Lawnmower safety
AssigneeMasport Limited
InventorsAgron Haraqia, David McKay, Gordon Boswell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to safety improvements for mowers incorporating a chipper, and/or catcher. In one aspect the invention provides safety improvements that only allow operation of the chipper when the mower is below a predetermined threshold ride height. In another aspect, the mower includes one or more side skirts to prevent body parts from entering the cutting zone under the mower. In a still further aspect, the mower has a rear flap including a sub-flap. The mower is arranged so that the sub flap remains closed when a catcher is installed.
Claims10
A lawn mower with an integral chipper or shredder, comprising:
- a deck,
- a front wheel set and a rear wheel set located at the front and the rear of the deck respectively,
- a motor attached to the outside top of the platform of the deck, having a drive shaft extending downwards through the deck, the lower part of the drive shaft located substantially at the centre of the cutting space,
- at least one grass cutting blade or blades, and at least one chipper or shredder blade or blades connected to the drive shaft within the cutting space so that the drive shaft causes the at least one grass cutting blade to rotate in a substantially horizontal grass cutting plane and the at least one chipper blade to rotate in a substantially horizontal chipping plane,
- a chipper tube having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end opening into the cutting space above and within the perimeter of the cutting disc formed by rotation of the at least one chipper blade in use, the chipper tube having an integral spring-loaded lid which is biased towards the closed position, the lid fitted with a catch which operates when the mower is set to a ride height setting above a predetermined threshold, to lock the lid in a closed position.
A lawn mower with an integral chipper or shredder, comprising:
- a deck, forming a platform and having an exit aperture at the rear of the deck,
- a side wall arranged around at least part of the perimeter of the deck, the deck and the side wall enclosing a cutting space under the deck,
- a front wheel set and a rear wheel set located at the front and the rear of the deck respectively,
- a motor attached to the outside top of the platform of the deck, having a drive shaft extending downwards through the deck, the lower part of the drive shaft located substantially at the centre of the cutting space,
- at least one grass cutting blade or blades, and at least one chipper or shredder blade or blades connected to the drive shaft within the cutting space so that the drive shaft causes the at least one grass cutting blade to rotate in a substantially horizontal grass cutting plane and the at least one chipper blade to rotate in a substantially horizontal chipping plane,
- a chipper tube having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end opening into the cutting space above and within the perimeter of the cutting disc formed by rotation of the at least one chipper blade in use, the chipper tube having an integral spring-loaded lid which is biased towards the closed position, the lid fitted with a catch which operates when the mower is set to the lowest ride or cut height to hold the lid in a fully open position, the mower fitted with a safety mechanism so that if the ride height is adjusted away from the lowest setting, the catch will disengage and the spring will bias the lid towards the closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.