Abstract: A modular hitch unit is attached to a lawn and garden tractor and then to a tiller. The hitch unit includes hitching mechanisms as well as hand-operable belt adjustment mechanisms for positioning and adjusting the tension of a drive belt. A lever is operated to pivot a countersprung idler pulley to allow the belt to be placed in its operating position. A knob is then turned to adjust the pivotable position of a second idler pulley to control the tension of the belt. The idler pulleys can be switched and the belt remounted to change the direction in which a set of tiller tines are driven.

Abstract: A grass catching receptacle for a lawn and garden mowing machine having fixed and movable clamshell portions forming a hopper that is opened at the bottom to dump accumulated clippings. A dumping handle is fixed to the movable clamshell portion and carries a control lever for releasing a cable-operated latch that secures the bottoms of the clamshell portions in their closed position. The movable clamshell portion and a flip-up lid are pivoted around a common axis across the back of the mowing machine, the lid pivoting upwardly and forwardly when the movable clamshell portion is pivoted for a dumping operation, and also pivoting upwardly and forwardly when lifted for access to the hopper through a top opening. A wire frame is disposed across the top opening for holding disposable bags in an open and upright position when a bagging operation is desired.

Abstract: A rear bagging receptacle for a power lawn mower has a lift-off collection bag and a flip-top lid. The collection bag has a frame sewn into a flexible fabric around its mouth, the frame allowing the bag to be rested on the laterally spaced, rearwardly extending legs of a handlebar frame. The flip-top lid has an integral, stiff, recessed member and yieldable, opposing fingers at a back end of the member to pivotably and detachably mount the lid to a crossbar of the handlebar frame. There, the lid pivots forwardly and downwardly to close over the mouth of the collection bag and exit of a discharge chute extending on the front edge of the collection bag. The lid also pivots upwardly and rearwardly to allow access to the collection bag and lift-off removal of the collection bag or disposable liner bag.