The Toro Company

Other

Desa International, Inc.

Jay J Kakuk

Bart T Ellson

Robert W Beachy

Steven T O'Brien

Jeffrey E Zander

Anthony N Pink

Robert H Lovett

Bertrand Vachon

Philip C Dretzka

David J Martin

Chris A Wadzinski

Gerald E Peterson

Darrell W Hinklin

Jeffrey B Kallevig

Joseph J Walto

Richard H Jacobs

Dennis B Shell

Darren L Redetzke

Robert Wisler Beachy

Trent R Roth

Robert Lawrence Buckley

Kevin B Wittman

Warren H Daun

Michael J Gergen

Allan Dale Kanitz

An air cleaner system that potentially reduces debris entering a prime mover (e.g., engine) during removal/replacement of an air cleaner. In one embodiment, the engine includes a shroud defining an air cleaner compartment. The engine further includes a tubular air feed port defining a combustion air intake. The air feed port terminates at an end face located at or within the air cleaner compartment, and a lower portion of the end face is notched relative to other portions of the end face. In other embodiments, an engine oil drain system is provided that selectively positions a distal end of an oil drain tube at a drain position located away from the engine. The oil drain tube may also be repositioned to a stored position, wherein the distal end of the drain tube attaches to a nipple connected to either an engine housing or surrounding structure.

Engine for outdoor power equipment unit

One embodiment of the present invention is a drill motor assembly () including a drill motor () and a housing guide assembly (). The housing guide assembly in turn includes a base () and a mast () pivotally and adjustably attached thereto. A male slide () on the mast () slidably and precisely engages a female slide () on the drill motor (). To drill a precise hole using the drill motor assembly (), the operator simply adjusts the mast () to the desired angle relative to the base (), engages the slides () and (), activates the drill motor (), and moves the drill motor () along the mast () until the drilling operation is completed. The present invention also includes a wide variety of accessories that can be connected to, and in some cases powered by, the drill motor (); and a wide variety of storage options as well; and all of the attachments and storage options use the slides on the tool and accessories to facilitate use and/or storage of the various devices and components of the present invention.

Tool system

A rotary cutting deck has dual, side-by-side cutting chambers each of which houses a rotary cutting blade. The blades rotate so that grass clippings exit to the rear of the cutting deck through a central, rearwardly extending exit tunnel. A pivotal mulch door is located within the exit tunnel with the mulch door swinging between two positions. In one position, the exit tunnel is open to permit operation of the cutting deck in a discharge/collection mode of operation. In the other position, the exit tunnel is closed to convert the cutting deck to a mulching mode of operation. A V-shaped baffle with a forwardly facing apex is placed in the bottom and rear of the exit tunnel to enhance performance in the mulching mode of operation.

Multi-bladed rotary cutting deck with mulching and discharge/collection modes

A grass catcher assembly 10 includes a hopper 15 has as inlet 16a for receiving a stream of air and grass clippings and an outlet 16b for venting air. A manifold 30 is operatively connected to the hopper 15. The manifold has an entrance for receiving the vented air and an exit for venting the air. The exit has a first orifice 33b and a second orifice 34b for venting air to the right and left side of the hopper. A baffle 40 selectively channels the vented air to the first or second orifices.

Multi-port hopper exhaust apparatus

A control system for selectively actuating a component on an outdoor power equipment unit, such as a blade on a lawn mower, uses two separate and distinct operator actions to prevent inadvertent actuation. The control system includes a pivotal bail that must be pivoted from a first component disengaged position to a second component engaged position in which the bail lies flat against the handle assembly of the outdoor power equipment unit. A slide is slidably mounted on a housing, carried on one of the legs of the bail, for movement towards and away from the pivot axis of the bail. The slide must be pushed down to engage the lower end of the slide with a notch in a pivotal cam to temporarily link the cam to the bail in order to actuate the component. When the bail is released to return to its initial position, camming surfaces on the lower end of the slide and the notch are effective to mechanically cam the slide back up to its disengaged position where the lower end of the slide has disengaged the notch.

Control system for outdoor power equipment

A self-contained apparatus for charging a battery on an electrically powered turf maintenance vehicle. The charger includes an AC to DC converter for accepting a source of AC power and providing a DC voltage, a sensor for measuring the voltage level of the battery, and a controller for determining the voltage of the battery and for changing the charge rate of the battery. The apparatus also includes visual indicators for warning an operator of normal and abnormal charge conditions of the battery, as well as the remaining charge of the battery. Further, the controller uses a plurality of timers for determining the length of charge times and comparing the values of the timers with count values, wherein if the values exceed the count values, then a visual indicator is lit and charging is terminated. The apparatus is mounted in a box-type shell on-board the turf maintenance vehicle.

On-board charging system for electric lawn mower

A lawn mower has a cutting chamber formed in a metallic liner having front and rear aprons. A plastic deck, molded in one-piece, is screwed to the liner to enclose and hide the liner. The deck/liner combination is inexpensive but strong and durable, the metallic liner being able to resist being chipped or damaged by rocks or other debris being circulated within the cutting chamber provided by the liner. Front and rear axles may be conveniently retained by being trapped or captured between the deck and the front and rear aprons of the liner when the deck and the liner are secured together. A trailing rear shield may be hung from the rear apron of the liner and retained in place by some of the attachment screws used to affix the deck and liner together.

