Abstract: A power transmitting structure for a mid-mount mower having a mower unit disposed in a middle region of a vehicle body. The power transmitting structure includes an engine disposed adjacent front wheels, axle shafts for rotating drive wheels, a stepless transmission operatively connected to the axle shafts, and a power branching device. The power branching device includes a branch input shaft connected to the engine through an engine power transmitting device extending longitudinally of the vehicle body, a first branch output operatively connected to the stepless transmission, and a second branch output operatively connected to the mower unit. The first branch output is a pulley connected to an input pulley of the stepless transmission through a belt to transmit power to the input pulley. The power branching device is disposed independently of and spaced from the stepless transmission. The mower unit is suspended below the engine power transmitting device between the engine and the power branching device.

Abstract: A lawn mower is powered by two vertical shaft engines mounted on the chassis and equispaced about the longitudinal axis of the chassis. A vertical drive shaft is rotatably mounted on the longitudinal axis of the chassis. The outputs of both vertical shaft engines are transmitted through belts and pulleys to the vertical drive shaft, which is rotated by the combined outputs of both vertical shaft engines. Other pulleys are secured to the vertical drive shaft and connected through belting to pulleys which rotate grass-cutting blades and to pulleys which operate motors turning the driving wheels to propel the lawn mower.

Abstract: A blade drive clutch and brake for a lawn mower including an engine having a drive shaft extending downwardly therefrom and which has a drive sheave thereon. A clutch arm is movably mounted below and rearwardly of the engine drive shaft sheave and supports a vertically disposed, rotatable jackshaft thereon. An upper sheave is mounted on the upper end of the jackshaft and is connected to the engine drive shaft sheave by an upper belt. A lower sheave is mounted on the lower end of the jackshaft and has a drive belt extending therearound which is connected to the sheaves on the cutting blades located in the mower deck. A lever is connected to the clutch arm for moving the clutch arm between engaged and disengaged positions. When the clutch arm is in its disengaged position, the blade drive belt pulls the clutch arm and jackshaft forwardly so that the upper belt is in a non-driving position.

Abstract: In a transmission (10) comprising a casing (12), a vertical input shaft (13) having an upper end which extends upwardly of the casing and carries an input pulley (14), and a horizontal wheel axle (18) for driving a pair of mower-drive wheels (3), the input shaft intersects the wheel axle at a location in close proximity to the axle and is supported by top and bottom walls (12a, 12b) of the casing. The vertical shaft and horizontal axle are connected by a hypoid gearing (26) having a hypoid pinion (27) mounted on the shaft and a larger hypoid gear (29) mounted on the axle. The transmission has a compact configuration while the input shaft is supported in a stable manner and while the transmission efficiency between the shaft and axle is kept high. Preferably, the larger hypoid gear is rotatably mounted on the axle and a frictional clutch (32) is disposed between the gear and axle.

Abstract: Various types of working machines can be installed on a combined control machine car body as occasion demands, and the operation of a working machine can be automatically performed with the engine power of said combined control machine car body without a separate power source for each working machine. Accordingly, various types of fruit culture tasks can be simultaneously performed, thereby reducing expenditures, and more productively and efficiently performing the tasks of preventing damage by disease and pest, rotary work, cultivation weeding, spreading earth, pruning and sprinkling compost.

Abstract: An end shaft mounted clutch which is inexpensive to produce, maintain, and install, even on an existing belt driven lawn mower.

Abstract: A transmission for a self-propelled walking lawn mower is disclosed, the transmission comprising:i) a casing;ii) input and output shafts supported by the casing, the output shaft driving ground engaging wheels of the mower and the input shaft receiving drive force from an engine of the mower wherein the input shaft extends substantially perpendicular to the output shaft and is located almost directly above the output shaft;iii) a drive gear secured on the input shaft;iv) a driven gear rotatably mounted on the output shaft and meshing with the drive gear; andv) a clutch for transmitting the rotation of the driven gear to the output shaft.

