The Toro Company

Wagner Spray Tech Corporation

Other

Walter J Petersen

Gerald J Pomerening

John M Svendsen

Charles C Holley

Michael J Gilberg

Jackie Ray Gust

Dana R Lonn

Thomas F Langworthy

Gordon R Schmidt

Michael N Zenner

Jack R Gust

Daniel E Peterson

Robert H Witt

David S Klis

Verne James Morand

Donald T Lackner

Kaibai Liu

A walk aerator comprises a frame supported by a plurality of ground engaging wheels, the frame carrying a coring head having a plurality of side-by-side tine assemblies. The wheels define a wheelbase which is substantially equal to or less than the width of a coring swath and the wheels are located in advance of the coring head to keep the wheels from passing over the holes or soil cores left in any preceding coring swathes formed by the aerator. The vertical position of the coring head is adjustable up and down as the ground contour changes to keep hole depth substantially constant. The tine assemblies are reciprocated by a single crankshaft driven by a single pulley, the crankshaft being assembled from multiple crank arms that are splined and bolted together. Sealed bearings connect drive arms that drive the tine assemblies to the crankshaft. The crankshaft can be disassembled to allow the sealed drive arm bearings to be replaced. Integral core deflectors are used on the drive arms. A connecting link extending across each drive arm is used to connect each drive arm to the coring head to decrease the coring head depth.

Aerator with assembled multi-part crankshaft

A tine holder for holding a plurality of aerator tines has a plurality of substantially vertical, tapered bores. A tapered collar is adapted to be received in each bore with the collar being split so that the collar contracts as the collar is slid into the bore. The upper end of an aerator tine is inserted into each collar before the collar is inserted into the bore such that the contraction of the collar as the collar is thereafter slid into the bore will suffice to tightly grip and hold each tine in the tine holder. A tool is provided for providing enough leverage on the collar to slide the collar over final portions of its movement as the collar slides into the bore during tine installation or to slide the collar over beginning portions of its movement as the collar slides out of the bore during tine removal.

Tine holder for turf aerator

Aerator with shortened coring head depth

Walk aerator with ground following coring head

Walk aerator with inboard wheels

A triplex trim mower (100) including a vehicle (102) having two front drive wheels (104) and one rear steerable wheel (106). Mounted generally forward of the front wheels (104) are two reel-type cutting units (108a) laterally offset about the longitudinal axis (110) of the vehicle (102). Mounted between the front and rear wheels and substantially centered between the forward cutting units (108a) is a rear reel-type cutting unit (108b). A lateral support frame (137) is incorporated into the main frame of traction vehicle (102). The cutting units (108) are supported by a lateral carrier frame (144) which is slidably engaged to lateral support frame (137) such that carrier frame (144) can move laterally relative to support frame (137). A hydraulic cylinder (158) permits carrier frame (144) to be laterally displaced under operator command. Second and third hydraulic cylinders (131) permit cutting units (108) to be moved between a transport position and an operating position. A single joystick (118) permits the operator to control all aspects of cutting unit position including transport or operating position and lateral offset position.

Triplex trim mower with laterally adjustable cutting units

A debris collection vehicle (1) having an offset cab (12) adjacent to a conveyor belt (61) which transports collected debris to a hopper (59). Rows of resilient fingers (51) are mounted on a collector drum (36), the conveyor (61) and on curb brushes (22, 24). The orientation of the collector (36) may be varied with respect to the lower drum (57) supporting the conveyor belt (61) in order to permit the reliable entrainment of various sized and shaped objects without fouling. The collector drum (36) is biased by a spring (192) to facilitate clearance of obstacles or oversized debris. A front deflection bar (229) is mounted adjacent to the collector drum (36) to direct debris toward the lower support (56) of the conveyor belt (61). A rear deflection bar (239) is mounted adjacent to the lower conveyor support (56) to direct debris toward the upper surface of the conveyor belt (61). The lower region (387) of the conveyor belt (61) may also be supported by a forward axle (401) and a tandem rear axle (402) to provide a volume (391) within which uncollected debris is urged toward a collector drum (368). The upper region (349) of a modified conveyor belt (347) is constructed to transition to a horizontal orientation to facilitate delivery to a hopper (350). The hopper (350) is connected to an hydraulic lift assembly (292) to permit elevation and emptying of the hopper (350) at a suitable collection site.

Automatic debris retrieval system

A leak detector apparatus 10 is disclosed which measures changes in fluid level in a tube 54 substantially located within a reservoir 29 of hydraulic fluid. The tube 54 has a first end which is open to the atmosphere and a second end which is submerged in the hydraulic fluid. The reservoir 29 is selectively sealed, therefore changes in the volume of the fluid within the reservoir 29 cause the fluid level within the tube 54 to change in accordance with the principles of a manometer. A measuring device is utilized to determine the level of the fluid within the tube 54, wherein the measurement device can include a float 22 having a magnet 23 located thereon interacting with a linear array of Hall effect sensors 24. A controllable venting valve 28 is provided through the reservoir 29 to equalize the pressure within the tank with the external ambient pressure. The opening and closing of the venting valve 28 is controlled by an electronic controller device 30 that uses float position and hydraulic fluid temperature as inputs, among others. Accordingly, the float position can be reset within the tube to extend the range, thereby creating a virtual column.

