Patents by Inventor Gerald H. Wick

Gerald H. Wick has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4573307
    Abstract: A lawn mower including a blade housing supporting a prime mover which drives a cutter blade. The prime mover causes rotation of a drive shaft and a clutch driven by the drive shaft is engagable and disengagable with the cutter blade. A handle is connected to the housing and a control is pivotally attached to the handle. The lawn mower further includes an arrangement operable to permit the engagement and disengagement of the clutch by the pivotal movement of the dead man control. This arrangement includes a flexible member connecting the control and the clutch and an arrangement restricting a substantial portion of the flexible member to a predetermined path along the handle. The restricting arrangement includes a pulley rotatably attached to the handle between the control and the housing and the flexible member is guided around the pulley.In one embodiment, the mower includes a mower propelling arrangement and an upper handle is movably attached to a guiding handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1986
    Assignee: Outboard Marine Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald H. Wick
  • Patent number: 4493180
    Abstract: A lawn mower including a blade housing supporting a prime mover which drives a cutter blade. The prime mover causes rotation of a drive shaft and a clutch driven by the drive shaft is engagable and disengagable with the cutter blade. A handle is connected to the housing and a dead man control is pivotally attached to the handle. The lawn mower further includes an arrangement operable to permit the engagement and disengagement of the clutch means by the pivotal movement of the dead man control. This arrangement includes a flexible member connecting the dead man control and the clutch and an arrangement restricting a substantial portion of the flexible member to a predetermined path along the handle. The restricting arrangement includes a pulley rotatably attached to the handle between the dead man control and the housing and the flexible member is guided around the pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1985
    Assignee: Outboard Marine Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald H. Wick
  • Patent number: 4352266
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a combined clutch and brake comprising a drive assembly including a driving member rotatable about an axis and a driving disk fixedly extending on the driving member for common rotation therewith and against axial movement therebetween, a driven assembly mounted on the drive assembly for relative rotation therebetween and against axial movement of the driven assembly, a ring member located in encircling relation to the driving member between the disk and the driven assembly and including an upper surface having an annular friction pad including a radially inner portion in facing relation to the disk and a radially outer portion, a spring biasing the ring axially towards the disk for driving engagement by the disk with the inner portion of the friction pad, a brake member fixed against rotary movement and movable axially between a retracted position and a braking position engaged with the outer portion of the friction pad so as to disengage the ring from the disk against the action of the s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1982
    Assignee: Outboard Marine Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald B. Lloyd, Gerald H. Wick
  • Patent number: 4351279
    Abstract: The internal combustion engine for a lawn mower or the like includes a carburetor, a throttle member or plate disposed in the carburetor throat and movable between an open position and a flow restricting position, a rotatable shaft carrying the throttle plate and connected to a movable air vane, an engine fan, such as a finned flywheel, for blowing air against the air vane and urging the throttle plate toward a flow restricting position, a torsion spring encircling the throttle shaft with a first end connected thereto for biasing the throttle plate toward the open position and adjustment means connected to the spring for adjusting the biasing force of the spring on the throttle plate. The adjustment means includes a speed control member or lever connected to the second end of the spring and mounted remotely from the throttle shaft for reciprocative movement in a direction transversely of the rotational axis of the throttle shaft between first and second spring force level positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1982
    Assignee: Outboard Marine Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald H. Wick
  • Patent number: 4221202
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a lawn mower including a blade housing, wheels for supporting the blade housing for movement along the ground, a rotary blade supported in the blade housing, and an internal combustion engine supported by the blade housing and rotatably driving the blade. The internal combustion engine includes a carburetor, a movable throttle control for controlling fluid flow through the carburetor, the throttle control being movable from an open position to a flow restricting position, a movable air vane connected to the throttle control for moving the throttle control, and a fan for forcing air against the air vane and for urging the throttle control to the flow restricting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1980
    Assignee: Outboard Marine Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald H. Wick
  • Patent number: 4054022
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a lawn mower comprising a cutter blade housing supported for movement along the ground, a cutter blade assembly including a cutter blade, and a gear housing fixed to the cutter blade and including therein a first pinion and a second pinion in mesh with the first pinion, a drive shaft extending into the gear box and having fixed thereon the first pinion, and mechanism mounting the second pinion in the gear box about a rotary axis fixed with respect to the gear box, which mechanism is operable to selectively prevent and permit rotation of the pinion relative to the gear box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1977
    Assignee: Outboard Marine Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald H. Wick
  • Patent number: 4044533
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a lawn mower comprising a blade housing supported for travel over the ground, a drive shaft mounted for rotation by the blade housing and including thereon a clutch drum, an engine drivingly connected to the drive shaft for rotation thereof, a cutter blade located in the blade housing and mounted for rotation coaxially with and relative to the drive shaft, a clutch shoe connected to the cutter blade for common rotation therewith and for movement relative to a position of engagement with the clutch drum, a spring urging the clutch shoe into the position of engagement, a brake surface fixed to the clutch shoe, and a brake member movable between a first position wherein the brake member is spaced from the brake surface, and a second position wherein the brake member engages the brake surface to brake rotation of the cutter blade and to displace the clutch shoe from the position of engagement against the action of the spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1977
    Assignee: Outboard Marine Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald H. Wick
  • Patent number: RE32173
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a combined clutch and brake comprising a drive assembly including a driving member rotatable about an axis and a driving disk fixedly extending on the driving member for common rotation therewith and against axial movement therebetween, a driven assembly mounted on the drive assembly for relative rotation therebetween and against axial movement of the driven assembly, a ring member located in encircling relation to the driving member between the disk and the driven assembly and including an upper surface having an annular friction pad including a radially inner portion in facing relation to the disk and a radially outer portion, a spring biasing the ring axially towards the disk for driving engagement by the disk with the inner portion of the friction pad, a brake member fixed against rotary movement and movable axially between a retracted position and a braking position engaged with the outer portion of the friction pad so as to disengage the ring from the disk against the action of the s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1986
    Assignee: Outboard Marine Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald B. Lloyd, Gerald H. Wick
  • Patent number: RE32730
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a lawn mower comprising a blade housing supported for travel over the ground, a drive shaft mounted for rotation by the blade housing and including thereon a clutch drum, an engine drivingly connected to the drive shaft for rotation thereof, a cutter blade located in the blade housing and mounted for rotation coaxially with and relative to the drive shaft, a clutch shoe connected to the cutter blade for common rotation therewith and for movement relative to a position of engagement with the clutch drum, a spring urging the clutch shoe into the position of engagement, a brake surface fixed to the clutch shoe, and a brake member movable between a first position wherein the brake member is spaced from the brake surface, and a second position wherein the brake member engages the brake surface to brake rotation of the cutter blade and to displace the clutch shoe from the position of engagement against the action of the spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1988
    Assignee: Outboard Marine Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald H. Wick