Adjustable baffle for mowing deck

• US 20030154705A1
• Filed: 01/14/2003
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metalcraft of Mayville Incorporated (Metalcraft), Scag Power Equipment (Metalcraft)
• Original Assignee: Scag Power Equipment (Metalcraft)
• Inventors: Sugden, David J., Boeck, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 6,892,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 56/320.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/005 Mulching means
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/685 with two or more cutters

Abstract

An adjustable baffle assembly that can be moveably coupled to a front flow control baffle of a lawnmower cutting deck. The adjustable baffle assembly includes a first wall that is securable to the front flow control baffle in at least a first position and a second position. In some embodiments, the adjustable baffle also includes at least one flange that extends generally rearwardly from a bottom edge of the first wall into a generally triangularly shaped space defined between adjacent cutting circles.

Claims

1. An adjustable baffle for a mower deck, the mower deck including a contoured front baffle that partially defines at least one cutting chamber, the adjustable baffle comprising:

a wall including at least one substantially linear portion and at least one arcuate portion, the wall having a contour that corresponds to at least a portion of the contoured front baffle;

a plurality of mounting apertures defined by the wall; and

a plurality of fasteners selectively positionable with respect to the plurality of mounting apertures to selectively couple the wall of the adjustable baffle to the front baffle in at least a first position and a second position.

2. The adjustable baffle of claim 1, wherein the front baffle includes a lower edge and the wall includes a bottom edge that is substantially parallel to the lower edge when the adjustable baffle is coupled to the front baffle.

3. The adjustable baffle of claim 2, wherein when the adjustable baffle is in the first position, the bottom edge is spaced a first distance from the lower edge, and wherein when the adjustable baffle is in the second position, the bottom edge is spaced a second distance from the lower edge.

4. The adjustable baffle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures includes a first set of apertures and a second set of apertures, and wherein when the adjustable baffle is in the first position, each of the plurality of fasteners extends through a respective aperture of the first set of apertures, and when the adjustable baffle is in the second position, each of the plurality of fasteners extends through a respective aperture of the second set of apertures.

5. The adjustable baffle assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures includes a plurality of slots, and wherein when the adjustable baffle assembly is in the first position, each of the plurality of fasteners extends through a first portion of a respective slot of the plurality of slots, and wherein when the adjustable baffle assembly is in the second position, each of the plurality of fasteners extends through a different portion of the respective slot.

6. The adjustable baffle assembly of claim 1, further comprising a first baffle portion and a second baffle portion, and wherein the baffle portions are coupled to one another to define the wall.

7. The adjustable baffle assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of slots defined by the wall and affording attachment of additional baffle assemblies to the mower deck.

8. An adjustable baffle for a mower deck, the mower deck including a front baffle that partially defines at least two cutting chambers, the adjustable baffle comprising:

a first wall selectively coupleable to the front baffle in at least a first position and a second position and having a bottom edge; and

a flange extending from the bottom edge toward the at least two cutting chambers.

9. The adjustable baffle of claim 8, wherein the mower deck rotatably supports at least two cutting blades that rotate to define cutting circles, and wherein the flange extends into a generally triangularly shaped space defined by the cutting circles and the front baffle to reduce the undesirable expulsion of air and grass clippings from the mower deck.

10. The adjustable baffle of claim 8, wherein the flange extends substantially perpendicularly with respect to the first wall.

11. The adjustable baffle of claim 8, wherein the front baffle includes a lower edge and wherein when the adjustable baffle is in the first position, the bottom edge is a first distance from the lower edge, and when the adjustable baffle is in the second position, the bottom edge is a second distance from the lower edge.

12. The adjustable baffle of claim 8, wherein one of the front baffle and the adjustable baffle defines a plurality of slots, and the other of the front baffle and the adjustable baffle defines a plurality of holes, and wherein fasteners are extendable through the slots and the holes to couple the adjustable baffle to the front baffle, the slots affording movement of the adjustable baffle between at least the first and second positions.

13. The adjustable baffle of claim 8, wherein the first wall is substantially linear.

14. A mower deck securable to a lawnmower for movement over the ground, the lawnmower operable to rotate first and second cutting blades that are rotatably supported by first and spindles for rotation in a plane that is substantially parallel to the ground, each cutting blade defining a cutting circle as the cutting blade rotates, the mower deck comprising:

a top wall;

a rear baffle extending from a rearward portion of the top wall toward the ground proximate the cutting circles;

a front baffle extending from a forward portion of the top wall toward the ground and cooperating with the rear baffle to at least partially define cutting chambers;

an adjustable baffle mounted on the front baffle and moveable with respect to the top wall between a first position and a second position to adjust a height of the baffle above the ground, the adjustable baffle including a flange spaced from the top wall and extending into the cutting chambers toward the cutting circles.

15. The mower deck of claim 14, wherein the flange extends substantially parallel to the top wall.

16. The mower deck of claim 14, wherein the flange extends into a generally triangularly shaped space defined by the cutting circles and the front baffle to reduce the undesirable expulsion of air and grass clippings from the mower deck.

17. The mower deck of claim 14, wherein the adjustable baffle includes a bottom edge that is substantially parallel to the top wall, and wherein the flange extends from the bottom edge.

18. The mower deck of claim 14, further comprising a third spindle supported by the top wall and rotatably supporting a third cutting blade that defines a cutting circle.

19. The mower deck of claim 18, wherein the flange extends toward the cutting circles defined by the first and second cutting blades, and wherein the adjustable baffle includes an additional flange that extends toward the cutting circles defined by the first and third cutting blades.

20. The mower deck of claim 19, wherein each flange extends substantially parallel to the top wall.

21. The mower deck of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of spacers selectively mountable to adjust a cutting height by changing a first distance between the top wall and the cutting blades.

22. The mower deck of claim 21, wherein the spacers are selectively mounted between the spindle and the cutting blade.

23. The mower deck of claim 21, wherein the adjustable baffle is moveable to maintain a second distance between the cutting blades and a bottom edge of the adjustable baffle when the first distance is changed.

24. The mower deck of claim 14, wherein the first and second spindles are mounted to the top wall.