Electronic liquid leak detector

A steering and suspension mechanism for use with a vehicle (1) and including a steering gear (14) interconnected to a steering wheel (8) through a series of universal joints (10, 11, 12, 13, 87). An output of the steering gear (14) is connected to a Pitman arm (21) which extends from a point (31) relatively near the axle (34) to a point (22) relatively far from the axle, where the Pitman (21) is pivotably interconnected to a pair of tie rods (25, 26). Extending upwardly from the wheels (6, 7) are a pair of A-frame members (40, 81) which pivotably support end caps (42, 47). A pair of coil springs (45, 46) are retained between the end caps, the faces (50, 51) of the end caps being preserved in a parallel relationship by linkages (56, 61), thus preventing buckling of the coil springs (45, 46).

Vehicle steering and suspension system

A rotary mower (10) including a front deck assembly (18) and a pair of wing decks (20). Each wing deck (20) is supported by a lift arm assembly including a main lift arm (26) and a lift arm extension (32). A pivot joint (30) exists between lift arms (26) and (32) so that when deck (20) is raised from its cutting position to its transport position it is also caused to rotate so that mower (10) maintains a relatively low profile even when decks (20) are in their transport position. Mower (10) also preferably includes a pair of breakaway assemblies (48) which allow wing decks (20) to 'break away' in the event they strike an immovable object. Finally, a preferred mower (10) includes resilient bushing assemblies (38) between the wing deck lift arm assemblies and the wing deck housings (24) to minimize vibration and noise and provide some floating of the decks (20).

Turf maintenance apparatus

A hot air gun or blower of the type usable for blistering paint on a painted surface for easing the removal of paint thereof has a housing with internal brackets supporting and retaining a switch assembly, a circuit board, a motor having an impeller, a motor mount, a shroud surrounding the impeller, and a heating element. The internal brackets supporting these elements are configured so as to provide a number of air passages between the elements and the interior wall of the housing. In addition to drawing air through a rear portion of the gun, air is drawn through an annular opening in the front of the gun between the cover for the heating element and the housing. The air thus passes over the covered heating coil and is preheated before being blown by the impeller directly over the coil for primary heating. At least one wave-like flange is received between spaced interior brackets in the housing for providing a press fit of the components between the two housing halves, thus eliminating the need for mechanical fasteners for mounting the components of the gun.

Hot air gun with air directing housing

A heating coil assembly for use in an air blower device has an annular support element, a first end cap, a core having a heating coil spirally wound thereon, a sleeve surrounding the coil and core, and a second end cap. All components have a centrally disposed non-circular bore therein for receiving a heavy gauge non-circular wire retainer, swaged at one end, which extends through the entire assembly and is retained by a press washer at an opposite end. The interior of the sleeve is spaced from the coil forming an axial channel for air flow over the coil. Axial openings in the end caps form air inlets and outlets for the channel. The coil has several leads, at least one of which extends through an axial opening in one of the end caps. The heating coil assembly has a small number of components, which are easily assembled and simultaneously axially and radially positioned and retained relative to each other by the wire retainer.

Heating coil assembly for a heavy duty hot air blower

A riding mower (2) includes a cutting unit (6) suspended from a traction unit (4). Cutting unit (6) is suspended from a forwardly extending frame (8) by four suspension units (40-43). Each suspension unit includes an upwardly opening saddle member (44) in which a pin (51) carried on cutting unit (6) is received. At least some of the pins (51) are longitudinally constrained in the saddle members (44) to longitudinally couple cutting unit (6) to frame (8). This allows cutting unit (6) to move upwardly relative to frame (8) at each of the suspension units to allow the cutting unit (6) to tilt or float relative to frame (8).

Floating deck for rider mower

A foot pedal is mounted on a control lever operatively connected to a hydrostatic transmission mechanism for a vehicle, for controlling forward and rearward movement of the vehicle. A damping member, operatively associated with the control lever, frictionally engages the pedal to restrain movement of the pedal and control lever, which movement may be caused by heavy vibration of the vehicle during travel over uneven terrain.

Traction control mechanism for hydrostatic transmission

An apparatus for selectively transmitting power between a rotating shaft and a belt including an integral brake member. The apparatus includes a pulley affixed to the shaft and which frictionally engages the belt. The pulley includes a pair of sheave halves which are reciprocable axially with respect to each other between belt engaged and disengaged positions. The integral brake member is mounted about the shaft between the sheave halves and affixed against rotation with the shaft. In the disengaged position the belt drops onto the brake member and is brought to a rapid stop.

Growing community of inventors

Eden Prairie, MN, United States of America

Walter J Petersen