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US 4,777,786 AGranted
Grass collection system for mower
AssigneeBrouwer Turf Equipment Limited
InventorWilliam T. Arnold
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A grass collection system for a reel mower in which an auger extends across each reel. The part of the auger not facing the reel is enclosed by a shield, so the auger conveys cut grass laterally to one end of the mower, from which end the cut grass is conveyed through an air duct and impeller to a hopper. Where the duct connects to the auger shield, an extra opening is provided to entrain outside air, to maintain the flow of air past the auger shield outlet and thus reduce the likelihood of clogging.
Claims27
Reel mower grass collection apparatus comprising:
- (a) a reel mounted for rotary grass cutting movement,
- (b) mechanical conveying means extending across the entire width of said reel and facing said reel in a position immediately adjacent said reel to receive cut grass therefrom,
- (c) a shield enclosing a portion of said conveying means across the entire width of said reel to retain cut grass within said shield,
- (d) means for operating said mechanical conveying means to feed cut grass clippings across said reel to one end of said shield,
- (e) air duct means coupled to said shield at said one end for receiving clippings from said mechanical conveying means,
- (f) said mechanical conveying means including means for feeding cut grass clippings across said reel into said air duct means at said one end,
- (g) means for generating an airstream in said air duct means to convey away said grass clippings delivered to said air duct means by said mechanical conveying means,
- (h) said air duct means including an air feed opening therein adjacent said one end to allow outside air to enter said air duct means adjacent said one end, to help ensure a continually flowing airstream through said air duct means past said one end and thereby to help ensure that should said mechanical conveying means become filled with grass clippings preventing airflow therethrough, said clippings will none-the-less tend always to be dumped by said mechanical conveying means into said continually flowing airstream.
5 more elements
Reel mower apparatus comprising:
- (a) a vehicle,
- (b) a frame mounted on said vehicle,
- (c) a reel mounted on said frame for rotary grass cutting movement,
- (d) mechanical conveying means mounted on said frame facing said reel and extending across the entire width of said reel in a position immediately adjacent said reel to receive cut grass therefrom,
- (e) a shield enclosing a portion of said mechanical conveying means across the entire width of said reel to retain cut grass within said shield,
- (f) means for operating said mechanical conveying means to feed grass clippings across said reel to one end of said shield,
- (g) grass storage means,
- (h) air duct means coupled between said one end of said shield and said grass storage means to receive cut grass from said one end of said shield and to carry the same to said grass storage means,
- (i) blower means coupled to said air duct means to move air and clippings therethrough from said one end of said shield to said storage means,
- (j) said air duct means including an air feed opening adjacent said one end of said shield to entrain outside air in the airstream flowing past said one end of said shield, thereby to maintain the flow of air past said one end of said shield to reduce the likelihood of grass clippings clogging said one end of said shield.
7 more elements
Reel mower grass collection apparatus comprising:
- (a) a reel frame, and means mounting said frame for movement between a lowered grass cutting position and a raised storage position,
- (b) a reel mounted on said frame for rotary grass cutting movement,
- (c) mechanical conveying means mounted on said frame facing said reel and extending across said reel in a position to receive cut grass therefrom, said mechanical conveying means being located immediately adjacent said reel and being of width substantially equal to that of said reel,
- (d) a shield connected to said frame and moveable therewith, said shield enclosing a portion of said conveying means across the entire width of said reel, said shield having a top portion extending from said reel to a location above said conveying means, an outer side portion covering the side of said conveying means remote from said reel, a bottom portion covering the bottom of said conveying means, and an upwardly extending lip located between said conveying means and said reel and extending from said bottom portion partway up the side of said conveying means, said top portion and said lip defining between them a very short passage of minimum length between said reel and said conveying means, said passage being substantially free of surfaces obstructing tangential flow of clippings in a straight line from said reel to said conveying means to reduce the likelihood of clippings clogging said passage and to prevent clippings from falling out of said shield,
- (e) and means for operating said conveying means to feed grass clippings across said reel to one end of said reel.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.