Abstract: A thrown object having a body shaped at least partially like an American football includes a light stick carried thereon for illuminating the object as it is thrown through the air. The light stick can be carried in an interior bore passing at least partially through the body of the object. The body may be made at least partially from a material capable of transmitting light to allow the light produced by the light stick to be visible through the body. Alternatively, one or more light sticks can be attached to the body of the object in exterior grooves. The light sticks produce light using a chemical reaction after the light sticks are first snapped and shaken.

Abstract: An aerodynamic flying disk, i.e. such as a FRISBEE®, comprises a circular disk body having a circumferential rim. A groove is provided in the rim. A plurality of light sticks are located in various sections of the groove. The light sticks are bent and snapped to activate a chemical light producing reaction and after such activation may be placed into the sections of the groove. Thereafter, during the time the light sticks continue to glow, the flying disk when thrown and flown through the air will have an illuminated circumferential rim, enhancing the user's enjoyment in using and/or playing with the flying disk.

Abstract: An outdoor power equipment unit, such as a lawn mower, is supported for rolling over the ground by a plurality of ground engaging wheels, including a pair of front caster wheels. A ground or turf grooming or working implement, such as a cutting deck, is supported on the outdoor power equipment unit. Removable counterweights can be dropped down or lifted off the tops of the caster wheels. This places the counterweights as far forwardly as possible which is useful when balancing the weight of a rear mounted accessory. In addition, the counterweights can be installed and removed without using a mounting bar or other mounting hardware on the outdoor power equipment unit.

Abstract: A cylindrical column of light is formed by the reflection of a laser light plane radially emitted by a main laser light plane source at the inner, mirrored surface of a 45° projector cone. A conical column can be generated and projected by intercepting and reflecting the cylindrical column of light using a diverting cone inside the 45° projector cone. The cylindrical or conical laser light column is set to have the same geometric characteristics of an intended attachment. When the column is properly projected on a surface, it will form an outline representing the desired pattern of intersection of a cylindrical or conical attachment with the surface. The column of light is provided by an illuminator assembly that carries the main laser light plane source, the projector cone, and the diverting cone. The illuminator assembly is carried on a portable support stand.

Abstract: This invention relates to an outdoor equipment unit such as a walk-behind skid steer loader. The loader has a tracked traction system in which endless tracks are entrained around a rear drive support member and a front support member. The front support member is spring biased forwardly, but can move rearwardly against the spring bias to allow debris that is caught between the front support member to clear itself to help prevent the track from un-tracking. A single control handle having front and rear hand grips located between a fixed grab bar can be rotated and/or twisted to control the traction system. Return to neutral systems ensure that the control handle will return to a centered, neutral position upon release of the control handle by the operator.

Abstract: A trencher includes a trencher frame mounting a chain bar in a cantilever manner with a safety guide overlying the chain bar. Both the chain bar and the safety guide are adjustable on the trencher frame between various laterally spaced positions with the safety guide being able to overlie the chain bar in the different laterally spaced positions. The chain bar comprises a mounting stub over which one end of an elongated boom may be inserted. The stub includes a central longitudinal slot for receiving bolts passing through the boom to secure the boom to the slot. The use of a longitudinal slot in the stub allows the height of the stub to be maximized relative to the height of the boom to provide a stronger and more durable mounting for the boom.

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.

Abstract: A walk reel mower includes a pair of inclined rigid links for mounting the reel cutting unit to the reel mower frame for rolling about a longitudinal axis, and a pair of vertical support arms for mounting the reel cutting unit to the reel mower frame for pitching about a transverse axis. An integrated gearbox houses both the traction and reel drives, including the differential that is part of the traction drive, as well as a parking brake. A flexible drive shaft powers the cutting reel from the gearbox and is made from materials that do not require petroleum based lubricants. A single control handle located on the handle of the mower actuates both the reel and traction drives. The reel cutting unit includes a back plate which has a portion formed as a hollow beam for strength.

Abstract: A self-regulating bubble tube assembly is used for determining the hydrostatic pressure exerted by fluids, such as drilling mud. The bubble tube assembly can be used to determine fluid level based upon said hydrostatic pressure and when bubble tubes are used in pairs can be used to determine a pressure differential that will indicate the density of the fluid. The bubble tube assembly comprises a flow of air directed through a diaphragm type pressure regulator. The pressure regulator output is connected to the bubble tube, which is partially submerged in the fluid, through a precision, in-line, flow limiting orifice. A feedback line from the bubble tube runs to one side of the diaphragm of the pressure regulator where the back pressure from the tube will regulate the output pressure from the regulator to maintain a pre-selected constant rate of air flow through the bubble tube.

