The Toro Company

Gary R Lamusga

Gerald Eugene Goman

Ricky A Galewski

Steven A Sallstrom

Todd P Legault

Robert David Patton

Charles C Holley

William D Wood

Daniel E Peterson

Howard H Bohm

Rodney W Woock

Neil R Whitman

A reel mower has a plurality of reel cutting units comprising a pair of laterally spaced front cutting units ahead of the front wheels of the mower and a center rear cutting unit between the front and rear wheels of the mower. A pivotal footrest in front of the operator's seat may be selectively swung to the side to clear an open space in front of the seat in which the center rear cutting unit is at least partially received. This permits an operator or mechanic to easily reach the center rear cutting unit by walking through the lateral space between the front cutting units into the open space that contains the center rear cutting unit.

Reel mower with pivotal footrest providing access to center rear cutting unit

A reel mower has a double A arm suspension that lowers a reel cutting unit into a cutting position in a tail down orientation and that levels the reel cutting unit out as it lifts the reel cutting unit into a transport position. The reel cutting unit yaws during turns about a substantially vertical axis having a negative caster angle. The suspension has clamps that can be flipped open or closed to quickly attach or detach the reel cutting unit. A drive motor can be quickly attached or detached to the reel cutting unit using a pivotal wire form. An active counterbalance system automatically offsets the increasing weight of a grass basket on the reel cutting unit to maintain quality of cut. The grass basket maintains a constant spacing relative to the reel cutting unit when the reel cutting unit pitches to improve clipping collection.

Reel mower with easily removable cutting units having easily removable motors

A reel mower has a plurality of reel cutting units. Each reel cutting unit is connected to a frame of the reel mower by its own double A arm suspension that lowers a reel cutting unit into a cutting position in a tail down orientation and that levels the reel cutting unit out as it lifts the reel cutting unit into a transport position.

Reel mower with cutting units suspended by double A arm suspensions

A mower includes a traction frame that supports at least one cutting unit and a grass catcher associated with each cutting unit. The cutting unit and grass catcher are both operatively coupled to the traction frame such that they both jointly are able to steer or yaw together during turns of the traction frame. This permits the gap between the cutting unit and a grass basket which is part of the grass catcher to remain constant whether the traction frame is travelling straight or is turning. This ensures that the grass clippings will be properly retained in the grass basket without dribbling out of the grass basket. In addition, a system is provided for keeping the grass catcher level as it is lifted up out of engagement with the ground into a raised, transport position, also to better retain the grass clippings within the grass basket.

Steerable cutting unit with steerable and level lift grass catcher

A high pressure liquid containment joint in an apparatus for injecting high pressure liquid into turf. A preferred high pressure liquid containment joint includes an O-ring (72). The high pressure liquid containment joint also includes a cylindrical plug (70). The plug (70) includes a first end and a second end, external threads (71) located between the first and second ends, a shoulder (73) for accepting the O-ring (72) wherein the shoulder (73) is located between the external threads (71) and the second end. The plug (70) also includes a hexhead (75) connected with the first end for accepting rotational force. The high pressure liquid containment joint also includes a high pressure liquid containment vessel for containing high pressure liquid wherein the vessel includes a threaded bore (74) wherein the bore (74) includes internal threads (172) for engaging the external threads (71) and two, smooth machined frusto-conical surfaces (174, 175) for contacting the O-ring. The O-ring (72) and the frusto-conical surfaces (174, 175) form a liquid impermeable barrier when the external threads (71) engage the internal threads (172) and the plug (70) and the O-ring (72) are rotated relative to the threaded bore (74) and wherein the barrier lies between the high pressure liquid and the external and internal threads (71, 172) whereby stresses on the internal threads (172) in the containment vessel are reduced resulting in a reduced chance of structural failure of the containment vessel.

High pressure liquid containment joint for hydraulic aerator

A lift arm assembly (30, 32) for a commercial riding mower includes pivotal lift arms (36, 38, 40, 120), each of which is biased downwardly by an adjustable spring arrangement for better control and contact between the underlying turf and the cutting reels supported on the outer ends of the lift arms.

Cutting reel suspension with adjustable spring downloading

A bag support for a riding lawn mower grass collector includes a rectangular framework (2) attached to a mower (10) with grass directing hood (4). A grass bag (6) has a resilient frame (8) extending substantially around bag opening (40). A much larger leaf bag (80) has a resilient frame (82) extending substantially around bag opening (40'). Frames (8, 82) include three continuous coplanar sides and a fourth side with a central open space (44, 86) bounded by a pair of handles (12, 12') extending perpendicularly outward from frame (8, 82). The sections of the fourth side adjacent open space (44, 82) are at an acute angle to the plane of the three coplanar sides. Frames (8, 82) are configured to match separate portions of framework (2). Framework (2) includes transverse brackets (14) and (16) at locations to correspond with alternate sizes of bag (6) or (80). Handle retaining brackets (18) are attached to rear of framework (2) to receive handles (12, 12'). Brackets (18), resilient frame (8, 82), brackets (14) or (16) and angled segments (45, 87) of the fourth side of frames (8, 82) cooperate to provide a sealing engagement between framework (2) and matching frames (8, 82). Framework (2) can thus support a plurality of small bags (6) or a single larger bag (80) by utilizing brackets (14) or (16), respectively.

Lawn mower grass collector bag support

A lawn mower (2) is moveably supported by wheels (14) and (16). Wheels (14) and (16) are eccentrically mounted on front and rear link members (24) and (28) which are respectively joined together in pairs by through axles (30). Two flexible cables (32) and (34) transmit this rotation from one front link member (24) to one rear link member (28). One of the link members (24) and (28) is coupled by a flexible cable (80) to a selectively operable control (60) for effecting manual rotation of all of the link members (24) and (28). This effects a change in the height of the wheels (14) and (16) relative to housing (4) simultaneously.

Growing community of inventors

Prior Lake, MN, United States of America

Gary R Lamusga