Wacker Corporation

Michael Jenkins

Gregory Kruepke

Michael D Braun

Michael Ochalek

A starter module configured to limit an engine speed of an engine for a walk behind trowel at time of startup. The walk behind trowel includes a rotor driven by the engine, a throttle to command an operating state of the walk behind trowel, and a clutch operable to selectively couple an output of the engine to the rotor. The starter module includes a sensor operable to provide a signal representative of an operating state of the trowel upon engine start-up. The starter module further includes a controller configured to receive the signal representative of the operating state of the walk behind trowel, and to prevent the clutch from engaging the engine output to drive the rotor if the detected operating state is outside of a designated range for idling operation of the engine.

Starter module for walk behind trowel

A brake of a concrete finishing trowel responds automatically to the cessation of drive torque delivery to the rotor to actively brake the trowel's drive train, hence inhibiting or preventing frame rotation. The brake preferably takes advantages of inherent characteristics of an inclined gear, such as a worm of a gearbox, to permit an internal component of the gearbox to shift automatically upon the cessation of drive torque therethrough from a brake released position to a brake engaged position. In the case of a worm gear-based gearbox, the worm is configured such that reaction forces that are normally generated by the delivery of drive torque therethrough shift the worm to release the brake during normal trowel operation. These forces are eliminated in the absence of drive torque transfer, permitting the worm to shift to a brake engaged position.

Trowel gearbox brake

A control module for a walk behind trowel configured to detect and to prevent an uncontrolled or undesirable motion of the trowel. The trowel includes an engine configured to drive rotation of a rotor. The control module includes a gyroscope and a controller. The gyroscope is configured to provide an electrical signal representative of an angular rate of motion of a reference structure on the walk behind trowel. The controller is configured to receive the electrical signal from the gyroscope and to determine when a change in the angular rate of motion of the trowel exceeds a threshold value, and in response, to prevent the engine from driving the rotor to rotate.

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Slinger, WI, United States of America

Michael Jenkins