Motor vehicles – Surface effect vehicles – Dynamic seal or fluid curtain
Patent
1977-10-17
1980-01-22
Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
Motor vehicles
Surface effect vehicles
Dynamic seal or fluid curtain
56 102, 56DIG15, 180 70R, 180169, B62D 126
Patent
active
041845595
ABSTRACT:
A lawn mower, designed with a set of built-in mechanical sensor and piloting mechanisms, which enable it to pilot itself along the edge line between the grass already cut and grass not yet cut, in a fairly straight course, and then to reverse its direction at the end of a run, move itself sideways towards the uncut grass and proceed with another run. The lawn mower will not move in an area where there is no grass, and an obstacle in its path will reverse it. The lawn mower drive wheels are driven by a planetary gear mechanism which is coupled both to the motor and to rotatable sensor brushes mounted ahead of the drive wheels so that the planetary mechanism transmits power to the drive wheels only when the sensor brushes encounter resistance, such as from uncut grass, ahead of the drive wheels. The planetary gear mechanism is mounted on a guide frame that is pivotally mounted to the drive wheel frame so as to engage a first of two counter-rotating gears linked on the wheel frame to the drive wheels. Forward impact against the guide frame causes it to pivotally rock so as to engage the second of the counter-rotating gears to reverse direction of travel of the lawn mower. The drive wheels of the lawn mower are formed of individual rim segments, each linked by an individual spoke that is pivotally mounted to the hub of the drive wheel, with spring bias latching the drive wheel spokes in a vertical plane except during periods of pivotal rocking motion of the guide frame. When the guide frame rocks to shift direction of travel of the lawn mower, the wheel spokes are unlatched to permit the weight of the assembly to cause the wheel spokes to pivot for a timed period causing the lawn mower to travel sidewise for the duration of the timed period.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2815633 (1957-12-01), Meyer
patent: 3381456 (1968-05-01), Taylor
patent: 3415335 (1968-12-01), Wise
patent: 3425197 (1969-02-01), Kita
McGiehan Donn
Peters Jr. Joseph F.
Podell Howard I.
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