Blade adapter and mounting plate for multi-bladed mower
AssigneeMTD Products Inc
InventorsTimothy Clapp, Nathaniel Byrne, David Palcisko
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A blade adapter apparatus configured to couple multiple cutting blades to a shaft of an outdoor power equipment. The blade adapter apparatus can simplify attachment of multiple blades, which can be performed prior to interfacing with the outdoor power equipment. The blade adapter apparatus can prevent the multiple blades from being attached according to an improper orientation and prevent the multiple blades from being attached according to an improper order. The blade adapter apparatus can furthermore robustly distribute load from a high energy impact event, and/or maintain a fixed angle between blade tips of a multi-blade assembly.
Claims8
A blade adapter apparatus, comprising:
- an inner surface configured to couple to a shaft of an outdoor power equipment motor;
- and
- an outer surface configured to couple to multiple cutting blades, the outer surface comprising:
- an asymmetric buttress configured to mate with a first blade of the multiple cutting blades in a manner that prevents the first blade from being coupled according to an improper orientation, the asymmetric buttress comprising:
- a salient face having a lateral length;
- a first side face that meets the salient face at a first angle relative to the lateral length;
- and
- a second side face that meets the salient face at a second angle relative to the lateral length, wherein the first angle differs from the second angle, resulting in the asymmetric buttress being asymmetric;
- further comprising a base disk having a radius that is greater than a radius of the salient face of the asymmetric buttress;
- further comprising a dimple, extending in an axial direction from the base disk, configured to mate with a corresponding aperture of a blade of the multiple cutting blades in a manner that prevents the first blade and the second blade from being coupled according to an improper order.
A blade adapter apparatus, comprising:
- an inner surface configured to couple to a shaft of an outdoor power equipment motor;
- and
- an outer surface configured to couple to multiple cutting blades, the outer surface comprising:
- an asymmetric buttress configured to mate with a first blade of the multiple cutting blades in a manner that prevents the first blade from being coupled according to an improper orientation, the asymmetric buttress comprising:
- a salient face having a lateral length;
- a first side face that meets the salient face at a first angle relative to the lateral length;
- a second side face that meets the salient face at a second angle relative to the lateral length, wherein the first angle differs from the second angle, resulting in the asymmetric buttress being asymmetric;
- further comprising a blade mounting plate configured to couple the multiple cutting blades and to maintain a defined angle between adjacent ones of the multiple cutting blades;
- and
- wherein the blade mounting plate comprises:
- a first pin, situated at a first location at a first radius from an axis of rotation, configured to mate with an aperture of the first blade;
- and
- a second pin, situated at a second location at a second radius from the axis of rotation, configured to mate with an aperture of a second blade of the multiple cutting blades.
A multi-blade assembly, comprising:
- a blade adapter apparatus having:
- a base defining a base surface;
- an outer surface extending between the base surface and a top of the multi-blade assembly to define an outer surface height, the outer surface configured to operationally engage simultaneously with a first blade and a second blade, with each blade being located at different height;
- an inner surface defining an axis of rotation and configured to operationally engage with an associated shaft;
- a first buttress;
- extending from the outer surface, and
- adapted to prevent the first blade from being coupled according to an improper orientation;
- and
- wherein the first buttress is asymmetric;
- the first blade operationally engaged with the outer surface at a first height;
- and
- the second blade operationally engaged with the outer surface at a second height.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.