Abstract: A centrifugal blower includes a main scroll portion and a scroll opening through which air is discharged. A transitional portion conducts air discharged through the scroll opening away from the blower. The transitional portion includes an internal passageway that provides for the smooth passage of air essentially without causing any abrupt changes in the direction of the flow of the air through the passageway. An impeller assembly can be mounted within the main scroll portion for rotation so as to circulate the air in a spiral path within the main scroll portion and force the air through the scroll opening and the passageway in the transitional portion. The impeller assembly can have a platen that has a perimeter and a plurality of impeller blades mounted at the platen for rotation with the platen. Each impeller blade can have a distal end that extends beyond the perimeter of the platen.

Abstract: A tool with an engine, a shaft, and a recoil starter pulley coupled to the shaft for rotation about an axis. A starter pull rope for winding and unwinding around the recoil starter pulley. An air chamber shroud extending about at least a portion of the pulley, the rope extending from the pulley through the shroud. A tube enclosing a portion of the rope and extending from a location adjacent to and aligned with the pulley to a location at an exterior of the shroud that is axially offset from the pulley. The tube may have flared ends to reduce gradual wear of the rope. The tube alters a trajectory of the pull rope to be substantially offset from the plane of the starter pulley so as to avoid interfering with neighboring structures inside the tool.