The Toro Company

Larry W Schmidt

David J Martin

Philip G Stalpes

Cal N Kosieracki

Joseph P Thelen

Andrew J Kjolhaug

Nathan J Friberg

Anthony N Pink

Chris A Wadzinski

Steven J Svoboda

Gerald Eugene Goman

Richard A Thorud

Robert David Patton

Joseph J Walto

Henry B Tillotson, Iii

Karl D Heal

Ronald T Keagle

John H Weber

Philip G Staples

Charles F Kaley

A walk reel mower has a pivotal rear traction drum that can be selectively disposed in two different mowing positions that allow a single mower to cut grass on golf course greens as well as tee boxes with no degradation in cutting or power performance. The reel cutting unit has a pivotal rear shield to allow the rear shield to be pivotally adjusted to maintain its radial spacing relative to the orbit of the reel at a desired amount as the reel diameter decreases due to wear.

Walk reel mower with pivotal shield

A vehicle attached rake for grooming a granular surface includes a center section and two pivotal wing sections that carry rubber trowel members having a serrated lower edge that forms a plurality of downwardly extending teeth. The tips of the teeth are located on a large diameter, upwardly facing curve to better groom upwardly curved side walls in a golf course bunker. When the rake is attached to a ZRT vehicle, the wing section on the inside of a zero radius turn is automatically lifted up off the granular surface by a flexible tether that becomes taut. Another embodiment of the rake includes a rigid plate behind a rubber trowel member with a lower portion of the trowel member folding forwardly during reverse motion of the vehicle such that the plate engages the granular surface to act as a bulldozer blade.

Powered vehicle and rakes mountable thereon for grooming granular ground surfaces

Zero radius turn sand grooming vehicle

A walk power mower has a mower deck that encloses a pair of rotary cutting blades with the grass clippings from the blades being discharged through a rearwardly extending grass discharge tunnel in a rear bagging mode of operation. The pair of cutting blades rotate in the same direction relative to a cutting chamber of the mower deck so that grass clippings cut by one blade merge with grass clippings cut by the other blade with the merged clippings forming a single common stream of clippings that is rearwardly directed along one side of the cutting chamber. The clippings enter a grass collection bag which is positioned between the handle tubes of a handle assembly of the mower.

Dual bladed walk power mower with rear bagging mode

An improved coupling assembly and method of use are disclosed herein to include a tool carrier attached to a utility loader or other work vehicle and supporting a pin guide. A pin is supported upon the carrier by the pin guide and interacts with one or more cam surfaces supported by the carrier. During axial rotation of the pin, the cam surface transfers a force to the pin to assist in the extraction and/or retraction of the pin into the implement. In one embodiment, the pin has a user graspable handle which may be rotated and axially moved by an operator. A visual indication that the pin is not fully engaged with the implement is also provided. Additionally, a locking mechanism is provided which prevents a pin from disengagement with the implement.

Coupling assembly

This invention relates to an outdoor equipment unit such as a walk-behind utility loader. The loader has a tracked traction system in which endless tracks are entrained around a rear drive support member and a front support member. The front support member is spring biased forwardly, but can move rearwardly against the spring bias to allow debris that is caught between the front support member to clear itself to help prevent the track from detracking. A single control handle proximate to a fixed grab bar assembly can be rotated and/or twisted to control the traction system. Return to neutral systems ensure that the control handle will return to a centered, neutral position upon release of the control handle by the operator.

Control system for compact utility loader

A handle for an outdoor power equipment unit, such as a lawn mower, includes a control system for allowing the user to manually vary the ground speed of the mower provided by a self propel system. The control system includes a handle grip on the handle that slides up and down relative to a lower portion of the handle. As the handle grip slides down, the ground speed increases. As the handle grip slides up, the ground speed decreases. A grab member can be used to allow the operator to have leverage in pushing the handle grip down.

