Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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LAWN MOWER DEAD ~AN CONTROL
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a division of
Canadian Application
Serial No. 435,967
filed Sept. 2, 1983.
BACKGROUND
This invention relates to dead man
control arrangements Eor both push and self-propelled
lawn mowers. Attention is direc-ted to the U.S. Hurd
Patent No. 4,335,566 which discloses a single control
member for actuating a clutch drive and mower
propelling means, unlike the invention disclosed
herein.
Attention is directed to Canadian
Patent 1,169,256, issued June 19, 1984, which is
directed to energizing means including an electric
switch.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
- The invention provides a lawn mower
comprising a housing, a plurality of wheels
supporting the housing for travel over the ground, a
prime mover supported by the housing, a cutter blade,
clutch means connected to the cutter blade, a handle
connected to the housing, a control handle movably
mounted on the handle, linkage means connected to the
control handle, to the primer mover, and to one of
the wheels for selectively propelling the housing
along the ground in response to movement of the
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control handle, a control element rnovably mounted on
the control handle, and additional linkage means
connected to the control element, to the prime mover,
and to the clutch means for selectively engaginq -the
clutch means in response to control element movement
to rotate the cutter blade.
The invention also provides a lawn
mower comprising a housing, a plurality of wheels
supporting the housing for travel over the ground, a
prime mover supported by the housing, a cutter blade,
clutch means for selectively driving the cutter blade
by the prime mover, a handle connected to the
housing, a control handle movably mounted on the
handle, linkage means connected to the control
handle, to the prime mover, and to one of the wheels
for selectively propelling the housing along the
ground in response to movement of the control handle,
a control element movably mounted on the control
handle, additional linkage means connecting the
control element to the clutch means for operational
control of the the clutch means in response to
control element movement, which control element
includes a notch near the mounting of the control
element on the control handle, and lock lever means
for preve:nting inadvertent movement of the control
element a:nd comprising a V-shaped lever pivotally
mounted on the control handle adjacent the notch and
pivotal between a position wherein the lever is
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received in the notch so as to prevent pivotal
movement of the control ellement, and a position
wherein the lever is out of the notch so as to permit
pivotal movement of the control element.
Various of the features and advantages
of various embodiments of the invention will become
apparent upon reviewing the following drawings, the
detailed description and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a side view of a
self-propelled lawn mower including various of the
features of the invention.
Figure 2 is a top view partially in
section of the upper portion of a guiding handle for
a push lawn mower.
Figure 3 is a side view of the upper
portion of the guiding handle shown in Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a top view partially in
section of the upper portion of a guiding handle
portion of the self-propelled lawn mower shown in
Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a side view of the upper
portion of the guiding handle shown in Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a partial perspective view
of a blad~e energizing means.
Before explaining at least one
embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be
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understood that the invention is not limited in its
application to the details of construction and the
arrangement of components set forth in the following
description or illustrated in the drawings. The
invention is capable of other embodiments and of
being practiced or carried out in various ways.
Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and
terminology e~ployed herein is for the purposes of
description and should not be regarded as limiting.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Shown in the drawings is a lawn mower
10 including a blade housing 12 supporting a prime
mover 14 which drives a cutter blade 16. The blade
housing 12 is suitably supported for travel over the
ground by a plurality of wheels 18 and is guided for
travel over the ground by a guiding handle 20. The
guiding handle 20 is generaly U-shaped and includes a
cross bar 22 at the upper or operator end.
More particularly, the prime mover 14
can be either an internal combustion engine or an
electric motor which rotatably drives an output or
drive shaft or an alternative drive member 24
including a lower end portion adapted to support and
drive the rotary cutter blade 16.
Further included is energizing means 26
for permitting energizing of or delivering of power
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to a rotary component driven by the engine such as a
propelling wheel or the cutter blade 16. In the
disclosed construction the energizing means 26 is a
clutch and brake means Eor providing a selective
driving engagement between the drive shaft 24 and the
cutter blade 16 such that the cutter blade 16 can be
selectively driven by the drive shaft 24 and such
that the driving engagement between the cutter blade
16 and the drive shaft 24 can be disengaged.
