The Toro Company

Keith A Goetz

Benjamin A Bricko

David J Scherbring

John Ryan Kess

Benjamin A Street

Kelly S Meemken

Brian R Hendrickson

Scott A Thomson

Thomas R Pfingsten

Joseph W Pogatchnik, Iii

An aerator for a turf surface has a traction control, an OPC bail, and an aeration bail capable of single handed operation. A controller automatically lowers a tine head to begin aerating at a start location marked when the aeration bail is closed and lifts the tine head to end aeration at an end location marked when the aeration bail is released. The controller further causes the tines that enter the turf surface at the start location to penetrate to a desired hole depth. The controller also automatically adjusts ground speed to maintain a desired hole spacing during an aeration pass, but permits the operator to speed up during a turnaround between passes with a steerable front wheel freewheeling to mitigate wheel scrubbing. A handle assembly having a spring counterbalance is height adjustable and automatically engages a parking brake when placed in an upright non-operating position.

Turf aerator

A line marker has a wheeled frame on which an outrigger arm is pivotally carried. The outrigger arm carries a spray nozzle. The spray nozzle can be placed in a rear spray position or in a front spray position depending upon whether the outrigger arm extends rearwardly or forwardly from a pivot hub therefor. The outrigger arm can be placed in the front or rear spray positions along either side of the frame. The line marker includes a reservoir for holding a marking liquid that is sprayed from the spray nozzle. The reservoir includes a drain outlet that is positioned to drain unused marking liquid back into a standard five gallon paint bucket.

Line marker with reservoir drain into paint bucket and mult-position spray nozzle with a rear spray position

A line marker carries a spray nozzle assembly for marking or painting a line on a horizontal surface. The spray nozzle assembly includes a mounting bracket that is clamped to a support arm in various pivotally adjusted positions. The mounting bracket carries both the spray nozzle and a pair of side shields. The spray nozzle is vertically adjustable up and down on the mounting bracket. The side shields have slides that slide transversely through the mounting bracket to provide horizontal adjustability of the side shields towards and away from one another. A clamping plate bears against the slides of the side shields when the clamping plate is tightened on the mounting bracket to hold the side shields in place on the mounting bracket.

Adjustable spray nozzle assembly for line marker

Growing community of inventors

New Prague, MN, United States of America

Keith A Goetz