Abstract: A human power mower (10) comprising a mower housing (12). Four mower wheel assemblies (14) are provided. Each mower wheel assembly (14) is affixed in a rotatable manner to one side corner of the mower housing (12). A mower handle (16) extends upwardly at an angle from the mower housing (12), so that a person (18) can grip the mower handle (16). A mower blade (20) is also provided. An assembly (22) is for mounting the mower blade (20) in a rotatable manner centrally to the underside of the mower housing (12). A structure is coupled between the mower wheel assemblies (14) and the mower blade (20), for rotating the mower blade (20) to cut grass (26), when the person (18) pushes the mower (10) by the mower handle (16), to roll along a lawn (28) on the mower wheel assemblies (14).

Abstract: A rotary cutter apparatus is provided for shredding vegetation in order to generally reduce the size of cut vegetation and more evenly distribute the vegetation once thus cut. Counterrotating, coaxial blade assemblies are provided. A multiple gear drive shaft has one drive gear for engaging and driving one blade assembly and another drive gear for engaging and driving the other blade assembly. The multiple gear drive shaft also has an interchangeability characteristic which determines the respective rotational directions of the counterrotating blade assemblies. Enhanced gear and bearing lubrication is also achieved.

Abstract: A slip clutch and cutter blade apparatus for cane stalk harvesters provides a machine frame with a cutting mechanism in the form of cutter shafts powered by hydraulic motors. The cutter shafts have a plurality of knives thereon that pinch the cane therebetween as the shafts rotate to chop the cane wholestalks into billets. A flywheel is mounted on a flywheel shaft. A gearbox interfaces the flywheel and cutter blades. A flywheel clutch is used as a overload protection device for the chopper system. If overloading occurs, the flywheel slips and therefore limits the torque. The flywheel is placed on the bushing and clamped between the friction linings with the aid of the thrust plate, the cup springs, brake plate, brake plate cover, and bolts. The more the cup springs are compressed by the bolts; the higher the torque at which the flywheel slips.

Abstract: An electricity driven device for rotating a rotary object to increase the rotational inertia of the rotary object. The device includes a fixed and non-rotating main shaft. A fixed element is secured with the main shaft. A rotary element is arranged so as to rotate about the fixed element at a periphery of the fixed element. A coupler is secured with the rotary object. The device also includes an electromagnetic field generating device that includes a first part and a second part. A plurality of coils and a plurality of permanent magnets are provided between the first part and the second part such that an electromagnetic field is generated therebetween when the coils are supplied with electric current, so that the first part and the second part perform relative rotation. The first part of the electromagnetic field generating device is secured on the fixed element. The second part of the electromagnetic field generating device is secured on the rotary element.

Abstract: A safety clutch for a power operated lawn mower requiring a minimum of parts and readily adaptable to exisitng mowers having a clutch with detents that are biased against a driven member bolted to a mower blade for normal operation, wherein the clutch becomes disengaged from the driven member and blade in case of overload, while the engine shaft continues to rotate. There are no levers necessary to control either engagement or disengagement of the clutch.

Abstract: An operator presence mechanism for a walk-behind reel mower having a drive lever control engagable for initiating forward travel of the mower, the drive lever being shiftable to intermediate positions for inching the mower forward, the drive lever being biased to return to a non-driven position when an operator releases the lever from the intermediate positions. A locking linkage is provided for generally locking the drive lever in its fully engaged position and which allows the drive lever to shift back to its non-driven position when an operator releases the drive lever in the intermediate positions. An operator presence lever is operatively coupled with the drive lever for returning the drive lever to the non-driven position when the operator presence lever is disengaged. A lockout linkage is coupled between the drive lever and the operator presence lever for preventing the drive lever from being engaged without the operator presence lever being engaged.

