Electronically controlled speed limiting system for turf care machine

An electronically controlled speed limiting system for a turf maintenance machine, comprising:

• at least one traction motor rotating at least one wheel;
• at least one hydraulic pump in fluid communication with the at least one traction motor providing hydraulic fluid to operate the at least one traction motor;
• at least one actuator in fluid communication with the at least one hydraulic pump operating to vary an output of the at least one hydraulic pump;
• a controller in communication with the at least one actuator providing input commands to the at least one actuator to control the output of the at least one hydraulic pump and thereby an operating speed of the at least one wheel, the controller further including a lookup table having recommended operating speeds for a plurality of different inclination angles of the turf maintenance machine;
• and
• an inclinometer operating to sense an angle of inclination of the turf maintenance machine and create an inclinometer signal corresponding to the angle of inclination;
• wherein the inclinometer signal is compared in the controller to the plurality of preset inclination angles in the lookup table, and a speed reduction command is generated by the controller used to reduce an operating speed of the turf maintenance machine to the one of the recommended operating speeds corresponding to the angle of inclination.

An electronically controlled speed limiting system for a turf maintenance machine, comprising:

• a first traction motor rotatably connected to a first wheel and a second traction motor rotatably connected to a second wheel;
• a hydraulic pump in fluid communication with both the first and second traction motors providing hydraulic fluid to operate the first and second traction motors;
• an actuator in communication with the hydraulic pump operating to vary an output of the hydraulic pump;
• a controller in communication with the actuator automatically providing input commands to the actuator to control the output of the hydraulic pump and thereby an operating speed of the first and second wheels based on one or more signals received by the controller;
• a first wheel speed sensor in communication with the first wheel and a second wheel sensor in communication with the second wheel, output signals from the first and second wheel speed sensors supplied to the controller and used by the controller to output a traction control signal to one of the first or second traction motors when the first or second wheel is rotating faster than the other wheel;
• and
• an inclinometer operating to sense an angle of inclination of the turf maintenance machine and create an inclinometer signal corresponding to the angle of inclination;
• wherein the inclinometer signal is compared in the controller to a plurality of different inclination angles in a lookup table each having a recommended vehicle operating speed, and a speed reduction command is generated by the controller used to reduce an operating speed of the first and second traction motors during operation at the angle of inclination.