Lawn mower with deck lift system that raises and lowers deck with respect to frame and handle control assembly
A lawn mower is provided. In certain example embodiments, the lawn mower includes an improved steering control system/assembly and/or an improved pump control linkage system/assembly. In certain example embodiments, the The mower includes an engine deck supporting an engine that drives the at least one blade for cutting grass, the engine deck also supporting a first hydraulic pump that controls the right rear drive wheel and a second hydraulic pump that controls the left rear drive wheel. A deck lift system is for raising/lowering the engine deck relative to both a frame of the mower and a handle control assembly.
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This application is an application for reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 7,325,388, which issued from U.S. application Ser. No. 11/214,034, filed Aug. 30, 2005.
This invention relates to a lawn mower. In certain example embodiments, the lawn mower includes an improved steering control and/or pump control assembly/system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONLawn mowers are known in the art. For example, stand-on mowers are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,138,446, 6,390,225, 6,688,089, 6,438,931, 6,189,304, 6,438,930, 6,658,831, 6,560,952, and 5,964,082, the disclosures of all of which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference. Example walk-behind lawn mowers are discussed in U.S. Patent Documents 2005/0126146 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,733, the disclosures of which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference. Example mower operable by seated occupants are discussed in U.S. Patent Documents 2001/0001170, 2002/0059788, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,438,930, 6,438,931, 6,688,089, 6,658,831, and 6,560,952, the disclosures of which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference.
When deck lift lever 82 is pulled upwardly in a clockwise pivoting fashion (“clockwise” as defined from the port side of the mower as in
As review of U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,089 will show that the tractor frame (and thus the handle controls and vertical weldments/supports 14 supported thereby) does not move up/down along with the decks.
Further details of the mower of
This invention relates to a lawn mower. In certain example embodiments, the lawn mower includes an steering control system/assembly.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a lawn mower comprising: at least one cutting blade for cutting grass; a right rear drive wheel and a left rear drive wheel; an engine deck supporting an engine that drives the at least one blade for cutting grass, the engine deck also supporting a first hydraulic pump that controls the right rear drive wheel and a second hydraulic pump that controls the left rear drive wheel; a deck lift system for raising/lowering the engine deck relative to both a frame of the mower and a handle control assembly, the handle control assembly for allowing an operator of the mower to steer the mower by controlling the right and left rear drive wheels independent of one another; and wherein the first hydraulic pump that controls the right rear drive wheel is located on a left half portion of the engine deck, and the second hydraulic pump that controls the left rear drive wheel is located on a right half portion of the engine deck. The lawn mower may be a stand-on type mower and/or a riding type mower in different example embodiments of this invention.
In other example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a lawn mower comprising: at least one cutting blade for cutting grass; a right rear drive wheel and a left rear drive wheel; a first hydraulic pump that controls the right rear drive wheel and a second hydraulic pump that controls the left rear drive wheel; and wherein linkage between a right hand control member and the first hydraulic pump includes a first rotatable torsion bar, and linkage between a left hand control member and the second hydraulic pump includes a second rotatable torsion bar, and wherein the first and second torsion bars cross one another so as to form an X when viewed from a rear and/or front of the mower. The shape of the X may vary upon different elevations of the deck caused by the deck lift system in certain example embodiments of this invention.
In still further example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a lawn mower comprising: a right rear drive wheel and a left rear drive wheel; a first hydraulic pump that controls the right rear drive wheel, and a second hydraulic pump that controls the left rear drive wheel; a right hand control members that pivots about an axis and controls speed and direction of the right rear drive wheel via the first hydraulic pump; and wherein pivoting and/or rotation of the right hand control member causes a substantially vertically oriented control rod to move upward and/or downward, wherein movement of the substantially vertically oriented control rod upward and/or downward causes a torsion bar to rotate, the torsion bar forming an angle of from about 10 to 50 degrees relative to the horizontal for at least one location of an engine deck of the mower, and wherein rotation of the torsion bar causes a pump control lever to pivot in a manner to control operation of the first pump that controls the right rear drive wheel.
In still further example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a lawn mower comprising: a right rear drive wheel and a left rear drive wheel; a first hydraulic pump that controls the right rear drive wheel, and a second hydraulic pump that controls the left rear drive wheel; a right hand control members that pivots about an axis and controls speed and direction of the right rear drive wheel via the first hydraulic pump; and wherein pivoting and/or rotation of the right hand control member causes a torsion bar to rotate, the torsion bar forming an angle of from about 10 to 50 degrees relative to the horizontal for at least one elevation of an engine deck of the mower, and wherein rotation of the torsion bar causes a pump control lever to pivot in a manner to control operation of the first pump that controls the right rear drive wheel, and wherein the angle of the torsion bar relative to the horizontal changes as an elevation of an engine deck of the mower changes relative to a frame of the mower. In certain example embodiments, the change in angle of the rotatable torsion bar relative to the horizontal as a function of the elevation of the engine deck is advantageous in that it substantially preserves the effect different positions of the handle control lever(s) have on the pump(s) so as to substantially maintain its range and effect on the speed and direction of the mower.
Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views.
The mowers of certain example embodiments of this invention discussed herein may be the same as the mower discussed above with respect to
The cutter deck assembly 12 includes a cutter deck below which the grass cutting blades are mounted, a pulley system housing that is covered by a lid to house pulleys and belts for driving the cutting blades. The mower's combustion engine (mounted on engine deck 31 31′ and having a shaft extending through and/or below an aperture defined in the engine deck 31) 31′) drives the belts under the cutter deck lid thereby driving the cutting blade(s) of the mower so that grass can be cut.
Referring to
Direction “e” in
The right hand levers 33-34 33′-34′ pivot independently from the left hand levers 33-34 33′-34′. In other words, movement of the right hand levers 33-34 33′-34′ does not result in movement of the left hand levers 33-34 33′-34′ . It is noted that rotating cross bar 35 includes first and second sections 35a and 35b which are axially aligned but rotate independently of one another, the first section 35a rotating with the right hand levers 33-34 33′-34′ and the second section 35b rotating with the left hand levers 33-34 33′-34′. Thus, the right and left hand control rods 104 and 106 also move up/down independently of each other. While only one hydro pump 122 is shown in the
Accordingly, it will be appreciated that in the system of
This X (i.e., the crossing of the torsion bars for the respective pumps 122 and 123) permits the system to avoid the use of flexible cables in a system where the engine deck can be raised/lowered relative to the frame and handle controls. This is advantageous because flexible cables can be inefficient with respect to transmitting motion, and can introduce inefficiencies into the system.
Referring especially to
The example embodiment illustrated in
In the example non-limiting embodiment discussed above, the left pump controls the right drive wheel, and the right pump controls the left drive wheel. However, this invention is not so limited. According to an alternative embodiment of this invention, movement of the right control 100 100′ could cause vertical movement of the left control rod 106, while movement of the left control 102 causes movement of the right control rod 104. The same torsion bars and so forth would still be used. In this alternative embodiment, this would permit the left pump to control the left drive wheel, and the right pump to control the right drive wheel.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A lawn mower comprising:
- at least one cutting blade for cutting grass;
- a right rear drive wheel and a left rear drive wheel;
- an engine deck supporting an engine that drives the at least one blade for cutting grass, the engine deck also supporting a first hydraulic pump that controls the right rear drive wheel and a second hydraulic pump that controls the left rear drive wheel;
- a deck lift system for raising/lowering the engine deck relative to both a frame of the mower and a handle control assembly, the handle control assembly for allowing an operator of the mower to steer the mower by controlling the right and left rear drive wheels independent of one another;
- wherein the first hydraulic pump that controls the right rear drive wheel is located on a left half portion of the engine deck, and the second hydraulic pump that controls the left rear drive wheel is located on a right half portion of the engine deck; and
- wherein a first linkage between a right hand control member and the first hydraulic pump includes a first rotatable torsion bar, and a second linkage between a left hand control member and the second hydraulic pump includes a second rotatable torsion bar, and wherein the first and second torsion bars cross one another so as to form an X when viewed from a rear and/or front of the mower.
2. The mower of claim 1, wherein an end of the first torsion bar is supported by a first substantially vertically extending hinge, and an end of the second torsion bar is supported by a second substantially vertically extending hinge, and wherein upper ends of the first and second hinges are pivotally attached to respective substantially vertically oriented supports that are affixed to or are part of the frame of the mower.
3. The mower of claim 1, wherein the first and second torsion bars each form an angle of from about 10 to 50 degrees relative to the horizontal for at least one location of the engine deck.
4. The mower of claim 1, wherein angles formed between the first and second torsion bars in the X vary as a function of the elevation of the engine deck relative to the frame of the mower.
5. The mower of claim 1, wherein the deck lift system lifts and lowers together the engine deck, engine, a cutter deck, and the pumps of the mower.
6. The mower of claim 1, further comprising a foot platform for supporting feet of an operator who may operate the mower from a standing position.
