Device and method to prevent grass buildup on lawnmower wheels

• US 6,334,630 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2000
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Randall C. Barros Sr
• Original Assignee: Randall C. Barros Sr
• Inventors: Barros, Randall C. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FISCHMANN, BRYAN R
• Application Number:
  US09/610,323
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 280/855, 280/856, 280/158.1, 152/565, 152/565.1, 152/565.2, 56/175, 56/167
• US Class Current: 280/855
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 71/08 Means for protecting against dust, or the like, or for cleaning agricultural implements A01B15/16, A01B19/10 and A01B23/06 take precedence; screening of rotary driven tilling tools A01B33/12; screening of rotary parts in general F16P1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/003 Means for cleaning the machine
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/68 for freeing wheels or tyres from foreign matter, e.g. wheel scrapers

Abstract

A scraper device is disclosed for preventing irregular release of grass clippings from a wheel of a lawnmower. The scraper device has a scraper with a concave or angled inner surface. The lateral edges of the scraper are separated from the wheel surface by a uniform scraper distance. The length of the scraper is approximately equal to the width of the wheel. The width of the scraper is about ⅙ to ¼ of the diameter of the wheel. An arm attaches the scraper to the housing of the lawnmower adjacent to the wheel. The scraper and the arm are composed of a rigid material such as metal or plastic. As the wheel turns in either the forward or reverse direction, excess grass clippings are removed from the wheel, preventing the formation of clumps. The invention also includes a lawnmower having four attached scraper devices, and a method for improving lawn appearance using the scraper device to remove grass clippings from the wheels.

Claims

1. A scraper device to prevent irregular release of grass clippings from a wheel of a lawnmower, the wheel having a wheel surface, the lawnmower having a housing, the device comprising:

a scraper having a proximal edge, a distal edge, a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge, an inner surface, and an opposite outer surface, the inner surface of the scraper being of predetermined configuration and located near the wheel surface, the first and second lateral edges being separated from the wheel surface by a uniform scraper distance, the length of the scraper from the proximal edge to the distal edge being approximately equal to the width of the wheel;

an arm having a scraper end and an attachment end, the scraper end attaching to the proximal edge of the scraper, the arm and the scraper being integrally attached and composed of a rigid material; and

attachment means for attaching the attachment end of the arm to the housing near the wheel;

wherein the scraper has a scraper fold line dividing the scraper into a first section and a second section, the scraper fold line extends parallel to the first and second lateral edges, each of the first and second sections of the scraper is substantially flat, the width of the first section is greater than the width of the second section, the first section is located at a fold angle from the second section, and the fold angle ranges from about 140 degrees to about 165 degrees.

2. The scraper device according to claim 1, wherein the rigid material is selected from the group consisting of metal and plastic, and the rigid material has a thickness of about {fraction (1/16)} inch.

3. The scraper device according to claim 2, wherein the rigid material is steel.

4. The scraper device according to claim 1, wherein the width of the scraper ranges from about ⅙

to about ¼

of the diameter of the wheel.

5. The scraper device according to claim 1, wherein said uniform scraper distance ranges from 3 to 7 millimeters.

6. The scraper device according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface configuration of the scraper is curved.

7. The scraper device according to claim 1, wherein the wheel has a trailing edge, the scraper is located near the trailing edge of the wheel, and the scraper is oriented vertically.

8. The scraper device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment means includes two bolts removably attaching the attachment end of the arm to the housing.

9. The scraper device according to claim 1, wherein the arm has an arm fold line dividing the arm into a wheel portion and a housing portion, the wheel portion has an inner surface and an outer surface, and the housing portion has an inner surface and an outer surface.

10. The scraper device according to claim 9, wherein the outer surface of the wheel portion is at an angle of about 90 degrees to the outer surface of the scraper, the outer surface of the housing portion is at an angle of about 90 degrees to the outer surface of the wheel portion, the housing portion is substantially flat and includes two parts, and the parts of the housing portion are approximately perpendicular to each other, so that the housing portion is L-shaped.

11. The scraper device according to claim 9, wherein the outer surface of the wheel portion is at an angle of about 135°

to the outer surface of the scraper, the outer surface of the housing portion is at an angle of about 135°

to the outer surface of the wheel portion, and the housing portion is substantially flat and straight and extends generally parallel to the scraper.

12. A lawnmower assembly, comprising in combination:

(a) a lawnmower having a housing, a pair of front wheels, and a pair of rear wheels, each of the front and rear wheels having a wheel surface and a trailing edge;

(b) four scraper devices, each scraper device being located near one of the wheels, each scraper device having;

(i) a scraper having a proximal edge, a distal edge, a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge, an inner surface, and an opposite outer surface, the inner surface of the scraper being of a predetermined configuration and located near the wheel surface of the corresponding wheel, the lateral edges being separated from the wheel surface of the corresponding wheel by a uniform scraper distance ranging from 3 to 7 millimeters, the length of the scraper from the proximal edge to the distal edge being approximately equal to the width of the corresponding wheel;

(ii) an arm having a scraper end and an attachment end, the scraper end attaching to the proximal edge of the scraper, the arm and the scraper being integrally attached and composed of a rigid material, the rigid material being selected from the group consisting of metal and plastic; and

(iii) attachment means for attaching the attachment end of the arm to the housing near the corresponding wheel;

wherein the arm has an arm fold line dividing the arm into a wheel portion and a housing portion, the wheel portion has an inner surface and an outer surface, and the housing portion has an inner surface and an outer surface;

wherein the scraper devices include two front scraper devices, each front scraper device is attached to the housing near one of the front wheels, the outer surface of the wheel portion of each front scraper device is at an angle of about 90 degrees to the outer surface of the scraper to which it is attached, the outer surface of the housing portion of each front scraper device is at an angle of about 90 degrees to the outer surface of the wheel portion to which it is attached, the housing portion of each front scraper device is substantially flat and includes two parts, and the two parts of the housing portion of each front scraper device are approximately perpendicular to each other, so that the housing portion of each front scraper device is L-shaped.

13. A scraper device to prevent irregular release of grass clippings from a wheel of a lawnmower, the wheel having a wheel surface, the lawnmower having a housing, the device comprising:

a scraper having a proximal edge, a distal edge, a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge, an inner surface, and an opposite outer surface, the inner surface of the scraper being of predetermined configuration and located near the wheel surface, the first and second lateral edges being separated from the wheel surface by a uniform scraper distance, the length of the scraper from the proximal edge to the distal edge being approximately equal to the width of the wheel;

an arm having a scraper end and an attachment end, the scraper end attaching to the proximal edge of the scraper, the arm and the scraper being integrally attached and composed of a rigid material; and

attachment means for attaching the attachment end of the arm to the housing near the wheel;

wherein the arm has an arm fold line dividing the arm into a wheel portion and a housing portion, the wheel portion has an inner surface and an outer surface, and the housing portion has an inner surface and an outer surface;

wherein the outer surface of the wheel portion is at an angle of about 90 degrees to the outer surface of the scraper, the outer surface of the housing portion is at an angle of about 90 degrees to the outer surface of the wheel portion, the housing portion is substantially flat and includes two parts, and the parts of the housing portion are approximately perpendicular to each other, so that the housing portion is L-shaped.