The Toro Company

Jackie Ray Gust

Chris A Wadzinski

David J Scherbring

Mark S Anderson

Alexander Steven Frick

Troy David Carson

Joshua Craig Friell

Chadwick Aaron Shaffer

Todd A Porter

Walter J Petersen

Jesse Richard Gamble

Dana R Lonn

Rex R Bergsten

Kelly S Meemken

Gerald J Pomerening

Jeffrey W Stern

Miguel Angel Pizano

Peter M Arendt

Michael J Gilberg

Dennis J Pavlik

André A Sheats

Eric Allen Metheny

Heinrich F Tetzlaff

Garrett V Pommeranz

John R Van Beek

Jeffrey J Barkow

Brandon J Anderson

Kevin T Conry

A vehicle combining the attributes of a tractor and a utility vehicle includes a three point linkage and other locations to which a plurality of attachments for performing grooming or working operations on a ground or turf surface may be couple. The vehicle includes a front mounted engine, a mid-mounted operator compartment and a rear mounted bed or box. A PTO shaft and/or a hydraulic power system of the vehicle power attachments that require power. A control system and a visual display and data entry device linked thereto are provided for allowing an authorized person to setup, store and thereafter use an operational profile for each attachment that is to be coupled to the vehicle. In a rate dependent attachment, the control system maintains the ground speed and the attachment implement in a fixed ratio. A down/up control is used to signal the start and end of an operational sequence to the control system.

Outdoor power equipment vehicle adapted for performing work operations on turf surfaces

A ground surface treatment vehicle and systems and methods using the same. In some embodiments, the vehicle may be adapted to autonomously or semi-autonomously identify and optionally treat target areas such as divots on turf surfaces. The vehicle may identify the target area via onboard or remote sensors and autonomously treat the target area by providing a treating material such as infill, seed, particulate matter, and liquids.

Autonomous ground surface treatment systems, vehicles, and methods

A probe assembly for measuring a synthetic turf infill profile having a probe, a turf surface contact assembly and a sensor. The probe is configured to extend down through the turf infill profile until a tip of the probe contacts a lower boundary of the turf infill profile. The surface contact assembly is vertically movable relative to the probe while the probe is being moved downwardly into the turf infill profile, wherein the surface contact assembly has a contact area with the turf surface that is large enough to retain the surface contact assembly resting atop an upper boundary of the turf infill profile when the lowermost tip of the at least one probe has contacted the lower boundary of the turf infill profile. The sensor reads the distance between the upper and lower boundaries of the turf infill profile at a sampled location in the turf surface.

Mobile turf instrument apparatus

An autonomous ground maintenance system comprising a vehicle comprising a chassis supported upon a ground surface by ground support members, a container supported by the chassis, the container defining a discharge outlet operable to disperse treating material held within the container to a target area of the ground surface, a gate adapted to selectively open and close the discharge outlet, a sensor adapted to identify the target area, and an electronic controller supported by the chassis, the controller being in communication with the sensor and the gate. The controller is adapted to position the chassis at a location proximate the target area such that the discharge outlet is capable of delivering the treating material to the target area and energize the gate to open the discharge outlet.

Autonomous ground surface treatment system and method of operation of such a system

A mower comprising a vehicle, a plurality of cutting assemblies, and an automatic height of cut control system is described. In some aspects, the automatic height of cut control system is configured to automatically change the height of cut for the plurality of cutting assemblies while maintaining the attitude of each cutting blade as the blade moves from a first height of cut to a second height of cut. In some aspects, the cutting assemblies include a variable-length member linked to a four-bar linkage configured to cause a change in the height of cut in response to a change in length of the variable-length member.

Mower quick height of cut adjustment

A walk power mower has a traction drive system that includes a front transmission powering a pair of front wheels and a rear transmission powering a pair of rear wheels. A first one of the transmissions provides forward motion of the mower when it is active and a second one of the transmissions provides rearward motion of the mower when it is active. A slidable handle grip on the handle having a cross bar long enough to be gripped by both hands of the user activates the first one of the transmission when it is slid downwardly on a handle out of a neutral position thereof. The slidable handle grip activates the second one of the transmissions when it is slid upwardly on the handle out of the neutral position.

Walk power mower having forward and reverse traction drive

A suspension system for use with a grounds maintenance vehicle such as a ride-on lawn mower. In one embodiment, the suspension system provide at least a first suspension apparatus positioned between a chassis of the mower and an operator support platform. The first suspension apparatus may include one or more suspension units that may be quickly reconfigured to provide variable suspension characteristics. The system may also include a second suspension apparatus longitudinally spaced-apart from the first suspension apparatus. A pivot member may be provided to assist in reducing or eliminating all but certain degrees of freedom of the platform relative to the chassis.

Suspension system and ride-on grounds maintenance vehicle incorporating same

An all-wheel steering system and vehicle, e.g., riding lawn mower, incorporating the same. The system may include a linkage system that operatively connects the vehicle wheels for simultaneous turning. The system, in one embodiment, includes a power steering unit having fixed or variable output for a given steering input. The system may further include a mechanism for reducing speed based upon mower steering angle.

All-wheel steering system and vehicle incorporating the same

An electric drive mower includes an electric traction drive as well as electric drive to the cutting units carried on the mower. A hybrid electric drive system supplies electric power to these motors. The electric drive system includes a genset (an internal combustion engine driving an electrical power generating device such as an alternator) and a battery pack which supply the electric power to the electric motors either individually or jointly. A switch may be provided to permit all battery operation of the mower. A steering system having a non-powered pump is used to effect steering of the steerable wheel(s) of the mower to avoid having a heated oil damage the turf in the event of a leak. A crankshaft driven by a single electric drive motor is linked to all the cutting units through various crankarm and connecting rod linkages to lift and lower the cutting units in a timed manner.

Electric drive riding mower

A walk reel mower has a front mounted reel cutting unit and a rear handle. The operator pushes the handle towards the ground to lift the reel cutting unit off the ground prior to turning the walk reel mower around. When this occurs, the manner in which the reel cutting unit is supported in conjunction with the influence of gravity causes the reel cutting unit to pitch rearwardly relative to the frame of the walk reel mower. This change of orientation is used to close a switch which, in turn, initiates an automatic slow down of the mower to ease the task of turning the mower around. When a turn is completed and the cutting unit is dropped back down into engagement with the ground, the slow down is terminated and the ground speed resumes at whatever predetermined ground speed was previously selected by the operator.

Walk reel mower with electric reel and traction drives

Walk reel mower with electric drive and automatic slow down system

Growing community of inventors

Northfield, MN, United States of America

Jackie Ray Gust