Walk reel mower

A walk reel mower, which comprises:

• (a) a reel, mower frame on which a power source is carried;
• (b) an upwardly extending handle assembly connected at its lower end to the reel mower frame, the handle assembly including a portion which the operator can grip to guide the reel mower frame while the operator walks behind the reel mower frame;
• (c) a traction drive for propelling the reel mower frame across the ground, the traction drive being powered by the power source;
• (d) a reel cutting unit carried on the reel mower frame, the reel cutting unit having a cutting reel which is rotatable about a substantially horizontal, transverse axis which reel cooperates with a bedknife to cut grass;
• and
• (e) at least one pair of inclined rigid links for pivotally connecting the reel cutting unit frame to the reel mower frame such that the reel cutting unit can roll about a longitudinal axis, wherein each link in the at least one pair is located offset from a longitudinal centerline of the reel cutting unit so that the links are on opposite sides of the centerline, and wherein the links in the at least one pair are further inclined inwardly relative to one another and relative to a vertical line passing through the upper end of each link so that the lower end of each link is closer to the longitudinal centerline of the reel cutting unit than is the upper end of each link.

A walk reel mower, which comprises:

• (a) a reel mower frame on which a power source is carried;
• (b) an upwardly extending handle assembly connected at its lower end to the reel mower frame, the handle assembly including a portion which the operator can grip to guide the reel mower frame while the operator walks behind the reel mower frame;
• (c) a traction drive for propelling the reel mower frame across the ground, the traction drive being powered by the power source;
• (d) a reel cutting unit carried on the reel mower frame, the reel cutting unit having a cutting reel which is rotatable about a substantially horizontal, transverse axis which reel cooperates with a bedknife to cut grass;
• (e) a reel drive for powering the cutting reel, the reel drive being powered by the power source;
• and
• (f) a single gearbox for housing the traction drive and the reel drive.

A traction drive for a walk reel mower having ground engaging, traction drive elements for propelling the walk reel mower over the ground, which comprises:

• (a) a planetary gear carrier having a plurality of planetary gears rotating around a sun gear with the planetary gears and sun gear being continuously driven by a power source on the walk reel mower when the power source is operating;
• (b) a traction drive clutch drum in engagement with the planetary gear carrier and rotating therewith;
• (c) a traction drive gear operatively coupled to the planetary gears, the traction drive gear further being operatively coupled to the ground engaging traction elements;
• and
• (d) a selectively operable brake for engaging the traction drive clutch drum to stop movement of the planetary gear carrier such that the continued rotation of the planetary gears will then rotate the traction drive gear to power the ground engaging traction drive elements.

A walk reel mower, which comprises:

• (a) a reel mower frame on which a power source is carried;
• (b) an upwardly extending handle assembly connected at its lower end to the reel mower frame, the handle assembly including a portion which the operator can grip to guide the reel mower frame while the operator walks behind the reel mower frame;
• (c) a traction drive for propelling the reel mower frame across the ground, the traction drive being powered by the power source;
• (d) a reel cutting unit carried on the reel mower frame, the reel cutting unit having a cutting reel which is rotatable about a substantially horizontal, transverse axis which reel cooperates with a bedknife to cut grass;
• (e) a reel drive for powering the cutting reel, the reel drive being powered by the power source;
• and
• (f) a single control handle carried on the handle assembly for selectively controlling the operation of both the traction drive and the reel drive.

A walk reel mower, which comprises:

• (a) a reel mower frame on which a power source is carried;
• (b) an upwardly extending handle assembly connected at its lower end to the reel mower frame, the handle assembly including a portion which the operator can grip to guide the reel mower frame while the operator walks behind the reel mower frame;
• (c) a traction drive for propelling the reel mower frame across the ground, the traction drive being powered by the power source;
• (d) a reel cutting unit carried on the reel mower frame, the reel cutting unit having a cutting reel which is rotatable about a substantially horizontal, transverse axis which reel cooperates with a bedknife to cut grass;
• (e) a reel drive for powering the cutting reel, the reel drive being powered by the power source;
• and
• (f) means on the handle assembly for allowing the operator to selectively control the operation of both the traction drive and the reel drive, wherein the controlling means includes a single pivotal control handle having a toggle that can be toggled to one side so that pivoting motion of the control handle will actuate both the traction drive and the reel drive and movement of the toggle into an aligned position with the control handle will release the reel drive while leaving the traction drive engaged.

A walk reel mower, which comprises:

• (a) a reel mower frame on which a power source is carried;
• (b) an upwardly extending handle assembly connected at its lower end to the reel mower frame, the handle assembly including a portion which the operator can grip to guide the reel mower frame while the operator walks behind the reel mower frame;
• (c) a reel cutting unit carried on the front of the reel mower frame, the reel cutting unit having a reel cutting unit frame which carries:
• (i) a helically bladed cutting reel which is rotatable about a substantially horizontal, transverse axis;
• and
• (ii) a bedknife which cooperates with the cutting reel such the rotatable cutting reel sweeps standing grass against the bedknife to cut the grass;
• (d) a grass basket attached to the reel cutting unit frame ahead of the cutting reel and the bedknife, wherein the grass basket is attached to the reel cutting unit frame by pins on the basket received in sockets on the reel cutting unit frame, and wherein the pins and sockets are configured relative to one another so that the grass basket will not be disengaged if the operator lifts up on the handle assembly.

A reel cutting unit for a reel mower, which comprises:

• (a) a reel cutting unit frame comprising spaced side plates connected to an arcuate back plate;
• (b) a helically bladed cutting reel rotatably journalled between the side plates and positioned in front of the back plate;
• (c) a bedknife extending between the side plates along the length of cutting reel for cooperating with the cutting reel to cut grass, the bedknife being pivotally adjustable relative to the side plates to compensate for wear in the cutting reel;
• and
• (d) wherein the pivot axis of the bedknife is chosen such that the front edge of the bedknife stays in approximately the same longitudinal location relative to the cutting reel as the front edge of the bedknife rises upwardly to compensate for wear in the cutting reel.

A reel cutting unit for a reel mower, which comprises:

• (a) a reel cutting unit frame comprising spaced side plates connected to an arcuate back plate;
• (b) a helically bladed cutting reel rotatably journalled between the side plates and positioned in front of the back plate;
• (c) a bedknife extending between the side plates along the length of cutting reel for cooperating with the cutting reel to cut grass;
• and
• (d) wherein at least portion of the back plate has a closed tubular cross-sectional configuration.