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US 11,324,163 B2Granted
Reel blade and manufacturing method
AssigneeThe Toro Company
InventorsScott Michael Coffin, Cody Schrupp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reel for a reel mower having reference grooves formed in the shaft thereof and usable as datum to ensure ends formed in the shaft are concentrically aligned and for sharpening and truing maintenance operations.
Claims14
A method of manufacturing a reel shaft for a reel mower comprising forming a plurality of reference grooves in the reel shaft;
- each reference groove being concentric with each other and configured to be useable as a connection point for sharpening a reel blade without regard for longitudinal curvature in the reel shaft.
A reel for a mower comprising:
- a shaft having:
- a first end;
- a second end;
- a first reference groove proximate the first end;
- a second reference groove proximate the second end;
- wherein the first and second reference grooves and first and second ends are concentric and configured to be used as datums during a grinding operation without regard to a longitudinal curvature of the shaft;
- wherein the first and second reference grooves have equal diameters within a tolerance of less than 1/100th of an inch;
- at least one helical blade attached to the shaft.
5 more elements
A method of sharpening a reel mower comprising:
- a) grinding a sharpened edge on a helical blade of a reel mower;
- b) using a first reference groove proximate a first end of a reel blade assembly to measure a first distance between the first reference groove and the sharpened edge;
- c) using at least a second reference groove spaced apart from the first reference groove to measure at least a second distance from the second reference groove to the sharpened edge;
- repeating steps a)-c) until the first distance and the second distance are within an acceptable tolerance of each other.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.