Convertible mower deck

A mower deck which is convertible between a discharge configuration wherein grass clippings are discharged from the deck and a mulching configuration wherein grass clippings are comminuted within the deck, the mower deck comprising:

• a housing, said housing having a discharge port for discharging grass clippings from said housing when the deck is in its discharge configuration;
• a plurality of elongated, vertically extending spindles rotatably mounted to said housing and adopted to be drivingly coupled to a drive mechanism;
• a cutting blade for each spindle, said blades being attached to their corresponding spindles;
• a removable shroud which can be attached to and removed from said housing, the mulching configuration of the deck corresponding to the configuration of the deck with said removable shroud attached to said housing, and the discharge configuration of the deck corresponding to the configuration thereof with said removable shroud detached from said housing;
• a fixed shroud attached to said housing in disposition wherein the cutting path of said blade is substantially enshrouded by a combination of said fixed shroud and said removable shroud when said removable shroud is attached to said housing;
• and
• at least one baffle for each blade, respectively, each baffle being attached to said removable shroud, said baffles being positioned substantially perpendicular to the cutting path of its respective blade so that the baffles facilitate zones of turbulence in the airstreams created around said blades, whereby said zones of turbulence permit grass clippings to drop to the ground.