Drive wheel steering system for lawnmower
AssigneeExcel Industries, Inc.
InventorHarlan Bartel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive wheel steering system for a lawnmower has a handle bar assembly that is pivotal about a vertical axis to provide directional control of the mower and rotatable about a horizontal axis to provide speed control of the mower. A control bar is operable to set a desired forward speed of the mower via engagement of a cam and the linkage assembly providing directional and speed control for the mower.
Claims19
A lawnmower system comprising:
- a. a mower frame that is movably supported for rolling over the ground by a pair of drive wheels;
- b. at least one pump and motor unit for driving the drive wheels;
- c. a handle bar assembly pivotally mounted to a control panel support positioned upwardly and rearwardly from said mower frame by at least one support member, said handle bar assembly operable for maneuvering and controlling the mower frame;
- d. a linkage mechanism connecting the handle bar assembly to the pump and motor unit, wherein rotating a portion of the handle bar assembly about a vertical axis increases a rotation of at least one drive wheel while decreasing the rotation of another drive wheel to steer the mower frame;
- and rotating a portion of the handle bar assembly about a horizontal axis increases or decreases the rotation of all drive wheels to control the forward or rearward speed of the mower frame;
- and e. a control assembly selectively engageable with said linkage mechanism to set a desired forward speed of the mower frame,
- said linkage mechanism further comprising a first upper crank and a second upper crank pivotally mounted on a bearing supported by said control panel support, each said crank having at least one arm;
- and a connecting rod operatively connecting said at least one arm of each said crank with a corresponding first lug and a second lug extending from said handle bar on opposite sides of said vertical axis.
A lawnmower having a frame movably supported for rolling over the ground by a pair of drive wheels, a pump and motor unit for driving each drive wheel, a control panel support member positioned upwardly and rearwardly from said mower frame, a handle bar assembly pivotally mounted to the control panel support member, a linkage mechanism operatively connecting the handle bar assembly to each pump and motor unit, wherein rotating the handle bar assembly about a vertical axis increases rotation of one drive wheel while decreasing the rotation of the other drive wheel to steer the mower frame;
- and rotating the handle bar assembly about a horizontal axis increases or decreases the rotation of both drive wheels to control the forward or rearward speed of the mower frame;
- said handle bar assembly comprising a control bar pivotally mounted to said control panel support member and a control cam pivotal with said control bar, wherein movement of said control bar engages said control cam with said linkage mechanism to set a desired forward speed of the mower frame,
- said linkage mechanism further comprising an upper crank having at least one arm, said crank pivotally mounted to said control panel support member, and a connecting rod operatively connected between said arm and a lug extending from a said handle bar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.