Abstract: A fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine. The fuel delivery system includes a carburetor housing having an air passage with a throttle valve disposed therein. A choke lever is movably mounted to the carburetor housing for restricting air flow into the air passage. A fuel injection device is provided for injecting fuel into the air passage before the engine is started. Movement of the choke lever to an engaged position simultaneously opens the throttle valve, restricts air flow into the air passage and activates the fuel injection device to inject a predetermined volume of fuel into the air passage. The air-flow restriction and the predetermined volume of fuel are adjusted to compensate for changes in ambient temperature.

Abstract: A fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine. The fuel delivery system includes a carburetor housing having an air passage with a throttle valve disposed therein. The air passage has an inlet and an outlet. The outlet is in communication with the engine. Means are provided for simultaneously opening the throttle valve, restricting air flow into the air passage and injecting a predetermined volume of fuel into the air passage before the engine is started. Other means are provided for automatically adjusting the restriction of air flow and the predetermined volume of fuel to compensate for changes in ambient temperature.

Abstract: A "bump-feed" type line head (108) and replaceable spool (116) for a flexible line trimmer are specially adapted for removing and mounting the spool in a single manual movement to the line head to facilitate spool and line replacement. The line head includes a "U" shaped retention spring (118) mounted within a hub in the line head on with the spool is journalled. The spring includes knob-shaped sections (122) protruding through the hub, beneath the spool, for retaining the spool on the hub without interfering with a bump-feed indexing means. Pulling the spool from or pushing the spool onto the hub tends to deflect the knobs inwardly, allowing axially movement of the spool on the hub. The compression force of the spring is set to be sufficient to retain the spool on the hub during normal operation but not to withstand force manually applied in an axial direction to the reel.

Abstract: A "bump-feed" type line head (108) and replaceable spool (116) for a flexible line trimmer are specially adapted for removing and mounting the spool in a single manual movement to the line head to facilitate spool and line replacement. A U-shaped retention spring (118) is snap-fitted without separate fasteners within a hub in the line head on which the spool is journalled. The spring includes knob-shaped sections (122) protruding through the hub, beneath the spool, for retaining the spool on the hub without interfering with a bump-feed indexing mechanism. Pulling the spool from or pushing the spool onto the hub tends to deflect the knobs inwardly, allowing removal of the spool from the hub. The spool includes an integrally formed reel (116) and an integrally formed button (130) connected in a single movement to the bottom of the reel using undercut surfaces (136)(138), forming a cavity having a radius sufficient to accommodate extension of the knobs beneath the spool.

Abstract: A flexible line trimmer having a rotating cutting head using a spool of flexible trimming line to form a cutting element is provided with a spare spool of cutting line, stored in various locations on the flexible line trimmer, available to replace the spool of trimming line after it is depleted.

Abstract: A resetting ignition switch for a portable power tool whereby movement of a choke assembly from a first, normal position to a second, choking position simultaneously and automatically moves an ignition switch from a stop to a run position to permit starting of the engine. The ignition switch, which forms a portion of an ignition circuit for the power tool, includes an integral lever which extends across a body of the power tool and relatively beneath a shaft of the choke. The shaft includes a depending arm which engages and rotates the lever as the shaft is moved longitudinally from its normal position toward its choking position. Rotation of the lever causes the ignition switch to pivotally move from the stop to the run position. The ignition switch is movably without interference from the choke assembly when the choke assembly is in its normal position.

Abstract: A flexible line trimmer is powered by a two-stroke internal combustion engine. The engine is scavenged in a uniflow fashion and has a scavenging cylinder and an exhaust cylinder connected by a common combustion chamber. Each cylinder has a piston turning one of two cantilevered crankshafts that are geared through adjacent counterweights having integrally formed teeth. The crankshafts extend in opposite directions for self-balancing. One crankshaft is coupled to a flywheel fan and other coupled to a starter. A fuel and air mixture is transferred to a common crankcase for the crankshafts through an intake port located on the exhaust cylinder. The piston of the scavenge cylinder is retarded with respect to the exhaust cylinder. An exhaust window opens prior to a scavenge window. The scavenge window closes after the exhaust window. The exhaust window is shortened to improve crankcase compression. The cylinders are joined in a siamese fashion, fabricated from a single piece, and skewed toward each other.

