Abstract: A universal grass edger and trimmer attachment is disclosed utilizing a rotary flexible drive shaft whose operating end is supported by a multipositional boom.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a lawn mower comprising a prime mover mounted on a housing and including an output shaft extending into the housing, a first pulley sheave fixed to the output shaft for common rotation therewith and including an inclined surface, a blade assembly mounted on the output shaft for relative rotation therebetween and including a cutter blade, and a combined pulley sheave and brake drum fixed to said cutter blade, which combined pulley sheave and brake drum includes a pulley sheave portion comprising an inclined surface facing the inclined surface of the first pulley sheave and a brake drum portion, an endless member trained between the inclined surfaces, an idler pulley around which the endless member is trained and mounted on the housing for movement between a first position locating the idler pulley to remove slack from the endless belt, thereby drivingly connecting the first and second sheaves for common rotation, and a second position locating the idler pulley to permit slack in the endless

Abstract: A single pedal is employed to control the clutching and braking of a powered tractor. The mechanism involved also includes a hand-operated handle which may be manipulated independently of the actuation of the pedal to effect braking.

Abstract: A harvester in the form of a self-propelled combine (11) has a crop header (24) and conveying means (31, 32) feeding crop material to a threshing rotor (34). The speed of rotation of the rotor (34) is adjustable by changing the speed of a variable speed belt drive (50) in the drive train from an engine (16) to the threshing rotor (34). The variable speed belt drive (50) is of a type whose speed ratio cannot be changed unless it is running. A special rotor clutch (71) is interposed between the variable speed belt drive (50) and the threshing rotor (34) to permit the variable speed drive to be disconnected from the threshing rotor. Thus, when the rotor (34) stops rotating because of excess crop material, the rotor clutch (71) may be operated to break the power train between the variable speed belt drive (50) and the threshing rotor (34) and the variable speed belt drive (50) may be run and adjusted to a lower output speed.

Abstract: The drive system includes a drive pulley operably connected to a prime mover for selective rotation in opposite directions, a driven pulley, an endless belt trained about the drive and driven pulleys, an arm having a first end rotatably supporting the driven pulley and a second end mounted for pivotal movement of the arm and the driven pulley, a drive wheel, such as a sprocket, mounted on the first end of the arm for common rotation with the driven pulley, a rotatably mounted driven wheel, such as a sprocket, and an endless flexible member, such as a chain, trained about the drive and driven wheels for rotating the driven wheel in response to rotation of the drive pulley, whereby the resultant force applied on the drive wheel by the flexible drive member, when the drive pulley is rotated in either direction, is in a direction tending to pivot the arm and the driven pulley about the arm pivot axis in a direction for applying tension on the slack side of the belt.

Abstract: An idler sheave assembly for a lawn mower which is simple in construction and which maintains the tension in the mower drive belt at any vertical position of the mower. The idler sheave assembly is supported on a U-shaped yoke which is pivotally supported on the mower tow bar linkage. The assembly includes a mule sheave fixed to the yoke and a rock sheave rotatably supported on an annular sleeve. A torsion spring is spirally wound around the sleeve having one end fixed relative to the yoke and a free end rotatably biasing the rock shaft to tension the mower drive belt. The free end of the spring is received in an elongated slot in the yoke, providing a simple belt tension gage. The belt tension is adjusted by adjusting the angular position of the U-shaped yoke relative to the mower.

