The Toro Company

Dana R Lonn

Fredrick D Wucherpfennig

Eric Allen Metheny

William M Dunford

Chadwick Aaron Shaffer

Christopher Douglas Weeldreyer

Steven J Svoboda

David J Scherbring

Robert C Comer

James T Wright, Iii

Jackie Ray Gust

Walter J Petersen

John M Beattie

Charles C Holley

Wilbur J Hampel

Mark S Anderson

Daniel E Peterson

Paul A Standerfer

James R Gaebel

Melvin H Jendersee

Dennis J Pavlik

Russ Huffman

Dean A Podevels

Doug Palmer

Nathan J Fortin

Steven M Calde

Heinrich F Tetzlaff

Michael T Schmidt

David Stucke

A debris blower incorporating a nozzle (e.g., removably attachable nozzle) formed from first and second mating halves, wherein the nozzle provides an airstream that oscillates as a result of dynamic fluid effects of airflow passing through the nozzle. As a result, an oscillating airstream may be produced without the use of complicated moving airflow control elements such as louvers and vanes, and without requiring manual manipulation of the blower by the operator.

Oscillating airstream nozzle for debris blower

An electric drive mower includes an electric traction drive as well as electric drive to the cutting units carried on the mower. A hybrid electric drive system supplies electric power to these motors. The electric drive system includes a genset (an internal combustion engine driving an electrical power generating device such as an alternator) and a battery pack which supply the electric power to the electric motors either individually or jointly. A switch may be provided to permit all battery operation of the mower. A steering system having a non-powered pump is used to effect steering of the steerable wheel(s) of the mower to avoid having a heated oil damage the turf in the event of a leak. A crankshaft driven by a single electric drive motor is linked to all the cutting units through various crankarm and connecting rod linkages to lift and lower the cutting units in a timed manner.

Electric drive riding mower

In one embodiment, the present invention includes irrigation control software for a computer that interacts with the features of a plurality of advanced sprinklers, environmental sensors, and other available data. The irrigation control software provides a graphical user interface to create a more efficient irrigation scheduling control interface.

Electronic irrigation system software

A system for communicating between a plurality of electronic control units (ECU's) located on-board a turf maintenance system is provided. The controllers are connected by a common bus network. When the ECU's boot up a primary controller sends a message out on the bus requesting a response if any secondary controllers are connected to the bus. The secondary controllers are programmed to listen for the request, to generate a message to identify itself, and to transmit the requested message to identify itself over the bus. The primary controller waits for a predetermined time to receive and identify the secondary controller message. The primary controller then polls for additional secondary controllers in a similar manner. Accordingly, the primary controller sequentially determines whether additional controllers are connected to the bus. Once the initial list of ECU's is built, the primary controller moves into a main program loop, including routines to exchange information with each of the secondary controllers which identified themselves during the polling process.

Turf maintenance vehicle multiple controller method and apparatus

A leak detector apparatus 10 is disclosed which measures changes in fluid level in a tube 54 substantially located within a reservoir 29 of hydraulic fluid. The tube 54 has a first end which is open to the atmosphere and a second end which is submerged in the hydraulic fluid. The reservoir 29 is selectively sealed, therefore changes in the volume of the fluid within the reservoir 29 cause the fluid level within the tube 54 to change in accordance with the principles of a manometer. A measuring device is utilized to determine the level of the fluid within the tube 54, wherein the measurement device can include a float 22 having a magnet 23 located thereon interacting with a linear array of Hall effect sensors 24. A controllable venting valve 28 is provided through the reservoir 29 to equalize the pressure within the tank with the external ambient pressure. The opening and closing of the venting valve 28 is controlled by an electronic controller device 30 that uses float position and hydraulic fluid temperature as inputs, among others. Accordingly, the float position can be reset within the tube to extend the range, thereby creating a virtual column.

