The Toro Company

Henry B Tillotson, Iii

Richard A Thorud

Robert C Comer

James R Baumann

Nathan J Friberg

David J Scherbring

Donald M White, Iii

Larry W Schmidt

Philip G Stalpes

Leslie W Foster

A handle for an outdoor power equipment unit, such as a lawn mower, includes a control system for allowing the user to manually vary the ground speed of the mower provided by a self propel system. The control system includes a handle grip on the handle that slides up and down relative to a lower portion of the handle. As the handle grip slides down, the ground speed increases. As the handle grip slides up, the ground speed decreases. A grab member can be used to allow the operator to have leverage in pushing the handle grip down.

Ground speed control system

A multi-bladed mulching mower is convertible between a mulching mode in which the grass clippings are deposited as mulch or a discharge/collection mode in which the grass clippings are discharged from the housing or are bagged. The mower includes two separate cutting chambers which are staggered forwardly relative to one another but otherwise are arranged side-by-side next to one another. The peripheral wall of the forward cutting chamber has a selectively openable gate which is closed in the mulching mode but is opened in the discharge/collection mode. The rearward cutting chamber is provided with a discharge outlet which can be selectively opened in the discharge/collection mode but is otherwise closed. When the gate and discharge outlet are opened and the mower is operating in the discharge/collection mode, the grass clippings in the forward cutting chamber are deposited onto the ground in advance of the rearward cutting chamber to be picked up and evacuated by the blade in the rearward cutting chamber as the rearward cutting chamber passes over the clippings during forward movement of the mower.

Multi-bladed mulching/bagging mower

A convertible mulching mower (10) including a housing (12) and chute (30). Chute (30) can be selectively blocked with a chute plug (32) to selectively put mower (10) in a mulching mode. Mounted beneath housing (12) is a plurality of kickers (72) which serve to deflect the grass clippings generally downwardly and inwardly to cause them to penetrate the standing grass blades in the cutting path, when the mower (10) is in its mulching mode (when chute plug (32) is blocking discharge chute (30)). When chute plug (32) is removed, it can be replaced by various grass handling means, including a grass bag (36) or a side discharge chute extension (140). A wash-out system (129) can be included in plug (32) to allow the underside of housing (12) to be sprayed with water to remove accumulated grass clippings. Wash-out system (129) can be used for mulching or non-mulching mowers.

Discharge chute blocking device for a rotary lawn mower

The invention is directed toward a removable chute assembly (33) for a snowthrower (10). Chute (33) is connected to housing (12) of snowthrower (10) by using a plurality of locking assemblies (52) and a detent assembly (50). Each locking assembly (52) includes a pivoting member (56) which can engage a flange (38) of chute assembly (33) to hold chute assembly (33) in locked engagement with housing (12). Each pivoting member (56) is held in locked position by a detent member (70) which can be manipulated by an ignition key (13) of snowthrower (10), and each pivoting member (56) can be pivoted away from flange (38) to allow for the chute assembly (33) to be removed from housing (12). Preferably, key (13) engages a switch (15) such that key (13) can only be removed from switch (15) when the snowthrower is turned off. Therefore, chute assembly (33) can only be removed when the snowthrower is not operating.

Removable snowthrower chute

An improved riding lawn mower comprises a frame having steerable front wheels and rear traction wheels. Each rear wheel is independently driven by a separate transmission. A steering wheel is used to turn the front wheels to control the direction of movement of the rider. Linkage assemblies connected to the steering assembly declutch the rear wheel on the inside of a sharp turn to give the mower near ZTR turning ability. However, the declutched rear wheel freewheels to avoid tearing the turf and the mower does not speed up during the turn.

Riding lawn mower

A bidirectional freewheeling clutch assembly (50) and a self-propelled walk-behind lawn mower (10) including same are disclosed. Lawn mower (10) preferably includes a prime mover (18) which can be selectively coupled to a gear box (34). The output shaft (44) of gear box (34) extends to a pair of clutch assemblies (50) which selectively apply torque to a pair of gear driven wheels (16). Each clutch assembly (50) includes as its basic components a key (68) and a friction disk (66). Key (68) has a wedge portion (74) which rocks within an axial first keyway (62), and a tang portion (76) which is received within a tang relief (84) in friction disk (66). When shaft (44) is rotated friction disk (66) frictionally engages the housing (12) of mower (10) and applies a drag force to the tang portion (76) of key (74) to cause it to cock and positively engage a pinion (46) which engages a gear (48) attached to drive wheel (16). When gear box output shaft (44) is not rotated key (68) is not cocked and pinion (46) and drive wheel (16) can bidirectionally freewheel.