Abstract: A line head (10) for a rotary line trimmer uses a bail (16) to clasp a single length of cutting line (18). The head has a first and second side (12, 14). The first side (12) of the head (10) has a plurality of radial ridges extending radially from a central shaft engagement hub (20). The second side has several raised portions (44, 46, 48, 50) which define a first and second channel (17, 19). The bail (16) rotates between an open position to a closed position in the first channel. The second channel (19) is dimensioned to engage the cutting line. The bail (16) has a clasp means (16c) which removably engages a lip portion (42) when the bail is in the closed position. The bail (16) also has a central portion (16b) which overlays the second channel (19) when the bail is in the closed position.

Abstract: A portable, hand-held blower/vacuum unit has a housing structure defined by an upper engine shroud removably connected to the top wall of a lower impeller housing. Disposed within the shroud is a small internal combustion engine having a vertical crankshaft which extends downwardly through a depending well section formed on the top wall of the impeller housing, the lower shaft end being drivingly connected to a centrifugal fan impeller positioned within the impeller housing and operative to force a flow of ambient air therethrough. The engine is resiliently and floatingly mounted within the shroud by a resilient support system which prevents rigid contact between the engine and the shroud or the impeller housing to thereby substantially reduce engine vibration transmitted to the housing structure, and permit deflection of the engine relative to the housing structure to lessen the possibility of engine damage caused by impeller impact from ingested objects.

Abstract: A portable, hand-held blower/vacuum unit has a housing structure defined by an upper engine shroud removably connected to the top wall of a lower impeller housing. Disposed within the shroud is a small internal combustion engine having a vertical crankshaft which extends downwardly through a depending well section formed on the top wall of the impeller housing, the lower shaft end being drivingly connected to a centrifugal fan impeller positioned within the impeller housing and operative to force a flow of ambient air therethrough. The engine is resiliently and floatingly mounted within the shroud by a resilient support system which prevents rigid contact between the engine and the shroud or the impeller housing to thereby substantially reduce engine vibration transmitted to the housing structure, and permit deflection of the engine relative to the housing structure to lessen the possiblity of engine damage caused by impeller impact from ingested objects.

Abstract: A pull rope type starting apparatus for small internal combustion engines comprises a rope reel having a hub portion adapted to be rotatably mounted on a shaft driven by the piston(s) of the engine. A pair of axially spaced, radial flanges project from the hub to define an annular, relatively narrow rope-receiving cavity on the reel. A pull rope has a looped inner end portion anchored within a generally U-shaped channel formed on the outer side of one of the flanges. The rope extends from its clamped inner end loop around the reel hub to form a half hitch configuration and then passes through the clamped loop and a first aperture formed in the flange to which the inner rope end is clamped to lie intermediate the two radial flanges of the reel for winding within the annular reel cavity.

Abstract: A hand held portable blower/vacuum assembly includes a gasoline engine mounted on a blower housing that is interchangeably operable as a blower or vacuum unit and is symmetrically arranged for right or left hand use. A U-shaped carrying handle is secured to an upper housing enclosing the engine by means of a mounting structure that includes anti vibration elements. For eliminating the effect of both gyroscopic and centrifugal forces, the engine is arranged with the piston and crankshaft in horizontal and vertical orientations respectively, while both exhaust and cooling air are discharged from the front of the unit away from an operator so as to provide a balanced unit operable with either the right or left hand. A multi-position throttle located on the backside of the unit removed from the handle is incrementally settable for operating the unit at preselected fixed speeds.