Abstract: A convertible garden tiller includes a chassis, a pair of wheels supporting the chassis, an engine mounted on the chassis capable of driving the wheels in a given direction and a plurality of earth working tines. Each tine is generally unidirectional, having a preferred direction of movement through the earth and is disposed on an elongated tine shaft which rotates about a longitudinal axis in response to operation of the engine. The tine shaft is also pivotable 180 degrees about a transverse axis, to selectively rotate the tines in the given direction as well as the second direction. This construction therefore provides that each tine moves through the earth only in its preferred direction of movement. The tiller also includes guide handles which are selectively pivotable from a position above the tines to a position above the wheels for alternately converting from a rear tine mode to a front tine mode.

Abstract: An adjustable mowing and trimming apparatus is presented which employs a unique wheel adjust mechanism and trimming assembly. The apparatus includes a frame to which at least two wheels are rotatably mounted at opposite sides of an adjustable linkage which is loosely coupled to the frame through a moveable pivot assembly. A mechanism is provided for manually adjusting the moveable pivot assembly to actuate the adjustable linkage and thereby reorient the wheels on either side of the frame. The trimming assembly is mounted at a front portion of the frame and includes a spindle head fixedly mounted to a spindle depending from the frame so as to rotate with the spindle. The spindle head substantially covers the spindle and is sized such that a distal end thereof rests proximate to ground when the trimming apparatus is operational. A trimmer head is adjustably clamped about the spindle head so as to rotate therewith.

Abstract: A convertible garden tiller includes a chassis, a pair of wheels supporting the chassis, an engine mounted on the chassis capable of driving the wheels in a given direction and a plurality of earth working tines. Each tine is generally unidirectional, having a preferred direction of movement through the earth and is disposed on an elongated tine shaft which rotates about a longitudinal axis in response to operation of the engine. The tine shaft is also pivotable 180 degrees about a transverse axis, to selectively rotate the tines in the given direction as well as the second direction. This construction therefore provides that each tine moves through the earth only in its preferred direction of movement. The tiller also includes guide handles which are selectively pivotable from a position above the tines to a position above the wheels for alternately converting from a rear tine mode to a front tine mode.

Abstract: Lawn and garden maintenance equipment for collecting and shredding debris and chipping branches is provided with wheel support, a housing, and a handle for guiding the apparatus, the housing having a substantially closed bottom wall below a motor-driven disc for rotation about a vertical axis, which disc is capable of chipping branches because of a knife on one side and of moving air because of blades on the other side. A circumfirentially extending screen within the housing is supported in a vertical orientation relative to the ground, which screen is formed of at least two segments, both of which are supported radially inwardly and spaced from the sidewalls of the housing. The air and entrained debris are drawn into and enters the housing through an inlet extending to a centrally disposed axial opening whereby the entrained air and debris are driven against the screen to be broken up into smaller pieces.

Abstract: A rotary lawn mower accommodating plural blades supported for rotation in a housing having two generally cup-shaped compartments, the side walls of each compartment merging along a common wall portion so as to form a continuous downwardly extending housing skirt with a lower rim, the trailing edge of the housing in normal direction of movement extending rearwardly and outwardly to provide an exit spillgate, the spillgate having top and rear ground facing sides and edges to provide an extended spillgate for distributing grass clippings, the rear facing edge of the spillgate and the side edges being outwardly and downwardly sloped in the preferred embodiment to enhance distribution of grass and other material ingested in the lawn mower.

Abstract: Multi-purpose apparatus having a single power-driven disc-like element to effect chipping of branches and related debris fed into a disc-mounted blade/aperture configuration on one side of the disc with a vacuum/volume reduction structure having fan blades disposed on the other side of the disc cooperating with a cylindrical screen. The disc and screen are located within a housing having an air inlet for air moved by the fan blades whereby debris can be drawn in from the front end of an air passageway connected to the air inlet and discharged with the chips and debris through the screen out of a single outlet. The outlet is located at the top of a generally volute housing and the apparatus can be mounted on wheels for walk-behind operation with handlebars supporting a debris collection bag attached to the outlet end of the housing. A passageway conducts air into the housing to which attachments can be affixed.

Abstract: In chipper/shredder apparatus, an inlet extension secured to the inlet of the chipper/shredder, the extension being selectively movable toward and away from the chipper/shredder to effect a lowered position and a substantially upright position extending from the chipper/shredder inlet.

Abstract: A chipper/shredder having rotatably driven shredding mechanism including a frame rotatable about a central axis, which frame has a plurality of axially spaced disc-shaped supports mounted thereon for rotation therewith and a plurality of carriers extending between and secured to the supports at a radius from the axis of rotation with each carrier pivotally supporting a plurality of flails wherein the axial spacing between the flails is such that each flail on each carrier has a tip end which traces a path that is axially offset from the path of each other flail tip end.

Abstract: Lawn and garden maintenance equipment for collecting and shredding debris and chipping branches is provided with a wheel-supported housing having a handle for guiding the apparatus, the housing having a substantially closed bottom wall below the blades and having a portion thereof providing an air and debris inlet opening, a motor mounted on the housing with a shaft extending into housing and supporting a disc for rotation with the shaft within said housing, the disc having a cutter on its top for slicing limbs and a slot adjacent said cutting means to permit sliced material to pass through the disc, downwardly extending blades mounted on the bottom of the disc move air and air entrained debris within the housing to an exit opening in said housing generally opposite the inlet for air and entrained debris, and a top opening in the housing is radially aligned with the cutter to accept limbs and the like to be fed through the opening to be engaged by the cutter.

Abstract: A discharge assembly controls the discharge of shredded and macerated materials from a chipper/shredder device. A discharge screen of the discharge assembly has a pair of fasteners on opposing ends of the discharge screen for removably mounting the screen on the chipper/shredder housing. An operator engageable handle is affixed to one end of the screen for handling the screen during installation and removal and a locator tab is affixed to the end of the screen opposing the handle and is received in aperture formed in the chipper/shredder housing for alignment of the discharge screen with the housing. A discharge tunnel is formed on a side of the housing and in communication with the discharge screen, and a service door is formed on a top side of a discharge tunnel allowing access to the tunnel for installation and removal of the discharge screen.