Patents by Inventor James G. Rolfe

James G. Rolfe 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: 5561972
    Abstract: A blade assembly for a lawn mower has a generally planar body (1) rotationally balanced about a vertical central shaft (24), with four projecting blades (6) extending radially from the periphery of the planar body. The planar body (1) is shaped with vanes (3) to form a fan-like impeller. The impeller is arranged to create a strong rotational flow, which carries air and cut material around the blade assembly in use. The projecting blades (6) create an updraft in a peripheral region of the blade assembly, while the vanes (3) of the planar body (1) are shaped to create a regulated, relatively light downdraft towards the central shaft (24). If the mower is provided with an outlet (25) for a catcher, the strong rotational flow overwhelms any influence of the relatively light downdraft, and the air with the clippings is carried centrifugally through the outlet (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Inventor: James G. Rolfe