Abstract: A lawn mower or other vehicle having a pitch sensor for sensing a pitch condition of the lawn mower with respect to a horizontal level plane and generating a pitch signal corresponding to the pitch condition. The vehicle includes drive wheels, and has a front-mounted mower or other attachment at least partially supported by attachment wheels. The vehicle also includes a weight transfer assembly, and a controller that receives the pitch signal from the pitch sensor and automatically actuates the weight transfer assembly to adjust the portion of the attachment weight borne by the drive wheels and attachment wheels. Operation of the pitch sensor and controller may be overridden by an operator through a weight transfer switch or dial in the operator zone of the vehicle.

Abstract: An object detection system is operable to alert and/or automatically react to a lawn mower, or equivalent mower equipment, contacting an object when the lawn mower is operating in reverse gear. The object detection system comprises a sensor strip, a connection lead wire and an electrical circuit. The sensor strip generates and electrical contact signal traveling through the lead wire in response to the lawn mower contacting an object. The electrical contact signal causes the electrical circuit to enable a warning system and selectively activate a brake system and disable the power take off (PTO) switch to stop rotation of the mower blade.

Abstract: A lawnmower comprising a frame, an engine supported by the frame, a mower deck supported by the frame, a rotating cutting blade disposed below the mower deck. A PTO is coupled to the engine and the cutting blade to rotationally drive the cutting blade. A drive system is connected to the frame and coupled to the engine to drive or propel the lawnmower. The lawnmower includes a tilt sensor for sensing a tilt angle representing the orientation of the lawnmower with respect to a horizontal level plane. A signal indicator may provide a notice signal when the tilt angle exceeds a pre-determined check angle. A CPU is electrically coupled between the tilt sensor and signal indicator, and activates the signal indicator in response to the tilt sensor sensing that the lawnmower is tilted beyond the threshold angle to warn the lawnmower operator of a tilt condition.

Abstract: A lawnmower comprising a frame, an engine supported by the frame, a mower deck supported by the frame, a rotating cutting blade disposed below the mower deck. A PTO is coupled to the engine and the cutting blade to rotationally drive the cutting blade. A drive system is connected to the frame and coupled to the engine to drive or propel the lawnmower. The lawnmower includes a tilt sensor for sensing a tilt angle representing the orientation of the lawnmower with respect to a horizontal level plane. An signal indicator may provide a notice signal when the tilt angle exceeds a pre-determined check angle. The PTO may be disengaged from the engine to stop rotation of the cutting blade when the tilt angle exceeds a pre-determined limit angle. The drive system generally remains operable to drive the lawnmower when the PTO is disengaged to stop rotation of the cutting blade.

Abstract: A monitoring system for an outdoor power implement. The monitoring system comprises an accelerometer, a GPS receiver, a processing module, and a storage device. The accelerometer collects impact force data of the outdoor power implement. The GPS receiver collects position data of the outdoor power implement. The processing module is coupled to the accelerometer and the GPS receiver and has a filter module operable to receive the impact force data from the accelerometer, filter the impact data, and provide filtered impact data. The filter module comprises a resistor capacitor filter circuit having a cutoff frequency at 50 Hz. The processing module also has a data extraction module operable to receive the positioning data from the GPS receiver. The storage device is coupled to the processing module and is operable to record the filtered impact data and the positioning data. The outdoor power implement may include a lawnmower.