The Toro Company

Steven A Sallstrom

Gary R Lamusga

Charles C Holley

Howard H Bohm

A mower includes a traction frame that supports at least one cutting unit and a grass catcher associated with each cutting unit. The cutting unit and grass catcher are both operatively coupled to the traction frame such that they both jointly are able to steer or yaw together during turns of the traction frame. This permits the gap between the cutting unit and a grass basket which is part of the grass catcher to remain constant whether the traction frame is travelling straight or is turning. This ensures that the grass clippings will be properly retained in the grass basket without dribbling out of the grass basket. In addition, a system is provided for keeping the grass catcher level as it is lifted up out of engagement with the ground into a raised, transport position, also to better retain the grass clippings within the grass basket.

Steerable cutting unit with steerable and level lift grass catcher

A high pressure liquid containment joint in an apparatus for injecting high pressure liquid into turf. A preferred high pressure liquid containment joint includes an O-ring (72). The high pressure liquid containment joint also includes a cylindrical plug (70). The plug (70) includes a first end and a second end, external threads (71) located between the first and second ends, a shoulder (73) for accepting the O-ring (72) wherein the shoulder (73) is located between the external threads (71) and the second end. The plug (70) also includes a hexhead (75) connected with the first end for accepting rotational force. The high pressure liquid containment joint also includes a high pressure liquid containment vessel for containing high pressure liquid wherein the vessel includes a threaded bore (74) wherein the bore (74) includes internal threads (172) for engaging the external threads (71) and two, smooth machined frusto-conical surfaces (174, 175) for contacting the O-ring. The O-ring (72) and the frusto-conical surfaces (174, 175) form a liquid impermeable barrier when the external threads (71) engage the internal threads (172) and the plug (70) and the O-ring (72) are rotated relative to the threaded bore (74) and wherein the barrier lies between the high pressure liquid and the external and internal threads (71, 172) whereby stresses on the internal threads (172) in the containment vessel are reduced resulting in a reduced chance of structural failure of the containment vessel.

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Plymouth, MN, United States of America

Steven A Sallstrom