7. The mower of claim 1, further comprising a seat for supporting an operator of the mower.
8. The mower of claim 1, wherein the mower is a zero turning radius mower capable of performing zero radius turns.
9. A zero turning radius lawn mower comprising:
- at least one cutting blade for cutting grass;
- a right rear drive wheel and a left rear drive wheel;
- an engine deck supporting an engine that drives the at least one blade for cutting grass, the engine deck also supporting a first hydraulic pump that controls the right rear drive wheel and a second hydraulic pump that controls the left rear drive wheel so that the mower is a zero turning radius mower capable of performing zero radius turns via the right and left rear drive wheels;
- a deck lift system comprising a deck lift lever for raising/lowering the engine deck relative to both a frame of the mower and a handle control assembly, the handle control assembly including first and second upright supports and a plurality of steering levers for allowing an operator of the mower to steer the mower by controlling the right and left rear drive wheels independent of one another;
- wherein the first hydraulic pump that controls the right rear drive wheel is located on a left half portion of the engine deck, and the second hydraulic pump that controls the left rear drive wheel is located on a right half portion of the engine deck; and
- wherein a first linkage between a right hand control member and the first hydraulic pump includes a first rotatable torsion bar, and a second linkage between a left hand control member and the second hydraulic pump includes a second rotatable torsion bar, and wherein the first and second torsion bars cross one another so as to form an X when viewed from a rear and/or front of the mower.
10. The mower of claim 9, wherein an end of the first torsion bar is supported by a first substantially vertically extending hinge, and an end of the second torsion bar is supported by a second substantially vertically extending hinge, and wherein upper ends of the first and second hinges are pivotally attached to respective substantially vertically oriented supports that are affixed to or are part of the frame of the mower.
11. The mower of claim 9, wherein the first and second torsion bars each form an angle of from about 10 to 50 degrees relative to the horizontal for at least one location of the engine deck.
12. The mower of claim 9, wherein angles formed between the first and second torsion bars in the X vary as a function of the elevation of the engine deck relative to the frame of the mower.
13. The mower of claim 9, wherein the deck lift system lifts and lowers together the engine deck, engine, a cutter deck, and the pumps of the mower.
14. The mower of claim 9, further comprising a foot platform for supporting feet of an operator who may operate the mower from a standing position.
15. The mower of claim 9, further comprising a seat for supporting an operator of the mower.
16. A lawn mower comprising:
- at least one cutting blade for cutting grass;
- a right rear drive wheel and a left rear drive wheel;
- an engine that drives the at least one blade for cutting grass, a first hydraulic pump that controls the right rear drive wheel, and a second hydraulic pump that controls the left rear drive wheel;
- a deck lift system for raising/lowering the engine relative to both a frame of the mower and a handle control assembly, the handle control assembly for allowing an operator of the mower to steer the mower by controlling the right and left rear drive wheels independent of one another;
- wherein the first hydraulic pump that controls the right rear drive wheel is located on one half portion of the mower, and the second hydraulic pump that controls the left rear drive wheel is located on the other half portion of the mower; and
- wherein a first linkage between at least a right hand control member and the first hydraulic pump includes a first rotatable torsion bar that rotates about an axis that extends in a same direction that the first rotatable torsion bar extends, and a second linkage between at least a left hand control member and the second hydraulic pump includes a second rotatable torsion bar that rotates about an axis, and wherein the first and second rotatable torsion bars extend downwardly in different directions, and wherein at least rotation of the first and second rotatable torsion bars controls speed of the respective rear drive wheels.
17. The mower of claim 16, wherein an end of the first torsion bar is supported by a movable portion of a first hinge support, and an end of the second torsion bar is supported by a movable portion of a second hinge support, and wherein fixed portions of the first and second hinge supports are attached to respective supports that are affixed to or are part of the frame of the mower.
18. The mower of claim 16, wherein the first and second torsion bars each form an angle of from about 10 to 50 degrees relative to the horizontal for at least one location of the engine during operation of the deck lift system.
19. The mower of claim 16, wherein the deck lift system lifts and lowers together the engine, a cutter deck, and the pumps.
20. The mower of claim 16, further comprising a foot platform for supporting feet of an operator who may operate the mower from a standing position.
21. The mower of claim 16, wherein the first and second rotatable torsion bars cross each other during at least some normal operations of the mower.
22. The mower of claim 16, wherein the first and second rotatable torsion bars cross each other in a manner to form an X shape.
23. The mower of claim 16, wherein the pumps are mounted on an engine deck, and wherein lower ends of the torsion bars raise and lower together with the engine deck when the engine is lifted/lowered by the deck lift system.
