Tilt and dump grass collection box and box latch and door closure mechanism therefor

In combination with a lawn mowing vehicle, a lawn debris collection system for receiving and collecting material discharged by a mower carried by the vehicle, comprising:

• a support frame mounted to the rear end of the vehicle;
• a collection box;
• pivot means coupling a bottom wall of the box to the support frame so as to establish a horizontal transverse axis about which the box is selectively tiltable between an upright fill position and a rearwardly tilted dump position;
• said box defining a material discharge opening at its rear end;
• a door;
• hinge means attaching a top of said door to the box such that the door moves from a closed to an open position relative to the opening in response to the box tilting from its fill to its dump position;
• said frame carrying a latch receptacle forwardly of the box;
• a box latch member being pivotally mounted to a forward wall of the box;
• biasing means yieldably urging said box latch member into latched engagement with the receptacle when the box is in its fill position;
• a door latch member extending fore-and-aft beneath the box and having an upturned rear end disposed for engaging and urging the door to its closed position when the door latch member is urged forwardly;
• guide means fixed to the underside of the box and engaged with the door latch member for guiding the latter downwardly and rearwardly from the door when the door latch member is shifted rearwardly;
• and manually operable link means coupled to the box and door latch members for selectively pivoting the box latch member from said receptacle and shifting said door latch member rearwardly.

A lawn debris collection system, comprising:

• a collection box;
• mounting bracket means secured to a bottom-wall of the box and defining a first horizontal, transverse opening means;
• said box having a rear wall formed at least in part by a door which is hinged at its top for vertical swinging movement between closed and open positions;
• a support frame adapted for connection to the rear of a lawn mowing vehicle and including rearwardly extending structure located beneath said box and defining a second horizontal transverse opening means disposed in axial alignment with said first opening means;
• a pivot member means received in said first and second opening means and cooperating therewith to establish a transverse pivot axis about which said box is tiltable between an upright fill position and a rearwardly tilted dump position;
• said frame including upright structure located forwardly of the box;
• a latch receptacle mounted on said upright structure;
• a box latch member mounted on a front wall of the box for releasable engagement with the receptacle when the box is in its fill position;
• a door latch member extending fore-and-aft beneath the box and having an upturned rear end disposed for closing engagement with the door when the latch member is in a forward position;
• guide means for supporting the latch member for fore-and-aft movement beneath the box;
• and manually operated control linkage means mounted to the front wall of the box for movement between latch and unlatch positions and connected to the box and door latch members for selectively moving the latter from engagement with the receptacle and door, respectively when the linkage is moved from its latch to its unlatch positions for permitting the box to be dumped when tilted rearwardly.