Harvesters – Cutting – Housing or guard
Patent
1996-10-30
1998-08-11
Melius, Terry Lee
Harvesters
Cutting
Housing or guard
56255, 563202, 56DIG20, A01D 3466
Patent
active
057911320
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a mowing machine having at least one blade rotatably driven about a generally vertical spindle--preferably with two mowing cutters located symmetrically with respect to the spindle, and preferably several, specifically three such mower blades respectively rotating around parallel spindles, positioned within a mower housing, with resulting ejection of mower cuttings toward the rear (opposite to the direction of travel).
Mowing machines of this kind are known in many varieties. However, there does remain the desire to not only cut the material to be mowed, but also to further comminute it because the mulch which results therefrom is useful for fertilizing the soil. This means that the mowed material in its comminuted configuration is no longer removed from the mowed lawn surface, but can be left lying there in its comminuted form in ecologically advantageous fashion. By so doing, one eliminates not only the disposal of the cuttings, but the comminuted material actually also serves for soil preparation in its mulch-adapted form.
Accordingly, the objective of the invention is to construct a mowing machine of the initially described kind in such manner that a product useable as mulch is created from the cuttings.
This objective is achieved in accordance with the invention by surrounding the one or more mowing blades with peripheral walls (skirts) in the direction of ejection.
In a preferred embodiment the skirts are vertically adjustable as a unit or in several separate parts, relative to the surface of the ground which is to be treated; in particular the skirts are formed in two parts, namely in such a manner that the portion of the skirts which is closest to the ground to be treated is adjustable, relative to a base portion which is fixedly attached to the mower housing, preferably by means of slots oriented perpendicularly to the ground and connecting bolts extending through them.
The cutters of the mowing blade, specifically constructed as two cutters diametrically opposed and extending away from the axis of rotation, are preferably at least partially bent "upwardly" in such manner that there is created an air flow which causes the material to be mowed to stand upright, i.e. a stream in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane of the material to be mowed. Under this influence, the mowed material is lifted up above the mowing plane of the mowing blade. In order to condition this mowed material for further comminution into a kind of mulch, in the preferred embodiment using several mowing blades, there is provided, at the transition from one mowing blade to another, a deflector which is so shaped that the mowed material is directed toward the ground, i.e. into the range of the adjoining mowing blade. This deflector is preferably made as a roof-shaped arch pointing toward the ground, specifically of sheet metal of triangular cross-section in the transition region between one mowing blade and the adjoining one and fastened to the top surface of the mowing machine housing.
By virtue of this special step of deflecting the previously cut material, there is achieved repeated cutting of this material, especially grass, so that there are created cuttings which are better able to decompose and therefore serve as fertilizer, which do not need to be removed in contrast to long-stemmed cuttings, but can be left on the surface of the mowed ground and serve as fertilizer.
The standing upright of the material to be mowed which arises from the mowing blade shape--partially bent upwardly--on the one hand, and on the other hand the deflection of the initially cut material into the range of the mowing blade, especially of the adjoining one, effect the comminution of the mowed material beyond that produced by the mowing and therefore has the desired mulching effect, i.e. the mowed material remains as "fertilizer", lying on the mowed ground.
Further attributes and details of the invention appear from the dependent claims in conjunction with the illustrative embodiments shown in the drawing. The
REFERENCES:
patent: 5305589 (1994-04-01), Rodriguez et al.
patent: 5465564 (1995-11-01), Koehn et al.
Lipton, Esq. Robert S.
Melius Terry Lee
Wiedenmann GmbH
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