Passive self-adjusting standing platform assembly for a lawn maintenance apparatus

A locking assembly for a passive self-adjusting standing platform assembly, said standing platform assembly having a platform assembly engaging and selectively movable relative to a guide assembly, said platform assembly including a support plate and said guide assembly including a guide plate positioned parallel to said support plate, said locking assembly comprising:

• a cam bolt attached to said guide plate, said cam bolt having a shank and a cam member, said cam member positioned at an end of said shank, said shank having a bore formed into said end thereof, forming a shoulder at an end of said bore;
• said cam member having a cam surface, said cam surface defining an upper seat and a lower seat;
• and
• an indexing rod having a first end of said indexing rod located within said bore of said cam bolt, a pin being attached to said first end, and a camming pin extending laterally from said indexing rod, said camming pin being in sliding contact with said cam surface of said cam bolt;
• wherein said indexing rod is rotatable between a locked position in which said camming pin is received within said lower seat of said cam surface and an unlocked position in which said camming pin is received within said upper seat of said cam surface, said camming pin being slidable along said cam surface between said lower seat and said upper seat of said cam surface, wherein sliding of said camming pin between said lower seat and said upper seat causes said pin to engage and disengage from said indexing aperture of said support plate.

A method of using a passive self-adjusting standing platform assembly, comprising:

• providing a lawn maintenance apparatus, said lawn maintenance apparatus having a frame;
• providing a passive self-adjusting standing platform assembly having a base, said base including a pair of opposing side brackets connected by at least one cross bracket,
• a guide assembly connected to said base, said guide assembly including a front guide plate and a rear guide plate oriented parallel to each other and operatively connected to each other, wherein each of said guide plates includes a curved guide slot formed therein, and
• a platform assembly including a standing platform support and a standing platform attached to said standing platform support, said platform assembly further including a plurality of guide wheels extending longitudinally forward or rearward from a front end of said standing platform support and longitudinally forward or rearward from a rear end of said standing platform support wherein each of said guide wheels is received within said guide slot of said front guide plate or said guide slot of said rear guide plate;
• attaching said passive self-adjusting standing platform assembly to said frame such that the base is attached to the frame, and
• said platform assembly is selectively slidable relative to said guide assembly in response to said lawn maintenance apparatus traversing uneven or sloped ground.