Abstract: A seal back-up assembly adapted for use in preventing the extrusion of the cap seal of an elastomer energized seal into the extrusion gap between two mating surfaces which are being sealed by the elastomer energized seal. One of the mating surfaces has a groove with side walls in which the elastomer energized seal is housed. The elastomer energized seal includes a cap seal and an elastomer energizer. The seal back-up assembly includes first and second back-up elements, which are located between the elastomer energized seal and the groove walls to sandwich the elastomer energized seal therebetween. Each of the back-up elements includes an outer member made from a relatively hard, non-resilient material which is sufficiently strong to prevent extrusion of the cap seal and an inner member made from a relatively soft plastic material which does not abrade or chafe the soft elastomer energizer.

Abstract: A flexible line vegetation trimmer is disclosed, wherein the trimmer includes a conventional line cutting element mounted for rotation about an axis to define a cutting path, a debris shield mounted above at least an arc of the cutting path, and a cutting blade on the debris shield for cutting segments from the line to reduce the line length to a predetermined distance. In this generally conventional line trimmer the present invention provides a cut line pocket mounted below the debris shield, and having the cutting blade mounted at the mouth thereof, with the cut line pocket catching the segments of line cut from the line by the cutting blade. The cut segments are trapped in the cut line pocket, thereby reducing if not eliminating the danger of the cut segments striking a person or animal in the vicinity of the operating line trimmer.