The Toro Company

Gordon R Schmidt

Jeremy A Fohrenkamm

Jamie R Larson

David A Plautz

Erik A Wiebold

Timothy P McLeod

Darrell W Hinklin

Walter J Petersen

Jack R Gust

Malachy P Fay

Jeffrey T Drake

Helmut J Ullrich

Donald T Lackner

A utility vehicle has a frame that is separable at a location passing through an operator compartment of the vehicle into front and rear sections with the seat base and seat assembly of the operator compartment remaining with the rear section and the rest of the operator compartment remaining with the front section. A seat extension kit is provided having a frame extension, a seat module, and a floorboard module that may be inserted between the split front and rear sections with the frame extension being fastened to such sections using pre-existing fastener holes in the vehicle frame and the frame extension. When so inserted, the seat module forms a new front row of seating with the floorboard module extending between the seat module and the original seat base and seat assembly, which now form a rear row of seating. This expands the vehicle seating capacity from two people to four people.

Method and kits for converting a two seat utility vehicle to a four seat configuration and for providing an extended bed thereon

A mower for cutting grass comprises a traction frame that is self-propelled over the ground by a power source carried on the traction frame. The mower includes a thumb wheel throttle control that progressively increases and decreases the power output of the power source as the thumb wheel is rotated in one direction or an opposite direction. The thumb wheel has a plurality of tabs that define grooves on an arcuate rim on the thumb wheel for receiving a thumb or index finger of one of the operator's hands.

Mower with thumb wheel throttle control

A riding mower has a frame supported by a plurality of wheels including a pair of front drive wheels covered by front fenders. A plurality of cutting units are arranged in advance of the frame. The operator sits on a seat atop the frame at the front of the frame. The operator mounts and dismounts the seat from behind the front fenders and the front wheel and not from the front, access to the seat from the front being prevented by the placement of the cutting units. A pivotal armrest along one side of the seat normally blocks access to the seat from that side. However, the armrest can be pivoted to a raised position in which it clears the seat to allow the operator to reach the seat from that side of the seat. The armrest carries a lift and lower control for lifting and lowering the cutting units and a start/stop control for starting and stopping the operation of the cutting units, the operational controls moving with the armrest as the armrest moves between its lowered operational position and its raised position.

Mower with flip up armrest carrying operational controls and display

A triplex trim mower (100) including a vehicle (102) having two front drive wheels (104) and one rear steerable wheel (106). Mounted generally forward of the front wheels (104) are two reel-type cutting units (108a) laterally offset about the longitudinal axis (110) of the vehicle (102). Mounted between the front and rear wheels and substantially centered between the forward cutting units (108a) is a rear reel-type cutting unit (108b). A lateral support frame (137) is incorporated into the main frame of traction vehicle (102). The cutting units (108) are supported by a lateral carrier frame (144) which is slidably engaged to lateral support frame (137) such that carrier frame (144) can move laterally relative to support frame (137). A hydraulic cylinder (158) permits carrier frame (144) to be laterally displaced under operator command. Second and third hydraulic cylinders (131) permit cutting units (108) to be moved between a transport position and an operating position. A single joystick (118) permits the operator to control all aspects of cutting unit position including transport or operating position and lateral offset position.

Triplex trim mower with laterally adjustable cutting units

Vehicle

Growing community of inventors

Farmington, MN, United States of America

Gordon R Schmidt