The Toro Company

Michael N Zenner

Richard John Guertin

Anthony N Pink

Walter J Petersen

Rex R Bergsten

Charles C Holley

LeRoy Langford

A rotary cutting deck for a mower includes a cutting deck supported by wheels at three of the four corners of the deck. The other corner of the cutting deck, namely a corner of the deck that is close to the mower, is supported by a corner suspension that lifts upwardly with a biasing force sufficient to elevate that corner of the deck above the ground. This corner suspension takes the place of the caster wheel that would normally support this corner of the deck, and thus permits the deck to be moved closer to the side of the mower, thus reducing overall mower width without decreasing the width of the cutting swath.

Rotary cutting desk corner suspension

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 rotary mower (22) having an improved castering wheel assembly (39, 92) so as to reduce rotation of the castering wheel (4) about its support shaft (6). In one embodiment, a torsion resistance mechanism (2) is interposed between the shaft (3) and mower frame (67), the torsion resistance mechanism (2) including a resilient material (46) rigidly bonded to a sleeve (77) in which the shaft (3) is retained. The resilient material (46) is press fit into a housing (11), the housing (11) being rigidly bonded to the mower frame (67). In another embodiment, a cap (98) housing a spring (102) is threadably attached to the castering wheel support shaft (81). Rotation of the cap (98) compresses spacers (85-90) mounted co-axially on the shaft (81) while urging the shaft (81) in an upward direction (111) so as to prevent axial rotation of the shaft (81) when the castering wheel loses contact with the ground.

Caster wheel suspension and shaft tensioning system for turf maintenance

A mulching mower has at least one generally enclosed cutting chamber in which a rotatable cutting blade is carried for rotation in a generally horizontal cutting plane. The side wall which defines the circumferential boundary of the cutting chamber is not perfectly circular with respect to the axis of blade rotation. Instead, the chamber is stretched or elongated with respect to the blade tips over the rear half of the chamber to be obround to the rear of the chamber. This enhances use of the mower as a mulcher. In addition, grass deflecting members are desirably used in the rear half of the chamber to further enhance the mulching action provided by the chamber.

Mulching mower with obround cutting chamber

A plastic cover for a rotary deck. A preferred cover (54a) is connected to a wing deck (28a) by magnetic latches and mechanical securing means. The magnetic latches preferably include magnets (69) connected to the deck and magnetic plates (66) fixed to the underside of the deck cover (54a). The mechanical securing means preferably includes a pair of pins (70) extending upwardly from the deck proximate magnets (69), wherein the deck cover (54a) forms a pair of apertures (72) for receiving pins (70). Pins (70) and apertures (72) prevent horizontal or shearing motion of deck cover (54a) relative to deck (28a), whereas the magnetic latches prevent vertical movement of cover (54a) relative to deck (28a). Hooks (64) or a flange (73) can be used to secure one of the edges of cover (54a), as well.

Cutting unit cover

A rotary mower (10) including a front deck assembly (18) and a pair of wing decks (20). Each wing deck (20) is supported by a lift arm assembly including a main lift arm (26) and a lift arm extension (32). A pivot joint (30) exists between lift arms (26) and (32) so that when deck (20) is raised from its cutting position to its transport position it is also caused to rotate so that mower (10) maintains a relatively low profile even when decks (20) are in their transport position. Mower (10) also preferably includes a pair of breakaway assemblies (48) which allow wing decks (20) to 'break away' in the event they strike an immovable object. Finally, a preferred mower (10) includes resilient bushing assemblies (38) between the wing deck lift arm assemblies and the wing deck housings (24) to minimize vibration and noise and provide some floating of the decks (20).

Growing community of inventors

Lakeville, MN, United States of America

Michael N Zenner