Abstract: A harvester which uses a rotary style cutter bed has a series of rotary cutters extending across the path of travel of the machine and rotatable about individual upright axes. Part of the cutter bed is a flat gear case containing a train of intermeshed spur gears that serve to distribute power between the cutters above the gear train. Each end of the gear case has a hollow, gearless extension welded thereto which supports at least one additional outboard cutter that receives its driving power exteriorally of the gear case. One embodiment uses a mechanical drive to bring power to the upright shaft of the cutter having the first spur gear so that the cutters with gears receive all their power from the driven cutter.

Abstract: A rotary cutter apparatus is provided for shredding coarse vegetation in order to generally reduce the size of cut vegetation and more evenly distribute the vegetation once thus cut. Counterrotating, coaxial blade assemblies are provided. One blade assembly is driven by a central shaft rotatably mounted through a drive barrel, which drives the other blade assembly. The central shaft can be mounted by only two bearing assemblies. Easy assembly and disassembly arrangements are also provided. The rotary cutter apparatus is characterized by simplified and cost-reduced manufacturing and by enhanced serviceability.

Abstract: In a garden appliance provided with a traveling drive, the tools, for example a mowing tool, are driven by a motor which is also coupled to the drive wheels. Connected between the motor and drive wheels is a gear which reduces the speed of the drive wheels with increasing output requirement or increasing torque, and vice versa. As a result, it is, for example, effected that in the case of a high resistance to mowing the advance of the mower is less than in the case of a low resistance to mowing. A V-belt pulley gear with variable radii can be used as the gear, the axial adjustment of the V-belt pulley halves being effected as a function of the load torque. This setting can be performed against the action of return springs via helical threads which can be constructed, for example, in the form of a ball self-closure.

Abstract: A crop harvester of the rotary cutter bed type has a series of rotary cutters extending across the path of travel of the machine and rotatable about individual upright axes. The cutter bed extends in opposite directions beyond the ends of a central discharge opening to the conditioner rolls. Cutters located outboard of the opening direct cut crop materials along the front of the cutter bed until the opposite extremities of the discharge openings are reached, whereupon pairs of cooperating, oppositely rotating cutters in front of the opening function to propel the crop material rearwardly with the main flow of cut materials. Alternative forms of conveying means are provided in association with the outboard cutters for moving the cut crop centrally without the use of augers or other additional gathering mechanism behind the row of cutters.

Abstract: A crop harvester is provided with a rotary type cutter bed in which a series of rotary cutters extend across the path of travel of the machine for rotation about individual upright axes. A hydraulic drive for the cutter bed includes a variable volume pump driven by the output shaft of an engine associated with the harvester. The operating circuit of the hydraulic drive pumps oil through the circuit at a certain rate of flow, depending upon the engine speed and the position of a swash plate within the pump. A control circuit communicating with the operating circuit is capable of sensing load in the operating circuit tending to lug down and reduce the speed of the engine, which would normally reduce the flow rate and hence the cutter speed. However, in response to detecting such increased load, the control circuit compensates by adjusting the position of the swash plate so as to correspondingly pump more oil at the lower engine speed, thus maintaining the cutter speed essentially constant.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mower comprising first and second processing rollers, drive elements that are used to drive one of the first and second processing rollers and transmission elements that transmit the movement of rotation from one of the processing rollers to the other. The transmission elements are installed in a housing and the housing comprises a first part and a second part, connected to one another by a joint with a geometric axis directed at least approximately parallel to the axes of rotation of the processing rollers. Each of the parts of the housing is, in addition, mounted to pivot at least approximately around the axis of rotation of the corresponding processing roller.

Abstract: A riding-type powered lawn mower has a frame, front and rear wheels rotatably mounted on the frame, an engine mounted on the frame for rotating the rear wheels, a cutter deck mounted on the frame and housing a cutter blade drivable by the engine, a driver's seat mounted on the frame by a seat bracket in front of the engine, and a steering column mounted on the frame forwardly of the driver's seat. The riding-type powered lawn mower also has a body paneling mounted on the frame. The body paneling comprises a unitary front body cover covering the steering column, the seat bracket, and a front portion of the engine, and a unitary rear hood detachably connected to a rear end of the front body cover and covering a rear portion of the engine.

