The Toro Company

Kelly S Meemken

Jeremy A Fohrenkamm

Benjamin A Bricko

Rebecca A Springman

David J Scherbring

Jackie Ray Gust

Rex R Bergsten

John Ryan Kess

Brian R Hendrickson

Jamie R Larson

James R Gaebel

Jeffrey T Drake

Keith A Goetz

Garrett V Pommeranz

Jeffrey J Barkow

Brandon J Anderson

Joseph W Pogatchnik, Iii

Scott A Thomson

Thomas R Pfingsten

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

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 gang reel mower has a hybrid engine, generator and battery pack electric power system driving a pair of electric wheel motors for propelling the mower and for driving individual reel motors for powering a plurality of reel cutting units. A master controller is programmable with a selected clip and maintains the selected clip whether the mower travels straight ahead or is turning. The output power of the generator is damped and is gradually increased during high electrical loads to prevent step responses in the engine and thereby limit engine droop. During regenerative braking of the mower, the generator can be driven as a motor to use the engine as a load. This limits the voltage produced by the traction motors during regenerative braking from damaging the electrical system or overcharging the battery pack. Moreover, maximum transport and mowing ground speeds are automatically reduced during some turns of the mower.

Mower with ganged reel cutting units having automatic clip control in both straight ahead motion and in turns

A smart governor system that intercepts and adjusts throttle commands when certain criteria are met based on vehicle operations and a user-selected transmission mode. The governor, when engaged, reduces a throttle command in order limit engine and/or ground speed.

Electronic speed control system

A gang reel mower comprises a frame that carries a plurality of variable speed, electrically powered reel cutting units. Cutting units having different reel diameters may be installed on the frame. Upon system power up, a mower controller on the frame automatically acquires information identifying the reel size of the cutting units then installed on the frame and uses the acquired reel size information to properly set the speed of the electric motors driving the cutting units to a desired value, such as that needed to maintain a desired clip. Thus, the cutting units can be changed in size with the mower controller automatically recognizing the change in a plug and play manner.

Auto configuration of electrically powered reel cutting units on a reel mower

A turf mower has one or more electrically powered cutting units and a traction drive system that is operatively powered by an internal combustion engine. A motor generator is also powered by the engine and is operatively connected to the engine and the traction drive system. A battery pack stores electrical energy and is charged by the motor generator during normal mowing on flat ground. When mowing on hillsides with increased mechanical power requirements above that supplied by the horsepower of the engine, a control system first removes the load imposed by the cutting units by supplying the electrical energy to the cutting units from the battery pack instead of the motor generator. If that is insufficient, the control system then uses energy from the battery pack to power the motor generator as a motor to supply additional mechanical power for use by the traction drive system.

Hybrid electric turf mower with power shed and power boost

Growing community of inventors

Savage, MN, United States of America

Kelly S Meemken