The energizing means 26 can also be an
electrical switch 27 operable to shut down the prime
mover 14, together with a brake 28 operable to brake
the cutter blade 16. The blade brake 28 includes a
brake arm 29, as shown in Figure 6, which is movable
between a blade free position, wherein the cutter
blade 16 is free to rotate, and a blade braked
position, wherein the brake 28 acts to brake the
cutter blade 16. When the brake arm 29 is moved from
the blade free position to the blade braked position,
the brake arm 29 engages the electric switch 27 which
serves to lock out the electrical starter or ground
the ignition system to shut off the prime mover.
Where the prime mover 14 is an electric motor, the
brake arm 29 engages the switch 27 to disconnect a
source of electric potential to the electric motor.
When the brake arm 29 moves back to the blade free
position, the prime mover 14 can be either
automatically restarted by the disengaging of the
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switch 27 or manually restarted, depending on the
starter system used on the mower lO.
The lawn mower lO further includes
means providing for wheel adjustment and driving of
the wheels 18 to allow for self-propulsion of the
lawn mower lO. To this encl the lawn mower includes
means 30 (shown symbolicly in Fig. l) for engaging
the wheels 18 of the lawn mower lO. Any suitable
means 30 for propelling the lawn mower 10 can be
used, an example of which is more particularly
described in Shaw U.S. Patent 2,947,132, issued
August 2, 1960.
The lawn mower 10 further includes
control means for controlling the self-propulsion of
the lawn mower. The control means comprises an upper
handle 42 capable of limited independent movement
relative to the guide handle 20 on the lawn mower
10. The upper handle 42 is generally U-shaped in
construction, as shown in Fig. 4, and includes a
cross bar 44 connecting two arms 45 and 47, and is
rotatably attached to the upper or operator end 22 of
the guiding handle 20 by suitable means 49.
The control means also includes linkage
means movable in response to pivotal movement of the
upper handle 42 for causing the operation of the
mower propelling means 30. The linkage means
includes a rigid member or link 46 connected to the
arm 45 of the upper handle 42 at a position above the
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point of pivotal attachment 49 of the arm 45 to the
guiding handle 20. The link 46 is also operably
connected to the mower propelling means 30. Forward
movement of the upper handle 42 toward the blade
housing 12 (as shown in Fig. 5) moves the link 46
forward and causes the operation of the mower
propelling means 30. Rearward movement of the upper
handle 42 accordingly causes disengagement of the
mower propelling means 30.
The lawn mower further includes
operating means for operating the energizing means.
The operating means includes a control or dead man
control bail 5n capable of limited independent
movement relative to the upper handle 42. The
control bail 50 is generally U-shaped and configured
so that a cross bar 52 connecting two arms 54 and 56
of the bail 50 is disposed adjacent the cross bar 44
of the upper handle when in a blade de-energized
position so the control bail 50 and upper handle 42
can be grasped by an operator simultaneously. The
control bail 50 is connected to the upper handle 42
by suitable means 58 providing for pivotal movement
of the control bail 50 relative to the upper handle
42.
The operating means further includes
means for operating the energizing means 26 by the
pivotal movement of the control bail 50.
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More particularly, the means includes a
flexible membef or bowden wire 60 connected to the
control bail 50 adjacent but above the pivotal
attachment of the control bail 50 to the upper handle
42. The flexible member 60 is also operably
connected to the energizing means 26 to rotate the
cutter blade 16 when the flexible member 60 moves
rearwardly away from the housing 12 and to
de-energize and brake the cutter blade 16 when the
flexible member 60 moves forwardly toward the housing
12.
Biasing means are also provided for
biasing the flexible member 60 and control bail 50 in
the blade de-energized direction. In this
embodiment, the biasing means comprises a spring 65,
as shown in Fig. 1. A more detailed description of a
spring 65 and one energizing means 26 are described
in the U.S. Poehlman, Patent 4,322,935, issued April
6, 1982. In the energizing means 26 embodiment shown
in Figure 6, the flexible member 60 is operably
connected to one side of the brake arm 29 and the
spring 65 is connected to the other side of the brake
arm 29. In another embodiment, a combination biasing
and energizing means 26 can be used, such as the
self-biasing clutch and brake means described in the
Bent et al U.S. Patent 4,307,558, issued December 29,
1981.
