ROTARY MOWER WITH SAFETY DISCHARGE

• US 3,750,378 A
• Filed: 08/27/1971
• Issued: 08/07/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenneth N. Hasenbank, Richard A. Thorud
• Original Assignee: Kenneth N. Hasenbank, Richard A. Thorud
• Inventors: Thorud, Richard A., Hasenbank, Kenneth N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kinsey, Russell R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eskovitz, J. N.
• Application Number:
  US05/175,441
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 56/10.5,17.4,17.5,320.1,320.2,202,255,17.1,13.4
• US Class Current: 56/10.5
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/63 having cutters rotating about a vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 43/0631 Control devices specially adapted therefor

Abstract

A side discharge rotary mower having a baffle across the lateral discharge mouth of the housing. A deflector overlies and encloses the top and sides of the discharge opening of the housing and the aforementioned baffle and extends laterally outwardly from the housing and the discharge opening. The top of the deflector includes a discharge opening with a hinged spring loaded cover or door therefor, which cover is cooperatively related to a switch. The opening in the deflector is designed for use with a lift-out bag chute to permit optional bagging of the clippings where desired. The switch, which is actuated by the cover and bag chute, is designed to permit the engine to operate whenever the cover is closed or the bag chute is properly installed in the deflector, but is further designed to short and shut off the motor when the cover is raised and the bag chute is not installed therein. The rear half of the housing is provided with a curved, generally horizontal, underguard which under-lies the path of travel of the outer cutting portion of the blade in the rear half of the mower. A smaller underskirt in the left front quadrant prevents blow-out, and a curved depending wall on the top of the deflector disperses the clippings before they leave the deflector and are scattered on the ground. An improved rear safety shield is hinged to the rear of the housing and freely rides on the turf behind the mower. A shroud hingedly mounted on the engine and held in place by the gas cap overlies and protects the engine, carburetor, gas tank, muffler and ignition system.

Claims

1. A turf cutting rotary mower having a rotatable cutting blade, said mower including a housing having a discharge opening therein for discharging clippings therefrom, said opening providing for generally lateral discharge of clippings from said housing, first means supported by said housing for intercepting said clippings and changing the direction thereof, second means supported by said housing for intercepting said clippings after they leave said first means and again changing the direction thereof, said first means including a generally vertical baffle member disposed in the cutting plane of the rotary cutter blade and interposed in the normal path of travel of the discharged material, said baffle member closing off a portion of the discharge opening while leaving a substantial portion thereof remaining above said baffle member for the discharge of clippings over said baffle member through said opening, said second means including a deflector extending generally laterally from said housing and above said discharge opening and in the path of travel of the material discharged from said opening over said baffle whereby said material after passing over said baffle must strike the underside of said deflector and be deflected downwardly onto the ground, said deflector including an opening formed therein for the reception of a bag chute, a bag chute insertable into said opening and adapted to intercept the material discharged through said opening over said baffle and convey same to a collection receptacle, an engine supported by said housing an electrical switch adapted to be movable between two positions, in one of said positions said switch being adapted to prevent further operation of said engine, and in the other position being adapted to permit said engine to run, cover means for said opening in said deflector, said cover means and said bag chute being adapted to engage and actuate said switch, said cover being adapted to engage said switch and move same to engine stopping position when said cover is open and said chute is not installed in said opening, said bag chute being adapted to move said switch to engine running position when properly seated in said opening.

2. A turf cutting rotary mower having a rotatable cutting blade, said mower including a housing having a discharge opening therein for discharging clippings therefrom, said opening providing for generally lateral discharge of clippings from said housing, first means supported by said housing for intercepting said clippings and changing the direction thereof, second means supported by said housing for intercepting said clippings after they leave said first means and again changing the direction thereof, said first means including a generally vertical baffle member disposed in the cutting plane of the rotary cutter blade and interposed in the normal path of travel of the discharged material, said baffle member closing off a portion of the discharge opening while leaving a substantial portion thereof remaining above said baffle member for the discharge of clippings over said baffle member through said opening, a bag chute supported by said Housing and having one end portion thereof positioned to receive material ejected from said housing over said baffle member, the other end portion of said chute being adapted to have a receptacle attached thereto and adapted to discharge material passing therethrough into said receptacle, an electrical switch being actuable by said chute means, said switch being adapted for movement between two positions, in one of said positions it stops the motor of the mower and in the other of said positions it permits said motor to run, said bag chute being adapted to cause said switch to move to the motor running position when said chute is installed on said mower in material receiving position, said chute being further adapted to cause said switch to move to motor stopping position when removed from its normal operative position on said mower.

