Simplicity Manufacturing, Inc.

Allis-chalmers Corporation

Kenneth H Klas

Daniel W Schaefer

Michael P Schemelin

Edward Freier, Jr

Gary A Hays

Henry T Knudson

John F Jacque

Richard R Brown

Norbert J Ansay

A rear suspension device for a ride-on mower includes a pivoting assembly coupled to the frame of the ride-on mower by a torsion bar which has a transversely extending back portion that can be trapped between projections on the rear portion of the frame of the mower and a front surface of the pivoting assembly. Portions of the torsion bar extend substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the ride-on mower and have ends that extend through apertures in torsion bar brackets that are coupled to the pivoting assembly. The suspension device is capable of transferring weight from one portion of the ride-on mower to another portion of the ride-on mower, thereby enhancing stability.

Torsion bar rear suspension for ride-on mowers

A steering and suspension system for a ride-on mower. A wheel is connected to a spindle and rotates about a first axis of rotation. The spindle is coupled to a frame and rotates about a second axis of rotation that is inclined from vertical backward substantially along a longitudinal axis of the ride-on mower. A level adjusting device is coupled to a steering component of the ride-on mower and is also coupled to a lawn mower accessory. The level adjusting device offsets vertical displacements caused by the inclined spindles, thereby allowing the accessory to stay level when turning the ride-on mower.

Ride-on mower steering and suspension system

A rear suspension device for a ride-on mower that includes a pivoting assembly coupled to the ride-on mower. The pivoting assembly is coupled to a torsion bar and the torsion bar is coupled to a rear portion of the ride-on mower. The coupling to the rear portion is accomplished by insertion of a portion of the torsion bar that is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the ride-on mower into an aperture coupled to the rear portion. The device is callable of transferring weight from one portion of the: ride-on mower to another portion of the ride-on mower, thereby enhancing stability.

A control linkage for controlling the speed and direction of a hydrostatic transmission in a lawn and garden tractor. A directional control arm, coupled to a dash mounted direction and speed control lever, pivots relative to the hydrostatic transmission in response to movement of the direction and speed control lever. A cam roller on the directional control arm engages a cam plate mounted on the control input shaft of the hydrostatic transmission so as to rotate the control input shaft in response to movement of the direction and speed control lever. A detent adjacent the transmission and engaging the cam plate fixes the position of the cam plate to eliminate backlash and avoid vehicle 'creep' when the direction and speed control lever is placed in 'neutral.' An additional cam, responsive to engagement of a vehicle clutch/brake system automatically places the transmission in 'neutral' when the clutch/brake system is engaged.

Control linkage for hydrostatic transmission

A two blade mower deck for lawn and garden tractors having a continuous height adjustment feature. The mower deck includes a primary cutting blade and a smaller diameter secondary cutting blade. The secondary cutting blade is positioned to the side and slightly to the rear of the primary blade so that the cutting swaths of the blades overlap when the tractor moves forward. A continuous roller across the rear end of the mower deck follows the ground contour to prevent scalping or uneven cutting. The vertical position of the roller relative to the mower deck housing can be continuously adjusted by a crank handle to permit continuous adjustment of the cutting height.

Two-blade mower deck with infinite height adjustment

A snow removal apparatus operable in a substantially optimum efficiency state using a variable ratio pulley. The snow removal apparatus includes a feature for sensing power demand made on the snowthrower under variable snow conditions. Responsive to the power demand, the fan speed and/or auger speed is reduced or increased in order to use the full engine power without stalling the engine.

High efficiency snowthrower

An elongated blade (21) for a rotary mower is fabricated from a nonrectangular blank (9) so that the lift portions (33, 34) formed on the trailing parts of the blade have radially outer peripheries (41, 42) which lie substantially on a circle (d) generated by the radially outer tips (46, 47) of the leading cutting edges (28, 29). This produces a blade with improved grass bagging characteristics due to greatly improved discharge of air entrained clippings.

Mower blade

A single V-belt power transmission is provided for a three-spindle rotary mower without the belt crossing over itself or being subject to severe twists. The three spindles of the mower are disposed on vertical axes to form a triangular pattern with the lead or apex angle being forwardly of the other two spindles which are spaced laterally of one another. A swingable clutch idler and a fixed axis idler engage the flat backside of the V-belt and are so positioned on the mower housing that the single V-belt has a large arc of contact with the pulley on the central lead spindle and with a drive pulley positioned forwardly of the lead spindle. The idler pulleys also serve to so position the belt that there will be no contact between runs of the belt. The invention is illustrated in an underslung mower attachment for a riding tractor and includes an automatic brake, a manually operated height adjusting mechanism and a manual control for raising the mower to a transport position.

Single belt drive for a three-spindle rotary mower

The mower attachment includes a drive subassembly which is adapted to be detachably connected to the front axle of the tractor. Specifically, the drive subassembly is adapted to be connected to downwardly opening channel members rigidly secured to transverse, oscillating front axle member. The mower attachment also includes a mower subassembly which is connected to the drive subassembly by a draft link structure. The drive subassembly includes a clutch pulley rotatably mounted on a clutch pulley support bracket which is in turn pivotally connected to a frame part of the drive subassembly so that it may swing between clutching and declutching positions. The clutch pulley support bracket is connected to a clutch control lever on the tractor by a disconnectable clutch control linkage. The drive subassembly also includes an idler pulley disposed on an oblique axis forwardly of the clutch pulley. The clutch and idler pulleys lie in planes which are transverse to one another intersecting on a longitudinally extending line which passes through both pulleys (in at least one adjusted position of the clutch pulley support bracket). A drive belt cooperatively engages the idler and clutch pulleys as well as a drive pulley on a power take-off shaft from the tractor engine and a pulley on the mower subassembly. The clutch pulley is disposed between portions of the drive belt which extend rearwardly from the idler pulley thus permitting a compact arrangement of components in the drive assembly. The mower subassembly includes blades mounted on driven spindles which include pulleys at their upper ends. A second belt is disposed in driving relation to pulleys connected to the spindles. A braking mechanism is included in the mower subassembly and is connected to the clutch operating linkage at the drive subassembly by a flexible cable.

Mower attachment with drive subassembly adapted for detachable

A braking arrangement for use with rotary mowers of the type comprising a pair of spaced apart arbors, each supporting for rotation a spindle having a mower blade mounted on the lower end thereof. A driven pulley is secured to the upper end of each spindle. The two driven pulleys are driven by a common drive belt. An idle pulley is movable either into tensioning or nontensioning relation to the drive belt to cause said belt to be in either driving or nondriving relation to the driven pulleys. To prevent coasting of the two mower blades and of the drive belt upon movement of the idler pulley to a nontensioning position, a rod-like pivoted brake member is provided which has a common braking cooperation with both driven pulleys. A biasing spring constantly urges the brake member toward braking position. A nonadjustable disabling link moves with movement of the idler pulley support arm so that when the idler pulley is moved to belt tensioning position the disabling link pivotally moves the brake member against the force of its biasing spring to a nonbraking position. When the idler pulley and the drive belt are moved to untensioned position, the disabling link is moved to a position in which the biasing spring is free to move the brake member into simultaneous braking engagement with both driven pulleys to prevent coasting of both mower blades, and also to bring the drive belt to a stop.

Growing community of inventors

Port Washington, WI, United States of America

Kenneth H Klas