TURF MAINTENANCE MACHINE

• US 3,816,985 A
• Filed: 02/26/1973
• Issued: 06/18/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arnold A. Debaillie, Charles E. Sorenson, Clyde D. Stubblefield, Hugh A. Bourassa, Robert K. Bramley
• Original Assignee: Arnold A. Debaillie, Charles E. Sorenson, Clyde D. Stubblefield, Hugh A. Bourassa, Robert K. Bramley
• Inventors: Sorenson, Charles E., Stubblefield, Clyde D., Debaillie, Arnold A., Bramley, Robert K., Bourassa, Hugh A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Guida, Antonio F.
• Application Number:
  US05/335,549
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 56/7,10.6,10.8,10.9,11.1,11.4,11.5,11.7,11.8,249,16.9
• US Class Current: 56/7
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/43 mounted on a vehicle, e.g. a tractor, or drawn by an animal or a vehicle

Abstract

A turf maintenance machine comprising a vehicle, a plurality of reels, arms for supporting the reels from the vehicle, a fluid motor for moving each arm relative to the vehicle to position and retract the reel supported thereby, a driven shaft disposed on the vehicle, and a flexible cable drive for each reel. The distal end of each cable drive is drivingly connected to its associated reel while its proximal end is drivingly connected to the driven shaft by an electrically-operated clutch. A control valve dominates each fluid motor and an electrical switch dominates the clutch for the reel associated with the motor, the valve and switch being operatively connected such that the switch is operated when the valve is operated.

Claims

1. A turf maintenance machine comprising a vehicle, a plurality of reels, arm means for supporting said reels from said vehicle, power means for moving each said arm means relative to said vehicle to position and retract the reel supported thereby, a driven shaft disposed on said vehicle, a flexible cable drive for each of said reels, the distal ends of said cable drives being drivingly connected respectively to said reels, and means for respectively drivingly connecting the proximal ends of said cable drives to said driven shaft, each last said means including electrically operated clutch means, each said power means including a fluid-operated power cylinder and a control valve dominating that cylinder, a master valve controlling the flow of fluid to said control valves, a control switch dominating each said electrically-operated clutch, and a master switch controlling the flow of current to said control switches, each said control switch being operatively connected to its associated control valve to be operated when said control valve is operated.

2. The machine of claim 1 in Which said master switch is operatively connected to said master valve to be operated by operation of said master valve, whereby selected reels can be positioned and driven by operation of said master valve to operate said master switch.

3. The machine of claim 1 in which each last said means includes a first pulley on said driven shaft, a second pulley drivingly connected to the proximal end of the associated cable drive, and a belt trained about said pulleys, said electrically operated clutch means being effective, when operated, to cause said first pulley to rotate with said shaft.

4. The machine of claim 1 including an engine having an output shaft, drive wheels for movably supporting said vehicle, selectively variable transmission means for drivingly connecting said output shaft to said drive wheels, and means for drivingly connecting said driven shaft to said output shaft, whereby the speed of said driven shaft is determined directly by the speed of said output shaft and is independent of the ground speed of said vehicle.

5. The machine of claim 4 in which said vehicle includes a rear frame portion, a front frame portion, means for connecting said front frame portion to said rear frame portion for pivotal movement about a steering axis, front wheel means for movably supporting said front frame portion, said drive wheels movably supporting said rear frame portion, said arm means for supporting said reels and said power means being carried by said front frame portion, and said engine, transmission means and driven shaft being carried by said rear frame portion.