Exmark Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Exmark Mfg. Co., Inc.

Christian S C Bryant

Nickolas T Moore

Timothy D Andre

Alex W Buhr

Garry W Busboom

David M Converse

Trevor M Porter

Jeremy John Tate

Patrick D Sands

James R Gaebel

John A Swanson

Sang Pheng

Daniel W Dorn

A control system for use with a turf maintenance vehicle. In one embodiment, the control system may provide a discrete engine speed input that may provide one engine speed command upon actuation, but result in additional engine speed commands depending on an actuation time of the input. In other embodiments, the vehicle may include an electronic controller (EC) providing resettable property statistics for one or more properties. In still another embodiment, the EC may provide a maintenance monitor onboard the vehicle that indicates maintenance status, when maintenance tasks are due or past due, and permanently records historical information regarding maintenance tasks. The maintenance monitor may further adjust a maintenance interval before the maintenance task is again due based upon inputs to the maintenance monitor.

Electronic controller and turf maintenance vehicle incorporating same

A stand-up grounds maintenance vehicle including a chassis, a control tower, an implement, and a cover. The chassis is supported upon a ground surface by a plurality of ground-engaging members and extends along a longitudinal axis between a front end and a rear end. The control tower is coupled to the chassis proximate the rear end. The implement is attached to the chassis and is positioned at least partially forward of the control tower. The implement includes an implement drive. The cover extends over the implement drive and is pivotally coupled to the chassis.

Grounds maintenance vehicle with flip-up implement drive cover

Various embodiments of a grounds maintenance vehicle are disclosed. The vehicle includes a frame and a control tower disposed at or near a rear end of the frame. The control tower includes a support structure that defines an interior space of the control tower and a nonplanar removable skin connected to the support structure. The removable skin includes a front side disposed over a front side of the support structure and a lateral side disposed over at least one of a left side or a right side of the support structure. A portion of at least one of the front side or lateral side of the removable skin is disposed above an uppermost surface of the prime mover. Further, the removable skin is adapted to be at least partially removed from the support structure to facilitate additional access to the interior space of the control tower.

Grounds maintenance vehicle with removable control tower skin

Systems and methods for inhibiting implement-induced stall of a prime mover associated with a turf vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle includes an electronic controller (EC) adapted to monitor a speed of the prime mover and detect when the speed falls below a speed threshold. The EC is adapted to automatically disengage a power take-off (PTO) connecting the prime mover to the implement when the speed of the prime mover falls below this speed threshold.

Systems and methods for inhibiting implement-induced engine stall, and turf maintenance vehicles incorporating same

A small radius- or zero radius-turn vehicle that may be steered by differentially-driven rear drive wheels and by at least one electronically-controlled, steerable front wheel. A device, e.g., one or more levers, may be provided that controls both speed and direction of the drive wheels. A sensor may be provided that detects a position of the lever(s). A controller may calculate a steering angle of the front wheel based upon the position, and issue a command to an actuator associated with the front wheel. The actuator may rotate the front wheel to an electronically calculated steering angle in response to the command.

Active steering system and grounds maintenance vehicle including same

Systems and methods for determining an idle, recommended cool-down period (RCDP) for a prime mover of a grounds maintenance vehicle. Delaying engine shutdown until after expiration of the RCDP allows engine components to adequately cool. In some embodiments, systems and methods may provide a quantitative indication of the time remaining in the RCDP, while other embodiments may notify an operator that a re-start of the engine is necessary to continue cool-down.

Systems and methods for determining an engine cool-down period and grounds maintenance vehicles incorporating same

Vehicles including a power system incorporating dual drive shafts. An exemplary power system may include an engine having a vertically-oriented crankshaft that extends outwardly both below the engine (lower drive shaft) and above the engine (upper drive shaft). The lower drive shaft may power an implement of the vehicle via an implement drive system, while the upper drive shaft may power drive wheels of the vehicle via a traction drive system. In another embodiment, the second drive shaft may be formed by a jackshaft adjacent the engine.

Grounds maintenance vehicle with power system incorporating dual drive shafts

A walk aerator comprises a housing supported by a plurality of wheels that include a pair of drive wheels. The drive wheels are pivotally mounted to the housing to permit the housing to move between operational and transport positions thereof. A control is used to so move the housing with the control having a hand grip whose height above the ground is easily adjustable to accommodate users of different effective heights. A foot guard maintains a relatively constant disposition relative to the ground whether the housing is in its operational or transport position. The housing of the aerator has a vent system and an air gap relative to a prime mover deck which cool a traction drive system contained within the housing.

Walk aerator

A control system for electronically controlling engine speed and PTO clutch mechanism engagement of a grounds maintenance vehicle such as a lawn mower. In one embodiment, an electronic controller (electronic control unit or ECU) may receive operator inputs from a speed setting switch and an on/off PTO clutch engagement switch. The ECU may take these inputs and make intelligent decisions as to when to engage/disengage the clutch mechanism and may change engine speed automatically prior to, during, and/or after clutch mechanism engagement/disengagement. In one or more of these speed setting switch positions, the switch may set a speed of the engine to a first speed when the clutch mechanism is disengaged, and a second speed (different than the first speed) when the clutch mechanism is engaged.

Growing community of inventors

Lincoln, NE, United States of America

Christian S C Bryant