Abstract: A belt tension and timing adjustment mechanism particularly for the timing belt of a lawn mower or the like having a plurality of rotary cutting blades. One rotary blade is mounted to the mower deck by a mounting plate having a plurality of bolts. The deck includes an aperture which closely receives one of the bolts, which defines a pivot axis, and the remaining bolts are received in elongated slots for pivotal movement of the rotary blade assembly to adjust the tension in the belt. The plate is rotated on the pivot axis by an adjustment bolt assembly having a bolt received through integral tabs on the adjustment plate and deck. The plate is spring biased by a spring and spacer assembly on the bolt against the tension of the belt, wherein the correct belt tension is indicated by the space between the adjustment bolt head and the plate tab, making belt tension adjustments simple and accurate.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a lawn mower comprising a prime mover mounted on a housing and including an output shaft extending into the housing, a first pulley sheave fixed to the output shaft for common rotation therewith and including an inclined surface, a blade assembly mounted on the output shaft for relative rotation therebetween and including a cutter blade, and a combined pulley sheave and brake drum fixed to said cutter blade, which combined pulley sheave and brake drum includes a pulley sheave portion comprising an inclined surface facing the inclined surface of the first pulley sheave and a brake drum portion, an endless member trained between the inclined surfaces, an idler pulley around which the endless member is trained and mounted on the housing for movement between a first position locating the idler pulley to remove slack from the endless belt, thereby drivingly connecting the first and second sheaves for common rotation, and a second position locating the idler pulley to permit slack in the endless

Abstract: In a power-driven riding lawn mower, a safety control is provided for auttically disengaging and stopping the cutting blade when the operator leaves the lawn mower or raises his feet while seated on the lawn mower. The control is operated through a foot bar engageable by the operator's feed to permit the cutting blade to rotate during a cutting operation but when the operator raises his feet from the foot bar or dismounts from the mower, the control will activate mechanisms for disengaging the drive and applying a positive brake to the cutting blade. While the control will permit the operator to manually disengage the drive and apply a brake to the cutting blade while the foot bar is depressed by the operator's feet, the control will not permit the operator to reengage the drive while the foot bar is depressed.

Abstract: A self-propelled flail blade lawn mower comprising a support frame having forward and rearward ends, a handle assembly extending upwardly and rearwardly from said rearward end and a cutter housing extending forwardly of said forward end, a rear axle and wheel assembly rotatably supported substantially in the vicinity of the rearward end of said support frame and a pair of front wheels rotatably mounted substantially in the vicinity of the forward end of said cutter housing, a cutter shaft bearing a plurality of pivotally mounted flail blades rotatably supported within said cutter housing a motor and a transmission box mounted on said support frame, said motor having an output shaft and said transmission box having input and output shafts, first drive means operatively connected between said transmission box output shaft and said rear axle and wheel assembly, second drive means connectable between said motor output shaft and said transmission box input shaft in response to the movement of a first lever mounted

Abstract: A single V-belt power transmission is provided for a three-spindle rotary mower without the belt crossing over itself or being subject to severe twists. The three spindles of the mower are disposed on vertical axes to form a triangular pattern with the lead or apex angle being forwardly of the other two spindles which are spaced laterally of one another. A swingable clutch idler and a fixed axis idler engage the flat backside of the V-belt and are so positioned on the mower housing that the single V-belt has a large arc of contact with the pulley on the central lead spindle and with a drive pulley positioned forwardly of the lead spindle. The idler pulleys also serve to so position the belt that there will be no contact between runs of the belt. The invention is illustrated in an underslung mower attachment for a riding tractor and includes an automatic brake, a manually operated height adjusting mechanism and a manual control for raising the mower to a transport position.

Abstract: A power transmission device for a power-operated lawn mower of a type, in which a driving pulley and a driven pulley are respectively fitted fixedly and rotatably on a power output shaft of a prime mover such as an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and so forth, another driven pulley is rotatably fitted on a separate shaft disposed in parallel with the output shaft, a cutting blade is fastened to the first-mentioned driven pulley rotatably fitted on the output shaft as an integral part thereof, a first drive belt is loosely extended between the driving pulley and the second-mentioned driven pulley, a second drive belt is tightly extended between the first and second-mentioned driven pulleys, a tension pulley is further provided on a swingable supporting arm to impart tension to the loosely extended belt when the cutting blade is to be rotated for lawn mowing, and a brake applying implement is provided on one part of the swingable supporting arm to apply frictional braking force to the second-ment

Abstract: An adjustable idler mechanism for use with a belt drive system in a laundry appliance. The idler mechanism includes first and second bell cranks pivoted about a common point and interconnected by a threaded member for adjustment with respect to each other to place tension on the drive belt. A solenoid is provided to disengage the idler mechanism from the drive belt during predetermined portions of a cycle of operations.

