Abstract: A convertible bed assembly for providing a crib, toddler bed, or twin bed arrangement and alternatively a pair of twin or bunk beds. A pair of headboard and footboard assemblies each have separable upper and lower sections mounted together through coupling hardware to provide a crib assembly having one stationary crib side rail and one drop side rail. Motifs are releasably coupled to the top of the headboard and footboard assemblies through hardware. Any one of a variety of different motifs may be mounted upon the headboard and footboard assemblies. The crib is converted into a toddler bed by removing the lower sections of the headboard and footboard assemblies and replacing the fixed and drop sides of the crib with toddler safety rails joined to the upper sections and which are preferably stored beneath the crib posture board to provide convenient access at the time of conversion. The drop side and fixed side hardware is utilized in a unique fashion to mount each of the toddler safety rails.

Abstract: A control linkage for controlling the speed and direction of a hydrostatic transmission in a lawn and garden tractor. A directional control arm, coupled to a dash mounted direction and speed control lever, pivots relative to the hydrostatic transmission in response to movement of the direction and speed control lever. A cam roller on the directional control arm engages a cam plate mounted on the control input shaft of the hydrostatic transmission so as to rotate the control input shaft in response to movement of the direction and speed control lever. A detent adjacent the transmission and engaging the cam plate fixes the position of the cam plate to eliminate backlash and avoid vehicle "creep" when the direction and speed control lever is placed in "neutral." An additional cam, responsive to engagement of a vehicle clutch/brake system automatically places the transmission in "neutral" when the clutch/brake system is engaged.

Abstract: A two blade mower deck for lawn and garden tractors having a continuous height adjustment feature. The mower deck includes a primary cutting blade and a smaller diameter secondary cutting blade. The secondary cutting blade is positioned to the side and slightly to the rear of the primary blade so that the cutting swaths of the blades overlap when the tractor moves forward. A continuous roller across the rear end of the mower deck follows the ground contour to prevent scalping or uneven cutting. The vertical position of the roller relative to the mower deck housing can be continuously adjusted by a crank handle to permit continuous adjustment of the cutting height.

Abstract: An enclosure for an optical disk or the like in which the main element thereof is preferably formed of a one-piece structure and which is adapted to accept a cover element. The one-piece structure is formed of a pair of substantially flat wall elements which are spaced apart and enclosed at the lateral edges and preferably also at one end to form a flat, elongated cavity open at one end for storing and positioning the disk within the cavity. The disk is positioned within the cavity by internal positioning means which hold the disk by its edges in spaced apart relation to the walls of the cavity. A cover element closes the open end of the cavity and is used to assist manual insertion and removal of the disk.

Abstract: A snow removal apparatus operable in a substantially optimum efficiency state using a variable ratio pulley. The snow removal apparatus includes a feature for sensing power demand made on the snowthrower under variable snow conditions. Responsive to the power demand, the fan speed and/or auger speed is reduced or increased in order to use the full engine power without stalling the engine.

Abstract: A machine for densifying plastic containers, such as recyclable FET bottles, includes a feeder and a shredder. The feeder includes a paddle wheel with radial vanes for feeding the containers into the inlet of the shredder and blocking their return. A scraper is provided adjacent the outlet of the feeder for dislodging any material wedged in the pocket formed between adjacent vanes and preventing its return into the inlet of the feeder. The shredder includes intermeshing rotary shredder elements and stationary shredder elements, the cutting surfaces of which slope with respect to each other to provide a scissoring action. In a preferred form, each rotary shredder element includes a sharpened outer tip which projects in the direction of rotation for starting a tear in the container undergoing reduction. Each stationary shredder element also includes a sharpened outer tip which projects opposite the direction of rotation for retaining larger pieces of material in the shredder for further shredding.

Abstract: A transmission for a multi-blade mower has a belt trained around a driving pulley and successively around driven pulleys for the blades. For driving, an idler pulley of a tensioner engages a portion of the belt that is "downstream" from the last driven pulley and "upstream" from the first one. When the tensioner idler is disengaged from the belt for slippage of the driving pulley relative to it, blade braking is effected by opposing stationary and movable brake members mounted at opposite sides of the belt at a normally straight stretch of it that is "downstream" from the tensioner and driving pulley and "upstream" from the first driven pulley, the movable brake member then cooperating with the stationary one to clampwise engage the belt and confine it in a groove in one of those members. Manual shifting of an actuator towards an "on" position tensions a spring that engages the tensioner with the belt, and such tension, through a toggle connection, tends to maintain the actuator in that position.

Abstract: A riding mower chassis frame comprises a pair of identical beams extending along the chassis at its opposite sides. A one-piece channel-shaped member bridges the beams near the rear of the chassis to give the frame rigidity, provide for laterally swingable connection to the frame of a rear axle on which steerable wheels are mounted, and serve as a pan in which movable weights are carried. A platform mounted on the rear of the frame, for carrying interchangeable accessories, is swingable to and from a horizontal load carrying position about a transverse axis at the rear of the frame. An automatically engaging releasable latch on the platform cooperates with another frame member that bridges across the beams.

