Ride-on turf mowing machine rollover protection assembly

• US 7,396,047 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2004
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Femco Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Femco Incorporated
• Inventors: Young, Rick K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth; Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROCCA, JOSEPH M
• Application Number:
  US10/891,239
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 280/756, 296/190.3, 296/205, 296/102, 180/900
• US Class Current: 280/756
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/13 Roll-over protection electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01

Abstract

A ride-on turf mowing machine rollover protection assembly consisting of a mower chassis having left and right main rails and having a plurality of cross rails spanning between the left and right main rails; left and right upwardly opening quills; a first plurality of welds rigidly interconnecting the left main rail and the left upwardly opening quill; a second plurality of welds rigidly interconnecting the right main rail and the right upwardly opening quill; a roll bar having left and right legs, each leg having a lower end, the lower ends of the left and right legs being respectively closely fitted for nesting extension into the left and right upwardly opening quills; and a plurality of helically threaded bolt, nut, and double shear eye combinations removably mounting the lower ends of the left and right legs of the roll bar within the left and right upwardly opening quills.

Claims

1. A ride-on turf mowing machine rollover protection assembly comprising:

(a) a mower chassis having left and right main rails, and having a plurality of cross rails spanning between the left and right main rails;

(b) left and right upwardly opening quills;

(c) left quill attaching means rigidly and abuttingly interconnecting the left main rail and the left upwardly opening quill;

(d) right quill attaching means rigidly and abuttingly interconnecting the right main rail and the right upwardly opening quill;

(e) a roll bar having downwardly extending left and right legs, lower ends of the left and right legs being respectively closely fitted for extension into the left and right upwardly opening quills;

(f) roll bar attaching means removably mounting the left and right legs'"'"' lower ends respectively within the left and right upwardly opening quills;

the left and right quill attaching means further respectively rigidly interconnecting the left and right upwardly opening quills and the chassis'"'"' left and right main rails; and

(g) said left and right main rails having inner surfaces and said left and right upwardly opening quills having C channel configurations opening outwardly and being closed by said left and right main rail inner surfaces respectively;

wherein said left and right quill attaching means comprises welding said left and right quills to the left and right main rail inner surfaces respectively.

2. The ride-on turf mowing machine rollover protection assembly of claim 1 wherein the left and right quill attaching means comprise fasteners selected from the group consisting of welds, helically threaded bolt, nut and apertured mounting flange combinations, rivet and apertured mounting flange combinations, clamp brackets, and wholly formed joints.

3. The ride-on turf mowing machine rollover protection assembly of claim 2 wherein the roll bar attaching means comprises a fastener selected from the group consisting of helically threaded bolt, nut, and double shear eye combinations, helically threaded screws and eye combinations, shear pin and double shear eye combinations, spring biased lug and eye combinations, channel and lock collar combinations, and helically threaded feet.

4. The ride-on turf mowing machine rollover protection assembly of claim 1 wherein the lower ends of the roll bar'"'"'s left and right legs and the left and right upwardly opening quills have rectangular horizontal cross-sectional profiles.

5. The ride-on turf mowing machine rollover protection assembly of claim 1 wherein the quill attaching means further comprises a plurality of gusset plates further interconnecting the left and right upwardly opening quills and the mower chassis.

6. The ride-on turf mowing machine rollover protection assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the roll bar'"'"'s left and right legs are canted inwardly.