The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 11, 1979
Filed:
Aug. 03, 1976
Orvan D Edmonson, Apple Valley, MN (US);
William D Wood, Minneapolis, MN (US);
The Toro Company, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
A starting interlock system for power equipment having a cam rotatable between two positions corresponding to energization modes of the equipment and a lever for holding the cam in each position. The cam has two cam surfaces, each of which is engaged by a separate one of two contact surfaces on the lever. The cam is pivotally mounted in a housing on the power equipment operator handle and the housing has an opening for insertion of a key into engagement with the cam to facilitate manual rotation of the cam. In a first energization mode, the lever must be continually manually held by the operator to retain the cam against rotation. Upon release of the lever, the cam pivots to a position corresponding to a second energization mode where it is locked against rotation until the lever is again manipulated by the operator. In the first energization mode, the key is retained within the housing, and cannot be removed. The cam is connected by a bowden wire cable to an electrical switch having two positions corresponding to the two energization modes. The switch is spring biased toward one of the energization modes. The biasing force is transferred from the switch, via the bowden wire cable to rotate the cam upon release of the manually held lever.