Briggs & Stratton, LLC

Patrick J Bruener

Michael Paul Braun

Glen C Eifert

Richard A Dykstra

Paul A Tharman

John A Fiorenza

Gary S Johnson

Joseph R Harkness

Joseph L Pfaff

William H Reitman

William W Doolittle, Iii

Eric Fickas

Kipp K Stevens

Daniel E Braun

Robert B Carlson

Norbert M Vogl

Eileen Scharenbroch

William R Frank

An oil pickup tube includes a substantially straight portion, and a top and bottom portion interconnected with the straight portion. Each portion includes a cavity in fluid flow communication with the cavities of the other portions. Each cavity includes a substantially linear longitudinal axis. The cavities also include draft angles to allow the respective portions to be manufactured by injection molding, casting, or another suitable method. The top portion includes at least one recess adapted to receive a sealing member that creates a press-fit seal when the top portion is inserted into an oil gallery of an engine. Top and bottom flanges interconnected with the oil pickup tube facilitate securing the tube to the engine. A method for manufacturing the oil pickup tube includes the steps of defining the outer surface of the tube with a die, inserting two cores corresponding to the respective cavities of the top, straight, and bottom portions into the die, and delivering molten material into the die. After the material has at least partially cooled and solidified, the oil pickup tube is removed from the die.

Oil pickup tube for internal combustion engine

A mounting apparatus for an assembly including an internal combustion engine and a transmission includes an elongated member having a first portion interconnected with the engine housing of the engine adjacent the cylinders and above the crankcase of the engine. The elongated member also includes a second portion mounted on a bell housing or crankcase cover portion of the engine housing. The elongated member may include an overhang portion extending over an engine fan. The elongated member may be disposed between a first and a second cylinder of the engine. The elongated portion may also include lifting portions defining apertures for facilitating raising and lowering the engine.

Mounting apparatus for an engine and transmission

The power head assembly for a cordless electric lawnmower has a removable upper housing that includes two spaced batteries, and a lower housing that is mounted to the deck of the grass cutting device. The upper housing has a handle, and at least one quick disconnect terminal that engages a mating quick disconnect terminal affixed to the lower housing. The lower housing includes an electric motor that is disposed between the two batteries when the upper housing is in place. A portion of the electric motor is located below the deck to further reduce the overall height of the device. The lower housing is mounted to the deck by several bolts which are placed in the same mounting pattern used to mount gasoline engines to a deck, so that the same decks may be used for both the cordless electric and gasoline-powered lawnmowers.

Mounting apparatus for connecting a power head to a device

Power head assembly for electric grass cutting device

The improved battery-powered lawnmower includes a safety key that is automatically removed when the removable battery is removed, while at the same time blocking the battery recharger receptacle. The lawnmower also includes a control circuit that shuts off the lawnmower upon the occurrence of one or more of several predetermined conditions, including low battery voltage, the encountering of heavy grass for a period of 3 seconds or more, and high motor current that may occur when the cutting blade is jammed. The cutting blade is designed to move through any debris accumulated between the blade ends and the housing sidewall without sacrificing the lift for needed cutting and mulching. The invention also includes a unique height adjustment assembly for adjusting the height of the chassis, a handle attachment that allows the handle to be positively tightened to the lawnmower chassis, and a telescoping groove for the battery's quick connect/disconnect terminals.

Battery-powered lawn cutting system

Power head for a cordless electric lawnmower

The engine balancing system preferably has two pivoting counterbalance weights connected to eccentric journals on the crankshaft via their respective link arms. The use of the two pivoting weights and the particular geometrical relationships between the balancing system components enable the balancing system to substantially mimic and oppose the non-sinusoidal piston forces. Several methods of balancing the non-sinusoidal piston forces are disclosed. In a first method, the centers of gravity of the respective counterbalance weights are moved at non-sinusoidal angular accelerations. These angular accelerations are greater when the piston is near its Top Dead Center position than when the piston is near its Bottom Dead Center position to yield higher balancing forces when the piston is near Top Dead Center. In a second method, the centers of gravity move through arcs which are substantially parallel to the piston axis when the piston is near its Top Dead Center position, and move in directions less parallel to the piston axis when the piston is near its Bottom Dead Center position. The movement of the centers of gravity parallel to but in the opposite direction from the moving piston when the piston is near Top Dead Center results in greater balancing forces when the piston is near Top Dead Center. The invention also includes a combined method of balancing the non-sinusoidal piston forces. In this combined method, the angular accelerations of the centers of gravity vary as in the first method, and the directions of movement of the centers of gravity vary as in the second method.

Engine balancing system having at least one pivoting counterbalance

A balance system for an internal combustion engine or the like includes a counterbalance weight pivotally mounted to the crankcase and driven in a reciprocating manner by a link assembly connecting the weight to an eccentric on the crankshaft. The pivoting weight not only counterbalances the piston acceleration and deceleration forces but also cancels the torsional forces created by the weight as it pivotally moves through an arc in response to piston movement. This is accomplished by locating the center of gravity of the balance weight between the piston bore centerline and the stationary pivot of the balance weight itself. This location for the center of gravity causes a torque to be generated by a force couple created by the piston inertial force vector, the balance weight interial force vector, and the distance between them. This torque counteracts the torque generated by angular acceleration of the balance weight itself, to thereby substantially eliminate all torsional vibrations.

Pivoting balancer system

A small gasoline engine with a relatively inaccessible crankcase oil fill port is equipped with an elongated funnel member having its bottom sealingly secured in that port. A removable cap for the funnel member comprises a suction chamber having a transparent side wall and the interior of which is communicated with a depending tube that has its bottom end at the prescribed minimum oil level. With adequate crankcase oil, depression and release of a downwardly displaceable, upwardly biased top wall of the suction chamber draws oil into it to be visible through its transparent wall. The interior of the transparent wall is cleaned of residual oil by a wiper moving in unison with the displaceable wall.

Means for facilitating checking and replenishment of crankcase oil in a

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Hartland, WI, United States of America

Patrick J Bruener