The Toro Company

Eckhard Hauer

Daniel G Stiller

Kris Lindstrom

Pedro Dutsch

A multi-purpose turf machine ( ) used primarily as a triplex turf mower includes a system for attaching an &ldquo;operating unit&rdquo; (e.g., a turf cutting unit) to a traction vehicle ( ); and for moving the operating units, e.g., a pair of front cutting units ( ), between a working position and a transport position, the system utilizing a single actuator ( ) to provide both vertical lifting as well as &ldquo;wing-like&rdquo; pivoting motion. The attachment system includes a female A-frame member ( ) attached to the front cutting units ( ) and a mating male A-frame member ( ) movably connected to the frame ( ) of the vehicle ( ). The machine ( ) additionally includes a belt drive system to power the cutting units ( ). The belt drive system provides correct belt tension between a driving pulley ( ) located on the vehicle ( ) and a driven pulley ( ) located on the end of each cutting unit ( ) when the cutting units are in the working position. The drive system can additionally accommodate the wing-like pivoting motion of the front cutting units ( ) as they are moved from the working position to the transport position and back again. Finally, a preferred attachment system is highly versatile and easily permits removal and installation of a wide variety of operating units, e.g., cutting units, brooms, blowers, dump carts and dozer blades.

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Gummersbach, Germany

Eckhard Hauer