Walk reel mower with side plate cutouts for drop out reel
AssigneeThe Toro Company
InventorsGerald E. Goman, Robert D. Patton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A walk reel mower has a reel cutting unit carried by the frame, wherein the reel cutting unit comprises a laterally extending cutting reel rotatably journalled between a pair of laterally spaced inserts for rotation about a substantially horizontal rotational axis, the cutting reel having a plurality of blades. The reel cutting unit is removably mounted to a pair of laterally spaced side plates of the frame, wherein the pair of inserts are located on opposite ends of the laterally extending cutting reel such that the pair of inserts are at least partially received within the cutouts located on the pair of laterally spaced side plates when the reel cutting unit is mounted to the pair of laterally spaced side plates.
Claims20
A reel mower, which comprises:
- (a) a frame supported for rolling over the ground, the frame having a pair of laterally spaced side plates, each of the pair of laterally spaced side plates having a cutout;
- and
- (b) a reel cutting unit carried by the frame, wherein the reel cutting unit comprises a laterally extending cutting reel rotatably journalled between a pair of laterally spaced inserts for rotation about a substantially horizontal rotational axis, the cutting reel having a plurality of blades;
- wherein the reel cutting unit is removably mounted to the pair of laterally spaced side plates of the frame, wherein the pair of inserts are located on opposite ends of the laterally extending cutting reel such that the pair of inserts are at least partially received within the cutouts located on the pair of laterally spaced side plates when the reel cutting unit is mounted to the pair of laterally spaced side plates.
A method of removably mounting a reel cutting unit to a reel mower, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a reel mower comprising:
- a frame supported for rolling over the ground, the frame having a pair of laterally spaced side plates, each of the pair of laterally spaced side plates having a cutout;
- and
- a reel cutting unit carried by the frame, wherein the reel cutting unit comprises a laterally extending cutting reel rotatably journalled between a pair of laterally spaced inserts for rotation about a substantially horizontal rotational axis, the cutting reel having a plurality of blades;
- wherein the reel cutting unit is removably mounted to the pair of laterally spaced side plates of the frame, wherein the pair of inserts are located on opposite ends of the laterally extending cutting reel such that the pair of inserts are at least partially received within the cutouts located on the pair of laterally spaced side plates when the reel cutting unit is mounted to the pair of laterally spaced side plates;
- and
- (b) removing one or more fasteners securing the pair of inserts to the cutouts, such that the reel cutting unit releases from the pair of laterally spaced side plates of the frame.
A dropout reel assembly configured for removable attachment to a frame of a reel mower, the dropout reel assembly comprising:
- (a) a pair of laterally spaced insert structures, each of the pair of laterally spaced insert structures including at least one aperture for receiving a fastener for securing the insert structure to the frame;
- and
- (b) a cutting reel journalled between the pair of laterally spaced insert structures by a pair of bearing assemblies at least partially positioned within the pair of laterally spaced insert structures such that the cutting reel is rotatable with respect to the pair of laterally spaced insert structures about a horizontal axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.