Clutch-brake system for rotary mower
AssigneeJ. A. Masterson & Co.
InventorsRobert D. Meldahl, Robert J. Borel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A combination blade clutching and braking mechanism for insuring the safer operation of rotary lawn mowers. The clutching and braking safety mechanism automatically disengages a power clutch while the brake is being engaged. Conversely, when the mower is to be operated, the mechanism automatically disengages the brake and engages the clutch. There is a provision for a dead man control wherein the brake engages automatically and the clutch is disengaged automatically should the operator accidentally lose control of the mower.
Claims12
A brake clutch mechanism for a rotary power mower having a cutting blade member comprising:
- a clutch assembly including a brake disc;
- a pivotable control lever for operating said clutch assembly and brake disc;
- said clutch assembly having a cylindrical drum and tapered cone of frictional material forming a cone clutch and operating in association with a mating tapered metal clutch cone cup fixed to said brake disc;
- said brake disc including means which simultaneously transfer power from the clutch assembly to the cutting blade member, wherein actuation of the pivotable control lever causes the clutch assembly and brake disc to gradually engage, and further wherein the tapered cone produces a gradual acceleration in the cutting blade member;
- a plurality of counterweighted flyweight clutch shoes pivotally mounted on said brake disc outwardly of said clutch drum and adapted to engage the clutch drum, thereby transmitting power to the brake disc and to the cutting blade member;
- a drive shaft having an end extending into one end portion of said clutch drum and drivingly connected thereto by key means, a support washer adjacent another end portion of said drum, a sleeve within the other end portion between said washer and the end of said shaft, a pilot screw extending through said washer and sleeve and threadedly connected to the end of said shaft whereby when said screw is tightened, the washer and sleeve are compressed without compressing any part of said drum, thereby relieving the drum of compression stresses and relieving the screw of torsional forces transmitted by said drum so that said screw is not loosened.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.