Rear dumping lawn sweeper with folding wind apron

• US 4,796,322 A
• Filed: 04/04/1988
• Issued: 01/10/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lambert Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lambert Corporation
• Inventors: Steed, Jeffrey A., Ruhl, Walter F., Weaver, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roberts, Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US07/176,906
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• Field of Search: 15/79 R, 15/79 A, 15/83-86, 56/204, 56/344, 56/DIG. 12, 56/16.6
• US Class Current: 15/79.2
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 20/43 for sweeping, collecting or disintegrating lawn debris
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 56/12 Brush

Abstract

A rear dumping brush-type lawn sweeper for attachment to a garden tractor includes a hamper assembly which is mounted on a support frame for pivotal movement. The support frame is carried on the main frame of the brush housing. The hamper assembly carries an open top hamper bag. The top of the bag is normally closed by a mesh-type folding wind apron. A forward portion of the apron is attached to the hamper assembly, while a rear portion of the apron is attached to a rear cross member forming part of the hamper support frame. The wind apron, at its rear terminal end, forms a closure with the rear lip of the hamper bag in the normal running position. When the hamper is rotated rearwardly on the support frame for dumping, the wind screen folds on itself and exposes a rear dumping opening with the rear hamper bag lip.

Claims

1. In a powered lawn sweeper having a rear-dumping hamper in which lawn debris such as grass clippings are collected, and in which an open top hamper is mounted on a hamper support frame for movement between a normal position for collecting such lawn debris therein from the sweeper, and a rear-dumping position in which the hamper is rotated on the frame such that a back wall of the hamper is lowered with respect to the floor of the hamper while the floor thereof is elevated, the improvement comprising:

a wind apron proportioned normally to cover the open top of the hamper,

said wind apron being formed of a foldable open mesh material,

said wind apron having a forward end,

means attaching said wind apron forward end to a forward portion of said hamper,

means supporting said wind apron in relatively closing relation to said hamper open top in the normal position of the hamper,

said hamper support frame having a transverse wind apron support member,

said support member being positioned closely adjacent the hamper back wall in said normal position thereof,

means attaching a rear portion of said wind apron to said transverse support member such that said hamper top is closed by said wind apron in said normal position, and

said back wall being movable away from said support member during rotation of said hamper to said dumping position to expose the contents of said hamper for rear dumping, accompanied by folding of said wind apron about said support member.

2. An improved power-driven rotating brush-type lawn sweeper for use as an attachment to the rear of a lawn tractor and having a hamper with rear dumping capability, comprising,

a lawn-tractor driven lawn sweeper brush assembly including a brush supporting housing, roller means on a rearward portion of said housing supporting said housing for transport across a lawn, hitch means on a forward portion of said housing providing for attachment to a lawn tractor, a sweeper brush rotatably received in said housing for engaging lawn clippings on a lawn and directing the same rearwardly thereof, power means connected to said brush for rotating said brush,

a hamper support frame mounted on said housing including a pair of transversely spaced-apart load carrying side members, said members having forward ends and rear ends, a transversely extending rear member joining said side members at said rear ends thereof, said forward ends of each of said side members connected to and supported on said brush housing for transferring the load of a hamper supported on said frame to said roller means through said brush housing, bearing means at said rear ends for rotatably supporting a hamper in the space between said side frame members,

a hamper including a hamper bag support cage, said cage having a pair of transversely spaced bag support members, a plurality of cross members extending between said support members and defining said spacing therebetween as less than the spacing between said loadcarrying side members of said support frame, means on said cage rotatably mounting said cage about a transverse axis on said support frame bearing means,

a hamper bag mounted on said cage, said bag having a pair of side walls mounted respectively on said cage bag support members, a bottom extending between said side walls, and having an open top, said bottom terminating at a forward lip in the front and at a rear wall at the back, said forward lip including one of said cross members and said rear wall terminating at a dumping lip including another of said cross members,

said bag support cage movable about said axis on said support frame to carry said bag between a normal operative loading position and a rear dumping position in which said front lip is elevated and said rear dumping lip is lowered with the bag bottom therebetween sloping so as to discharge clippings over said rear lip,

and a wind apron having a rear end terminated at said rear frame member and a forward end, said forward end supported on said cage at one of said cross members in spaced relation to said bag forward lip defining therebetween an inlet opening for clippings from said brush, said rear end forming a closure with said rear bag lip in said normal operative position of said cage, the transverse width of said apron being sufficient to cover said bag open top in said loading position, said apron being foldable during rotation of said cage to said dumping position to uncover said top and expose said rear lip for discharge of clippings in said bag.

3. An improved power-driven rotating brush-type lawn sweeper for use as an attachment to the rear of a lawn tractor and having a hamper with rear dumping capability, comprising,

a lawn-tractor driven lawn sweeper brush attachment including a brush housing, means supporting said housing for transport across a lawn, means on a forward portion of said housing providing for attachment to a lawn tractor, a sweeper brush rotatably received in said housing for engaging -awn clippings on a lawn and directing the same rearwardly thereof, power means connected to said brush for rotating said brush,

a hamper support frame mounted on said housing including a pair of transversely spaced-apart load carrying side members, said members having forward ends and rear ends, a transversely extending rear member joining said side members at said rear ends thereof, the said forward ends of each of said side members connected to and supported on said brush housing for transferring the load of a hamper supported on said frame to said roller means through said brush housing, bearing means on said side frame members for rotatably supporting a hamper in the space between said side frame members,

a hamper including a hamper bag support subframe, said sub-frame having a pair of transversely spaced bag support members between said side frame members, means on said sub-frame rotatably mounting said sub-frame

about a transverse axis on said support frame bearing means,

an open top hamper bag mounted on said subframe, said bag including a pair of side walls, a bottom extending between said side walls, and having a rear wall terminating at a transverse dumping lip,

said bag support sub-frame movable about said axis on said support frame to carry said bag between a normal operative loading position and a rear dumping position in which said dumping lip is lowered with the bag bottom therebetween sloping so as to discharge clippings over said lip,

and a wind apron having a rear end terminated at said rear frame member and a forward end, said forward end supported on said sub-frame defining with said bag an inlet opening for clippings from said brush, said rear end forming a closure with said rear bag lip in said normal operative position of said sub-frame, the transverse width of said screen being sufficient to cover said bag open top in said normal operative position, said screen being foldable during rotation of said sub-frame to said dumping position to uncover said top and expose said rear lip for discharge of clippings in said bag.