The Toro Company

Allis-chalmers Corporation

LeRoy Langford

Anthony N Pink

Michael N Zenner

Richard John Guertin

Paul H Harrer

A grass catcher for receiving air and grass clippings from a mower cutter deck includes an inlet for admitting air and clippings into the grass catcher, an outlet port for exhausting air out of the grass catcher, and at least two cylindrical, perforate air filters interposed between the inlet and the outlet port. The filters separate grass clippings from the air and permit air to pass through the filters and on to the outlet port. The grass catcher also includes a wave form energy transmitter and a wave form energy receiver positioned in the grass catcher. The transmission of wave form energy between the transmitter and the receiver is interrupted when the level of accumulated grass clippings in the catcher exceeds a predetermined level. The interruption of the transmission triggers an alarm to alert an operator of the mower of the high clipping level within the catcher.

Grass catcher for lawn mower

A grass bagger (13) for a lawn tractor (14). The catcher (13) includes a hood (20) which directs grass clippings into a pair of bag assemblies (40). A grass checker (50), connected to hood (20), is used to check the level of accumulated grass beneath hood (20) to determine when it would be appropriate to empty bag assemblies (40) of their accumulated grass clippings. In order to prevent grass clippings from leaking between bag assemblies (40) and hood (20), and to keep hood (20) from popping open when lawn tractor (14) is driven over rough ground, a pair of latches (70) is included to releasably secure hood (20) to bag assemblies (40).

A grass level checker for a grass catcher

A rotating disc has perforated seed pockets which pick up individual kernels of seed from an air pressurized cavity of a planter housing. Air flowing through the perforated pockets creates a pressure differential which moves a kernel into each pocket as the pocket moves on a circular path upwardly through the cavity. The pocket then moves into axially confronting relation with a flat sealing surface. The flat sealing surface holds the seed in the pocket as the disc rotates further to bring the pocket to the lower part of the housing where the seed falls by gravity into the soil. Each of the circumferentially spaced pockets has an opening in its bottom which is large enough to permit air flow therethrough but smaller than the seed kernels to be planted. The pockets are clam shell shaped with the more gentle slope on the side of the pocket toward the direction of rotation of the disc during planting. The opposite side of the pocket has a steep slope whereby the seed in the pocket is mechanically assisted in its assent from the seed cavity. The seed disc for corn includes a camming groove extending from each pocket which cams corn kernels radially outwardly toward the pocket as it passes upwardly through the seed cavity.

Growing community of inventors

LaPorte, IN, United States of America

LeRoy Langford