The Toro Company

Other

Steven J Svoboda

Chadwick Aaron Shaffer

Thomas J Beckey

Todd A Porter

Dean R Toensing

Kenneth L Cameron

Rodney D Lund

Anthony N Pink

Chris A Wadzinski

Steven R Porter

Steve R Porter

David J Martin

Nathan J Friberg

Larry W Schmidt

Steven T O'Brien

John O Hurst

Dana R Lonn

Ryan J Volovsek

James R Baumann

Mark A Pankratz

Donald L Hufnagle

Daniel R Shemon

A walk power mower having a cutting deck supported upon the ground by a front and rear wheel(s). The mower includes a traction drive system incorporating a bidirectional transmission adapted to propel the mower alternatively in both forward and reverse directions. In some embodiments, the mower may include a single bidirectional transmission (e.g., powering only rear wheel(s) or only front wheel(s) of the mower), while in other embodiments, two bidirectional transmissions may be provided to power both the front and the rear wheel(s). In other embodiments, the mower may include a bidirectional transmission powering the rear wheel(s), while the front wheel(s) may be attached to the deck via a caster assembly.

Walk power mower with transmission providing both forward and reverse propulsion

Methods for reducing the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee in a human determined to have an elevated risk of osteoarthritis of the knee are provided. The methods involve administering an intervention, such as physical therapy, to a human that has an increased expression level of biomarker C1,2C, C2C, or CPII compared to a normal control, or a decreased expression level of biomarker CS846 compared to a normal control, or a combination thereof.

Methods for reducing the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee

Test kits and methods for diagnosing and monitoring relative risk of joint injury are provided. The apparatus and methods beneficially permit intervention to reduce the risk of joint injury and/or reduce the damage resulting from joint injury. Methods for monitoring recovery from a joint injury are also provided.

Methods and apparatus for assessment of risk for joint injury

A debris blower incorporating a nozzle (e.g., removably attachable nozzle) formed from first and second mating halves, wherein the nozzle provides an airstream that oscillates as a result of dynamic fluid effects of airflow passing through the nozzle. As a result, an oscillating airstream may be produced without the use of complicated moving airflow control elements such as louvers and vanes, and without requiring manual manipulation of the blower by the operator.

Oscillating airstream nozzle for debris blower

Nozzle for a debris blower

A walk power mower has a mower deck that encloses a pair of rotary cutting blades with the grass clippings from the blades being discharged through a rearwardly extending grass discharge tunnel in a rear bagging mode of operation. The blades are powered by a timed drive system that is carried by a horizontal apron that is part of a cast aluminum engine mount. The engine mount and the apron are bolted to a stamped steel deck shell that forms the cutting chamber in which the blades rotate. The mower has a side discharge mode in which a side discharge chute is releasably mounted over a side discharge opening. The chute carries a flow cutoff baffle having an inwardly protruding inner end that sticks through the side discharge opening to intercept and direct the clippings out through the side discharge opening and through the chute in the side discharge mode.

Dual bladed walk power mower with timed blade drive system carried on an apron of a power source mount

A debris vacuum having one or more rotating shearing edges and at least one supplemental shearing edge in close proximity to the rotating shearing edges. The supplemental shearing edge may be stationary and attached, for example, to a housing containing the rotating shearing edge, or to a vacuum tube that is itself attachable to the housing.

Debris vacuum with supplemental debris shearing surface

A walk power mower has a mower deck that encloses a pair of rotary cutting blades with the grass clippings from the blades being discharged through a rearwardly extending grass discharge tunnel in a rear bagging mode of operation. The pair of cutting blades rotate in the same direction relative to a cutting chamber of the mower deck so that grass clippings cut by one blade merge with grass clippings cut by the other blade with the merged clippings forming a single common stream of clippings that is rearwardly directed along one side of the cutting chamber. The clippings enter a grass collection bag which is positioned between the handle tubes of a handle assembly of the mower.

Dual bladed walk power mower with rear bagging mode

A debris collection system for use with a portable, hand held blower/vac comprises a wheeled cart. A collection bag is releasably carried on the cart. A connecting hose releasably couples the collection bag to the fan outlet of the blower/vac to fill the collection bag with debris picked up by the blower/vac when the blower/vac operates in the vacuum mode. The cart rolls on the ground and trails behind the blower/vac in the manner of a canister vacuum cleaner as a user operates the blower/vac and walks forwardly with the blower/vac. The collection bag may be a reusable fabric bag or a disposable paper bag.

Blower/vac debris collection system with collection bag on movable wheeled cart

An impeller for generating an air flow, for use in a device such as a blower/vacuum, the impeller having a hub structure for mounting the impeller on a rotatable shaft of the blower/vac and a plurality of air-flow generating vanes coupled to the hub structure in a non-uniform manner wherein the spacing between adjacent vanes is irregular. An impeller having non-uniform spacing between adjacent vanes is provided. Additional features of the impeller may include a plurality of debris engaging structures or serrations for facilitating a finer mulch of air-entrained debris.

Impeller for use with portable blower/vacuums

A blower/vacuum having an air inlet cover and a blower tube, both of which attach to a blower housing for operation in a blower mode. The air inlet cover is preferably able to removably attach to the blower housing and the blower tube. Blower/vacuums of the present invention may generally prohibit operation unless both the blower tube and the air inlet cover are first installed. The blower/vacuum is further adapted to operate in a vacuum mode by removing the air inlet cover and blower tube and replacing the same with a vacuum tube assembly and a vacuum collection container, respectively.

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Bloomington, MN, United States of America

Steven J Svoboda