Hand held gas engine blower

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. The vacuum inlet is located on the underside of the housing and is generally closed by a hinged cover providing only for induction air flow when the unit is used in the blower mode. Included about the vacuum inlet is a connecting flange for attaching a vacuum intake tube when the cover is hingedly moved outward for using the unit in the vacuum mode. A discharge opening on the front side of the unit includes a connecting flange to which either a blower tube and nozzle can be attached for the blower mode or tubing and bag can be attached for the vacuum mode.

We claim: 
     
       1. A portable power tool comprising an internal combustion engine, a first housing enclosing said internal combustion engine, a blower unit mounted on the underside of said internal combustion engine and having a second housing containing a blower impeller operably connected to the crankshaft of said internal combustion engine, an operator's handle mounted along the top of said first housing, said internal combustion engine being arranged with its crankshaft in a substantially vertical orientation relative to the normal carrying mode of said tool, said second housing including a vacuum opening defined in the bottom wall thereof and a discharge opening defined in a sidewall thereof, connecting means at said openings adapted for connecting appurtenances enabling interchangeably operating said tool alternatively in either a blower mode or a vacuum mode including a tubular collar surrounding each of said openings adapted to receive a tubular extension for mounting thereat and clamp means associated with each of said collars for securing a tubular extension received in the respective of said openings and a cover unit pivotally supported on said second housing and positionable between a first position exposing said vacuum collar to enable securing a tubular extension thereat and a second position generally underlying said vacuum collar for precluding receipt of a tubular extension thereat. 
     
     
       2. A portable power tool according to claim 1 including spring means urging said cover unit pivotally toward said second position and latch means to enable securing said cover unit in said second position. 
     
     
       3. A portable power unit according to claim 1 in which said cover unit is dimensionally larger than the diametrical dimension of said vacuum collar so as to define an air inlet therebetween when said cover unit is in said second position. 
     
     
       4. A portable power tool according to claim 3 in which for operating said tool in a blower mode said cover unit is positioned in said second position and there is included an elongated tubular extension mounted on said discharge collar. 
     
     
       5. A portable power tool according to claim 1 in which for operating said tool in a vacuum mode, said cover unit is positioned in said first position and there is included a first elongated tubular extension mounted on said vacuum collar and a second tubular extension mounted on said discharge collar and a refuse collection receptacle connected to the discharge end of said second extension. 
     
     
       6. A portable power tool according to claim 1 in which said handle is oriented so that the normal carrying mode of said tool is with its forwardmost face generally forward of an operator carrying said tool and there is provided means to discharge engine exhaust through said forwardmost face in a direction away from the operator. 
     
     
       7. A portable power tool according to claim 6 in which there is defined an air outlet through said forwardmost face for discharging ambient air carrying heat from about the surface of said engine. 
     
     
       8. A portable power tool comprising an internal combustion engine, a first housing enclosing said internal combustion engine, a blower unit mounted on the underside of said internal combustion engine and having a second housing containing a blower impeller operably connected to the crankshaft of said internal combustion engine, an operator's handle mounted along the top of said first housing, said internal combustion engine being arranged with its crankshaft in a substantially vertical orientation relative to the normal carrying mode of said tool, said second housing including a vacuum opening defined in the bottom wall thereof and a discharge opening defined in a sidewall thereof, connecting means at said openings adapted for connecting appurtenances enabling interchangeably operating said tool alternatively in either a blower mode or a vacuum mode and a throttle control means operably connected to the engine carburetor and including adjustable means incrementally settable at any of a plurality of selected predetermined fixed speeds of said internal combustion engine for operably setting said throttle control means. 
     
     
       9. A portable power tool according to claim 8 in which said adjustable means includes a hollow knob rotatably supported at the rear of said first housing, an elongated cam received within said knob, a follower formed on an internal surface of said knob positioned in engagement with said cam and effective when said knob is rotated to longitudinally displace said cam relative to said knob and an elongated operating link secured extending from the distal end of said cam into operable engagement with said throttle control means for the carburetor of said internal combustion engine. 
     
     
       10. A portable power tool according to claim 8 in which said adjustable means is contained on a rearward face of said first housing for convenient setting by an operator when utilizing said tool. 
     
     
       11. A portable power tool according to claim 8 in which said adjustable means includes a knob rotatably supported through an opening in the rear of said first housing, said knob including a shoulder facing the wall surface of said first housing surrounding said opening thereat, said wall surface including a plurality of consecutive troughs incrementally spaced uniformly in an annular concentric arrangement about said opening, said knob shoulder including a plurality of uniformly spaced protruberances forwardly extending from said shoulder into engagement with said troughs and spring means maintaining said protruberances in a rotatable spring engagment with said troughs for enabling uniform incremental rotation of said knob. 
     
     
       12. A portable power tool according to claim 1, or 8 including vibration isolator means securing said handle to said first housing. 
     
     
       13. A portable power tool according to claims 1, 8 or 9 including grounding means for electrically grounding said handle. 
     
     
       14. A portable power tool according to claim 13 in which said handle is of a composition having electrically conductive properties and there is included a conductor extending from said handle to a metal grounding surface. 
     
