US 2011/0209453 A1Published application

Trailing transport rotary mower

AssigneeHighline Manufacturing Ltd.

InventorsBlake Neudorf, Cam Wilson, Monty Summach

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Abstract

A rotary mower has a center deck and wing decks extend laterally outward from the center deck and are oriented horizontally when in the field position. An actuator moves each wing deck from the field position to the raised transport position where the wing decks extend upward. A transport wheel and a field wheel are mounted on each side so that in the field position, the transport wheel is above the ground and the field wheel is supports the wing deck and in the raised transport position the field wheel is above the ground and the transport wheel supports the wing deck. A wing wheel supports each wing deck when in the field position. As the center deck is towed forward in the raised transport position, the wing decks pivot rearward with respect to the center deck from the raised transport position to the trailing transport position.

Claims42

Dependent claims

A rotary mower apparatus movable from a field position to a raised transport position, and from the raised transport position to a trailing transport position, the apparatus comprising:

a center deck mounted on center wheels for movement along the ground in an operating travel direction, and a hitch at a front end of the center deck adapted to be attached to a towing vehicle;
right and left wing decks, each wing deck movably attached on corresponding right and left sides of the center deck such that in the field position, each wing deck is oriented substantially horizontally and extends laterally from the center deck, and such that in the raised transport position each wing deck extends upward and extends laterally from the center deck, and such that in the trailing transport position each wing deck extends upward and rearward from the center deck;
a wing lift actuator operative to move each wing deck from the field position to the raised transport position;
a transport wheel and a field wheel attached to a wing deck on each side of the center deck, wherein in the field position, the transport wheel is above the ground and the field wheel is on the ground oriented to roll in the operating travel direction supporting the wing deck above the ground, and wherein in the raised transport position the field wheel is above the ground and the transport wheel is on the ground oriented to roll in a direction transverse to the operating travel direction and supporting the wing deck above the ground;
a wing wheel mounted such that in the field position, the wing wheel is on the ground supporting a wing deck above the ground, and such that in the raised transport position the wing wheel is above the ground;
a center blade mounted under the center deck, and right and left blades mounted under corresponding right and left wing decks such that when in the field position the right and left blades are oriented such that cutting paths of the right and left blades overlap a cutting path of the center blade;
a drive operative to rotate the center, right, and left blades;
and
a cutting height actuator operative to raise and lower the center deck and right and left wing decks with respect to the ground;
wherein, as the center deck is towed forward in the raised transport position, the wing decks pivot rearward with respect to the center deck from the raised transport position to the trailing transport position.

7 more elements

A rotary mower apparatus movable from a field position to a raised transport position, and from the raised transport position to a trailing transport position, the apparatus comprising:

a center deck mounted on center wheels for movement along the ground in an operating travel direction, and a hitch at a front end of the center deck adapted to be attached to a towing vehicle;
right and left tool bars pivotally mounted at an inner ends thereof to rear portions of the center deck and movable from an extended position, where the tool bars extend laterally outward from the center deck to corresponding right and left sides of the center deck and incline rearward, to a trailing transport position where the tool bars extend rearward from the center deck substantially in alignment with the operating travel direction;
a field wheel and a transport wheel mounted on outer portions of each tool bar;
a tool bar actuator operative to move each tool bar from the field position, where the transport wheel is above the ground and where the field wheel is on the ground oriented to roll in the operating travel direction supporting the tool bar above the ground, to the raised transport position where the field wheel is above the ground and the transport wheel is on the ground oriented to roll in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the tool bar supporting the tool bar above the ground;
right and left wing decks, each wing deck attached at a rear portion thereof to a corresponding tool bar such that in the field position, the wing deck extends substantially horizontally forward from a rear end thereof located below the tool bar, to a front end thereof forward of the tool bar and supported by a front caster wheel, and such that in the transport positions the wing deck extends upward from the tool bar;
right and left wing support mechanisms mounted to front portions of the center deck and right and left wing decks, the wing support mechanisms operative in the field position to engage and pivotally connect front portions of the right and left wing decks to corresponding front portions of the center deck such that the front portions of the wing decks are supported on the center deck and can pivot up and down with respect to the center deck, and wherein when the front portions of the wing decks move upward to the raised transport position, the wing support mechanisms disengage;
a center blade mounted under the center deck, and right and left blades mounted under corresponding right and left wing decks such that when in the field position the right and left blades are rearward of the center blade such that cutting paths of the right and left blades overlap a cutting path of the center blade;
a drive operative to rotate the center, right, and left blades;
and
a cutting height actuator operative to raise and lower the center deck and right and left wing decks with respect to the ground;
wherein, as the center deck is towed forward in the raised transport position, the tool bars pivot rearward with respect to the center deck from the extended position to the trailing transport position.

8 more elements

A rotary mower apparatus movable from a field position to a raised transport position, and from the raised transport position to a trailing transport position, the apparatus comprising:

a center deck mounted on center wheels for movement along the ground in an operating travel direction, and a hitch at a front end of the center deck adapted to be attached to a towing vehicle;
right and left tool bars pivotally mounted at inner ends thereof to rear portions of the center deck and movable from an extended position, where the tool bars extend laterally outward from the center deck to corresponding right and left sides of the center deck and incline rearward, to a trailing position where the tool bars extend rearward from the center deck substantially in alignment with the operating travel direction;
a field wheel and a transport wheel mounted on outer portions of each tool bar;
a tool bar actuator operative to move each tool bar from the field position, where the transport wheel is above the ground and where the field wheel is on the ground oriented to roll in the operating travel direction supporting the tool bar above the ground, to the raised transport position where the field wheel is above the ground and the transport wheel is on the ground oriented to roll in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the tool bar supporting the tool bar above the ground;
right and left inner wing decks and right and left outer wing decks attached to corresponding right and left tool bars, each outer wing deck pivotally attached at an inner edge thereof to a corresponding outer edge of the corresponding inner wing deck about a wing pivot axis oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the corresponding tool bar;
each inner and outer wing deck attached at a rear portion thereof to the corresponding tool bar such that in the field position, each wing deck extends substantially horizontally forward from a rear end thereof located below the tool bar, to a front end thereof forward of the tool bar and supported by a front caster wheel, and such that in the transport positions each wing deck extends upward from the tool bar;
right and left wing support mechanisms mounted to front portions of the center deck and right and left inner wing decks, the wing support mechanisms operative in the field position to engage and pivotally connect front portions of the right and left inner wing decks to corresponding front portions of the center deck such that the front portions of the inner wing decks are supported on the center deck and can pivot up and down with respect to the center deck, and wherein when the front portions of the inner wing decks move upward to the raised transport position, the wing support mechanisms disengage;
a center blade mounted under the center deck, and right and left inner and outer blades mounted under corresponding right and left inner and outer wing decks such that when in the field position the right and left outer blades are rearward of the right and left inner blades, and the right and left inner blades are rearward of the center blade such that cutting paths of the right and left outer blades overlap a cutting path of the right and left inner blades, and cutting paths of the right and left inner blades overlap a cutting path of the center blade;
a drive operative to rotate the center blade and the right and left inner and outer blades;
and
a cutting height actuator operative to raise and lower the center deck and right and left inner and outer wing decks with respect to the ground;
wherein, as the center deck is towed forward in the raised transport position, the tool bars pivot rearward with respect to the center deck from the extended position to the trailing transport position.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.