Freewheeling clutch and implement employing same

A snowthrower (10) having an improved impeller (20). Impeller (20) preferably includes a central rotating shaft (34) which fixedly supports at either end thereof an end member (46) and rotatably supports proximate its center a center bracket (48) wherein elements (46) and (48) support one or more one-piece flexible curved paddles (36). In operation, when rotating impeller (20) encounters a foreign object (70), shaft (34) and end members (46) continue to turn while center bracket (48) rotates to some degree on shaft (34) to allow the center sections (38) of paddles (36) to twist and flex relative to shaft (34) and end members (46), thereby permitting center sections (38) of paddles (36) to easily ride up and over obstruction (70). This minimizes the shock associated with impact of the rotating impeller (20) with obstruction (70), and prevents stalling of the prime mover (18) of snowthrower (10).

Snowthrower with resilient impeller

Cutting filament metering apparatus for a flexible filament vegetation cutting device in which a flexible filament cutting element is coiled on a filament holder rotatably driven about a substantially vertical axis with a free end of the driven filament defining a cutting plane. The cutting filament metering apparatus includes a driver element rotatably driven about a substantially vertical axis and an engagement member carried by the filament holder for driving engagement with the driver element. An escapement device is also secured to the filament holder and allows limited rotational movement of the holder with respect to the driver element to release a predetermined length of cutting filament. The filament holder is axially biased into a first position in which the driver element engages the engagement device. In one embodiment, the engagement and escapement devices are annular each having teeth circumferentially disposed and projecting radially inward toward the driver axis of rotation. The driver element is provided with driving teeth circumferentially disposed and projecting radially outward from the driver axis of rotation to alternately engage either the teeth on the engagement or escapement devices. Additionally, in certain embodiments, a housing is provided which partially encloses the cutting plane defined by the driven cutting filament and a cutting blade is attached to the housing at the outer periphery of the cutting plane. The cutting blade severs excessive flexible filament to maintain the filament length at a predetermined maximum.

Line metering apparatus

An improved spark plug and a compression relief adapter are described which are designed to permit a portion of the gases in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine to vent during the starting operation so as to make it easier to manually start the engine.

Compression relief adapter

A discrete cutting element (18) including a plurality of cutting filaments (26) for use in a vegetation line trimmer (10). In a preferred embodiment provided filaments (26) emanate from a common locus (27) at a filament holder (16) for rotation about the holder's axis of rotation. Certain embodiments can include axially fixed apparatus for conducting the associated filaments (26) away from a spool-like member (23) around which the filaments (26) are wound, and aiding divergence of the filaments.

Cutting element for vegetation line trimmers

An improved powered lawn care implement which can accomplish both reducing of debris and removal of lawn thatch. The implement includes a generally horizontally mounted elongated processing element which carries a plurality of generally radially extending resilient filaments. The implement can be made so that the height of the processing element above the ground surface which is to be worked by the implement can be varied. Free ends of the filaments can thereby be made to engage either debris at the lawn surface or dead vegetative matter located near the base of grass filaments growing in a lawn.

Powered lawn care and cultivating implement

A device for securely retaining, in a mated configuration: an electrical connector, such as one used on an electrical power implement, and a compatible electrical connector, such as in use with electrical power extension cords. In a preferred embodiment disclosed, retention is accomplished by a wire clip which clasps a multiposition cannelured mating element carried by the extension cord. The wire clip is formed within a wire bail pivotally mounted to the connector of the electrical power implement.

Electrical connector retaining device

A lawn mower starting interlock for gas powered mowers for preventing engagement between the starting pinion and flywheel thereof when the mower is in a predetermined condition, for example, when the mower wheel drive mechanism is engaged. A pivotable lever which may be pivoted into the path of advance of the starter pinion in a Bendix type starter as the starter pinion advances along a helical worm gear towards engagement of a flywheel is disclosed. The lever may be pivoted by means of a bowden wire arrangement, the opposite end of which is attached to the mower drive engagement mechanism or a linkage which moves therewith.

Growing community of inventors

Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Henry B Tillotson, Iii