Apparatus for lawn mowing and shredding

• US 5,481,858 A
• Filed: 02/07/1994
• Issued: 01/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matthew Chudy
• Original Assignee: Matthew Chudy
• Inventors: Chudy, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): MELIUS, TERRY L
• Application Number:
  US08/192,704
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 56/17.5, 56/255, 56/295, 56/320.1, 56/320.2, 56/DIG. 17, 56/DIG. 20
• US Class Current: 56/17.5
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/005 Mulching means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 56/20 Blades, reels and guards

Abstract

An apparatus for mowing and shredding a lawn is disclosed. A motor is mounted on a top cover. A push handle is engaged with the top cover and extends upwardly at an angle for pushing the apparatus in a forward rolling motion on the ground. The top cover is attached to and above a perforated partition that is supported by an undercarriage that includes a plurality of wheels. The motor has a downwardly extending drive shaft that extends through the top cover to engage a shredder blade. The drive shaft further extends downwardly through a central exhaust hole of the partition to a mower blade. The blades, when rotating, cause an upward air flow that sucks lawn debris into first the mower blade, through openings in the perforated partition, and into the shredder blade. The subsequent pulverized lawn debris is then ejected through discharge slots located around the peripheral edge of the top cover.

Claims

1. A mobile apparatus for mowing a lawn and shredding cut grass clippings, leaves and other lawn debris into a powder, while moving on a ground surface comprising:

a motor integrally mounted on a top cover with a drive shaft of the motor extending vertically downwardly through the top cover, the top cover having a generally horizontal top surface, integrally formed with a downwardly extending peripheral rim, the top cover and rim defining an interior cover space, the rim providing a series of upright first discharge slots, a push handle engaged with the top cover and extending upwardly at an angle therefrom for pushing the apparatus in a forward rolling motion on the ground surface, a linear shredder blade, the blade medially engaged with the drive shaft for rotation therewith driven by the motor, a partition having a plurality of spaced apart openings therein, the partition positioned below the shredder blade, in generally parallel alignment with the horizontal top surface, enclosing the cover save a central exhaust hole, the partition having an integral, peripheral, first downwardly extending skirt supported, for rolling on the ground surface, by an undercarriage including a plurality of wheels rotationally secured to the skirt in rolling support thereof;

a linear mower blade engaged medially with the drive shaft at a position below the perforated partition such that the partition separates the blades, the mower blade being of such shape as, in rotating, to generate a suction forcing air to move upward into the partition;

the shredder blade having a pair of horizontally disposed cutting edges spaced apart from the partition by a degree to enable shearing action between the cutting edges and the perforations of the partition;

a circular slot adjustment ring having a vertical wall providing a series of second discharge slots therethrough and a deflection skirt annularly positioned and extending radially outwardly and downwardly from the vertical wall, said wall fitted for annular circular exterior contact with the peripheral rim of the top cover and slidably affixed thereto such that the relative positions of the series of first and second discharge slots adjust conductance of air flow exiting the apparatus, the deflection skirt forcing said air flow downwardly;

whereby the lawn debris is sucked upwardly into the interior cover space, the interior cover space being pressurized thereby, a portion of the air being ejected through the discharge slots, the remainder of the air being forced to move radially inwardly and then downwardly through the central exhaust hole to the ground surface to move radially outwardly and then upwardly into the interior cover space.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a plurality of cutting tines of a flexible elongate material, the tines positioned side-by-side and held as a bundle on the mower blade and together extending downwardly therefrom, each of the tines terminating in an independent free end.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the openings in the partition are round holes arranged in radial orientation.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the holes are arranged in four concentric circular rows.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first downwardly extending skirt includes a downwardly facing continuous peripheral edge, a portion of the edge facing in a direction of forward motion of the apparatus and defining clearance with respect to the ground surface, the remainder of the edge being set at reduced clearance thereto.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shredder blade includes a pair of upwardly extending blade tips, each of the tips positioned at one of the free ends of the shredder blade.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the tips are set at an angle so as to drive air outwardly from the cover through the discharge slots.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the tips are spaced apart from the discharge slots by a degree to enable shearing action between the tips and the discharge slots.