Abstract: A horizontally extending plate-like member having a power source, transaxle and belt arrangement coupled thereto. The member mounts the power source, transaxle, and belt arrangement to a vehicle frame, and establishes a lever arm between first and second coupling means for transferring relatively small concentrated loads to the vehicle frame. The power source, transaxle, belt arrangement and member can be removed from the vehicle frame for service as a single unit or module.

Abstract: A variable diameter belt type power transfer assembly having a drive sheave and a driven sheave, both of which are adjustable and include a pair of opposing coaxial flanges, one of which is axially movable relative to the other, is disclosed wherein both flanges of the drive sheave are provided with first and second belt engaging surfaces flaring radially outwardly with respect to each other so as to define first and second variable diameter belt receiving grooves therebetween. A dual range of velocity ratios between the drive sheave and the driven sheave is obtainable by selectively positioning a drive belt in the respective variable diameter belt receiving grooves.

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: An engine-transaxle-belt drive configuration is provided for a lawn and garden rear engine vehicle. The transaxle housing has been adapted to receive the engine drive pulley and electric clutch in order to lower the engine mounting and vehicle center of gravity. A releasable fastening structure is provided to facilitate clutch movement and removal of the transmission and implement drive belts.

Abstract: A landscape care tool can take the form of a vegetation-cutting tool incorporating circular-shaped blades having teeth or an earth-working tool incorporating hoeing tines. Drive linkage for such tool forms, as well as other tool forms, imparts linear movement in response to rotation of a shaft. The drive linkage includes a worm element which rotates with the shaft and a tooth carrier which moves linearly in response to rotation of the worm element. The worm element has one set of threads angled in one direction and a second set of threads angled in the opposite direction. The tooth carrier carries one tooth which engages threads of the first set of threads in order to move the carrier in one linear direction and a second tooth which engages threads of the second set of threads to move the carrier in the opposite linear direction.

Abstract: A drive assembly for a cotton harvester with harvesting units mounted for vertical movement about a fixed axis and for lateral movement across a front end of the harvester. The drive assembly includes a harvesting unit drive section and a transmission section which are driven by a common power input. The harvesting unit drive section includes an upright fluidically sealed housing with an output shaft assembly and a pair of modular drive units supported and connected to the housing at opposite ends of the output shaft assembly. An elongated modular support connects at least one of the drive units to the housing to optimize the lateral location of the driving units and thereby maximizing transfer of rotary power through the harvesting unit drive section.

Abstract: A grass mowing or cutting machine suitable for towing by general application vehicles is disclosed. The machine is operated by its advance and comprises a wheeled frame having a horizontal cutting disc which rotates about a vertical axis. A drive mechanism connects the cutting disc to the wheel(s) of the wheeled frame so that when the mowing apparatus is pulled or pushed, the cutting disc will be rotated by the rotation of the wheel(s). A gearing mechanism is typically provided between the cutting disc and the wheel(s). The cutting disc is preferably of web-like construction and includes aerodynamics portions to exert a downward force on the disc as it rotates through the air. The moving apparatus is designed for relatively high speed towing.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a mowing apparatus including: a motive power source for supplying rotating motion; a mowing head; a pair of first and second cutting disks slidably superposed with each other, each of the disks including a plurality of peripheral cutting teeth and the first and second cutting disks being oscillatably mounted to the mowing head; a mechanism for reciprocatively oscillating the first and second cutting disks oppositely with each other within a predetermined oscillating range, the reciprocatively oscillating mechanism being accommodated in the mowing head and adapted to be driven by the rotational motion supplied form the motive power source; and a mechanism for changing the mounting position of the first and second cutting disks about the mowing head in the circumferential directions of the cutting disks so that a portion to be used for mowing in the first and second cutting disks can be changed without removing the first and second cutting disks from the apparatus, the mounting position chan

Abstract: A lawn or turf aerating, dethatching, and grooming apparatus which derives the power needed to perform these functions from a movement of the apparatus against the lawn or turf surface that is desired to be affected by the apparatus. The apparatus is adaptable to a wide variety of lawn maintenance devices and particularly as a replacement front roller for a reel-type lawn mower.

