Grass cutting machine with mower unit

Details Grass cutting machine with mower unit Grass cutting machine with mower unit

2001-11-29

2002-11-26

Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)

Harvesters

Motorized harvester

Having motor on ground-supported carrier

C056S255000, C056S295000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06484486

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement in the construction of a mower unit for discharging grass clippings.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional mower unit, as shown in
FIGS. 14 and 15
, an endless rotational belt
29
has a moving path including a straight path portion L
1
between pulleys
26
and
28
. A deck plate
17
defines an upper surface
40
a
of a grass discharge passage
40
inclined upward and rearward from adjacent a position over the straight path portion L
1
. The rear end of the upper surface
40
a
is located above the endless rotational belt
29
. Thus, the upper surface
40
a
of grass discharge passage
40
defines a ceiling wall
41
not interfering with the rear moving path portion L
1
. Grass clippings cut by rotary blades
16
are carried along the grass discharge passage
40
by airflows generated by rotation of the rotary blades
16
, to be discharged in batches from a grass discharge opening
20
at the rear end of the grass discharge passage
40
.
It may be necessary for the grass clippings discharged in batches from the grass discharge opening
20
to be blown to a higher level than the discharge opening
20
. In this case, the discharge opening
20
should preferably have an upper edge
20
a
located at an elevated level. In the above construction, the upper surface
40
a
of grass discharge passage
40
must extend with a steep gradient in order to raise the upper edge
20
a
of discharge opening
20
while maintaining the ceiling wall
41
of grass discharge passage
40
out of interference with the endless rotational belt
29
. However, the steeper the upper surface
40
a
of grass discharge passage
40
is, the greater is the chance of airflows stalling while moving along the upper surface
40
a
. Especially, damp grass clippings carried by the airflows through the grass discharge passage
40
tend to adhere to the upper surface
40
a
of the discharge passage
40
to impair transporting efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of this invention is to provide a mower unit which overcomes the disadvantage noted above, and a grass cutting machine having such a mower unit.
The above object is fulfilled, according to this invention, by a mower unit comprising a first blade rotatable clockwise in plan view, a first pulley rotatable with the first blade to drive the first blade, a second blade disposed rightward from the first blade and rotatable counterclockwise, the second blade being level with or displaced from the first blade in a fore and aft direction, a second pulley rotatable with the second blade to drive the second blade, an endless rotational belt for transmitting drive at least between the first pulley and the second pulley, and a grass discharge passage disposed between rotary shafts of the first pulley and second pulley and having an inclined upper surface. A portion of the endless rotational belt extending between the first pulley and the second pulley is offset forwardly, in the fore and aft direction, of a phantom line extending between the rotary shafts of the first pulley and second pulley. The upper surface of the grass discharge passage begins to incline in a position forwardly of the phantom line.
In the above construction, the endless rotational belt is offset forward, and the upper surface of the grass discharge passage has a ceiling wall thereof which may be inclined from a forward position within a range not interfering with the endless rotational belt.
Thus, in an embodiment of this invention, the upper surface of the grass discharge passage has a rising end located more forwardly than in the conventional mower unit. The rear end of the grass discharge passage is located at a correspondingly elevated plane even where the upper surface extends with the same gradient as in the prior art.
The upper surface of the grass discharge passage may be less steep than in the conventional mower unit. It is also possible to elevate the rear end of the upper surface of the grass discharge passage to a higher level than in the conventional mower unit.
Consequently, while avoiding lowering of the efficiency of transporting grass clippings, the rear end of the upper surface of the upwardly inclined grass discharge passage may be elevated to an increased height.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3969876 (1976-07-01), Turos
patent: 4335567 (1982-06-01), Comer
patent: 4364221 (1982-12-01), Wixon
patent: 4958484 (1990-09-01), Busboom
patent: 5769747 (1998-06-01), Kuhn et al.
patent: 6038840 (2000-03-01), Ishimori et al.
patent: 6360517 (2002-03-01), Ishimori et al.
patent: 0532068 (1993-03-01), None
patent: 0619065 (1994-10-01), None
patent: 0856245 (1998-08-01), None
patent: 2762185 (1998-10-01), None
patent: 03035715 (1991-02-01), None

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