Mower with automatic power cut-off

A mower comprising:

• a support frame;
• a housing mounted to said support frame to be vertically movable relative thereto;
• a cutting apparatus mounted for rotation within said housing;
• a hydraulic motor for driving rotation of said cutting apparatus;
• a plurality of hydraulic hoses extending between said hydraulic motor and a hydraulic fluid source, said plurality of hoses comprising a pressure line from the hydraulic source and a return line to the hydraulic source;
• a detector for providing a signal when said housing moves at least a predetermined distance relative to said support frame in response to mower raising;
• a hydraulic manifold including an actuating member movable in a first direction from a first position to a second position in response to said signal from said detector, said manifold adapted to deliver hydraulic power to said motor through said plurality of hydraulic hoses when said actuating member is disposed in said first position, said manifold adapted to connect in flow communication said pressure line with said return line to bypass said motor and thereby interrupt delivery of hydraulic power to said motor when said actuating member is disposed in said second position;
• automatic means for locking said actuating member in said second position;
• wherein said detector comprises a hydraulic cylinder connected between said housing and said support frame;
• and
• wherein said signal comprises a quantity of hydraulic fluid from said hydraulic cylinder.

A mower comprising:

• a support frame;
• a housing mounted to said support frame to be vertically movable relative thereto;
• a cutting apparatus mounted for rotation within said housing;
• a hydraulic motor for driving rotation of said cutting apparatus;
• a plurality of hydraulic hoses extending between said hydraulic motor and a hydraulic fluid source, said plurality of hoses comprising a pressure line from the hydraulic source and a return line to the hydraulic source;
• a detector for providing a signal when said housing moves at least a predetermined distance relative to said support frame in response to mower raising;
• a hydraulic manifold including an actuating member movable in a first direction from a first position to a second position in response to said signal from said detector, said manifold adapted to deliver hydraulic power to said motor through said plurality of hydraulic hoses when said actuating member is disposed in said first position, said manifold adapted to connect in flow communication said pressure line with said return line to bypass said motor and thereby interrupt delivery of hydraulic power to said motor when said actuating member is disposed in said second position;
• automatic means for locking said actuating member in said second position;
• and
• wherein said detector comprises means for dampening movement of said housing relative to said support frame to delay provision of said signal.

A mower apparatus detachably mountable on a loader including a pair of raisable lift arms and a hydraulic fluid source comprising:

• a support frame including means for mounting to the loader lift arms;
• a housing mounted to said support frame to be vertically movable relative thereto;
• a cutting apparatus mounted for rotation within said housing;
• a hydraulic motor for rotating said cutting apparatus;
• a plurality of hydraulic hoses extending between said hydraulic motor and the hydraulic fluid source, said plurality of hoses comprising a pressure line and a return line;
• at least one cylinder operationally connected to said housing and said support frame to detect relative movement therebetween, said at least one cylinder structured to delay shifting from a first length to a second length during detection of relative movement of said housing and said support frame;
• bypass means for interrupting a flow of hydraulic fluid to said motor by circuiting said pressure line to said return line;
• and
• means for sending a signal to activate said bypass means when said at least one cylinder shifts from said first length to said second length.