Dual steering system for zero turning radius mower
OwnerTimothy A. VanLueinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dual steering system for zero turning radius lawn mowers is provided which enables those without effective use of their arms to drive and steer such lawn mowers. The system hereof may include respective left and right control pedals which are shiftably mounted to respective pedal supports coupled to the mower for use by the operator's legs, and respective linkages which operatively connect the pedals to left and right control levers operatively connected to the mower's drive wheels for causing the drive wheels to move in forward or rearward drive directions. By operating the control pedals alone or in combination with the control levers, the operator may move the zero turning radius mower forward, rearward, or steer it in a desired manner.
Claims20
A dual steering system for zero turning radius mower comprising:
- a left drive wheel control lever operatively connected to a left mower drive wheel;
- a right drive wheel control lever operatively connected to a right mower drive wheel;
- a left control pedal support mounted to the mower;
- a left control pedal shiftably mounted to the left control pedal support;
- a right control pedal support mounted to the mower;
- a right control pedal shiftably mounted to the right control pedal support;
- a left control pedal link pivotally coupled to said left control pedal and also pivotally coupled to said left drive wheel control lever, whereby shifting of said left control pedal causes corresponding movement of said left drive wheel control lever to operate the left mower drive wheel;
- and
- a right control pedal link pivotally coupled to said right control pedal and also pivotally coupled to said left drive wheel control lever, whereby shifting of said left control pedal causes corresponding movement of said left drive wheel control lever to operate the left mower drive wheel.
In a zero turning radius mower having a mower deck, left and right substantially parallel, laterally spaced and independently rotatable drive wheels and left and right control levers operatively coupled for respectively rotating each of said drive wheels in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction of rotation, the improvement comprising:
- a left control pedal support mounted to the mower;
- a left control pedal shiftably mounted to the left control pedal support;
- a right control pedal support mounted to the mower;
- a right control pedal shiftably mounted to the right control pedal support;
- a left control pedal link pivotally coupled to said left control pedal and also pivotally coupled to said left drive wheel control lever, whereby shifting of said left control pedal causes corresponding movement of said left drive wheel control lever to operate the left mower drive wheel;
- and
- a right control pedal link pivotally coupled to said right control pedal and also pivotally coupled to said left drive wheel control lever, whereby shifting of said left control pedal causes corresponding movement of said left drive wheel control lever to operate the left mower drive wheel.
A method of driving and steering a zero turning radius mower having a mower deck and a drive and steering system including a self-contained power source operatively connected to left and right substantially parallel, laterally spaced and independently rotatable left and right drive wheels and left and right drive wheel control levers operatively coupled for respectively rotating each of said drive wheels in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction of rotation and left and right control pedals operatively respectively connected to said left and right control levers, the method comprising the steps of:
- applying a force to said left control pedal alone or in combination with a force applied to said left drive wheel control lever to cause corresponding rotational movement of said left drive wheel;
- and
- applying a force to said right control pedal alone or in combination with a force applied to said right control lever to cause corresponding rotational movement of said right drive wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.