Mower drive assembly

A drive assembly for selective coupling of a rotary tool with a rotatable drive shaft projecting from an implement housing, comprising:

• a drive member secured generally to the end of the drive shaft and having a drive face presented generally toward the implement housing;
• a generally annular driven member for carrying the tool and having a set of generally radially outwardly extending drive teeth, said driven member being supported about said drive member in an axially fixed position and for rotation relative thereto;
• and
• a clutch ring nondrivingly carried about the drive shaft generally between said drive member and the implement housing, said clutch ring including a generally axially extending set of drive teeth for meshing engagement with said set of driven member drive teeth for rotation of said clutch ring and driven member together throughout axial displacement of said clutch ring and a clutch face presented generally toward said drive face, said clutch ring being axially movable relative to the drive shaft between a first position with said clutch face in frictional engagement with said drive face to rotatably drive said clutch ring and driven member, and a second position with said clutch face axially spaced from said drive face.

A drive assembly for selective coupling of a mower blade to a mower drive shaft projecting from a mower housing, comprising:

• a drive member secured generally to the end of the drive shaft and having a truncated conical drive face presented generally toward the mower housing;
• brake means on the mower housing for defining a brake surface presented generally toward said drive face;
• a generally annular driven member for carrying the tool and having a set of relatively large, generally radially extending drive teeth;
• bearing means for mounting said driven member generally about said drive member in an axially fixed position and for rotation relative thereto;
• a clutch ring nondrivingly carried about the drive shaft and including a truncated conical face for frictional engagement with said drive face and a brake face for frictional engagement with said brake surface, said clutch ring being movable axially relative to the drive shaft between said brake means and said drive member and further including a generally axially extending set of relatively large drive teeth for meshing engagement with said set of driven member drive teeth for rotation of said clutch ring and driven member together throughout axial displacement of said clutch ring;
• spring means reacting between said clutch ring and said driven member for urging said clutch ring normally toward said braking position;
• and
• actuator means for axially displacing said clutch ring between a driving position with said clutch face in frictional engagement with said drive face to rotatably drive said clutch ring and driven member and a braking position with said brake face in frictional engagement with said brake surface to halt rotation of said clutch ring and driven member.