Self-propelled steerable walk behind mower linkage

A mower comprising:

• at least one ground engaging wheel;
• left and right ground engaging driven wheels fore and aft offset from said one wheel;
• a frame carried by the wheels;
• rearwardly and upwardly extending support means carried by the frame;
• a power source carried by the frame;
• a dead man control lever means carried by the support means;
• first and second steering lever means carried by the support means;
• first and second transmission means that independently transmit power from the power source to the left and right wheels, each of said transmission means adapted to wheel driving or brake modes;
• first and second input means coupled respectively with the left and right transmission means, for selecting power or brake modes of its respective transmission means;
• and
• means operatively interconnecting the first and second input means, the dead man control lever means, and each of the steering control lever means, for causing the input means to select the power or brake modes as the dead man control lever means is shifted between first and second positions respectively, and for causing the first and second input means to move from the power mode to the brake mode when said respective steering control lever means has been actuated and the dead man control lever means is in the first position;
• and means for biasing the dead man control lever means toward its second position.

A mower comprising:

• at least one ground engaging wheel;
• left and right ground engaging driven wheels fore and aft spaced from the one wheel;
• a frame carried by the wheels;
• rearwardly and upwardly extending support means carried by the frame;
• a dead man control lever means carried by the support means;
• left and right steering lever means carried by the support means;
• a power source carried by the frame;
• first and second transmission means that independently transmit power from the power source to left and right wheels, each of said transmission means adapted for wheel driving or braking modes;
• first and second input means coupled respectively with the left and right transmission means, for selecting power or brake modes of its respective transmission means;
• a first linkage means operatively connecting the dead man control lever means to each input means for causing the input means to select the power or brake modes respectively as the dead man control lever means is shifted between first and second positions respectively;
• second and third linkage means operatively connecting the left and right steering control lever means to the input means for causing the input means to move from the drive mode to the brake mode when said respective left or right steering control lever means has been actuated and the dead man control lever means is in the first position;
• and means for biasing the dead man control lever means toward its second position.

A mower having:

• a frame;
• a power source;
• left and right ground engaging drive wheels;
• first and second transmission means that independently transmit power from the power source to the left and right wheels respectively, each of said transmission means being adapted to be shifted between wheel driving and braking modes;
• first and second input means coupled respectively with the left and right transmission means, for shifting its respective transmission means between its driving and braking modes;
• first wheel control means coupled with both input means, said control means movable between first and second positions and being operative in the first position to cause the two input means to simultaneously occupy a driving mode and operative in the second position to cause both input means to simultaneously occupy the braking mode;
• means urging the first wheel control means towards its second position;
• and
• left and right wheel control means coupled with the first and second input means respectively and effective to shift the first or second transmission means to a braking mode when the first wheel control means is in its first position.