Abstract: A plurality of annular collars are provided formed from collar halves. The collar halves are at least partially separable from one another to allow the collar halves to be slipped into and around a groove in a grooved roller for a reel-type cutting unit. The collar halves can then be abutted and secured together to substantially fill in the roller groove. When collars are placed into the last two or three grooves on each end of a grooved roller, a non-shouldered grooved roller is thereby converted into a shouldered grooved roller without having to remove and replace one set of rollers with another.

Abstract: A picture stand comprises an upper portion and a lower portion which are joined together and are configured to be non-planar relative to one another, namely the lower portion is at an angle relative to the upper portion. When the lower edge of the lower portion is engaged against a horizontal support surface, such as the top of a desk, the picture stand will lean over to engage the upper portion of the picture stand with a vertical display surface, such as a wall. A picture can be suspended in a flat, upright orientation from a hook provided on the upper portion of the picture stand. Thus; the picture stand allows a picture to be displayed as if the picture were suspended from a picture hanger, but without having to pound any nails into or otherwise damage the wall.

Abstract: An aeration machine 10 comprising a drive mechanism 16 connected to sets of tines 18 by a vibration absorbing linkage arrangement 34. The arrangement 34 enables the tines 18 to remain vertical when extending into the ground thereby avoiding elongation of the holes formed thereby. The aeration machine includes a linkage arrangement including a vibration absorbing member. The vibration absorbing member comprises a first part located at least partially within a hollow housing and is held within the hollow housing by a plurality of resilient members.

Abstract: An irrigation valve comprises a valve housing made from a valve body joined to a valve bonnet by a plurality of attachment screws. The valve body and valve bonnet have an alignment rib received in an alignment notch when the body and bonnet are joined together such that the holes that receive the attachment screws are automatically aligned with one another. The attachment screws have a smooth portion adjacent a threaded portion such that the smooth portion when visible signals to the user that the attachment screws are clear of the valve body but are still captured in the valve bonnet. The valve includes a solenoid that may be remotely actuated to open the valve. An L-shaped actuator arm is also operatively connected to the solenoid for manually opening the valve with the upper portion of the actuator arm being closer to the user than in previous valves and thus easier to grip and turn.

Abstract: A mower, such as a riding mower, has two side cutting units and a front cutting unit operatively connected to a traction frame. Each side cutting unit can pivot about a substantially vertical axis relative to the traction frame when impact shocks occur on the outer sides of the cutting units. A shock absorber cushions and absorbs such impact shocks, and resists the pivoting motion of the side cutting units, in a bi-directional fashion to be effective during forward or reverse motion of the traction frame.

Abstract: A rotary cutting deck for a mower includes a cutting deck supported by wheels at three of the four corners of the deck. The other corner of the cutting deck, namely a corner of the deck that is close to the mower, is supported by a corner suspension that lifts upwardly with a biasing force sufficient to elevate that corner of the deck above the ground. This corner suspension takes the place of the caster wheel that would normally support this corner of the deck, and thus permits the deck to be moved closer to the side of the mower, thus reducing overall mower width without decreasing the width of the cutting swath.

Abstract: A sulky for a self propelled, outdoor power equipment unit, such as a wide area mower or WAM, comprises independent left and right foot platforms to support a standing operator. A ground engaging caster wheel is carried on each foot platform to allow the foot platforms to roll over the ground during operation of the mower. The foot platforms are mounted to the mower by an axle with each foot platform being pivotally carried on the axle using a separate pivot hub. Thus, the foot platforms can pitch up and down separately from one another during operation of the mower over uneven terrain. Latches are provided for selectively holding the foot platforms in raised transport positions.

Abstract: A mower includes a plurality of cutting units carried on a traction vehicle in a staggered and overlapped orientation to provide a cutting swath. The cutting units are rotary type cutting units having cut-outs at each front corner thereof to eliminate or reduce streaking between adjacent cutting units. In addition, each cutting unit has two spaced, ovately shaped ground engaging rollers adjacent each front corner. The ovately shaped rollers are positioned so that a tapered outer end of each roller points to the outside of the cutting unit with the broader, basal end of the roller being positioned closer to the longitudinal centerline of the cutting unit. Such rollers support the front of the cutting unit and allow the front of the cutting unit to roll over the ground.