Patents by Inventor Fernando R. Iacona

Fernando R. Iacona has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8056180
    Abstract: A mobile leaf blower includes a main blower assembly driven by an engine or motor. The blower has a deflector box at the blower outlet with deflector plates which enable the air flow to be either directed laterally and forwardly of the blower unit or to a flexible blower tube attached to the unit. The operator may either cause the air flow to flow through the flexible blower tube or forwardly and laterally of the blower unit along the ground. When not in use, the flexible blower tube can be wound around a hose reel attached to the main handles of the ground blower unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Ariens Company
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Patent number: 8020802
    Abstract: A dispenser for cutting line or string is provided. The dispenser for flexible cutting line includes a generally rectangular housing configured to accept a spool of cutting line, the housing being formed from two mateable side portions configured to snap together, wherein at least one portion of the housing is formed as a first opening to expose a view of an amount of cutting line on the spool; a donut portion disposed centrally in the housing configured for rotatably supporting the spool of cutting line in the housing; and at least one second opening formed in the housing configured for dispensing of the cutting line from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Kwik Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Patent number: 7913401
    Abstract: A three-in-one cutting head for a rotary trimmer usable with discrete lengths of string, flail blades, and fan blades is provided. The present disclosure represents an improvement over presently existing multi-purpose trimmer heads in that there is no requirement for the trimmer head to be disassembled in order to change the different blades or strings. The cutting head being selectively rotationally driven through a drive shaft includes a generally cylindrical body having first and second pairs of diametrically opposed apertures disposed on a periphery of the body; at least one clamping member disposed in the body adjacent to each aperture of the first diametrically opposed pair configured for releasably retaining at least one cutting string; and at least one holding member disposed in the body adjacent to each aperture of the second diametrically opposed pair configured for releasably retaining at least one blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Kwik Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Publication number: 20100154229
    Abstract: A cutting head for a rotary trimmer is provided. The cutting head of the present disclosure provides a control mechanism for loading a spool member of the cutting head quickly and efficiently without having to disassemble the cutting head. In one embodiment, a control mechanism is provided in the cutting head interacting between a follower member and a spool member so as to provide for one way rotational loading of flails, e.g., cutting line, into the cutting head; in other words, to load the flails, the spool member is rotated continuously 360° in one direction only, e.g., clockwise. In another embodiment, a cutting head allows the flails to be loaded by a ratcheting-type operation, i.e., a back and forth rotational movement, which is less fatiguing and even more efficient in its loading operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: Kwik Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Publication number: 20100146730
    Abstract: A mobile leaf blower includes a main blower assembly driven by an engine or motor. The blower has a deflector box at the blower outlet with deflector plates which enable the air flow to be either directed laterally and forwardly of the blower unit or to a flexible blower tube attached to the unit. The operator may either cause the air flow to flow through the flexible blower tube or forwardly and laterally of the blower unit along the ground. When not in use, the flexible blower tube can be wound around a hose reel attached to the main handles of the ground blower unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: Ariens Company, a Wisconsin Corporation
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Patent number: 7640668
    Abstract: A cutting head for a rotary trimmer is provided. The cutting head of the present disclosure provides a control mechanism for loading a spool member of the cutting head quickly and efficiently without having to disassemble the cutting head. In one embodiment, a control mechanism is provided in the cutting head interacting between a follower member and a spool member so as to provide for one way rotational loading of flails, e.g., cutting line, into the cutting head; in other words, to load the flails, the spool member is rotated continuously 360° in one direction only, e.g., clockwise. In another embodiment, a cutting head allows the flails to be loaded by a ratcheting-type operation, i.e., a back and forth rotational movement, which is less fatiguing and even more efficient in its loading operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Kwik Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Publication number: 20080168664
    Abstract: An improved feedout mechanism for the cutting head of a rotary trimmer includes curved surfaces on the top of the lower row of the cam tangs which replace the original flat surfaces of the lower row of cam tangs in the prior art cutting head. Also, the lower surface of each follower tang also has a curved surface which is changed from the original flat design in the prior art. The curved surfaces of the follower tangs and the cam tangs facilitate the line advancement operation and prevents the follower tangs from being hung up with the cam tangs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Applicant: Kwik Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Patent number: 7257898