     
       15. A portable power tool according to claim 8 in which said adjustable means is located about the exterior of said first housing displaced from said operator's handle. 
     
     
       16. A portable power tool according to claim 15 also including an ignition switch, and a choke adjuster and said adjustable means, said ignition switch and said choke adjuster are all contained spaced apart on a common exterior wall of said first housing. 
     
     
       17. A portable power tool according to claim 16 in which said common wall comprises the rear wall of said first housing. .Iadd. 
     
     
       18.  A portable, hand-carried, internal combustion engine powered air moving device which is configured to conveniently permit either right or left handed use thereof, is easily convertible between blower and vacuum modes of operation, and substantially reduces undesirable gyroscopic forces generated by the engine, said device comprising: a generally hollow body having: a top end with an operator carrying handle secured thereto,   a bottom end,   a front side,   an upper portion adapted to house an internal combustion engine having a muffler assembly, said upper portion having an outlet opening extending through said front side for discharging in a forward direction muffler assembly cooling air from within said upper portion,   a lower end chamber downwardly bounded by said bottom end,   air inlet means for defining an air inlet opening extending through said bottom end into said lower end chamber, said air inlet means being selectively connectable to vacuum inlet conduit means to permit use of said device in said vacuum mode, and   air discharge means for defining an air discharge opening extending outwardly from said lower end chamber through said front side, said air discharge means being selectively connectable to blower discharge conduit means to permit use of said device in said blower mode, or to vacuum outlet conduit means to permit use of said device in said vacuum mode;     a cover member carried by said lower end for selective movement relative thereto between a first position in which said cover member extends across a portion of said air inlet means in a manner permitting air to be drawn inwardly through said air inlet opening but precluding connection of vacuum inlet conduit means to said air inlet means, and a second position permitting connection of vacuum inlet conduit means to said air inlet means,   an internal combustion engine housed in said upper body portion and including: a crankshaft carried within said upper body portion for driven rotation about an axis which, with said device in a normal operating position, is generally vertically oriented,   a cylinder disposed forwardly of said crankshaft within said upper body portion and having a piston mounted in said cylinder for generally horizontal reciprocation when said device is in a normal operating position, said piston being connected to said crankshaft to rotationally drive it during piston reciprocation, and   a muffler assembly carried in said upper body portion forwardly of said crankshaft, said muffler assembly being adapted to receive exhaust gas from said cylinder and discharge the received exhaust gas through said front side of said body adjacent said outlet opening; and     a centrifugal fan impeller positioned within said lower end chamber and rotationally drivable by said crankshaft about said axis to sequentially draw air into said lower end chamber through said air inlet opening and discharge the air from said lower end chamber outwardly through said air discharge opening. .Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       19.  The device of claim 18 wherein: said cover member is mounted on said lower end for pivotal movement between said first and second positions. .Iaddend. .Iadd.20. The device of claim 19 wherein:   said cover member is spring-biased toward said first position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.21. A portable, hand-carried, internal combustion engine powered air moving device which is configured to conveniently permit either right or left handed use thereof, is easily convertible between blower and vacuum modes of operation, and substantially reduces undesirable gyroscopic forces generated by the engine, said device comprising:   a generally hollow body having: a top end with an operator carrying handle secured thereto,   a bottom end adapted to engage the ground and support said body thereon between use periods of said device,   a front side,   an upper portion having an outlet opening extending through said front side,   a lower end chamber downwardly bounded by said bottom end,   air inlet means for defining an air inlet opening extending through said bottom end into said lower end chamber, said air inlet means being selectively connectable to vacuum inlet conduit means to permit use of said device in said vacuum mode, and   air discharge means for defining an air discharge opening extending outwardly from said lower end chamber through said front side, said air discharge means being selectively connectable to blower discharge conduit means to permit use of said device in said blower mode, or to vacuum outlet conduit means to permit use of said device in said vacuum mode;     a cover member carried by said lower end for selective movement relative thereto between a first position in which said cover member extends across a portion of said air inlet means in a manner permitting air to be drawn inwardly through said air inlet opening but precluding connection of vacuum inlet conduit means to said air inlet means, and a second position permitting connection of vacuum inlet conduit means to said air inlet means,   an internal combustion engine housed in said upper body portion and including: a crankshaft carried within said upper body portion for driven rotation about an axis which, with said device in a normal operating position, is generally vertically oriented,   a cylinder disposed forwardly of said crankshaft within said upper body portion and having a piston mounted in said cylinder for generally horizontal reciprocation when said device is in a noraml operating position, said piston being connected to said crankshaft to rotationally drive it during piston reciprocation, and   a muffler carried in said upper body portion forwardly of said crankshaft, said muffler being adapted to receive exhaust gas from said cylinder and discharge the received exhaust gas through said front side of said body adjacent said outlet opening;     a centrifugal fan impeller positioned within said lower end chamber and rotationally drivable by said crankshaft about said axis to sequentially draw air into said lower end chamber through said air inlet opening and discharge the air from said lower end chamber outwardly through said air discharge opening; and   anti-entrainment means for preventing the entrainment of small but relatively heavy ground-disposed objects, such as pebbles or the like, into ground level inlet air approaching said cover member and said air inlet means when said engine is running, said cover member is in said first position thereof, and said bottom end of said body is resting upon or in close proximity to the ground, said anti-entrainment means being operative to maintain the velocity of said ground level inlet air at a magnitude generally insufficient to entrain said small but relatively heavy ground-disposed objects into said ground level inlet air, whereby said lower end of said body may be rested upon or placed in close proximity to the ground, with said engine running and said device in said blower mode, without significant risk of drawing said small but relatively heavy objects into said lower end chamber and discharging them at high     
     
