Abstract: An improvement in a starter of the type having a housing to be attached to an internal combustion engine and structure on the housing for rotating a crank shaft on the internal combustion engine to which the housing is attached. The improvement resides in structure for intermittently operating a decompression mechanism on the internal combustion engine to which the housing is attached as an incident of the crank shaft rotating structure being operated.

Abstract: Apparatus for cutting foliage having a rotating head and an annular ring mounted for independent rotation in the head. A cam follower is pivotally mounted in the ring and is guided along a circumferential camming surface formed in the head. The camming surface has spaced apart lobes located adjacent to stops. The free end of a supply line is passed over the cam follower and passed out of the ring to a predetermined cutting length. When the head is rotating at operational speed, the resultant centrifugal force of the follower and the line will hold the follower against the stop. If the line is worn or damaged the holding force is decreased and the follower is released and guided over the stop thus allowing the ring to turn relative to the head until the next stop is encountered. This causes a given amount of line to be played out to replenish the damaged or worn section.

Abstract: A rotary cutter head for use with a rotating filament trimmer in which a reel for winding cords or filaments is held between a housing covering a lower portion thereof and a retainer or hub fixed on the driven rotating shaft of the trimmer unit and is rotatably disposed within the housing. Within the bore of the reel, an axially movable slider is normally biased toward the retainer by the elastic force of a spring so that meshing engagement occurs between a peripheral array of axially projecting tongues formed on one end of the slider and a plurality of radial teeth-like ribs formed on the inner side of the retainer and establishes a driving connection to rotate the reels.

Abstract: A recoil starter composed of: a rotating reel which fits loosely around a supporting shaft in a housing, a cylindrical hub portion of the reel having a spiral spline which is integrally formed on its inner periphery; a clutch cylinder which is loosely inserted into the cylindrical hub portion and carries a spline groove for such engagement with the hub spline whereby relative rotation of the reel hub and clutch cylinder causes axial projection and retraction of the clutch cylinder; and clutch projections which are provided at the free end of the clutch cylinder such as to project and engage recesses integral with a flywheel on the associated engine. Inside the clutch cylinder at its bottom a stepped portion is provided where an axial notch is formed.

Abstract: A control lever assembly for a lawn mower has a main lever and an auxiliary lever pivotably mounted on lawn mower handle. The main lever is operatively connected through spring biased wire to tend to open a clutch and apply a brake for a rotary cutter of the lawn mower. The auxiliary lever when manually held against the mower handle pushes a resilient arm on the main lever out of engagement with a first stop on the body, thereby automatically causing the main lever to connect the clutch and disengage the brake. A spring biased second movable stop on the auxiliary lever is received in a recess in the main lever to detent the main lever in the locked position for operation of the mower. When the auxiliary lever is released manually by the operator, the second movable stop carried thereby is retracted out of the recess on the main lever to automatically return the wire to disconnect the clutch and engage the brake.