Tiller with removable battery

• US 8,607,889 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marcil, Patrick, Mooney, P. Wade, Baetica, Florin, Makeev, Olga
• Primary Examiner(s): Troutman, Matthew D
• Application Number:
  US13/410,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20120160527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 172/15, 172/41, 172/42, 172/43, 172/60, 172/112, 172/120, 172/132, 172/245, 172/250, 172/254, D15/12
• US Class Current: 172/42
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 33/028 of the walk-behind type walk-type tractors B62D51/04

Abstract

A tiller constructed in accordance to the present teachings includes a frame, a drive mechanism, and a tilling implement. The drive mechanism can be supported by the frame and include a motor having an output member. The tilling implement can have a drive shaft that is driven by the output member. The tilling implement can comprise a first tine plate and a second tine plate that are both selectively configurable along the drive shaft at a plurality of positions and orientations.

Claims

1. A method for operating a tiller having a tilling implement with a drive shaft and a set of tine plates, the set of tine plates comprising four identical tine plate structures, each tine plate structure having a plate member and a hub that is mounted to a side of the plate member, the plate member having a central body and a plurality of tines that are spaced circumferentially about the central body, each of the tines having a first portion, which extends outwardly from the from central body, and a second portion that extends away from the central body on the side of the plate member to which the hub is mounted, the method comprising:

assembling the tine plate structures to the drive shaft such that each of the hubs is disposed on an inboard side of its associated tine plate structure;

removing and re-installing the tine plate structures to the drive shaft such that each of the hubs is disposed on an outboard side of its associated tine plate structure.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing and re-installing at least a portion of the tine plate structures such that the hub of each outboard tine plate structure is disposed on an outboard side of its associated tine plate structure and the hub of an adjacent one of the tine plate structures is disposed on an inboard side of its associated tine plate structure.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing and re-installing at least a portion of the tine plate structures such that the hub of each outboard tine plate structure is disposed on an inboard side of its associated tine plate structure and the hub of an adjacent one of the tine plate structures is disposed on an outboard side of its associated tine plate structure.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein assembling the tine plate structures to the drive shaft comprises:

sliding the tine plate structures onto the drive shaft; and

inserting a pin through each hub and through the drive shaft to axially fix the tine plate structures along the drive shaft.