The Toro Company

James Ray Fear

Karl D Heal

Jerry Zien

A control system for a riding turf mower. The control system incorporates an interlock system capable of controlling the cutting operation of the mower when traveling in a reverse direction. In a preferred embodiment the present invention includes a riding lawn mower having a prime mover, a transmission for transmitting power from the prime mover to a driving wheel to propel the mower in forward and rearward modes, a cutting deck with a rotating cutting blade wherein the cutting blade has a first condition where the blade rotates and a second condition where the blade is stopped, and an interlock system having an override switch wherein the cutting blade will not rotate when the mower is rearwardly propelled unless the override switch is activated subsequent to a first change in conditions from the first condition to the second condition and wherein a second change in conditions from the first condition to the second condition deactivates the override switch preventing rotation of the cutting blade when the mower is rearwardly propelled until the override switch is again activated.

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Burnsville, MN, United States of America

James Ray Fear