Abstract: A mower control linkage having a double ended dead man control lever, left and right steering control levers, and a linkage interconnecting said levers with left and right transmission mechanisms. The linkage has swingable left and right are members that adjust the transmission mechanisms between braked, clutch disengaged and driven modes. The arm members arm connected to the dead man control lever via a lost motion coupling and are each linked with respective steering control levers. As the dead man control lever is depressed, both arm members are placed in a driven mode, and either steering control lever can then be depressed to shift the respective arm member to its braked mode to execute a turn about that wheel.

Abstract: The shaft 20 of a rotary cutting element 10 driven from below includes a break zone 41 at its end 19 extending upwardly outside the bearing 24. The rotary cutting element separates entirely from the cutting bar when the shaft breaks at the break zone upon contact of the cutting element with an obstacle.

Abstract: A haymaking machine provided with at least one rotor (5) driven in rotation has a drive housing (12) equipped with two gears which mesh with one another and have different diameters and different numbers of teeth. Each of the gears is connected to a shaft extending out of housing (12) and is able to be driven from power takeoff shaft (11) of the tractor. A third gear is provided with a driven shaft (23) and is able to be connected to rotor (5). The third gear able to be meshed with one or the other of the two above-mentioned gears.

Abstract: A disc mower-conditioner having the disc cutterbar driven at each end thereof, the rotational power being delivered to the outboard end of the disc cutterbar by a power transfer mechanism rotated above the disc cutterbar, is disclosed wherein the drive mechanism includes a gearbox operable to receive rotational power from a power input shaft and transfer rotational power to three output shafts to operably power equally the opposing ends of the disc cutterbar and to power the rotation of the conditioning rolls positioned rearwardly thereof. The gearbox is provided with a removable lid rotatably supporting the output shaft operably associated with the power transfer mechanism to deliver rotational power to the outboard end of the disc cutterbar.

Abstract: Three versions of a gear box for a combine corn head are illustrated. The gearing to drive a pair of snapping roll shafts and a pair of gathering chain drive shafts are housed in two casings releasably secured to one another in an end-to-end relationship.

Abstract: A peanut combine has a pickup that is driven selectively and automatically above a predetermined rate from a ground wheel or a power takeoff, and has means for manually disengaging the ground wheel drive for transport purposes.

Abstract: A row-crop harvester has a frame displaceable in a predetermined travel direction and formed with a plurality of forwardly open throats each provided with a respective conveyor chain each in turn spanned over a respective drive sprocket. Each such drive sprocket is carried on a respective drive shaft having a drive gear that meshes with the drive gears of the conveyor chains to each side. Each drive shaft with its respective sprocket and gear are together mounted in a respective housing bolted to the frame of the harvester and having a mounting flange whose outer periphery corresponds to the pitch circle of the respective drive gear. A main gear meshing with one of the drive gears rotates all of these drive gears simultaneously, and each conveyor chain has a stretch exposed in a respective throat of the machine which is opposite the stretch of the flanking chains for backward advance of cut crop.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a speed control unit associated with a peanut combine for driving and controlling the peripheral speed of a forwardly disposed crop engaging pick-up reel rotatively mounted transversely about the front of the peanut combine. The speed control unit basically includes a dual input drive system including a first drive operatively connected to at least one ground engaging wheel of the combine for providing an input drive corresponding to the ground speed of the peanut combine. A second generally constant input drive is provided from a power take-off source associated with the peanut combine. These two drives simultaneously drive a centrifugal clutch which includes an output drive member that is driven at a speed corresponding to the faster of the two input drives.