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Means are further provided for
restricting a substantial portion of the flexible
member 60 to a predetermined path extending along the
guiding handle 20. More particularly, the
restricting means includes a pulley 70 rotatably
attached to the center of the inside of the guiding
handle 20 near the control bail 50 along the path of
the flexible member 60 between the control bail 50
and the energizing means 26. The flexible member 60
is guided around and under the pulley 70 and held in
a slot 71. The rotational path of the pulley 70 and
the pivotal path of movement of the control bail 50
are generally vertical and parallel so as to limit
the sideways movement of the flexible member 60
between the pulley 70 and the control bail 50.
Means are further provided for
permitting the control bail 50 to pivot independently
from the upper handle 42, and the upper handle 42 to
rotate independently from the control bail 50. More
particularly, the means compris~s a guide means or
the pulley 70 rotatably attached to the inside of the
guiding handle 20 so a periphery 72 of the pulley 7Q
contacts the flexible member 60 and is generally
adjacent t:he pivotal attachment of the upper handle
42 to the guiding handle 20. As a result of the
location of the pulley 70, when the upper handle 42
is pivotecl the flexible member 60 rotates about a
point generally fixed by the periphery 72 of the
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pulley and corresponding to where the upper handle 42
pivots on the guiding handle 20. Since the flexible
member 60 only rotates and does not move either
toward or away from the energizing means 26, the
upper handle 42 can be rotated and the mower
propelling means 30 operated independently from the
operating means. Since the distance of the
attachment of the flexible member 60 to the control
bail 50 relative to the pulley 70 and upper handle 42
remains the same even though the upper handle 42 has
moved relative to the guiding handle 20, the control
bail 50 can be pivoted and the operating means can be
operated independently from the mower propelling
means 30.
Means are further provided for locking
the dead man control or bail 50 so as to prevent
inadvertent movement of the control bail 50. More
particularly, the means includes a generally V-shaped
lever 80 pivotally connected to the center of the
inside of the upper handle 42 and adjacent the end 82
of the cont.rol bail 50 and including, as shown in the
drawings, an open portion. The end 82 of the control
bail 50 includes a plate 84 having a rounded edge 86
with a notch 88 engagable with the V-shaped lever
80. As best shown in Figure 5I when the V-shaped
lever 80 is pivoted in a counterclockwise manner away
from the control bail 50, the lever 80 is moved away
from the end 82 of the control bail 50 and out of the
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notch 88 and the control bail 50 is free to move
towards the operator to operate the energizing means
26 and cutter blade 16. Likewise, when the control
bail 50 is in a clutch disengaging position away from
the operator, -the V-shaped lever 80 can be pivoted
toward the control bail 50 and received in the notch
88 to prevent inadvertent movement of the control
bail 50 into a cutter blade energizing position.
Biasing means or spring 90 on the shaft 92 plvotally
connecting the lever 80 to the upper handle 42 biases
the lever 80 toward the notch 88 to facilitate the
lever's engaging of the notch 88.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate another
emhodiment of the operating means in combination with
a push only lawn mower. A push only lawn mower does
not include an upper handle 42, so the operating
means is attached, as previously described, to the
guiding handle 20 instead of the upper handle 42,
with one exception. The means providing for pivotal
movement of the control bail 50 relative to the
guiding handle 20 includes brackets 90 mounted on the
guiding handle 20, and the control bail 50 is
pivotally attached to the brackets 90 by suitable
means 32 located above the guiding handle 20.
The embodiment illustrated in Figures 2
and 3 could also be used on a self-propelled lawn
mower which uses self-propelling control means not
including a movable upper handle.
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Various of the ~eatures of the
invention are set forth in the following claims.