     
        velocity through said discharge opening. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22.  The device of claim 21 wherein: said cover member is mounted on said lower end for pivotal movement between said first and second positions. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. The device of claim 22 wherein:   said cover member is spring-biased toward said first position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. A portable, hand-carried air moving device which is convertible between blower and vacuum modes of operation, comprising:   a body having: a top end with an operator carrying handle secured thereto,   a bottom end,   a front side,   a lower end chamber downwardly bounded by said bottom end,   air inlet means for defining an air inlet opening extending through said bottom end into said lower end chamber, said air inlet means being selectively connectable to vacuum inlet conduit means to permit use of said device in said vacuum mode, and   air discharge means for defining an air discharge opening extending outwardly from said lower end chamber through said front side, said air discharge means being selectively connectable to blower discharge conduit means to permit use of said device in said blower mode, or to vacuum outlet conduit means to permit use of said device in said vacuum mode;     drive means selectively operable to power said device, said drive means including shaft means carried by said body for driven rotation about an axis which, with said device in a normal operating position, is generally vertically oriented, said shaft means extending longitudinally upwardly from said lower end chamber;   a centrifugal fan impeller positioned within said lower end chamber and rotationally drivable by said shaft means about said axis to sequentially draw air into said lower end chamber through said air inlet opening and discharge the air from said lower end chamber outwardly through said air discharge opening; and   anti-entrainment means for preventing the entrainment of small but relative heavy ground-disposed objects, such as pebbles or the like, into air drawn into said inlet opening during operation of said device in said blower mode, anti-entrainment means being operative, when said lower end of said body is placed against or in close proximity to the ground during driven rotation of said impeller, to maintain the velocity of ground level inlet air initially approaching said air inlet means at a magnitude generally insufficient to entrain said small but relatively heavy ground-disposed objects into said inlet air, thereby significantly reducing the risk of drawing such objects in said lower end chamber and discharging them at     
     
     
        high velocity through said discharge opening. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25.  A portable, hand-carried, internal combustion engine powered air moving device which is configured to conveniently permit either right or left handed use thereof, is easily convertible between blower and vacuum modes of operation, and substantially reduces undesirable gyroscopic forces generated by the engine, said device comprising: a generally hollow body having: a top end with an operator carrying handle secured thereto,   a bottom end,   a front side,   an upper portion having an outlet opening extending through said front side,   a lower end chamber downwardly bounded by said bottom end,   air inlet means for defining an air inlet opening extending through said bottom end into said lower end chamber, said air inlet means being selectively connectable to vacuum inlet conduit means to permit use of said device in said vacuum mode, and   air discharge means for defining an air discharge opening extending outwardly from said lower end chamber through said front side, said air discharge means being selectively connectable to blower discharge conduit means to permit use of said device in said blower mode, or to vacuum outlet conduit means to permit use of said device in said vacuum mode;     a cover member carried by said lower end for selective movement relative thereto between a first position in which said cover member extends across a portion of said air inlet means in a manner permitting air to be drawn inwardly through said air inlet opening but precluding connection of vacuum inlet conduit means to said air inlet means, and a second position permitting connection of vacuum inlet conduit means to said air inlet means,   an internal combustion engine housed in said upper body portion and including: a crankshaft carried within said upper body portion for driven rotation about an axis which, with said device in a normal operating position, is generally vertically oriented,   a cylinder disposed forwardly of said crankshaft within said upper body portion and having a piston mounted in said cylinder for generally horizontal reciprocation when said device is in a normal operating position, said piston being connected to said crankshaft to rotationally drive it during piston reciprocation, and   a muffler carried in said upper body portion forwardly of said crankshaft, said muffler being adapted to receive exhaust gas from said cylinder and discharge the received exhaust gas through said front side of said body adjacent said outlet opening;     a centrifugal fan impeller positioned within said lower end chamber and rotationally drivable by said crankshaft about said axis to sequentially draw air into said lower end chamber through said air inlet opening and discharge the air from said lower end chamber outwardly through said air discharge opening; and   grounding means for electrically grounding said operator carrying handle to   
     
     
        prevent user static electric shock. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26.  The air moving device of claim 25 wherein: said device has a metal grounding portion,   said operator carrying handle is of a material having electrically conductive properties, and   said grounding means include an electrical conductor member operatively interconnected between said operator carrying handle and said metal grounding portion of said device. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. The air moving device of claim 26 wherein:   said operator carrying handle is of a plastic polymer material containing about ten percent carbon. .Iaddend.