Abstract: A crop harvesting header for a combine wherein the header includes a transversely elongated frame having opposite side walls. A cutterbar extends between the side walls and is supported from the header frame for floating movement relative thereto as induced by varying ground profile. The cutterbar is connected to the forward ends of a plurality of transversely spaced runners pivotally connected to the header frame. One of the runners is disposed at an end of the header frame adjacent to one of the side walls. Reciprocating drive for the cutterbar is provided by a wobble drive mounted on the end runner and a belt drive therefor mounted on the adjacent side wall. A belt tightener pulley assembly is pivotally mounted on the side wall.

Abstract: A clutch mechanism for a lawn mower which automatically prevents transmission of the rotary force of the drive shaft of a lawn mower when a lawn mower operator is not holding on to a control structure and which invention further includes the provision of a braking mechanism which stops rotation of a lawn mower blade when such control structure is not being held and when the clutch is disengaged.

Abstract: The rear wheels of a rotary mower are driven off the blade shaft by a compact and cylindrical speed reducer mounted directly on the rear wheels drive axle. The speed reducer is drive connected to the blade shaft by a variable pulley-belt system to provide an adjustment in the speed of the mower along the ground, whereas start and stop of the mower is controlled by a wrap-around spring type clutch on the speed reducer.

Abstract: The mower attachment includes a drive subassembly which is adapted to be detachably connected to the front axle of the tractor. Specifically, the drive subassembly is adapted to be connected to downwardly opening channel members rigidly secured to transverse, oscillating front axle member. The mower attachment also includes a mower subassembly which is connected to the drive subassembly by a draft link structure. The drive subassembly includes a clutch pulley rotatably mounted on a clutch pulley support bracket which is in turn pivotally connected to a frame part of the drive subassembly so that it may swing between clutching and declutching positions. The clutch pulley support bracket is connected to a clutch control lever on the tractor by a disconnectable clutch control linkage. The drive subassembly also includes an idler pulley disposed on an oblique axis forwardly of the clutch pulley.

Abstract: A braking arrangement for use with rotary mowers of the type comprising a pair of spaced apart arbors, each supporting for rotation a spindle having a mower blade mounted on the lower end thereof. A driven pulley is secured to the upper end of each spindle. The two driven pulleys are driven by a common drive belt. An idle pulley is movable either into tensioning or nontensioning relation to the drive belt to cause said belt to be in either driving or nondriving relation to the driven pulleys. To prevent coasting of the two mower blades and of the drive belt upon movement of the idler pulley to a nontensioning position, a rod-like pivoted brake member is provided which has a common braking cooperation with both driven pulleys. A biasing spring constantly urges the brake member toward braking position.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a lawn mower comprising a driven pulley drivingly connected to a cutter blade located in a blade housing, an endless belt reeved around a drive pulley and the driven pulley, an idler pulley mounted for rotation on an arm mounted for movement relative to a neutral position with the idler pulley disengaged from the belt, a first spring urging the arm from the neutral position so as to engage the idler pulley with the belt to remove slack therefrom, a control linkage movable between a drive position and a neutral position, another spring biasing the control linkage toward the neutral position, and a connection between the linkage and the arm for displacing the arm to the neutral position against the action of the first spring when the control linkage is in the neutral position and for permitting movement of the arm, under the influence of the first spring and independently of the second spring, from the arm neutral position so as to engage the belt to remove slack therefrom when the control l

Abstract: A combination clutch and brake for rotary power mowers of the type wherein the blade is fixed to a spindle driven by the engine through an endless belt type drive transmission. A medially pivoted lever has an idler roll at one end to engage and tension the belt and thereby activate the drive transmission when the lever is rocked in one direction and a claw at its other end which, upon movement of the lever in the opposite direction, engages the notched periphery of a brake disc encircling the blade spindle and frictionally engaged with a companion disc that is fixed with respect to the spindle. The lever is spring-biased in the direction to engage the brake disc and thereby stop blade rotation concomitantly with deactivation the drive transmission whenever a deadman control on the mower handle is released.

