Deere & Company

Dean William Benter

Gary David Hohnl

Kenneth D Schweitz

John B Kuhn

Steven Henry Buss

Daniel J Kettler

Ronald Paul Holland

James Thomas Dowe

Kevin F Thompson

A fastening assembly is adapted for attaching a composite insert to a mower deck. The insert has an opening extending therethrough and a recessed portion adjacent the opening. The recessed portion has a shoulder and a first abutment surface. The assembly includes a spacer receivable in the recessed portion adjacent the shoulder. The spacer has a passage therethrough alignable with the opening in the insert, the passage having a second abutment surface. The spacer also has an outer periphery, a portion of which forms a third abutment surface alignable with the first abutment surface for non-rotatable engagement therewith. The assembly also includes a fastening member which has a head and a shank. The shank includes a threaded portion and a further portion adjacent to the head. The further portion has a fourth abutment surface engagable with the second abutment surface whereby the fastening member is non-rotatably receivable within the spacer passage and the insert opening.

Fastener assembly for attachment of composite insert to mower deck

A mulching mower deck within which first and second mower blades rotate for cutting grass, having first and second blade chambers positioned adjacent each other and within which respective blades rotate during operation. The first and second blade chambers are generally completely enclosed for generally confining grass clippings within the blade chambers for preventing the clippings from exiting through side or top walls of the mower deck. The first and second blades travel in respective paths which overlap. The first blade is positioned to the right of the second blade with respect to forward operation of the mower deck and travels in a clockwise direction, and the second blade is positioned to the left of the first blade and travels in a counterclockwise direction. An opening is formed between the first and second blade chambers at a location where the blade paths overlap. Edges of the opening are positioned relatively close to the first and second blades near where the blade paths overlap. A flow divider defines the opening and is positioned generally above the location where the blade paths overlap, and extends downwardly from the top wall of the mower deck to a position in relatively close vertical proximity to the rotating blades where the blade paths overlap. The flow divider includes a portion directly in front of where the blade paths overlap, which acts to divide and direct air and clippings to respective blade chambers.

Mulching mower deck

A multiple spindle mower deck within which a plurality of mower blades rotate for mowing grass and having spindle housings which rotatively support respective mower blades, the spindle housings being operatively rigidly fixed with the mower deck. A belt drive mechanism drives the spindles, and includes pulleys mounted to respective spindles and a belt which operatively engages the pulleys. At least one idler pulley engages the belt. A mounting plate is provided to which said at least one idler pulley is mounted. The mounting plate is operatively fixed with the spindle housings, position above and press into abutement with the upper surface of the top wall of the mower deck by way of the same bolts which fix the spindle housing to the mower deck. The spindle housings are fixed to the mower deck by the spindle housing bolts which operatively press the spindle housings deck and mounting plate together. One of the idler pulleys is a tensioning idler which engages the belt for placing tension in the belt, and a tensioning mechanism operatively engages the tensioning pulley for applying a force to the idler pulley. The tensioning mechanism is mounted to said mounting plate.

Mounting plate for mower deck

A composite insert is provided for converting a rotary mower deck from side discharge to mulching usage. The insert can be detatchably mounted in the mower deck and provides a cutting chamber wherein grass can be cut, mulched and redistributed onto the ground beneath the mower deck. The insert forms with the mower housing a cutting chamber which includes a reduced cross-sectional area at the front portion that provides for confining and accelerating the movement of air and clippings there through to minimize build-up of clippings adjacent the chamber surfaces. At the rear portions of the chamber, a larger cross-sectional area is provided to permit the clippings to slow down and disperse, allowing the clippings to be distributed and/or redirected into the blade for mulching. It is preferred that the insert is adapted for use with a two-bladed mower deck.

Mower deck

A mechanism including a plurality of baffles positioned within a mower housing between the mower blades and a rear discharge outlet, including a first wall adjacent the edge of a respective blade and which acts to define the chamber within which the blade rotates, a second wall extending rearwardly from the first wall and defining chutes which extend between the chambers and the rear discharge outlet, and third surfaces which act to enclose the space between the first and second walls to thereby prevent air and clippings from accumulating there. The chutes generally converge at the rear outlet. Ramps are positionable within the chutes for changing the mower to a mulching mode, and include a fourth wall or surface positioned in the entrance to the chute for partially blocking air and clippings from entering the chute. A fifth surface extends rearwardly from the edge of the fourth surface to the discharge outlet. A deflector is positionable within the housing and acts to channel clippings downwardly into the blade for re-cutting at a first portion, reduce the effective volume within the chamber at a second portion, and increase the vacuuming effect at a third portion. A first blade includes a plurality of upstanding nubs which are received in respective openings formed in the second blade, and act to couple the second blade for rotation with the first blade.

Rear discharge mulching apparatus

Lawn mower

A battery mounting is provided for a walk-behind lawn mower. An enclosable compartment houses a battery bracket to suspend the battery within the compartment and protect it from sunlight and moisture. The bracket is composed of resilient rod-like material to clampingly hold the battery in place and avoid friction wear on the battery case.

Lawn mower battery mounting

A material deflector is provided for a lawn mower. The deflector is swingably carried by the mower housing and need not be removed when a bagger attachment is used. The deflector is shiftable between a first position above and biased against the mower grass bagger and a second position in registry with the mower discharge outlet. When the deflector is in registry with the rear discharge outlet, it deflects the cut material to the side of the mower. The deflector includes two adjoining material deflector surfaces, the first surface sloping downwardly and to the side and the second surface sloping rearwardly and to the side. The two surfaces meet to form a generally right angle or L-shape material deflector rather than a traditional tubular channel for conveying of the cut material.

Lawn mower discharge opening cover and deflector

In a mower deck and auxiliary blower combination in which the mower deck has a side discharge and the blower has a housing with an inlet in communication with the discharge, an elongated horizontal socket is provided on the deck and a matching rod dimensioned closely to mate with the socket is fixed on the blower so that when the rod is inserted in the socket, the housing will be supported in cantilever fashion on the mower deck. Offset from the socket and matching rod joint is a shoulder on the mower deck that underlies a shoulder on the housing and a verticle pin extends through the portion of the housing and the portion of the deck at said shoulders and detachably connects the housing end to the deck. Removal of the pin makes removal of the entire blower a mere sliding action as the rod is moved outwardly from its socket.

Growing community of inventors

Horicon, WI, United States of America

Dean William Benter