Mower discharge interlock apparatus

• US 3,949,540 A
• Filed: 08/02/1974
• Issued: 04/13/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Original Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Inventors: Christopherson, Herman P., Witt, Robert H., Pavlik, Dennis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kinsey, Russell R.
• Application Number:
  US05/494,330
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 56/202, 56/320.2, 56/14.7, 56/255, 56/10.4
• US Class Current: 56/202
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/63 having cutters rotating about a vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 43/063 in or into a container carried by the mower; Containers therefor A01D43/077 takes precedence

Abstract

An improved arrangement, for a lawn mower having a closable discharge passage, which comprises a bag, means mounting the bag on the housing and handle of the mower with a portion of the mouth of the bag in apposition with the discharge passage, interlock means for preventing the opening of the discharge passage unless the bag is mounted on the housing, and means for opening the full mouth of the bag, to empty mown grass therefrom, and for automatically acting, when the bag is remounted on the mower, to close that portion of the mouth which extends beyond the discharge passage.

Claims

1. In combination:

a rotary lwan mower including a housing, configured to define the walls of a recessed rear discharge passage, and handle means extending rearwardly and upwardly from said housing;

closure means pivotally mounted in said housing at said discharge passage for movement between a first position, in which it occludes said passage, and a second position, in which it is withdrawn into the recess of said passage to fully open said passage;

a removable grass catching bag for said mover having a closed end for support by said handle means and a mouth end larger than said discharge passage;

frame means, for the mouth end of said bag, including means securing said bag to said housing at said discharge passage;

and means carried in part by said housing and in part by said frame means, and interlocked with said closure means, for normally preventing opening of said passage unless said bag is secured to said mower.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 together with means pivotally secured to said frame means for releasably closing the portion of said mouth end which extends beyond said discharge passage.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said closure means comprises two rigid members and a resilient member secured therebetween and projecting laterally therebeyond for edge contact internally with a wall of said discharge passage in the closed position of said member.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which said closure means is mounted at the top of said passage and said resilient member projects downwardly beyond said rigid members for a significant distance, whereby to enable said closure member to reach its closed position even though mown grass may lie on the floor of the discharge passage.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 together with means for cooperating with said latch bar to prevent said closure means from being forced beyond the normal closed position thereof.

2. In combination:

a rotary lawn mower including a housing, having a rear deck and configured to define a recessed rear discharge passage, and handle means extending rearwardly and upwardly from said housing;

closure means pivotally mounted in said housing at the top of said discharge passage for movement between a first position, in which it occludes said passage, and a second position, in which it is withdrawn into the recess of said passage to fully open said passage;

a removable grass catching bag for said mower having a closed end for support by said handle means and a mouth end larger than said discharge passage;

frame means, for the mouth end of said bag, including means for supporting said bag on said deck and means securing said bag to the top of said housing at said discharge passage;

and means carried in part by said housing and in part by said frame means, and interlocked with said closure means, for normally preventing opening of said passage unless said bag is secured to said mower.

4.

a rotary lawn mower including a housing configured to define a discharge passage for mown grass;

closure means pivotally mounted in said housing at the discharge end of said passage for movement between a first position, in which it occludes said passage, and a second position, in which it presents no impediment to the movement of mown grass through said passage;

a grass catching bag for mounting on said housing in apposition with said passage to receive mown grass discharged therefrom;

a closure operator connected to said closure means and movable through an arcuate range to cause said movement of said closure means, and including a radially releasable latch bar;

means carried by said housing for cooperating with said latch bar to hold said closure operator in a position in which said closure means is in its first position;

retaining means carried by said housing for normally preventing release of said latch bar from said latch means;

and means carried by said bag and effective when said bag is mounted on said housing to disable said retaining means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 together with means cooperating with said latch bar to releasably retain said closure operator in a position in which said closure means is in its second position.

6. In combination:

a rotary lawn mower including a housing configured to define the inner walls of a discharge passage;

closure means mounted in said housing at said discharge passage for movement between a first position, in which it occludes said passage, and a second position, in which it fully opens said passage;

a removable grass catching bag mounted on said mower and having a mouth end larger than said discharge passage;

frame means for the mouth end of said bag, including means securing said bag to said housing;

and means carried in part by said housing and in part by said frame means, and interlocked with said closure means, for normally preventing movement of said closure member out of said first position unless said bag is secured to said member.