3. A turf cutting rotary mower having a rotatable cutting blade, said mower including a housing for enclosing the cutter blade, said housing having a discharge opening therein for discharging clippings therefrom, said opening providing for generally lateral discharge of clippings from said housing, first means supported by said housing for intercepting said clippings and changing the direction thereof, second means supported by said housing for intercepting said clippings after they leave said first means and again changing the direction thereof, said first means including a generally vertical baffle member disposed in the cutting plane of the rotary cutter blade and interposed in the normal path of travel of the discharged material, said baffle member closing off a portion of the discharge opening while leaving a substantial portion thereof remaining above said baffle member for the discharge of clippings over said baffle member through said opening, said second means including a deflector extending generally laterally from said housing and above said discharge opening and in the path of travel of the material discharged from said opening over said baffle whereby said material after passing over said baffle must strike the underside of said deflector and be deflected downwardly onto the ground, said deflector including an opening formed therein for the reception of a bag chute, a bag chute insertable into said opening and adapted to intercept the material discharged through said opening over said baffle and convey same to a collection receptacle, an engine supported by said housing, an electrical switch adapted to be movable between two positions, in one of said positions said switch being adapted to prevent further operation of said engine, and in the other position being adapted to permit said engine to run, cover means for said opening in said deflector, said cover means and said bag chute being adapted to engage and actuate said switch, said cover being adapted to engage said switch and move same to engine stopping position when said cover is open and said chute is not installed in said opening, said bag chute being adapted to move said switch to engine running position when properly seated in said opening, and said chute including a laterally extending tab with said switch for actuating same.

4. A turf cutting rotary mower having a rotatable cutting blade, said mower including a housing for enclosing the cutter blade, said housing having a discharge opening therein for discharging clippings therefrom, said opening providing for generally lateral discharge of clippings from said housing, first means supported by said housing for intercepting said clippings and changing the direction thereof, second means supported by said housing for intercepting said clippings after they leave said first means and again changing the direction thereof, said first means including a generally vertical baffle member disposed in the cutting plane of the rotary cutter blade and interposed in the normal path of travel of the discHarged material, said baffle member closing off a portion of the discharge opening while leaving a substantial portion thereof remaining above said baffle member for the discharge of clippings over said baffle member through said opening, said second means including a deflector extending generally laterally from said housing and above said discharge opening and in the path of travel of the material discharged from said opening over said baffle whereby said material after passing over said baffle must strike the underside of said deflector and be deflected downwardly onto the ground, said deflector including an opening formed therein for the reception of a bag chute, a bag chute insertable into said opening and adapted to intercept the material discharged through said opening over said baffle and convey same to a collection receptacle, said chute including a resilient locking portion, said portion defining with other portions of said chute a locking slot, said slot being adapted to receive at least a portion of said deflector when said chute is seated in said opening in operative position, said locking portion engaging said deflector when said deflector is seated in said slot and resiliently holding said chute in engagement with said deflector.

5. A turf cutting rotary mower having a rotatable cutting blade, said mower including a housing for enclosing the cutter blade, said housing having a discharge opening therein for discharging clippings therefrom, said opening providing for generally lateral discharge of clippings from said housing, first means supported by said housing for intercepting said clippings and changing the direction thereof, second means supported by said housing for intercepting said clippings after they leave said first means and again changing the direction thereof, said first means including a generally vertical baffle member disposed in the cutting plane of the rotary cutter blade and interposed in the normal path of travel of the discharged material, said baffle member closing off a portion of the discharge opening while leaving a substantial portion thereof remaining above said baffle member for the discharge of clippings over said baffle member through said opening, said second means including a deflector extending generally laterally from said housing and above said discharge opening and in the path of travel of the material discharged from said opening over said baffle whereby said material after passing over said baffle must strike the underside of said deflector and be deflected downwardly onto the ground, said deflector including an opening formed therein for the reception of a bag chute, a bag chute insertable into said opening and adapted to intercept the material discharged through said opening over said baffle and convey same to a collection receptacle, said mower housing and said deflector defining a chamber, said chute having a retaining portion insertable in said chamber when said chute is seated in said opening to hold said chute in operating position on said deflector.