High performance contra-rotating riding trowel

A self-propelled, dual motor riding trowel for finishing a concrete surface, said riding trowel comprising:

• a rigid frame adapted to be disposed over said concrete surface;
• seat means on said frame for supporting an operator of said riding trowel;
• a pair of spaced apart rotors projecting downwardly from said frame to said surface to support said frame thereabove, each rotor establishing a generally vertical, outward axis of rotation, each of said rotors comprising a plurality of revolving blades that contact and finish concrete, the blades having a longitudinal axis about which they may be rotated to vary their pitch;
• a motor disposed upon said frame above each of said rotors for revolving said rotors to finish concrete and propel said riding trowel, each motor establishing a generally horizontal axis of rotation, each axis of motor rotation being substantially colinear with the other;
• a separate drive shaft operationally coupling each motor to each rotor, the drive shafts being axially aligned with one another and generally parallel with the axis of rotation of the motors;
• belt means interconnecting each motor with a drive shaft to power said rotors;
• and,
• control means accessible by said operator from said seat means for orienting said rotors to effectuate steering, said control means comprising:
• two parallel arms pivotally attached to said frame means, an arm coupled to each one of said rotors;
• two levers adapted to be manipulated by a user;
• and,
• first reversing linkage means for connecting said levers to said arms and a second reversing linkage means for connecting one of said levers to one of said rotors, both of said reversing linkage means driven respectively by said levers to control the orientation of said rotors for contra rotation in response to user manipulation.

A self-propelled, contra rotating riding trowel for finishing a concrete surface, said riding trowel comprising:

• seat means for supporting an operator of said riding trowel;
• lever means accessible by said operator from said seat means for steering said riding trowel;
• rigid frame means adapted to be disposed over said concrete surface for supporting said seat means and said lever means;
• rotor means associated with said frame means and supporting said frame means thereabove, said rotor means comprising a plurality of blades for frictionally contacting said concrete surface, said blades rotating outwardly toward the front periphery of said frame means;
• gearbox means for driving said rotor means, said gearbox means comprising a pair of rotatable shafts projecting downwardly from said frame means and together defining a biaxial plane;
• motor means associated with said gearbox means for powering said riding trowel;
• means for pivotally mounting said gearbox means to said frame means;
• drive shaft means for actuating said gearbox means in response to said motor means thereby revolving said rotor means;
• arm means rotatably coupled to said frame means for tilting said rotor means in response to said lever means;
• torque rod means extending to said gearbox means and driven by said arm means for tilting said rotor means in a plane generally parallel with said biaxial plane;
• first reversing linkage means for coupling said lever means to said arm means;
• connecting means for tilting one of said rotor means in a plane generally perpendicular to said biaxial plane in response to one of said lever means to effectuate steering and control;
• and,
• second reversing linkage means for coupling said connecting means to said gearbox means that is tilted in a plane generally perpendicular to said biaxial plane.

A self-propelled, fast steering contra rotation motorized riding trowel for finishing a concrete surface, said riding trowel comprising:

• seat means for supporting an operator of said riding trowel;
• lever means accessible by said operator from said seat means for steering said riding trowel;
• rigid frame means adapted to be disposed over said concrete surface for supporting said seat means and said lever means;
• twin rotor means associated with said frame means for navigating said concrete surface and supporting said frame means thereabove, said twin rotor means comprising a rotor means to the left of a seated operator revolving counterclockwise and a rotor means to the right of a seated operator revolving clockwise, each rotor means comprising:
• blade means comprising a plurality of individual radially spaced apart blades adapted to frictionally contact said surface, said blades having a preselected pitch;
• gearbox means for outwardly rotating said blade means, said gearbox means comprising a pair of rotatable shafts projecting downwardly from said frame means and defining a biaxial plane;
• and,
• means for pivotally mounting said gearbox means to said frame means;
• motor means associated with said gearbox means for powering said riding trowel;
• flexible drive shaft means for actuating said gearbox means in response to said motor means and thereby revolving said rotor means;
• means interconnecting said drive shaft means with said motor means;
• arm means rotatably coupled to said frame means for tilting said rotor means in response to said lever means;
• torque rod means extending to said gearbox means and driven by said arm means for tilting said rotor means in a plane generally parallel with said biaxial plane;
• first reversing linkage means for coupling said lever means to said arm means;
• connecting means for tilting one of said rotor means in a plane generally perpendicular to said biaxial plane in response to one of said lever means to effectuate steering and control;
• and,
• second reversing linkage means for coupling said connecting means to said gearbox means that is tilted in a plane generally perpendicular to said biaxial plane.

A self-propelled, contra rotation motorized riding trowel for finishing a concrete surface, said riding trowel comprising:

• motor means for powering said riding trowel;
• seat means for supporting an operator of said riding trowel;
• control means accessible by said operator from said seat means for steering said riding trowel;
• frame means adapted to be disposed over said concrete surface for supporting said seat means, said control means and said motor means;
• two spaced apart, contra rotation rotors driven by said motor means, a rotor on the left of an operator who is seated and glancing forwardly rotating counter clockwise, the rotor on the right of said operator who is seated and glancing forwardly rotating clockwise, said rotors frictionally contacting said concrete surface and supporting said frame means thereabove;
• and,
• means for controlling said motor means to rotate all of said rotors.

A self-propelled, dual motor contra rotation riding trowel for finishing a concrete surface, said riding trowel comprising:

• a rigid frame adapted to be disposed over said concrete surface;
• seat means on said frame for supporting an operator of said riding trowel;
• a pair of spaced apart rotors projecting downwardly from said frame to said surface to support said frame thereabove, each rotor establishing a generally vertical, axis of rotation, each of said rotors comprising a plurality of revolving blades that contact and finish concrete, a rotor on the left of an operator who is seated and glancing forwardly rotating counterclockwise, the rotor on the right of said operator who is seated and glancing forwardly rotating clockwise;
• a motor disposed upon said frame above each of said rotors for contra rotating said rotors to finish concrete and propel said riding trowel;
• means for coupling each motor to each rotor;
• control means accessible by said operator from said seat means for orienting said rotors to effectuate steering.

A self-propelled, riding trowel for finishing a concrete surface, said riding trowel comprising:

• seat means for supporting an operator of said riding trowel;
• lever means accessible by said operator from said seat means for steering said riding trowel;
• rigid frame means adapted to be disposed over said concrete surface for supporting said seat means and said lever means;
• a pair of spaced apart rotors projecting downwardly from said frame to said surface to support said frame thereabove, each rotor establishing a generally vertical axis of rotation, a biaxial plane established between the axis of rotation of the rotors, each of said rotors comprising a plurality of revolving blades that contact and finish concrete, a rotor on the left of an operator who is seated and glancing forwardly rotating counterclockwise, the rotor on the right of said operator who is seated and glancing forwardly rotating clockwise;
• gearbox means for driving said rotors;
• motor means coupled to said gearbox means for powering said riding trowel;
• means for pivotally mounting said gearbox means to said frame means;
• arm means rotatably coupled to said frame means for tilting said rotor means in response to said lever means;
• offset rod means extending to said gearbox means and driven by said arm means for tilting said rotor means in a plane generally parallel with said biaxial plane;
• first reversing linkage means for coupling said lever means to said arm means;
• connecting means for tilting one of said rotor means in a plane generally perpendicular to said biaxial plane in response to one of said lever means to effectuate steering and control;
• and,
• second reversing linkage means for coupling said connecting means to said gearbox means that is tilted in a plane generally perpendicular to said biaxial plane.