Ground speed control system

Lawn mower control handle

Mower drive system interlocks and methods of interlocking mower drive systems with non-contact sensors are disclosed. The mowers may include two driven ground engaging means for supporting the mower above the ground; two drive systems for driving the driven ground engaging means, one of the drive systems driving each of the driven ground engaging means independently of the other drive system and its driven ground engaging means, wherein each of the drive systems has a neutral condition in which its driven ground engaging means is not being driven by the drive system; a drive system interlock operatively connected to an engine of the mower; and two non-contact sensors operatively connected to the drive system interlock, the sensors providing a signal to the drive system interlock when both of the drive systems are in the neutral condition. The methods of interlocking a mower may include steps of providing a mower having a drive system interlock operatively connected to an engine, two drive systems, and two driven ground engaging means for supporting the mower above the ground that are independently driven by each of the drive systems, the drive systems each having a neutral condition in which their respective driven ground engaging means are not being driven; sensing when both of the drive systems are in the neutral condition with a non-contact sensor; and providing a signal to the drive system interlock of the riding mower when the non-contact sensor senses that both of the drive systems are in the neutral condition.

Mower with non-contact drive system interlock

A U-shaped handle assembly for an outdoor power equipment unit, such as a lawn mower, comprises two, transversely spaced, upwardly extending handle tubes which are pivotally connected to the housing of the unit adjacent their lower ends. A pair of handle retention brackets mounted on the housing of the unit coact with the handle tube lower ends to define a plurality of adjusted positions of the handle assembly on the unit. These positions comprise a first adjusted position in which the handle assembly is locked to define a normal operational position of the handle assembly, a second adjusted position in which the handle is held by a detent to define a storage position extending vertically upwardly from the housing, and a third adjusted potion in which the handle is held by abutment with a shoulder to define an additional storage position in which the handle assembly extends forwardly on the housing. The handle assembly can be released from its first adjusted position by releasing a single locking mechanism between one of the handle tubes and a first handle retention bracket with the other handle tube then being able to cam its way out of its handle retention bracket during forward rotation of the handle assembly.

Handle assembly for outdoor power equipment

A lawn mower self-propel and zone brake control system includes a deck, a ground engaging wheel rotatably coupled to and supporting the deck, a handlebar assembly coupled to the deck, and a transmission coupled to the ground engaging wheel. A pivoting control bail is pivotally mounted on the handlebar assembly and pivots between first and second positions. A power transmitting device connects an engine and the transmission. A zone brake is operatively coupled to the engine and the pivoting control bail and operates in either a first or a second mode wherein the zone brake inhibits rotational movement of and power generation by the engine in the first mode and allows rotational movement of and power generation by the engine in the second mode. The zone brake operates in the first mode when the pivoting control bail is in the first position and operates in the second mode when the pivoting control bail is in the second position. A selector mechanism is pivotally coupled to the pivoting control bail and is coupled to the transmission by a first bowden cable and is movable between first and second positions. Movement of the selector mechanism to its second position and movement of the control bail to its second position causes the power transmitting device to transmit power from the engine to the transmission and ground engaging wheel. Movement of either the selector mechanism or the pivoting control bail out of its respective second position stops the transmission of power to the ground engaging wheel.

Single bail self-propel and zone brake control

In a walk behind lawn mower, a height of cut adjustment system that includes a frame (12), a cutting blade (20) rotatably supported by the frame (12), a ground engaging wheel (14) coupled to and supporting the frame (12), height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height setting of the blade (20) relative to the ground engaging wheel (14), and a grass height gauge (28) operatively connected to the frame (12) wherein the grass height gauge (28) indicates a desirable height setting for the cutting blade (20) so that a predetermined portion of the standing grass blade is removed.

Lawn mower height of cut adjustment system

A pinion assembly (30) for an electrical starter motor (20) includes a metallic pinion nut (4) threadedly received on an output shaft (22) of motor (20). A first bushing (36) includes a radially extending annular flange (40) which is fixed to and covers nut (4) and a cylindrical axially extending shell (42). A metallic drive pinion (32) is supported on shell (42) and is electrically insulated from shaft (20) by shell (42) and from nut (4) by annular flange (40). However, slip clutch (14) is located between first bushing (36) and drive pinion (32) to transmit torque therebetween. Finally, cylindrical member (62) retains drive pinion (32) on bushing (36).

Growing community of inventors

Farmington, MN, United States of America

Larry W Schmidt