Method and apparatus for mowing irregular turf areas

Abstract

A rotary turf mower (32) suitable for mowing irregular turf areas including a cutting system (60) which includes a plurality of cutting units (102) which are movable over the ground and each carrying at least one cutting blade (114), and a coupler (140) including a span member (144) and a pair of hinges means (150) for interconnecting adjacent cutting units (102), wherein each hinges (150) permits relative pivotal movement about a hinge axis (160), and wherein the hinge axes (160) associated with adjacent cutting units (102) are non-parallel, whereby each cutting unit may display a range of independent motion relative to an adjacent cutting unit. One embodiment of the present invention provides that the hinge axes associated with each span member are substantially directed to a virtual pivot point (184), whereby the motion of adjacent cutting units (102) relative to the virtual pivot point (184) is generally rotational. Tip-to-tip distance variation between adjacent cutting blades (114) is substantially minimized in the preferred mower by positioning the virtual pivot point (184) between adjacent cutting units (102) and substantially at the intersection of adjacent cutting planes (122). A preferred mower also includes multiple degrees of freedom between adjacent cutting units (102), wherein 'pitching' and 'rolling' type motions are permitted between adjacent cutting units (102).