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:
Feb. 10, 2004
Filed:
Feb. 01, 2002
Dennis J. Berndt, Eagan, MN (US);
Scott M. Coffin, Plymouth, MN (US);
The Toro Company, Bloomington, MN (US);
Abstract
A rotatable brush is located adjacent to and in contact with a ground engaging roller of a cutting unit of a mower to clean debris from the roller surface. The brush includes a brush shaft having at least one flight of brush bristles releasably secured to the brush shaft by a pair of fasteners. This permits easy replacement of the flight of brush bristles without having to replace the brush shaft. One end of the brush shaft is driven by a belt drive system with the driven end of the brush shaft passing through an elongated slot in a pivotally adjustable tensioning plate. The plate can be pivoted to adjust the tension in the drive belt without moving the driven end of the brush shaft, thus not affecting or changing the position of the brush relative to the roller. Drive can be imparted to the belt drive system using a hardened cap screw that is threaded into one end of the shaft of a rotatable reel on a reel cutting unit. The head of the cap screw mates in a non-circular socket on one end of a drive shaft to transfer power to the drive shaft and, thus, to the belt drive system.