Counterrotation mulching mower
AssigneeAllied Products Corporation
InventorGeorge E. Britton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mulching mower is provided for mowing and mulching turf vegetation in order to reduce the size of the cut vegetation and more evenly distribute the vegetation once thus cut. Counterrotating, coaxial blade and mulching tool assemblies are provided. Each blade assembly is driven by a central shaft rotatably mounted through a drive barrel which drives the mulching tool. A belt drive assembly translates rotation at a driving sheave into rotation in two different directions at spindles positioned along the mower, each spindle including a blade and a mulching tool.
Claims14
A mulching finishing mower with dual counterrotating cutting assemblies for cutting and mulching turf vegetation, the mower comprising:
- a deck assembly associated with at least one ground engagement member and an assembly for transporting the mower across a field of vegetation to be cut and mulched;
- a lower blade rotatably mounted along said deck assembly so as to engage and cut vegetation over which said mower moves and which passes generally under said deck assembly;
- an upper mulching tool rotatably mounted along said deck assembly so as to engage and mulch vegetation over which said mower moves and into which vegetation is propelled thereinto by said lower blade, said upper mulching tool being above said lower blade;
- a belt drive assembly secured to said deck assembly, said belt drive assembly simultaneously driving both said lower blade and said upper mulching tool;
- said belt drive assembly including a rotatably mounted driven output shaft in driving engagement with said lower blade and a rotatably mounted driven output tube in driving engagement with said mulching tool, said output shaft passing through said output tube, and said lower blade and said upper mulching tool being driven respectively by said output shaft and output tube in counterrotation with respect to each other;
- said belt drive assembly includes a driven sheave for the lower blade which driven sheave is secured to an upper portion of said output shaft;
- said belt drive assembly includes a driven sheave for the upper mulching tool, which driven sheave is secured to an upper portion of said output tube;
- a main drive sheave assembly which is rotatably powered by a rotational power supply assembly;
- and
- said belt drive assembly drivingly engages each of said main drive sheave, said driven sheave for the upper mulching tool and said driven sheave for the lower blade, said belt drive assembly thereby drivingly joining together said main drive sheave and said driven sheave for the mulching tool in order to rotate said mulching tool in one rotational direction, and said belt drive assembly also thereby drivingly joining together said main drive sheave and said driven sheave for the lower blade in a counterrotational direction opposite to that of said one rotational direction of the mulching tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.