Mower with scissor lift mowing height adjustment mechanism
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A mower comprising:
- a) a frame having a rear and a front;
b) a mower deck having a rear and a front; and
c) a deck height adjustment mechanism joining the deck with the frame and cooperating with the frame and the deck to vary the cutting height of the deck relative to the frame; and
wherein(d) the height adjustment assembly comprises first and second linkages pivotally and medially joined together at a pivot;
the first linkage having a first end connected to the deck near the rear of the mower deck and a second end pivotally connected to the frame near the front of the frame;
the second linkage having a first end connected to the mower deck near the front of the mower deck and a second end that is free from attachment to the frame but which is sized, shaped, and located so as to slide along the frame during height adjustment in a cutting configuration and so as to freely disengage from the frame when in a maintenance mode.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A reduced weight underbelly mower has a cutting deck suspended beneath a frame by a deck height adjustment mechanism with a pivotable scissor configuration. The deck height adjustment mechanism cooperates with the mower frame so as manually or through a motorized jack to adjust the cutting height. Due to the mower'"'"'s reduced weight and the scissor-like configuration of the deck height adjustment mechanism, an operator can manually lift the mower front end and swing the deck rear swinging forward, such that the mower rests stabilly on the deck rear and the deck underside is exposed for maintenance procedures.
73 Citations
13 Claims
-
1. A mower comprising:
-
a) a frame having a rear and a front; b) a mower deck having a rear and a front; and c) a deck height adjustment mechanism joining the deck with the frame and cooperating with the frame and the deck to vary the cutting height of the deck relative to the frame; and
wherein(d) the height adjustment assembly comprises first and second linkages pivotally and medially joined together at a pivot;
the first linkage having a first end connected to the deck near the rear of the mower deck and a second end pivotally connected to the frame near the front of the frame;
the second linkage having a first end connected to the mower deck near the front of the mower deck and a second end that is free from attachment to the frame but which is sized, shaped, and located so as to slide along the frame during height adjustment in a cutting configuration and so as to freely disengage from the frame when in a maintenance mode. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. A method of operating a mower having a mower deck suspended beneath a frame by a height adjustment mechanism including the steps of:
-
a) providing a scissor lift assembly including first and second linkages medially joined by a pivot and wherein each linkage has a first end and a second end b) pivotally joining a first end of the first linkage to a rearward side of the deck and a second end of the linkage to a frontward side of the frame; c) pivotally joining a first end of the second linkage to a frontward side of the deck; d) leaving the second end of the second linkage unattached from the frame while allowing the second end of the second linkage to engage the frame during operation of the mower and to slide along the frame during height adjustment of the deck; e) adjusting the height of the deck relative to the frame by alternatively moving the pivot toward and away from the frame while allowing the second linkage second end to slide along the frame. - View Dependent Claims (4)
-
-
5. A mower comprising:
-
a) a frame having a front end; b) a mower deck having a rear end and a front end; and c) a deck height adjustment mechanism joining the deck with the frame and cooperating with the frame and the deck to vary the cutting height of the deck relative to the frame; and
whereind) the height adjustment assembly comprises a pair of scissor assemblies located on opposite sides of the mower;
each scissor assembly comprising first and second linkages pivotally and medially joined together at a pivot;
each of the first linkages having a first end connected to the rear end of the deck and a second end pivotally connected to the frame near the front end of the frame;
each of the second linkages having a first end connected to the front end of the mower deck and a second end that is free from attachment to the frame and that is sized, shaped, and located so as to slide along the frame during height adjustment in a cutting configuration and so as to freely disengage from the frame when in a maintenance mode. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
-
-
8. A mower comprising:
-
a) a frame; b) a mower deck; and c) a deck height adjustment mechanism joining the deck with the frame and cooperating with the frame and the deck to vary the cutting height of the deck relative to the frame; d) a pair of scissor lift assemblies, each scissor lift assembly including a front end pivotally attached to the frame and a rear end that is slidable along the frame during height adjustment and mowing operation of the mower, the scissor lift assemblies being operably movable between a plurality of configurations corresponding to a plurality of different cutting heights, whereby the scissor lift assemblies cooperate to move the deck between the different cutting heights;
each scissor lift assembly includes;i) a pair of scissor linkages pivotably joined together by a pivot pin so as to be movable between the plurality of scissor positions;
whereinii) the plurality of scissor positions including at least one opened position and a closed position; iii) a first of the linkages includes a first end pivotably attached to the frame and a second end pivotably attached to the deck; and iv) a second of the linkages includes a first end pivotably attached to the deck and a second end; and v) the second linkage second ends are joined by a laterally extending rod; e) a control assembly operably linked with the scissor lift assemblies, whereby an operator of the mower moves the scissor lift assemblies between the plurality of configurations; f) the height adjustment mechanism first linkage having a front end that is pivotally attached to the front of the frame and a rear end of a second linkage that is free of attachment to the frame;
whereing) when in a first operating mode the deck height adjustment mechanism is operably adjustable between different cutting heights of the deck in a cutting configuration; h) when in a second operating mode, the deck height adjustment mechanism cooperates with the frame and the deck to rotate the deck about a front end of the deck between the cutting configuration and a maintenance configuration. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
Specification