Deere & Company

Irobot Corporation

Robert Dale Haun

James Raymond Allard

William Robert Norris

Mikhail Filippov

Christopher David Glenn Turner

Andrew Julian Norby

Seth Gilbertson

David LaVerne Sprinkle

A quick attach rotary mower blade system includes a spindle having a first pair of fan-shaped projections, and a spring-loaded collar having a bore through which the lower end of the spindle extends and a second pair of fan-shaped projections. A mower blade mounting hole includes a circular center opening and a pair of fan-shaped openings. The mower blade may be installed on the spindle by aligning the pair of fan-shaped openings with the first and second pairs of fan-shaped projections, moving the mower blade and spring-loaded collar upwardly, and rotating the mower blade and spring-loaded collar 90 degrees to interlock the second pair of fan-shaped projections between the first pair of fan-shaped projections.

Quick attach rotary mower blade system

A quick attach rotary mower blade system includes a blade holder secured to a mower spindle with a shoulder bolt, a pair of upwardly extending protrusions on the blade holder, and a spring biased plunger extending downwardly from the blade holder. A rotary mower blade has a center hole that slides over the shoulder bolt, compresses the spring biased plunger, and rotates over the protrusions to an engaged position.

A zero turn mower steering system including left and right motion control levers independently pivotable between forward, neutral and reverse positions to rotate left and right rear drive wheels respectively at forward, neutral and reverse speeds. Left and right position sensors on the left and right motion control levers provide electronic signals to an electronic controller that provides a left front wheel steering angle signal and a right front wheel steering angle signal. Each steering angle signal is based on a distance the electronic controller calculates from each of the left and right rear drive wheels to an instantaneous center point of a turn.

Zero turn mower steering system

Systems and methods for switching between autonomous and manual operation of a vehicle are described. A mechanical control system can receive manual inputs from a mechanical operation member to operate the vehicle in manual mode. An actuator can receive autonomous control signals generated by a controller. When the actuator is engaged, it operates the vehicle in an autonomous mode, and when disengaged, the vehicle is operated in manual mode. Operating the vehicle in an autonomous mode can include automatically controlling steering, braking, throttle, and transmission. A system may also allow the vehicle to be operated via remote command.

Systems and methods for switching between autonomous and manual operation of a vehicle

A hinge assembly is provided for hinging a hood on a utility vehicle body so as to enable the hood to open upwardly and backwardly from the front end of the utility vehicle. A bracket made from steel is secured adhesively to an underside of the hood, which is made from a polymeric material, near a back end of the hood. A double-rocker, four-link mechanism includes a lower, fixed link, an upper, coupler link, a comparatively longer, front rocker link, and a comparatively shorter, back rocker link. The front, back, and coupler links are displaceable so that the upper end of the back link is movable toward and away from the lower end of the front link. An extensible-retractable spring connected between the rocker links baises the upper end of the back link toward the lower end of the front link.

Hinge assembly for utility vehicle hood

In a tractor having a frame, a grille has a hollow frame fastened to a front portion of the frame of the tractor, so as to protect a radiator of the tractor. Two brackets are provided, each of which is mounted to the front portion of the frame of the tractor and each of which projects frontwardly from the frame of the tractor, through an aperture in a lower portion of the frame of the grille. A guard is provided, which is fastened to the brackets, in front of the grille, so as to protect the grille. The hollow frame of the grille is fastened to the front portion of the frame of the tractor only at the lower portion of the frame of the grille. The hollow frame of the grille is molded, as by rotational molding, from a polymeric material, for which cross-linked polyethylene is preferred. The brackets and the guard are made of steel.

Growing community of inventors

York, SC, United States of America

Robert Dale Haun