24. A lawn mower comprising:
- at least one cutting blade for cutting grass;
- a right rear drive wheel and a left rear drive wheel;
- an engine that drives the at least one blade for cutting grass, at least one support structure that supports a first hydraulic pump that controls the right rear drive wheel and a second hydraulic pump that controls the left rear drive wheel;
- a deck lift system for raising/lowering the engine relative to both a frame of the mower and a handle control assembly, the handle control assembly for allowing an operator of the mower to steer the mower by controlling the right and left rear drive wheels independent of one another;
- wherein a first linkage between at least a right hand control member and the first hydraulic pump includes a first rotatable torsion bar that rotates about an axis that extends in a same direction that the first rotatable torsion bar extends, and a second linkage between at least a left hand control member and the second hydraulic pump includes a second rotatable torsion bar that rotates about an axis that extends in a same direction that the second rotatable torsion bar extends, and wherein each of the first and second rotatable torsion bars has an upper end and from the upper end extends at least downwardly to a lower end that operatively connects to the corresponding pump, and wherein at least rotation of the first and second rotatable torsion bars controls speed of the respective rear drive wheels.
25. The mower of claim 24, wherein a first pump control rod is provided to operatively link an end portion of the first torsion bar and the first pump, and a second pump control rod is provided to operatively link an end portion of the second torsion bar and the second pump, and an end of the first torsion bar is supported by a first hinging support and an end of the second torsion bar is supported by a second hinging support.
26. The mower of claim 24, wherein the first and second torsion bars each form an angle of from about 10 to 50 degrees relative to the horizontal for at least one location of the engine.
27. The mower of claim 24, wherein the deck lift system lifts and lowers together the engine, a cutter deck, and the pumps.
28. The mower of claim 24, further comprising a foot platform for supporting feet of an operator who may operate the mower from a standing position.
29. The mower of claim 24, wherein hoses between the first pump and a motor for the right rear drive wheel, and hoses between the second pump and a motor for the left rear drive wheel, cross each other.
30. The mower of claim 24, wherein an angle at which the first rotatable torsion bar is oriented relative to an upper surface of an engine deck changes when the engine deck is raised/lowered, and an angle at which the second rotatable torsion bar is oriented relative to the upper surface of the engine deck changes when the engine deck is raised/lowered.
31. The mower of claim 24, wherein pivots at the upper ends of the respective first and second rotatable torsion bars change elevation with respect to pivots at lower ends of the respective first and second torsion bars when an engine deck is raised/lowered via the deck lift system.
32. A lawn mower comprising:
- at least one cutting blade for cutting grass;
- a right rear drive wheel and a left rear drive wheel;
- an engine that drives the at least one blade for cutting grass, at least one support structure that supports a first hydraulic pump that controls the right rear drive wheel and a second hydraulic pump that controls the left rear drive wheel;
- a deck lift system for raising/lowering the engine relative to both a frame of the mower and a handle control assembly, the handle control assembly for allowing an operator of the mower to steer the mower by controlling the right and left rear drive wheels independent of one another;
- wherein a first linkage between at least a right hand control member and the first hydraulic pump includes a first rotatable torsion member that rotates about an axis that extends in a same direction that the first rotatable torsion member is oriented, and a second linkage between at least a left hand control member and the second hydraulic pump includes a second rotatable torsion member that rotates about an axis that extends in a same direction that the second rotatable torsion member is oriented, and wherein each of the first and second rotatable torsion members are operatively connected to the corresponding pump, and wherein at least rotation of the first and second rotatable torsion members controls speed of the respective rear drive wheels.
33. The mower of claim 32, wherein the first and second torsion members comprise respective bars that each form an angle of from about 10 to 50 degrees relative to the horizontal for at least one location of the engine.
34. The mower of claim 32, wherein the deck lift system lifts and lowers together the engine, a cutter deck, and the pumps.
35. The mower of claim 32, further comprising a foot platform for supporting feet of an operator who may operate the mower from a standing position.
36. The mower of claim 32, wherein pivots at the upper ends of the respective first and second rotatable torsion members change elevation with respect to pivots at lower ends of the respective first and second torsion members when an engine deck is raised/lowered via the deck lift system.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Jan 27, 2010
Date of Patent: Aug 23, 2022
Assignee: Wright Manufacturing, Inc. (Frederick, MD)
Inventors: William R. Wright (Clarksburg, MD), Glenn T. Hubert (Gaithersburg, MD), Luke B. Waesche (Smithburg, MD), James D. Velke (Clarksburg, MD)
Primary Examiner: Russell D Stormer
Application Number: 12/656,366
International Classification: A01D 34/74 (20060101); A01D 69/03 (20060101); A01D 34/82 (20060101);