Deere & Company

Jeffrey Paul Chenevert

Michael Todd Schmidt

Kevin Patrick Lund

Brian K Pearson

Michael Schmidt

A quick connect mower blade system includes a blade bolt inserted into the top end of a hollow spindle and threaded into a collet having an upright inserted into the lower end of the spindle. The collet has a head that is aligned substantially perpendicular to a hole in a blade holder if the blade bolt is tightened onto the collet to clamp a mower blade between the spindle and blade holder.

Quick connect mower blade system

A convertible mower deck has a plurality of adjoining cuffing chambers under a mower deck, each cutting chamber having a cutting blade mounted to the lower end of a vertical spindle. Angled pivoting baffles are positioned in the openings between adjoining cutting chambers, and a baffle also is mounted in the discharge opening from one of the cutting chambers. The baffles may pivot between an open position for the grass clippings to be discharged or collected, a closed position for the grass clippings to be mulched, and one or more intermediate positions for some of the clippings to be discharged or collected, and the remainder to be mulched.

Convertible mower deck with angled pivoting baffles

A convertible mower deck has a plurality of adjoining cutting chambers under a mower deck, each cutting chamber having a cutting blade mounted to the lower end of a vertical spindle. The deck includes openings between adjoining cutting chambers, and gates or baffles under the deck in the openings between adjoining cutting chambers. The gates or baffles include pairs of plates that pivot on vertical axes, and interlock together when moved in the mulching position.

Convertible mower deck with interlocking baffles

A convertible mower deck has a plurality of adjoining cutting chambers under a mower deck, each cutting chamber having a cutting blade mounted to the lower end of a vertical spindle. The deck includes openings between adjoining cutting chambers, a discharge opening from one of the cutting chambers, a blower mounted in a housing outside the discharge opening, and a protective cover between the discharge opening and the blower housing. Gates are mounted under the deck at the openings between adjoining cutting chambers and at the discharge opening. A control structure moves the gates to change the size of the openings. The gates may be in an open position for the grass clippings to be discharged or collected, a closed position for the grass clippings to be mulched, and one or more intermediate positions for some of the clippings to be discharged or collected, and the remainder to be mulched.

Growing community of inventors

Apex, NC, United States of America

Jeffrey Paul Chenevert