Abstract: A belt transmission has a clutch that keeps both belts moving in the same direction when the transmission is in the forward mode and slackens only one of the belts during the usually brief interval that the transmission is placed in its reverse mode with the other belt moving in the reverse direction. Both belts share a common actuating lever having a lost motion coupling with one of the belts so that the lever can be placed in a neutral position in which neither of the belts is driven, even though power continues to be delivered to the transmission. The drive train that supplies such power accomplishes a substantially right-angle drive from the swingable tongue of the machine without a gear box by connecting a number of universal joints in a series that cuts across the corner between the swingable tongue and the main driven shaft of the transmission.

Abstract: For detaching and attaching a lawnmower cutter unit to a frame having an engine driven pulley without requiring belt adjustment, a telescopically adjustable rod has one part secured to the frame and the other part to the cutter. This rod permits relative axial movement limited by the belt tension in one direction and in the other direction by an eccentrically mounted latching member engaging the rod parts. Limited rotational movement of the rod parts is permitted. The belt may be removed by movement of the cutter unit when the detent is unlatched. An adjustable spacing member engages the latch.

Abstract: A self-propelled combine has a forwardly extending, vertically adjustable crop feeder housing and a transversely elongated, cutter bar type harvesting platform mounted on the forward end of the housing. The platform includes a floor and a transverse auger that extends the width of the platform and converges the crop along the floor to the center of the platform, for discharge rearwardly to the feeder housing. A cutter bar spans the width of the platform along the leading edge of the floor and is mounted for fore and aft extension or retraction into different fore and aft positions to vary the distance between the cutter bar and the auger. Members are also provided for adjusting the tilt of the cutter bar about a transverse horizontal axis, so that the cutter bar skids, which ride along the ground, can be adjusted to the desired angle relative to the ground.

Abstract: A drive incorporated in a power rake includes a clutch mechanism for selectively transmitting power from a power source to the reel for rotation thereof and including a member movable relative to a position providing power transmission between the power source and the reel, a spring biasing the member away from the power transmitting position, a control mounted on the handle for movement relative to a position adjacent to the handle portion, and a linkage connecting the control and the member so as to retain the member in the power transmitting position against the action of the biasing spring when the control is retained in the position adjacent to the handle portion and to permit movement of the member away from the power transmitting position and movement of the control away from the handle portion in response to action of the biasing means when the control is not held in adjacent relation to the handle portion.

Abstract: A multiple row crop harvester is provided with two endless chain drives and associated endless belt conveyors for simultaneously handling the crop from all rows. Each endless chain drive comprises a number of chain sprockets at fixed radial spacings from each other, a chain tensioning idler, and an endless drive chain trained about the sprockets and idler. The idler of one chain drive and the idler of the other are operatively interconnected by a self-adjusting, one-way tensioning device.

Abstract: A self-propelled combine has a forwardly extending, vertically adjustable crop-feeding housing and a transversely elongated, cutter bar type harvesting platform mounted on the forward end of the housing. The platform includes a transversely elongated frame with a transverse flexible cutter bar disposed along the leading edge of the platform floor. The cutter bar is mounted on the platform by a plurality of transversely spaced parallel type linkages that permit independent vertical adjustment of different areas of the cutter bar so that the cutter bar is free to follow the contour of the ground.

Abstract: A drive system comprising a prime mover such as an engine providing a drive shaft, a shell supported by the shaft for rotation relative to the shaft, a split groove pulley mounted on the shaft, the pulley including one flange secured to the shaft for rotation therewith and a complementary flange connected to the shell for rotation therewith, the flanges defining a space axially therebetween, an adjustably movable take-up pulley having a belt-tightening position and a belt-loosening position, and a belt trained about the pulleys. When the belt is tightened by the take-up pulley, the shell and complementary flange rotate with the shaft and the said one flange, i.e., the belt provides a driving connection between the two flanges. When the belt is loosened, the driving connection is broken such that the one flange and shaft rotate relative to the complementary flange and the shell.