Mower having a mower deck adapted for selective mulching or non-mulching modes

A mower cutting deck comprising:

• a) a top member;
• b) a wall member extending downwardly from the top member, the wall member assisting in forming a plurality of adjacent cutting chambers, the wall member also including an opening therein through which vegetation is discharged;
• c) a plurality of cutting blades with one of the blades being carried within each of the plurality of cutting chambers for cutting the vegetation as the deck moves across the ground surface, each of the blades being rotatable to also direct vegetation along a flow pathway that extends between the cutting chambers and out of the discharge opening;
• and
• d) a manually operable plurality of gates associated with the wall member for substantially enclosing each of the chambers, the gates being operable to permit or restrict movement of cut vegetation along the pathway, each of the gates being operated by a common control structure.

A mower cutting deck comprising:

• a top member having a top surface and a bottom surface;
• a skirt member depending downwardly from the top member and defining an underside of the deck, the skirt member further including an opening through which vegetation may be discharged;
• a plurality of rotatable blades for cutting vegetation, each of the blades being mounted to a respective spindle, extending through the top surface of the deck, for rotation therewith;
• a plurality of baffle portions connected with the bottom surface and the skirt member for partially defining a cutting chamber associated with each of the blades and for defining a pathway extending between the cutting chambers and out of the discharge opening and along which vegetation is circulated as the blades rotate, the baffle portions also directing vegetation cut by each of the blades from one of the cutting chambers toward an adjacent chamber and through the discharge opening;
• a plurality of gates including at least first, second and third gates, each of the gates being operatively connected with the bottom surface;
• and
• a control structure operatively connected with the gates, the control structure being moveable to actuate the first, second and third gates between either an opened or closed position, the open position permitting the flow of vegetation between the cutting chambers and through the discharge opening, the closed position restricting the flow of vegetation between the cutting chambers by causing the first, second and third gates to substantially adjoin with the plurality of baffle portions to create a circumferential periphery that limits movement of vegetation between adjacent chambers and through the discharge chute and which assists in forcing the vegetation to move downwardly toward the ground.