Lawn mower having nested deck and liner

A mulching lawn mower has a closed cutting chamber in a mulching mode such that the grass clippings are confined within the cutting chamber except for when they fall out through the open bottom face of the chamber. The cutting chamber has a first portion of toroidal or doughnut form generally closely surrounding the blade tips. In addition, the front portion of the cutting chamber includes a forwardly protruding wedge-shaped extension having side walls that converge towards one another in a pie-shaped fashion. The wedge-shaped extension further includes a top wall that extends between the side walls. This top wall is sloped or inclined downwardly as it extends to the front of the mower such that the height of the wedge-shaped extension gradually decreases until the wedge-shaped extension disappears at its front edge. The wedge-shaped extension reduces power consumption of the mower when the mower is placed in its mulching mode and is used to mulch grass.

Mulching mower

A kerosene heater (1) having a pump assembly (106) which includes a piston (113) having a hollow bore (121) through which fuel (98) is routed to the hollow shaft of a fuel atomizer (27). The piston (113) is operated by a cam (117) machined into the shaft (114) of the heater motor (22). Mounted on the motor shaft (114) between the atomizer (27) and the pump assembly (106) is a novel fan (26) combining both low pitched outer blade portions (143) and high pitched vanes (146) near the hub (136) of the fan (26). The air flow near the periphery of the fan tends to be axial while the flow near the hub (136) tends to be turbulent and of lower velocity. A series of rear heads (32,33) downstream of the atomizer (27) tends to separate cooling and combustion air while preheating a portion of the air in the region of the atomizer (27). Some of the air impinges a serrated disc (47) located downstream of the atomizer (27), the disc having a novel edge structure (49) which tends to create turbulence and aid atomization of the fuel prior to ignition. A pair of tapering, nesting perforated cones (65,81) located downstream of the ignitor (17) modify the fuel/air mixture and control the size and shape of the flame as it moves toward the open end (179) of the heater jacket (10). A novel control circuit (162) measures the resistance of the ignitor (17) to obtain an indication of the temperature within the combustion chamber and generate motor control signals in response thereto.

Portable kerosene heater

A compost bin (20) including a plurality of substantially horizontal aeration/mixing slots (42). Slots (42), preferably 'L-shaped,' permit mixing and aeration of the composting material. A mixing tool, e.g., garden fork, can be inserted substantially vertically into the mixing/aeration slots (42), and pivoted to a substantially horizontal position to achieve thorough mixing of the compost material. Compost bin (20) also preferably includes a cover (26) having one or more rain collection ramps (74) which collect rainwater and divert it to one or more rain slots (76) and into the interior of compost bin (20).

Method and apparatus for aerobic composting

A cable connector (82) including a thermal fuse (25) for use with a low voltage electrical system (1). The preferred connector (82) includes a pair of electrically and thermally conductive jumper elements (19,23) with a plurality of sharpened edges (30,33,64,67) for piercing the insulating jacket (32,35,73,74) surrounding the inner conductors (14,15,22,24) with which the jumpers (19,23) make electrical contact. The jumpers (19,23) include a plurality of conductor engaging slots (31,34,65,66,68,69) which mechanically grip the conductors. In operation, the quality of the electrical contact between the jumpers and the conductors is proportional to the amount of heat radiated at the junction between the terminals (26,27,62,63) and the conductors (14,15,22,24), the heat causing the thermal fuse (25) to break the electrical circuit when the sensed heat exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Cable connector including thermal fuse

A power box (12) for a low voltage lighting system (10). Power box (12), which connects to a 120 VAC source via 120 VAC cable (15) and a plurality of low voltage light fixtures (14) via a 12 VAC cable (16), includes a 'tortuous path' strain relief (40) including a first strain relief structure (41) in a base (19) having vertically spaced horizontal ribs (44, 46, 48) and a second strain relief structure (43) in a cover (28) having corresponding vertically spaced horizontal ribs (56, 54, 52). When base (19) and cover (28) are assembled, structures (41 and 43) align such that the ribs interdigitate or mesh to form the tortuous path strain relief (40) for the 120 VAC cable (15). Another aspect of the invention is the use of a standard spade lug connector (77) and a pair of 'double-L' spade lug connectors (78) for making the internal and external 12 VAC connections to a step down transformer (60) and the 12 VAC cable (16), respectively. Another aspect of the present invention is a power box mounting system which includes a horizontal groove (90) on the rear wall (27) of power box (12), and a vertical slot (94) extending upwardly from groove (90) and also formed in the rear wall (27). Groove (90) and slot (94) are configured to receive a power box mounting screw (92), in that order. Still another aspect of the present invention resides in the fact that the base (19) and cover (28) of power box (12) can accommodate a variety of electrical components, including either a 36 watt transformer (60') or a 72 watt transformer (60').

Growing community of inventors

Plymouth, MN, United States of America

Jay J Kakuk