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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
First Claim
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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.

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