US 5,628,171 AGranted

Mulching mower convertible to discharge/collection mode

AssigneeThe Toro Company

InventorsBradley G. Stewart, David J. Hunt

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Abstract

A multi-bladed mulching mower comprises a cutting deck having a peripheral skirt and side discharge outlet. A plurality of cutting chambers extend across the width of the deck and are defined by vertically extending shroud walls that depend downwardly from a top wall of the deck. A rotatable cutting blade is received inside each cutting chamber. The mower can be converted to a discharge/collection mode of operation by removing a portion of the shroud walls adjacent the side discharge outlet. The removed portion of the shroud walls extends laterally across the deck but is substantially less than the entire transverse width of the cutting chamber array to allow the removed portion of the shroud walls to be installed or removed through the side discharge outlet. A plurality of rotatable knobs removably attach the shroud portion to the deck with the knobs being accessible from above the deck to further ease the tasks of installing or removing the shroud portion.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A multi-bladed mower which is convertible between a discharge/collection mode of operation and a mulching mode of operation, which comprises:

(a) a cutting deck which is movable over the ground, wherein the cutting deck includes a peripheral skirt with such skirt having a laterally opening side discharge outlet for grass clippings;
(b) shroud means having a predetermined transverse width relative to the deck with the shroud means extending downwardly from the deck and substantially defining a plurality of generally cylindrical cutting chambers extending laterally across the deck with one cutting chamber being located nearest the side discharge outlet, wherein adjacent cutting chambers have interior openings connecting one another to allow at least some grass clippings to travel between cutting chambers;
(c) a rotatably driven, substantially horizontal cutting blade mounted in each of the cutting chambers;
and
(d) means for removably attaching a portion of the shroud means to the deck to convert the deck between the mulching mode of operation in which the shroud portion is installed in the deck and the cutting chambers are closed to the side discharge outlet and the discharge/collection mode of operation in which the shroud portion is removed from the deck and the cutting chambers are open to the side discharge outlet, wherein the removable shroud portion forms part of at least the one cutting chamber nearest the side discharge outlet and extends laterally relative to the deck over substantially less than the entire transverse width of the shroud means, wherein the removable shroud portion is sufficiently unobstructed relative to the deck to permit sliding of the shroud portion beneath the deck such that the removable shroud portion can be easily installed or removed from the deck by sliding it in or out of the side discharge outlet.

2 more elements

A multi-bladed mower which is convertible between a discharge/collection mode of operation and a mulching mode of operation, which comprises:

(a) a cutting deck which is movable over the ground, wherein the cutting deck includes a discharge outlet for grass clippings;
(b) means for forming a plurality of generally cylindrical cutting chambers extending laterally across the deck, wherein the cutting chamber forming means includes a shroud portion extending downwardly from the deck and located proximate to and blocking the discharge outlet when the deck is in its mulching mode of operation;
(c) a rotatably driven, substantially horizontal cutting blade mounted in each of the cutting chambers;
and
(d) means for removably attaching the shroud portion to the deck to convert the deck between the mulching mode of operation in which the shroud portion is installed in the deck and the discharge outlet is blocked and the discharge/collection mode of operation in which the shroud portion is removed from the deck and the discharge outlet is open, wherein the attaching means comprises:
(i) at least one threaded attachment member non-rotatably secured to the removable shroud portion;
and
(ii) a threaded rotatable locking member cooperable with the attachment member which locking member is located above the deck and is capable of being tightened against an upper surface of the deck to attach the removable shroud portion to the deck such that the removable shroud portion can be released from above the deck by selective manipulation of the locking member without having to manipulate fasteners located beneath the deck.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.