinal axis of the shear foil and is driven to rotate in one direction about a rotations axis, which is common to the longitudinal axis of the shear foil, so as to move along the curved shear foil continuously from the first side face toward the second side faces.

Abstract: An open bottom housing containing motor driven cutting blades is placed on the head and the hair if drawn up into the housing and through the cutting blades by an upward air flow through the housing. This air flow is produced by a suction connection at the top of the housing actuated by an ordinary vacuum cleaner. A plurality of feet around the bottom opening rest on the scalp to provide an air inlet for the upward air flow.

Abstract: A shearing unit for sheep and removing wool from a pelt by an endless or rotary cutter having a serrated cutting edge to operate at high speed. The endless belt cutting blade (1) is supported by a frame (3) with a comb (4) to maintain distance between the cutting blade (1) and the skin (5).

Abstract: An improved handpiece for a meat-cutting tool of the type having a cutting blade rotatably mounted on a blade holder which is mounted on one end of the handpiece. A flexible drive cable enters the opposite end of the handpiece and is drivingly engaged with the blade by a pinion gear. The handpiece has a hollow handle formed of lightweight plastic which is removably mounted on the blade holder attachment portion of the handpiece by an externally threaded coupler. An O-ring is mounted within the bore of the coupler and is in sealing engagement with a tubular-shaped sleeve or ferrule mounted on the end of the drive cable casing. The O-ring prevents contaminants from flowing through the handpiece and along the casing and onto the meat product being cut by the blade.

Abstract: A dehider having a novel housing and blade gear assembly and a novel bearing and blade grease system. The novel housing and blade gear assembly permits the dehider's head to be easily disassembled and reassembled for blade changing or sharpening purposes while insuring alignment of the dehider's dual blades upon reassembly. The dehider's novel bearing and blade grease system allows the dehider's bearings to be greased from exterior of the dehider's head, and allows the cavity between the hollow ground dual blades to be provided with grease interiorly thereof also from exterior of the head, i.e., without disassembly of the dehider's head.

Abstract: The trimming device has a blade driven by a shaft to have each end pass over cutting teeth at the edge of a circular cutting plate. The drive mechanism is a motor having an enclosed speed reducing unit for driving a shaft at a low speed when rotating the blade. The circular cutting plate is secured to the bottom of the motor housing through the center of which the driven shaft extends. A bail for a handle having a switch and a receptacle for the prongs of a plug on a cord is pivotally mounted on the housing to be positioned at a small angle to the circular cutting plate and 90.degree. therefrom in a vertical position. An extension handle may be applied to the end of the short handle to have the device swing therefrom.

Abstract: The trimming device has a blade driven by a shaft to have each end pass over cutting teeth at the forward edge of a circular cutting plate. The drive mechanism may be a belt or a gear train driven by a motor which is mounted on a frame to which a top and bottom plate is secured. A housing encloses the drive mechanism having a handle containing a switch and a receptacle for the prongs on a plug-in cord.

Abstract: A portable hand-held shear for cutting grass and the like comprising a housing enclosing an electric motor and forming a handle. The motor includes an output rotary shaft which, through a gear train, drives a rotary blade. A stationary bed knife assembly connected to the housing cooperates with the rotary blade in scissor-like fashion to cut grass.An improved cutting assembly is described in which the rotary cutting blade member, of particular design and positioned in a floating relationship above the stationary bed knife assembly, is inclined into engagement with the cutting teeth projecting from the stationary bed knife assembly, also of particular design, in such a manner to improve the performance of the shear. The improved cutting assembly further includes a rotary hub drive member which cooperates with the shear housing and the bed knife to eliminate clogging and partially overlaps the bed knife assembly's cutting teeth to further improve the performance of the shear.