Outboard Marine Corporation

Herbert A Jespersen

William Fuelling, Jr

Disclosed herein is a riding lawn mower including a bumper movably supported on the lawn mower frame rearwardly of the rear wheels for movement between an extended position and a retracted position, together with power transmission means connecting an engine to a rotary component and including a member movable relative to a first position permitting engagement of the transmission and to a second position preventing engagement of the transmission, and means connecting the bumper to the member so as to locate the member in the first position permitting engagement of the transmission when the bumper is in the extended position and in the second position to prevent engagement of the transmission when the bumper is in the retracted position.

Rear safety bumper for rider mowers

Disclosed herein is a self-propelled lawn mower including a prime mover, a drive mechanism selectively connecting the prime mover in driving engagement with the mower wheels and including a control mechanism movable between a drive position and a neutral or non-driving position and a starter interlock connected to the control mechanism for preventing initiation or starting of the prime mover when the control mechanism is in the drive position. In one embodiment, the prime mover is an internal combustion engine having a starter gear and the starter interlock mechanism includes a blocking element movable relative to a position blocking axial movement of a starter pinion towards engagement with the starter gear to start the engine and a push-pull element connecting the blocking element to the control mechanism for moving the blocking element in response to movement of the control mechanism. In another embodiment, the starter interlock mechanism includes a pivotally mounted pawl which is connected to the control mechanism and is engageable with one of a plurality of circumferentially-spaced, stop abutments provided on the face of a pull rope pulley to prevent rotation of the pulley when the control mechanism is in the drive position. In a further embodiment, the prime mover is an electric motor and the starter interlock mechanism includes a member which selectively actuates a switch in the mower electrical circuit to a circuit interrupting position, thereby preventing the motor from being energized when the control mechanism is in the drive position.

Growing community of inventors

Galesburg, IL, United States of America

Herbert A Jespersen