The Toro Company

Richard John Guertin

Michael N Zenner

Anthony N Pink

LeRoy Langford

Lee Evan Von Lehe

Stephen Joseph Sartori

Adam John Lorang

A horizontal directional drill and method relate to a control system adapted to operate a pipe transport apparatus to move a drill rod between a rod box and a connection area. The control system commands the pipe transport apparatus to perform a plurality of actions wherein at least one of the actions comprises two or more of the plurality of physical operations. The control system includes an operator input device configured to generate a command in response to an operator input. The control system may require persistent engagement of the operator input device to complete each action. The pipe transport apparatus pauses upon completing each of the plurality of actions until the command is again provided from the operator input device.

Horizontal directional drill with assisted mode and related methods

A turf maintenance equipment unit, such as a riding mower having two side cutting units and a front cutting unit operatively connected to a traction frame. A hydraulic traction system is provided for propelling the traction frame in forward and reverse. This traction system includes a pair of front drive motors and a rear drive motor connected in parallel to a pump. A pressure reducing device limits fluid pressure to the rear drive motor when the traction frame is moving in reverse to increase the climbing ability of the traction frame in reverse.

Hydraulic drive system for turf maintenance equipment unit

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 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.

Growing community of inventors

Mounds View, MN, United States of America

Richard John Guertin