Mower convertible into a tracked implement and vice versa

• US 20070151220A1
• Filed: 01/03/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Original Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Inventors: Bergsten, Rex
• Granted Patent: US 7,328,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 56/2
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 42/08 Sweeping snow
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 67/00 Undercarriages or frames specially adapted for harvesters or mowers coupling arrangements between animal or tractor and harvester or mower A01B59/00; Mechanisms for adjusting the frame adjusting devices for the cutter-bar A01D34/28; Platforms

Abstract

This invention relates to a mower and a tracked implement that convert from one to the other by coupling a mower unit or a tracked unit to a common drive unit. The drive unit is thus used in both products to provide cost savings in the purchase of the equipment. In the tracked unit, a cab for enclosing the operator'"'"'s station is part of the tracked unit and gets mounted to the drive unit when the tracked unit is coupled to the drive unit. A pair of idlers rotate on pivot axes that are fixed relative to a pivotal idler support that carries the idlers. The pivot point for the idler support is chosen to prevent track elongation when the tracked unit climbs obstructions such as a curb. In the mower unit, a relatively heavy cutting deck is used and spring biased weight transfer arms transfer some of the deck weight to the mower frame.

Claims

1. A mower that converts into a tracked implement, which comprises:

(a) a drive unit, which comprises;

(i) a drive frame;

(ii) a prime mover carried on the drive frame;

(iii) an operator'"'"'s station on the drive frame for carrying an operator;

(iv) a pair of ground engaging drive wheels on the drive frame with one drive wheel located on each side of the drive frame for driven rotation about a common rotational drive axis; and

(v) a control system on the drive frame adjacent the operator'"'"'s station for operating the drive wheels;

(b) a mower unit, which comprises;

(i) a mower frame;

(ii) at least one ground engaging support wheel carried on the mower frame; and

(iii) a grass cutting unit carried on the mower frame;

(c) a tracked unit, which comprises;

(i) a track frame;

(ii) a plurality of rotatable support idlers carried on the track frame with at least one support idler located on each side of the track frame;

(iii) a device carried on the track frame to perform a ground or turf grooming or working operation other than grass cutting; and

(iv) a pair of endless ground engaging tracks with one track located adjacent each side of the track frame, wherein each track is entrained around and connects a rotatable drive member carried on the drive frame and located on the drive axis on one side of the drive frame to a support idler on a corresponding side of the track frame; and

(d) wherein either the mower unit or the tracked unit are alternatively usable with the drive unit to provide, respectively, either a mower for cutting grass or a tracked implement for performing the non-grass cutting ground or turf grooming or working operation.

2. The mower of claim 1, wherein the rotatable drive members carried on the drive frame when the tracked unit is used with the drive unit are different from the drive wheels carried on the drive frame when the mower unit is used with the drive unit.

3. The mower of claim 1, wherein the rotatable drive members carried on the drive frame when the tracked unit is used with the drive unit are drive wheels having a smaller diameter than the drive wheels carried on the drive frame when the mower unit is used with the drive unit.

4. The mower of claim 3, wherein the rotatable support idlers carried on the track frame are support wheels having the smaller diameter of the drive wheels carried on the drive frame when the tracked unit is used with the drive unit.

5. The mower of claim 1, wherein the ground or turf grooming or working operation performed by the device on the tracked unit is chosen from a group of operations comprising snowblowing, surface brushing, and plowing.

6. The mower of claim 1, wherein the grass cutting unit comprises at least one rotatable cutting blade that is rotatable about a substantially vertical axis in a horizontal cutting plane.

7. The mower of claim 6, wherein the cutting blade(s) are located beneath a cutting deck carried on the mower frame.

8. The mower of claim 7, wherein the cutting deck comprises a ground following cutting deck that is movable relative to the mower frame in response to changes in ground contour.

9. The mower of claim 7, wherein the cutting deck is suspended from the mower frame by a plurality of flexible members.

10. The mower of claim 9, wherein the flexible members extend from the cutting deck to a plurality of pivotal height of cut adjustment links carried on the mower frame.

11. The mower of claim 1, wherein the drive frame includes a power takeoff shaft for providing mechanical power from the prime mover to the grass cutting unit of the mower unit or to the device of the tracked unit depending upon whether the mower unit or the tracked unit is used with the drive unit.

12. The mower of claim 11, wherein the drive frame includes a pair of hydraulic hoses carried on the drive frame for supplying pressurized hydraulic fluid to the mower unit or to the tracked unit depending upon whether the mower unit or the tracked unit is used with the drive unit and for returning the pressurized hydraulic fluid to the drive unit.

13. The mower of claim 1, wherein the operator'"'"'s station includes a seat for a seated operator.

14. The mower of claim 13, further including a floorboard for supporting the operator'"'"'s feet when the operator is seated on the seat.

15. The mower of claim 14, wherein the floorboard is part of the mower frame or the track frame depending upon whether the mower unit or the tracked unit is used with the drive unit.

16. The mower of claim 14, further including a cab for substantially enclosing the operator'"'"'s station and the floorboard on the track frame when the tracked unit is used with the drive unit.

17. The mower of claim 16, wherein the cab is carried on the track frame.

18. The mower of claim 17, wherein the cab is releasably secured to the drive frame at a pair of mounting posts carried on the drive frame.

19. The mower of claim 18, wherein a roll over protection system is releasably secured to the mounting posts on the drive frame in place of the cab when the mower unit is used with the drive unit in place of the tracked unit.

20. The mower of claim 1, wherein either the mower frame or the track frame is releasably secured to the drive frame to releasably fix either the mower frame or the track frame in a rigid manner to the drive frame when either the mower unit or the tracked unit is used with the drive unit.

21. The mower of claim 20, further including an upwardly and rearwardly extending cab carried on the track frame for enclosing the operator'"'"'s station on the drive frame when the tracked unit is used with the drive unit.

22. The mower of claim 1, wherein the drive wheels can be driven in forward and reverse and independently of one another to provide zero radius turn capability for the drive unit.