Electronic liquid leak detector

The present invention provides for a turf maintenance vehicle controller which includes data logger means to store the status of predetermined parameters. The invention further includes the ability to provide such data in real time to an inexpensive diagnostic apparatus and to store the data for concurrent or later analysis by either the diagnostic apparatus or a remote microprocessor.

Turf maintenance vehicle diagnostics and parameter condition logger

The present invention provides for an automated supervisor switch device for maintaining an acceptable ground speed during cutting operations for a turf mower. The present invention does not interfere with the ground speed of the vehicle during cutting or non-cutting operations. In a preferred embodiment, an onboard controller and its attendant memory are provided with a predetermined maximum mowing speed. Second, the controller monitors the ground speed of the mower. Third, when the controller determines that the cutting reels are operative and the ground speed is approaching the maximum mowing speed of the mower, then operator perceptible warning is actuated to alert the operator. Fourth, if the speed exceeds the predetermined maximum mowing speed, then the controller disables the reels from mowing. In the preferred embodiment, the controller disables the reels by shutting off the hydraulic fluid flow from the hydraulic motors which rotate the cutting reels. Fifth, the operator is forced to take certain corrective action to re-enable the cutting reels. In the preferred embodiment, the operator is forced to move the cutting reel engagement lever to its on position.

Supervisor switch for turf mower

The present invention provides for an automated clip control device for maintaining a predetermined clip at varying ground speeds, heights of cut, and other changed conditions. The reel speed of the mower 10 is controlled based upon a feed-back control loop, using as input the ground speed of the mower 10, the actual speed of the reel 48, 50, and 52, the number of blades on the reel, and height of cut, among other factors. A microprocessor 102 uses control process equations to determine the duration of an output pulse width modulated signal which is provided to a valve 702, 706 controlling hydraulic fluid flow to the reel motor 71-75. The target value of the reel speed is determined by reading the desired height of cut value and the number of blades per reel, and then going to a look-up table which contains optimized 'linear distance traveled per time grass is cut' values. Once the appropriate look-up table target value is found, the target reel speed is determined by finding the product of the number of blades on the reel times the target clip times the ground speed times a constant (to correct for units).

Electronic control for turf maintenance vehicle

An apparatus and method is disclcosed for cultivating soil and turf by utilization of pressurized liquid injected into the soil and turf. A roller assembly (33) is provided for applying mechanical pressure to the turf after cultivation. Further, a means for setting a first speed in a transport mode and a second speed in a cultivating mode is provided. The apparatus is designed to be bidirectional to allow the apparatus to be used in both a forward and reverse direction. The flow of the pressurized liquid is controlled to be at intervals of from about 0.010 to 0.065 seconds and at pressures from about 2,300 psi to about 5,500 psi through nozzles having diameters of from about 0.033 to about 0.090 inches. The apparatus (10) utilizes a water hammer effect to effect the flow of pressurized liquid out of the nozzles 55 and has found a relationship in the pressure and pounds per square inch of the cross-sectional area of the bore of the manifold to the accumulated area of the output ports of the nozzles.

Method and apparatus for soil cultivation by high pressure injection of

A drive coupling is described which comprises a rubber article having a solid body section and a plurality of longitudinal ribs.

Drive coupling

An improved riding mower is described of the type having propulsion means, a seat for the operator, and at least one cutting head which is hydraulically driven. The cutting head is controllable between an operating norm and a non-operating norm by means of a hydraulic valve having two moveable spools, and the cutting head is moveable between a cutting position and a transport position by means of a hydraulic cylinder. A solenoid is employed to control one of the moveable spools. A first electrical switch actuated by pressure in the seat, a second electrical switch actuated by the hydraulic cylinder, and a third electrical switch actuated by the second of said spools independently actuate the solenoid in order to stop operation of the cutting head when the operator is out of the seat, when the cutting head is not in cutting position, and when the operator does not desire cutting action.

Growing community of inventors

Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Dana R Lonn