Abstract: The riding mower chassis of this invention has laterally spaced front traction wheels, attachment fittings for a mower that rides in front of those wheels, and laterally spaced rear wheels that can float up and down to accommodate terrain irregularities, For such floating a rear axle has at its midpoint a pivot connection with the frame whereby its ends can swing up and down, and the rear wheels are mounted on its ends for rotation and for swiveling relative to it. Swiveling of the rear wheels is controlled by an operator seated on the chassis from a steering wheel at its front. A pair of cable stretches that have their front ends connected with the steering wheel shaft extend rearwardly at the underside of the chassis frame to connections with a steering linkage on the rear axle.

Abstract: A unitized frame for a self-propelled lawn mower and fabricated from stamped sheet steel and steel beams welded together. The frame includes a stamped sheet steel component having a forward end that includes an upwardly and forwardly inclined portion which forms an operator's footrest and having a pair of downwardly extending side portions formed integrally therewith to form front wheel axle supports. The sheet steel component also forms an intermediate stepped portion that forms a transmission mounting, and it also has a rearward stepped portion forming an engine mounting. The unitized frame also includes a rear wheel mounting member welded to and between the rear ends of the pair of steel beams; the rear wheels mounting member is of generally U-shaped cross-section fabricated sheet steel and on which can be pivotally mounted a pair of rear steerable wheels about a fore-and-aft extending axis.

Abstract: An impeller is mounted above the top wall of the housing of a mower carried by a riding vehicle, near the side of the mower at which it has its clipping outlet. The rotor of the impeller rotates on a vertical axis that is between the clipping outlet and the vertical axis of the mower blade nearest that outlet and is driven by a belt engaging a pulley on the spindle for that blade. Flat paddle-like blades of the rotor have a portion of their orbit in an upwardly and rearwardly extending passage defined by the front portion of a clipping duct that communicates the mower clipping outlet with a receptacle at the rear of the vehicle. The impeller draws air and clippings out of the mower housing and propels them rearward through the duct.

Abstract: In a riding lawn tractor having a parallelogram front wheel suspension, a rigid support member on the tractor frame is of inverted U-shaped cross-section, with downwardly projecting front and rear walls, and the wheel brackets are pivoted to its opposite ends. A tubular bushing has one end portion received in a closely fitting hole in one of those walls; a flange secured to the bushing near its other end flatwise overlies the other wall and is bolted to it. A power takeoff shaft is rotatably housed in the bushing and has end portions that project forwardly and rearwardly beyond it for connection to a front-mounted implement and an underslung mower, one of those end portions also supporting a pulley for a belt connection between the shaft and the tractor engine. The bushing also serves as a trunnion for a tiltable mower hitch support.

Abstract: The disclosed grass catcher cooperates with a rotary mower carried under a riding vehicle and having a clipping outlet from which a duct extends upward and rearward along the side of the vehicle for discharge into upwardly opening bags supported side-by-side at the rear of the vehicle, each carried on an upwardly and rearwardly projecting hook that enables quick and easy removal and remounting of the bags. Clippings issue from the duct in a trajectory that tends to carry them across the width of the vehicle, but they are deflected downward to fill the bags successively. Such deflection is effected by a cover that overlies the bags and the discharge portion of the duct and has a baffle projecting down from its top wall which defines a divergent air channel leading from the duct outlet and under which air blown up through the duct from the mower is diverted in flowing to a screened rear air outlet in the cover. The outlet portion of the duct is readily removably held in place by an elastic band.

Abstract: A protective cab (31) for the operator of a walk-behind tractor such as a snowthrower (11) is enclosed on its front and lateral sides by large window panels (51, 52, 53) of transparent plastic material extending between a top (32) and a bottom shroud (101). A pair of frames (56, 57) interconnect the top (32), the panels (51, 52, 53) and the shroud (101) and together with a pair of braces (121, 122) connect the cab to the handlebars (17, 18) and handlebar support (16). A transverse trough (34) minimizes flow of water over the rear edge of the roof (32) thus enhancing the comfort of the operator. The shroud (101) protects the operator against upwardly swirling winds and provides pocket means useful for temporarily storing personal items.

Abstract: A walk-behind vehicle in the form of a mower (11) is provided with an interlock mechanism (31, 68, 61 or 131, 158, 161) which prevents operation of a pull cable (51 or 151) to start an engine (21) when the mower power drive (22) is in a drive establishing condition.

Abstract: An elongated blade (21) for a rotary mower is fabricated from a nonrectangular blank (9) so that the lift portions (33, 34) formed on the trailing parts of the blade have radially outer peripheries (41, 42) which lie substantially on a circle (d) generated by the radially outer tips (46, 47) of the leading cutting edges (28, 29). This produces a blade with improved grass bagging characteristics due to greatly improved discharge of air entrained clippings.

Abstract: A driving and steering mechanism for a vehicle having a pair of driving wheels includes a steering wheel rotatably mounted to the vehicle and an accelerator foot pedal pivotably mounted to the vehicle. Transmissions associated with the driving wheels include a pivotable control arm for controlling the operation of the transmission, which independently controls the speed and direction of rotation of the associated wheel. The vehicle is turned by causing one wheel to rotate faster than the other wheel. A zero turning radius turn can be effected by causing the driving wheels to rotate in opposite directions.The driving and steering mechanism includes a pair of floating links pivotably connected at one end to a respective transmission control arm. Steering links, associated with the steering wheel, are pivotably connected to a respective floating link distal the connection to the control link.