US 10,306,831 B2Granted

Walk power mower having forward and reverse traction drive

AssigneeThe Toro Company

InventorsTodd A. Porter, Chadwick A. Shaffer, Chris A. Wadzinski, Jackie R. Gust

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Abstract

A walk power mower has a traction drive system that includes a front transmission powering a pair of front wheels and a rear transmission powering a pair of rear wheels. A first one of the transmissions provides forward motion of the mower when it is active and a second one of the transmissions provides rearward motion of the mower when it is active. A slidable handle grip on the handle having a cross bar long enough to be gripped by both hands of the user activates the first one of the transmission when it is slid downwardly on a handle out of a neutral position thereof. The slidable handle grip activates the second one of the transmissions when it is slid upwardly on the handle out of the neutral position.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A walk power mower, which comprises:

(a) a traction drive system on a grass cutting deck having a pair of drive wheels comprising a left drive wheel on a left side of the grass cutting deck and a right drive wheel on a right side of the grass cutting deck, wherein the traction drive system further includes a first transmission having a first axle and a second transmission having a second axle for powering the pair of drive wheels, wherein the first transmission and the first axle provides forward motion of the pair of drive wheels when the first transmission and the first axle are placed into powered operation while the second transmission and the second axle remain unpowered, and wherein the second transmission and the second axle provides reverse motion of the mower when the second transmission and the second axle are placed into powered operation while the first transmission and the first axle remain unpowered;
and
(b) a control system carried on a handle attached to the grass cutting deck with the control system being selectively operable by a user for placing at any given time either the first transmission and the first axle into powered operation or alternatively the second transmission and the second axle into powered operation to thereby select forward motion of the pair of drive wheels mower or reverse motion of the pair of drive wheels, respectively.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/055,912Filed 6 Aug 2018 · continuation
Priority: 28 Jun 2016
Published: US 2018/0343796 A16 Dec 2018
Granted: 4 Jun 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

A01D 34/71
Having cutters rotating about a vertical axis: with means for discharging mown material
A01D 34/005
Accessories not otherwise provided for: mulching means
A01D 34/64
Having cutters rotating about a vertical axis: mounted on a vehicle, e.g. a tractor, or drawn by an animal or a vehicle
A01D 34/69
With motor driven cutters or wheels: with motor driven wheels

Family

Application15/195,648Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Jun 2016
US 2018/0343796 A1Pre-grant publication · published 6 Dec 2018
US 10,039,229 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2017/0367265 A1Published application
US 10,306,831 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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