Abstract: A lawn mower is provided with a speed control mechanism which is controlled by a single cable. A return spring, floating power transfer shaft, and biasing assembly provide a speed control mechanism which is effective in design and operation.

Abstract: A grass or vegetation cutting blade is provided, which includes multiple cutting edges, including a leading cutting edge positioned below a trailing cutting edge. An upturned foil is provided behind the leading edge, such that grass initially cut by the leading edge is directed upwardly by the foil toward the trailing edge, to be cut in midair. An inturned spur is provided, which provides inward air and clipping flow toward the rotational axis of the blade. The blade is contemplated for use in conventional side- or rear-discharging housings, as well as mulching or recycling housings. The blade is resistant to clogging, and includes power efficient properties.

Abstract: A walk-behind power driven lawn mower having a transverse handlebar rearwardly of the mower, a pair of hand operated control levers located forwardly of and adjacent to the handlebar and extending generally parallel thereto for establishing the drive and applying the brakes to a pair of driven wheels of the lawn mower. A park brake lever is mounted between said control levers for simultaneously applying the brakes to the driven wheels through a connection between the park brake lever and the control levers. A releasable latch mechanism releasably holds the park brake lever in the braking position. Another control lever in the form of a bail is mounted to be pivoted rearwardly relative to the handlebar for engaging idler pulleys when the transmission is shifted to provide reverse movement. Each drive to the wheels includes a drive pulley and belt and another idler pulley for engaging the belt to establish drive when the transmission is shifted for forward movement.

Abstract: A bearing assembly housing having at least one pair of spaced-apart bearing races surrounding a heavy duty drive shaft of a commercial lawn mower is provided with a critically located single grease fitting for introducing a lubricant to the housing to thereby allow the lubricant to enter at the top of the upper bearing race and migrate by force of gravity to the lowermost bearing race, thereby insuring sufficient lubrication of all the bearings in the housing.

Abstract: A disposable bag for collecting grass clippings or the like has ventilation holes in only a portion of its surface. The bag has a narrow mouth mounted to a connector assembly, or, alternatively, directly to a discharge chute of a mower. The disposable bag is supported by a cradle assembly mounted to the handlebars of the mower.

Abstract: An auxiliary cable control system in a hand lever control system for a walk-behind traction vehicle is directly responsive to movement of a first hand control lever and acts to latch a second hand control lever in its operable position in response to the first hand control means being moved to its operable position, thus freeing one hand of the operator as long as the first hand control lever remains depressed. The auxiliary control cable has a cable support and a pivotal cam-slot lever that cooperates with a stop member associated with the second hand control lever. Once the traction drive hand lever is released, that is, the traction is stopped, both drives are immediately disconnected by means of the auxiliary cable control system.

Abstract: A fixed line string trimmer head includes a pair of overlying sheet steel circular plates welded together to form two or more pairs of partially circular passages between the plates opening at each end into a recess extending continuously at and between the periphery of the plates. The passages are formed by recesses formed in the plates in registry with each other while the peripheral recess is formed by outwardly flared portions of the plates. The lower plate is also formed with an integral bulbous or ball portion to guide the trimmer head on the ground during use. The upper plate is provided with a connector sleeve centered with respect to the axes of rotation of the head for attaching the head to a drive shaft. The sleeve has internal threads for this purpose and also to permit an adapter to be utilized to allow the head to be attached to various sized drive shafts.

Abstract: A friction drive mechanism is provided for machinery such as a lawn mower wherein a driven wheel is provided with an outer ring that slips upon initial engagement with a driving disc. The coefficient of friction between the inner surface of the ring and the driven wheel is selected such that when slippage occurs, it occurs at this interface and not between the outer surface of the ring and the driving disc. Upon initial start-up when the driven ring first engages the driving disc, the ring will slip relative to the driven wheel to avoid a sudden transmission of torque to the ground wheels. The coefficient of friction and the normal force between the inner surface of the ring and the driven wheel are selected such that gradually the relative velocity between the ring and driven wheel decreases to zero and the ring no longer slips on the driven wheel but rotates at the same speed as the driven wheel.

Abstract: A walk-behind, power lawn mower having a double action manual control reqing two distinct actions in order to start the cutting blade of the mower. The control includes a bracket mounted to one side of the mower handle bar, the bracket having a slot with an enlarged opening therein. A control handle connected to a brake-clutch mechanism is mounted with one end in the bracket slot and the other end pivotally received in the other side of the handle bar. A spring acting through the brake-clutch mechanism biases the control handle in a raised position with one end registered with the enlarged opening in the bracket. To start the mower cutting blade, the control handle must be rotated against the handle bar thus releasing the brake and engaging a clutch which controls the cutting blade. However, in order to rotate the control handle, it must first be moved in one direction away from the enlarged opening in the bracket. Then the control handle may be moved in another direction to release the cutting blade.

Abstract: In a power-driven riding lawn mower, a safety control is provided for auttically disengaging and stopping the cutting blade when the operator leaves the lawn mower or raises his feet while seated on the lawn mower. The control is operated through a foot bar engageable by the operator's feed to permit the cutting blade to rotate during a cutting operation but when the operator raises his feet from the foot bar or dismounts from the mower, the control will activate mechanisms for disengaging the drive and applying a positive brake to the cutting blade. While the control will permit the operator to manually disengage the drive and apply a brake to the cutting blade while the foot bar is depressed by the operator's feet, the control will not permit the operator to reengage the drive while the foot bar is depressed.

Abstract: An adjustable axle support system for a lawn mower for supporting the whe and blade housing at a preselectable elevation in accordance with a desired cutting height of the grass cutting blade which is rotatable in a horizontal plane within the blade housing of the mower. The system includes brackets fixed to the opposite ends of the front and rear sections of the blade housing with the axles received in vertical slots formed in the brackets. Axle bearings are slidable on the axles for receipt in enlarged openings formed along the slots in the brackets. The axle bearings are biased into the selected enlarged openings by coil compression springs received about the axles. Adjustment of the height of the blade housing and in turn the cutting blade is achieved simply by retracting the bearings along the axles against the bias of the springs and moving the axles along the slots in the brackets into the desired elevation and then placing the bearings into the appropriate enlarged openings along the bracket slots.

Abstract: A rotary lawn mower apparatus including a mower housing and an annular muing liner attachment mounted within the mower housing and extending above the rotating cutter blade. The mulching liner includes integrally formed guide vanes for directing the clippings inwardly toward the center of the mower housing where they pass downwardly through the plane of the rotating cutter blade to be finely mulched and propelled below the cutting plane onto the ground for maximum mulching efficiency.