Snapper, Inc.

Briggs & Stratton, LLC

Ariens Company

Snapper Products, Inc.

Frank H Hancock

Stephen C Price

James R Powers

Steven D Smyly

Lucius Levon Cole

Fielder Fields Glass

Kevin D Craddock

One or more elongate barriers are provided that are movably (in one configuration pivotably) mounted proximate the outside of a grass cutting deck. When one of the barriers encounters a foreign object in a certain manner, the barrier moves towards its 'tripped' position, thus causing a corresponding change to the operating characteristic of the lawn mover, be it a termination of the cutting process, the mower drive process, or both. The barriers can be used with electric or mechanical control elements.

Elongate barrier system for use with lawn mower decks

A lawn mower that includes a cutting blade rotatable about a blade axis to produce clippings and a mower deck including a side opening positioned to allow for the discharge of the clippings. A discharge chute is coupled to the mower deck adjacent the side opening. The discharge chute includes a first plate that at least partially defines the front of the discharge chute and a second plate that at least partially defines the rear of the discharge chute. The second plate is spaced apart from and arranged at a first angle relative to the first plate. A top plate is coupled to and arranged at a second angle relative to the front plate. The first plate, the second plate, and the top plate, are movable to move the discharge chute between a first position and a second position such that the first angle and the second angle remain substantially constant.

Retractable discharge chute for a lawn mower

A grass cutting blade is provided which can be rotated in either direction while providing cutting and airlift in either direction. This can be used in cooperation with a cutting deck housing which includes a particular discharge opening and channel configuration which facilitates side discharge for one blade direction and mulching in the other. By controlling the blade direction, such as by an electric switch controlling electric blade shaft drive motor, side discharge or mulching can be had at a flip of a switch.

Lawn mower with improved blade and blade housing

One or more elongate barriers are provided that are movably (in one configuration pivotably) mounted proximate the outside of a grass cutting deck. When one of the barriers encounters a foreign object in a certain manner, the barrier moves towards its &ldquo;tripped&rdquo; position, thus causing a corresponding change to the operating characteristic of the lawn mover, be it a termination of the cutting process, the mower drive process, or both. The barriers can be used with electric or mechanical control elements.

A disabling feature used with a lawn mower, for disabling the drive wheels of a lawn mower when an obstacle is encountered. Braking, engine kill, blade stopping, and declutching is contemplated upon the tripping of a pivotable contact device which in one embodiment is configured to be tripped when contacting an object while in reverse. A directional extension flap is also provided.

Lawn mower having disabling feature

A shield configuration for a snowthrowing discharge chute, which may be pivoted out of the way for clean-out purposes while reducing the opportunity for the user to extend a body part or other object into the chute while the engine is running. The apparatus makes a clean-out rod readily available to the user just after the shield has been opened.

Snowthrower discharge assembly clearance method and apparatus for facilitating same

A lock out feature for preventing a lawn mower from going into reverse unless the lawn mower blade is first disengaged, while allowing the lawn mower cutting blade to be reengaged upon being placed in reverse, the latch nevertheless allowing the lawn mower to be moved out of reverse without disengaging the lawn mower blade. An override feature is also allowed by use of a separate override control to allow the user to override the reverse lock out latch in order to go from forward or neutral into reverse without disengaging the cutting blade.

Method and apparatus for restricting grass cutting of a lawn mower in reverse

A lockout feature for preventing a lawn mower from going into reverse unless the lawn mower blade is first disengaged, while allowing the lawn mower cutting blade to be reengaged upon being placed in reverse, the latch nevertheless allowing the lawn mower to be moved out of reverse without disengaging said lawn mower blade. An override feature is also allowed by use of a separate override control to allow the user to override the reverse lock out latch in order to go from forward or neutral into reverse without disengaging the cutting blade.

This invention relates in general to lawn mowers, and particularly relates to a front wheel swivel assembly which can be selectively locked into a straight-ahead orientation during operation of the mower and by use of controls within the operator's reach during normal cutting operation of the mower.

Growing community of inventors

Jackson, GA, United States of America

Frank H Hancock