Multiple hirth joint for lawn mower controls
AssigneeAriens Company
InventorsEric Otto Freienmuth, Ross Michael Seefeldt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multiple Hirth joint for permitting linear and angular adjustment of an upper control arm with respect to a lower control arm. The joint includes a multiple Hirth interface having a slot through it, a confronting single Hirth interface, and an actuator. The actuator permits manual loosening and tightening of the multiple Hirth interface and single Hirth interface to permit linear and angular adjustment. Loosening of the actuator simultaneously permits linear and angular adjustment and tightening of the actuator simultaneously lock the joint into the selected linear and angular position.
Claims21
A utility vehicle comprising:
- a frame;
- an operator zone for an operator of the utility vehicle during operation;
- a control handle including a lower arm and an upper arm;
- and
- an adjustable joint between the lower arm and upper arm, the adjustable joint including a first component having a multiple Hirth joint interface and a slot, a second component having a single Hirth joint interface, and an actuator;
- wherein the actuator is manually adjustable to simultaneously loosen the adjustable joint to permit relative linear movement along the slot between the first and second components and relative angular movement between the first and second components, such relative linear and angular movement adjusting the upper arm into a selected position with respect to the lower arm to accommodate a size of the operator, and
- wherein the actuator is manually adjustable to simultaneously tighten the adjustable joint to lock the upper arm in the selected position with respect to the lower arm.
A control handle for a utility vehicle, the control handle comprising:
- a lower arm,
- an upper arm, and
- an adjustable joint between the lower arm and upper arm, the adjustable joint including
- a first component having a multiple Hirth joint interface and a slot,
- a second component having a single Hirth joint interface, and
- an actuator configured to be manually adjustable to simultaneously loosen the adjustable joint to permit relative linear movement along the slot between the first and second components and relative angular movement between the first and second components, such relative linear and angular movement adjusting the upper arm into a selected position with respect to the lower arm to accommodate a size of the operator;
- wherein the actuator is configured to be manually adjustable to simultaneously tighten the adjustable joint to lock the upper arm in the selected position with respect to the lower arm.
A utility vehicle comprising:
- a frame;
- an operator zone for an operator of the utility vehicle during operation;
- a control handle including a lower arm and an upper arm;
- and
- an adjustable joint between the lower arm and upper arm, the adjustable joint including
- a first component having a first Hirth joint interface, a second Hirth joint interface, and a slot extending from a first Hirth joint center to a second Hirth joint center, wherein the first Hirth joint center and the second Hirth joint center are separated by a first distance,
- a second component having a single Hirth joint interface, the single Hirth joint having a diameter, and
- an actuator configured to selectively permit or lock relative linear movement along the slot between the first and second components and relative angular movement between the first and second components,
- wherein the diameter of the single Hirth joint is greater than the first distance between the first Hirth joint center and the second Hirth joint center.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.