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US 12,250,899 B2Granted
Mulch gate control lever
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsChristopher C. Warren, William P. Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mulch gate control lever includes a handle that moves a mulch gate on a vertical pivot axis between a first mulching position and a second side discharge position. A torsion spring biases the handle to move into a first position slot at a first end of a slotted bracket to retain the mulch gate at the first mulching position, and into a second position slot at a second end of the slotted bracket to retain the mulch gate at the second side discharge position.
Claims17
A mulch gate control lever, comprising:
- a rod or threaded fastener extending through a mower deck and defining a vertical pivot axis;
- a pivot bracket pivotably mounted on the vertical pivot axis on a top surface of the mower deck;
- a handle attached to the pivot bracket;
- a mulch gate mounted under the mower deck and pivotable on the vertical pivot axis between a first mulching position and a second side discharge position;
- a slotted bracket mounted to the top surface of the mower deck;
- a spring biasing the handle to engage a first end of the slotted bracket to hold the mulch gate at the first mulching position, or a second end of the slotted bracket to hold the mulch gate at the second side discharge position;
- wherein the slotted bracket defines a first position slot at the first end of the slotted bracket, a second position slot at the second end of the slotted bracket, and a substantially straight horizontal slot connecting the first position slot to the second position slot;
- wherein a first position slot direction is defined centrally along a length of the first position slot extending away from the substantially straight horizontal slot and defined to intersect a central distal end of the first position slot, wherein a second position slot direction is defined centrally along a length the second position slot extending away from the substantially straight horizontal slot and defined to intersect a central distal end of the second position slot;
- and
- wherein the first position slot direction and the second position slot direction are each transverse to vertical.
7 more elements
A mulch gate control lever, comprising:
- a handle pivotably mounted on a horizontal pivot axis to a pivoting bracket and movable within a substantially straight horizontal slot;
- a rod or threaded fastener defining a vertical axis;
- the pivoting bracket and a mulch gate pivoting on the vertical axis between a first mulching position and a second side discharge position;
- a spring urging the handle to pivot on the horizontal axis into engagement with a position slot at each of the first mulching position and the second side discharge position;
- wherein each of the position slots defines a position axis centrally within the position slot, the position axis intersecting a central distal end of the position slot;
- and
- wherein the position axis of each of the position slots is transverse to vertical.
4 more elements
A mulch gate control lever, comprising:
- a handle that moves a mulch gate on a vertical pivot axis between a first mulching position and a second side discharge position;
- and
- a torsion spring that biases the handle to move into a first position slot at a first end of a substantially straight horizontal slot of a slotted bracket to retain the mulch gate at the first mulching position, and into a second position slot at a second end of the substantially straight horizontal slot of the slotted bracket to retain the mulch gate at the second side discharge position;
- wherein each of the position slots extends away from the substantially straight horizontal slot in a direction defined centrally within the respective position slot and intersecting a central distal end of the respective position slot, wherein each direction is transverse to vertical.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.