Midmount mower apparatus with raiseable and accessible mower deck

• US 6,988,351 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2002
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shivvers Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Shivvers Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Shivvers, Steve D., Schick, Scott A., Shivvers, Charles C.
• Primary Examiner(s): BATSON, VICTOR D
• Application Number:
  US10/223,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20020194826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 56/147, 56/151, 56/152, 56/159, 56/167, 56/171, 563/201, 563/202, 56D/IG.22
• US Class Current: 56/15.9
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2034/645 Lifting means for the cutter of the lawnmower mounted at the front of the vehicle for inspection and maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/662 to the front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 56/22 Underslung yieldable rotary mower

Abstract

A self-propelled mower includes a frame and a mower housing mounted underbelly relative to the frame by a mounting assembly. The mounting assembly allows the mower housing to be disconnected from the frame and swung near the front of the housing from a mowing configuration to an access configuration as a front end of the mower is raised. In one embodiment the frame includes a yoke that receives a nose of the housing, as the front of the mower is raised. A mechanized drive is utilized in certain embodiments to swing the mower deck to the access configuration.

Claims

1. A self-propelled mower comprising:

a) a tractor adapted to traverse ground;

said tractor having a frame and at least one front wheel and at least one rear wheel mounted on said frame with said frame extending between said front and rear wheels;

b) a mower assembly independent of said front and rear wheels and having a mower housing underbelly mounted relative to said frame such that from front to rear said mower assembly is mainly located between and is independent of said front and rear wheels during operation; and

c) a mounting assembly connecting said housing to said frame;

said mounting assembly including a forward pivot connecting said mower assembly to said frame and a disconnectable rearward hanger that connects a rear of said housing to said frame;

said rearward hanger allowing said mower housing to move vertically to adjust cutting height of said mower housing while securing said housing in a mowing configuration during normal mowing operation;

said rear hanger being selectively disconnectable to enable a rear of said housing to swing on said forward pivot downward and forward compared to a front of said housing so as to be moveable from said mowing configuration to a generally upright access configuration wherein an underside of said housing is available to a user, subsequent to said rear hanger being disconnected.

2. The mower according to claim 1 wherein:

a) said front wheel is a first front wheel and including a second front wheel; and

including

b) a cross member connected near opposite ends thereof to said first and second front wheels;

said cross member being centrally pivotally connected to said frame so as to allow side to side pivoting of said front wheels about an axis extending from front to rear of the mower;

said cross member being sized and positioned to allow said housing to move to the access configuration thereof.

3. A self propelled mower including:

a) a frame mounted on front and rear ground traversing wheels;

said frame being medially selectively pivotal between a front portion and a rear portion thereof;

b) an underbelly mower housing located substantially between and being independent of said front and rear wheels and operably positioned during mowing beneath said frame;

c) a mounting assembly mounting said mower housing on said frame;

d) a mechanized drive connected to said frame and to near a rear of said mower housing to operably rotate said mower housing between a mowing configuration and a raised accessible configuration thereof;

e) a motor;

f) said mower being operably driven through a drive belt by said motor; and

g) a tensioning and retention rod secured to said frame and positioned so as to engage said drive belt when said mower housing is moved from said mowing configuration to said accessible configuration so as to retain said belt on said mower during conversion between configurations.

4. A self propelled mower including:

a) a frame mounted on front and rear ground traversing wheels;

b) an underbelly mower housing located substantially between and being independent of said front and rear wheels and operably positioned during mowing beneath said frame;

c) a mounting assembly mounting said mower housing on said frame;

d) said frame includes a frontward portion and a rearward portion with at least part of said mower housing being supported by said frame frontward portion;

e) said frame frontward portion being joined to said frame rearward portion at a pivot located between said front and rear wheels and allowing a front of said frontward portion to be pivoted so as to raise said mower housing from a mowing configuration to a blade accessible configuration thereof;

f) an over center spring type mechanism joined at opposite ends to said frame frontward and rearward portions; and

g) said spring type mechanism applying continuous tension and being sized and positioned such that said spring type mechanism is located above said pivot when in said accessible configuration and below said pivot when in said mowing configuration so as to urge the mower housing into the respective configurations thereof at least partly during movement between configurations.