    Abstract: A cutting head for a string trimmer is provided which accommodates any string gauge thickness and may be easily and quickly re-threaded upon failure of a string previously disposed therein. The cutting head has spring-biased clamping members which are each mounted within a rotatable clamp housing within the head, such that, as a string encounters a solid object, the clamping member and its associated housing are rotated about a generally vertical axis so as to obviate or minimize the development of a stress concentration in the string in the vicinity at which it is engaged by the clamp housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Kwik Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Patent number: 6827152
    Abstract: A rotary head for dethatching machine includes a plurality of channels which are evenly distributed along the outer periphery of the rotary head for receiving flexible dethatching filaments. The dethatching filaments are elongated with a plurality of barb-like protrusions on one end thereof for engagement in the channels of the housings. Once a filament is inserted into a channel, it cannot be pulled out due to the protrusions engaging the interior and exterior walls of the channel of the rotary head. A plurality of rotary heads are mounted on a shaft of a machine. During rotation of the shaft and the rotary heads, the flexible filaments contact the accumulated dethatch with sufficient force to dislodge thatch for later retrieval and clean up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Kwik Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Patent number: 6735874
    Abstract: A cutting head for a rotary trimmer has a rotating body from which several flexible cord-like filament cutting blades or flails extend radially so that additional flail length can be fed from the device by merely bumping the rotating body on the ground. The improvement includes a plurality of truncated, bell-shaped configured tangs which extend into a serpentinous cam slot. Bumping of the device on the ground causes the tangs to move from stable positions to other stable positions allowing relative movement between the outer case of the trimmer and a spool of flail therein so that a predetermined length of flail is fed out through the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Kwik Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Publication number: 20030226261
    Abstract: A cutting head for a rotary trimmer has a rotating body from which several flexible cord-like filament cutting blades or flails extend radially so that additional flail length can be fed from the device by merely bumping the rotating body on the ground. The improvement includes a plurality of truncated, bell-shaped configured tangs which extend into a serpentinous cam slot. Bumping of the device on the ground causes the tangs to move from stable positions to other stable positions allowing relative movement between the outer case of the trimmer and a spool of flail therein so that a predetermined length of flail is fed out through the case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Publication number: 20030155137
    Abstract: A rotary head for dethatching machine includes a plurality of channels which are evenly distributed along the outer periphery of the rotary head for receiving flexible dethatching filaments. The dethatching filaments are elongated with a plurality of barb-like protrusions on one end thereof for engagement in the channels of the housings. Once a filament is inserted into a channel, it cannot be pulled out due to the protrusions engaging the interior and exterior walls of the channel of the rotary head. A plurality of rotary heads are mounted on a shaft of a machine. During rotation of the shaft and the rotary heads, the flexible filaments contact the accumulated dethatch with sufficient force to dislodge thatch for later retrieval and clean up.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Patent number: 6357214
    Abstract: A grass dethatcher includes a plurality of housings fixedly mounted on a rotatably shaft, with flexible nylon filaments secured to each housing. In operation, as the shaft is rotated, the centrifugal force extends each flexible nylon filament generally perpendicular to the horizontal shaft, and with the filaments in a radially disposed position to effect dethatching of the lawn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Patent number: 5896666
    Abstract: A cutting head for a string trimmer is provided which accommodates any string gauge thickness and may be easily and quickly re-threaded upon failure of a string previously disposed therein. Clamping members are provided to clamp the strings within the cutter head, with the clamping force being provided by springs and centrifugally generated moments. The clamping members are capable of generating two degrees of clamping force. The lesser degree of clamping force can be overcome by a string forcibly inserted into the cutting head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Inventors: Fernando R. Iacona, Ignazio M. Iacona
  • Patent number: 5887348
    Abstract: A cutting head for a string trimmer is provided which accommodates any string gauge thickness and may be easily and quickly re-threaded upon failure of a string previously disposed therein. Clamping members are provided to clamp the strings within the cutter head, with the clamping force being provided by springs and centrifugally generated moments. The clamping members are capable of generating two degrees of clamping force. The lesser degree of clamping force can be overcome by a string forcibly inserted into the cutting head. Alternatively, the clamping members can be formed to pinch the string, with a constant degree of pinching force being applied to the string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Inventors: Fernando R. Iacona, Ignazio M. Iacona
  • Patent number: D532263
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Kwik Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Patent number: D465975
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Patent number: D479961
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Patent number: D496840
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Kwik Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona
  • Patent number: D605033
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Kwik Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Fernando R. Iacona