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US 4,326,370 AGranted
Rotary lawn mower
AssigneeThe Toro Company
InventorRichard A. Thorud
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary lawn mower 2 includes a housing 4 having a side discharge port 54 located downstream of a rear discharge port 52. A downwardly opening tunnel 32 is tilted from front to back to define a grass circulating passageway. Discharge ports 52 and 54 may be blocked so that tunnel 32 operates as an improved mulcher with the grass clippings being discharged therefrom in a substantially downward direction. Lawn mower 2 includes a grass receiving means 12 having a chute 140 which may be releasably coupled on rear deck 21 of housing 4. Chute 140 has an open mouth with an area which is much larger than the cross-sectional area of the chute to more easily empty a bag 126 attached to the chute. In addition, dispersal attachment 180 can be alternatively coupled to rear deck 21 for dispersing the cut grass clippings in a pattern behind housing 4.
Claims10
A rotary lawn mower for cutting grass or the like, which comprises:
- (a) a housing;
- (b) means for movably supporting the housing above the ground to allow the housing to be moved over a predetermined area of grass which is to be cut;
- (c) means carried on the housing for cutting grass at a predetermined height above the ground and for propelling particles of cut grass in a preferred path of travel relative to the housing;
- (d) a discharge port located in the housing in the preferred path of travel of the cut grass particles for discharging the particles outside the housing;
- (e) means associated with the discharge port for receiving and retaining the cut grass particles discharged therethrough, the receiving means including a relatively rigid chute having one or more circumferential walls which terminate in an entrance opening that is suited to be placed in a face-to-face relationship with the discharge port, and wherein at least one of the walls of the chute includes a cutaway portion which extends from the entrance opening over a predetermined area of the wall;
- (f) means for releasably coupling the chute to the discharge port of the housing so that the receiving means may be removed from the housing for emptying when filled with particles of cut grass, whereby the particles of cut grass can be emptied through an area defined by both the entrance opening of the chute and the cutaway portion in the wall of the chute;
- wherein the means for releasably coupling the receving means to the discharge port comprises:
- (i) an upwardly opening seat located on the housing adjacent the discharge port which seat is shaped to receive therein the chute of the receiving means;
- (ii) a pivotal member located on the housing adjacent the discharge port, wherein the pivotal member engages the chute and is configured to fit into the cutaway portion in the wall of the chute when the chute is received in the seat to block the cutaway portion and prevent cut grass particles from escaping therethrough;
- and
- (iii) means for biasing the pivotal member towards the seat to lock the chute against the seat and prevent unintentional removal therefrom.
8 more elements
A rotary lawn mower for cutting grass or the like, which comprises:
- (a) a housing;
- (b) means for movably supporting the housing above the ground to allow the housing to be moved over a predetermined area of grass which is to be cut;
- (c) means carried on the housing for cutting grass at a predetermined height above the ground and for propelling particles of cut grass in a preferred path of travel relative to the housing;
- (d) a discharge port located in the housing in the preferred path of travel of the cut grass particles for discharging the particles outside the housing;
- (e) means associated with the discharge port for receiving and retaining the cut grass particles discharged therethrough, the receiving means comprising:
- (i) a flexible bag having open and closed ends;
- (ii) a hollow, relatively rigid chute pivotably secured to the open end of the bag for pivotal movement relative to the bag, wherein the chute has a cross-sectional configuration of a predetermined area, and wherein the front of the chute defines an open mouth having an area which is larger than the area of the cross-sectional configuration of the chute, and wherein the open mouth is substantially unobstructed when the receiving means is not attached to the housing to allow the cut grass particles therein to be emptied through an area which is larger than the cross-sectional area of the chute with the pivotal attachment of the chute relative to the container allowing the chute to be manipulated to keep the open mouth pointed upwardly to prevent cut grass particles from falling out except when desired;
- (f) outwardly extending handle means carried on the housing for guiding the housing during movement over the ground, wherein the handle means includes two spaced and upwardly extending rods;
- and
- (g) means for releasably coupling the receiving means to the housing with the open mouth of the chute being located adjacent the discharge port;
- wherein the coupling means for the receiving means comprises:
- (i) an upwardly opening seat on the housing adjacent the discharge port for telescopically receiving the chute;
- and
- (ii) a bag support hanger secured to the closed end of the bag, wherein the bag support hanger includes a downwardly facing U-shaped loop at one end and an L-shaped support flange at the other end, wherein the loop and the support flange are respectively received on the rods of the handle means for supporting the bag therebetween.
11 more elements
A rear bagging lawn mower, which comprises:
- (a) a housing having a rear discharge port through which particles of cut grass may be discharged;
- (b) means for movably supporting the housing;
- (c) means for cutting grass at a predetermined height above the ground and for throwing the particles of grass through the rear discharge port;
- (d) a bag positioned adjacent the rear discharge port for receiving the cut grass particles thrown therethrough, wherein the bag includes a substantially rigid and rectangular chute having top, bottom and side walls which terminate in an entrance opening to the bag that may be aligned with the rear discharge port, and wherein at least a portion of the top wall of the chute is cut away to form an additional open area which, in conjunction with the entrance opening, defines an area through which the cut grass particles contained in the bag may be emptied when the bag is inverted;
- (e) wherein the housing includes a U-shaped seat in which the chute of the bag is telescopically received with the entrance opening adjacent the rear discharge port, and further including a pivotable door normally arranged to close the rear discharge port, wherein the door is configured to fit into and bear against the cutaway portion of the top wall of the chute to selectively block the additional open area therein whenever the chute is received in the seat, and
- (f) means for biasing the door toward the seat for releasably retaining the chute of the bag in the seat.
3 more elements
A rotary lawn mower for cutting grass or the like, which comprises:
- (a) a housing having a discharge port through which particles of cut grass may be discharged;
- (b) means for movably supporting the housing;
- (c) means for cutting grass at a predetermined height above the ground and for throwing the particles of grass through the discharge port;
- (d) means releasably associated with the discharge port for receiving and retaining the cut grass particles discharged therethrough;
- (e) wherein the housing includes a substantially U-shaped and upwardly facing seat adjacent the discharge port in which seat the receiving means is releasably received, the seat having upwardly extending side wings which extend along and outwardly from each side of the discharge port, wherein the side wings are sufficiently sized to intercept objects which may be accidentally thrown through the discharge port when the receiving means is not associated therewith;
- and
- (f) pivotal door means on the housing for closing the discharge port when the receiving means is not associated thereiwith, wherein the door means is biased into a normally closed position.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.