Power lawn mower including shortened control arms for use in deck lift system

• US 6,438,931 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2000
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wright Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wright Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Velke, James D., Wright, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FABIAN-KOVACS, ARPAD
• Application Number:
  US09/714,824
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 56/147, 56/155, 56/167, 56/154, 56/101, 563/23, 56/127, 56D/IG.10, 180/6.48, 180/6.5, 180/6.62, 180/19.1, 180/19.3, 180/19.2, 280/870.43, 280/760, 280/32.7
• US Class Current: 56/14.7
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2034/6843 Control levers on the handle of the mower
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/6806 Driving mechanisms for the cutters A01D34/76

Abstract

A self-propelled power lawn mower having a deck lift system for raising and lowering the cutter deck assembly together with the engine deck and engine as a single unit to adjust the cutting height of the mower. Control arms are short enough length so that pivoting of the control arms an angle Φ of fifteen degrees during raising or lowering of the cutter deck assembly causes the cutter deck assembly to move a vertical distance “d” of no more than about 2.5 inches.

Claims

1. A self-propelled power lawn mower comprising:

first and second rear drive wheels that are independently driveable so as to enable the mower to conduct approximate zero radius turns about a zero radius turning axis;

a foot platform for supporting at least one foot of an operator of the mower, said foot platform being located at an elevation less than an elevation of a top edge of at least one of said rear drive wheels;

a deck lift system for raising and lowering a cutter deck assembly, an engine deck, and an engine together as one unit in order to adjust a blade cutting height of the mower;

control arms pivotally attached to at least one of the cutter deck and engine deck in order to provide lateral positioning of the cutter deck assembly and engine deck during the raising and lowering; and

wherein said control arms are short enough in length so that pivoting of the control arms an angle Φ

of fifteen (15) degrees either upward or downward during raising or lowering of the cutter deck assembly causes the cutter deck assembly to move a vertical distance “

d”

no more than about 2.5 inches.

2. The mower of claim 1, wherein said control arms are short enough in length so that pivoting of the control arms an angle Φ

of fifteen (15) degrees either upward or downward during raising or lowering of the cutter deck assembly causes the cutter deck assembly to move a vertical distance “

d”

no more than about 2.0 inches.

3. The mower of claim 2, wherein said control arms are short enough in length so that pivoting of the control arms an angle Φ

of fifteen (15) degrees either upward or downward during raising or lowering of the cutter deck assembly causes the cutter deck assembly to move a vertical distance “

d”

no more than about 1.8 inches.

4. The mower of claim 1, wherein a pivot axis about which the control arms pivot is defined by apertures in control arm support tabs provided on a tractor frame structure.

5. The mower of claim 4, wherein the control arms are pivotally connected between said cutter deck assembly and a tractor frame structure, so that a first end of each control arm is pivotally connected to the tractor frame structure and a second end of each control arm is pivotally connected to the cutter deck assembly.

6. The mower of claim 5, wherein the control arms are pivotally connected to a front wall of the tractor frame structure via control arm support tabs, each of said control arm support tabs being rigidly affixed to the tractor frame structure and having an aperture defined therein for defining a pivot axis of the corresponding control arm.

7. The mower of claim 1, wherein said engine deck is rigidly affixed to said cutter deck assembly so that a plane defined by said engine deck upon which the engine is mounted is at an elevation above an elevation defined by a top surface of said cutter deck.

8. The mower of claim 1, wherein a rear edge of said engine deck extends over top of, and rearwardly of, rearwardmost ends of said control arms.

9. A power mower comprising:

at least one drive wheel;

an engine deck structure upon which an engine is mounted;

a cutter deck assembly for housing one or more cutting blades for cutting grass;

a deck lift system for raising and lowering the cutter deck assembly, the engine deck, and the engine together as a unit in order to adjust a blade cutting height of the mower; and

wherein a control arm, for helping provide lateral positioning of the cutter deck assembly during the raising and lowering, is short enough in length so that pivoting of the control arm an angle Φ

of fifteen (15) degrees during raising or lowering of the cutter deck assembly causes the cutter deck assembly to move a vertical distance “

d”

of no more than about 2.5 inches.

10. The mower of claim 9, wherein said control arm is short enough in length so that pivoting of the control arm an angle Φ

of fifteen (15) degrees during raising or lowering of the cutter deck assembly causes the cutter deck assembly to move a vertical distance “

d”

no more than about 2.0 inches.

11. The mower of claim 9, wherein said control arm is short enough in length so that pivoting of the control arm an angle Φ

of fifteen (15) degrees either upward or downward during raising or lowering of the cutter deck assembly causes the cutter deck assembly to move a vertical distance “

d”

no more than about 1.8 inches.

12. The mower of claim 9, wherein a pivot axis about which the control arm pivots is defined by apertures in control arm support tabs provided on a tractor frame structure.

13. The power mower of claim 9, wherein a first end of the control arm is pivotally attached to the cutter deck assembly and a second end of the control arm is pivotally attached to a tractor frame structure.

14. The power mower of claim 13, wherein the tractor frame structure supports each of a foot platform and a seat for an operator.