GB2048041A

GB2048041A - Grass Discharge Assembly for Chuteless Mower Housing

Info

Publication number: GB2048041A
Application number: GB8011806A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Outboard Marine Corp
Current assignee: Outboard Marine Corp
Priority date: 1979-05-16
Filing date: 1980-04-10
Publication date: 1980-12-10
Also published as: FR2456463B1; CA1110854A; FR2456463A1; IT8048671A0; JPS55153518A; DE3016320A1; JPS643441B2; IT1127045B

Abstract

A lawn mower 10 comprises a housing 12 enclosing a rotary cutting blade 18 and includes a continuous sidewall 22, a top wall 24 which extends from the sidewall 22, and an additional wall assembly 25 which defines a first chamber 27 upwardly extending above and arcuately around a portion of the top wall 24 and a second chamber 35 which extends downwardly from the first chamber 27 arcuately around another portion of the top wall 24. Edges 31 on the wall assembly define a top discharge port 32, and the lawn mower 10 includes a cover plate 42 attachable to the discharge port 32 to prevent the escape of grass clippings through the discharge port 32 so that grass clippings will be downwardly deflected by the second chamber 35 for mulching and discharge below the housing 12 in response to blade rotation. A grass discharge chute is alternatively attachable to the discharge port 32 in place of the cover plate 42 for discharging grass clippings outwardly of the housing 12 in response to blade rotation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Grass Discharge Assembly for Chuteless Mower Housing Field of the Invention The invention relates generally to rotary type lawn mowers. More particularly, the invention relates to grass discharge assemblies for lawn mowers having chuteless cutting blade housings.

Description of the Prior Art Attention is directed to the following United States Patents which disclose rotary lawn mowers and associated grass clipping discharge arrangements: Bealetal 2,910,818 November 3,1959 Slemmons 3,085,386 April 1 6,1963 Shaw 3,118,267 January21, 1964 Slemmons 3,132,457 May 12, 1964 Slemmons 3,192,692 July 6, 1965 Nolan 3,398,584 August 27, 1 968 Smith et al 3,568,421 March 9, 1971 Kidd 3,608,291 September28, 1971 Rutherford 3,680,295 August 1,1972 Dahl 3,696,595 October 10,1972 Armstrong 3,754,386 August 28, 1 973 Leader 4,030,273 June21, 1977 Summary of the Invention The invention provides a lawn mower comprising a housing enclosing a rotary cutting blade and including a continuous sidewall and a top wall which extends from the sidewall. Wall means defines a first chamber extending above and arcuately around a portion of the top wall as well as a second chamber which extends above and arcuately around another portion of the top wall and which extends downwardly from the first chamber in the direction of blade rotation. Edge means on the wall means defines a top discharge port. A cover plate is attachable to the housing in sealing relationship with the top discharge port for preventing the escape of grass clippings through the discharge port so as to permit the downward deflection of the orbiting grass clippings by the second chamber for mulching and discharge below the housing in response to blade rotation.A grass discharge chute is attachable to the housing in communication with the top discharge port when the cover plate is not attached for discharging grass clippings outwardly of the housing in response to blade rotation.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the grass discharge chute includes means extending into the first chamber for deflecting the grass clippings in the first chamber into the grass discharge chute for discharge outwardly of the housing in response to cutting blade rotation.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the deflection means extends into the housing below the top wall in closely adjacent relationship above the path of cutting blade rotation.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the grass discharge port is located on the wall means which defines the first chamber and is further located adjacent to the point where the second chamber extends downwardly from the first chamber. In this embodiment, the deflection means includes an air scoop which generally slopes into the first chamber toward the path of cutting blade rotation and in a direction generally opposite to the direction of cutting blade rotation.

One of the principal features of the invention is the provision of a rotary lawn mower which is operable either as a chuteless grass mulching mower, in which the grass clippings are deflected downwardly through the housing for discharge below the housing, or as a lawn mower having a grass discharge chute, in which the grass clippings are discharged outwardly of the housing through the discharge chute.

Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the invention will become known by reference to the following general description claims, and drawings.

Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a rotary lawn mower having a detachable cover plate which is shown in a detached position; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side perspective view of the rotary lawn mower of Fig. 1 with the cover plate attached; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rotary lawn mower of Fig. 1 with a detachable grass discharge chute attached in place of the cover plate; Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the lawn mower of Fig. 3 in which the grass discharge chute is shown in a detached position; and Fig. 5 is a sectional side view taken generally along line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Before explaining one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be 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 and as illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein for the purpose of description should not be regarded as limiting.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment Shown in the drawings is a lawn mower 10 which includes a housing 1 2 supported by wheels 14 for movement over the ground. Lawn mower movement is controlled by pushing on a handle 16 which extends upwardly and rearwardly from the housing 12. The grass is cut by a rotary cutting blade 1 8 which is supported within the housing 1 2 on the drive shaft of an engine 20 (shown in phantom lines in Figs. 1, 3 and 4) mounted on the housing 12. The cutting blade 1 8 can be rotated in either direction, but in the description it will be assumed that the cutting blade 1 8 is rotated clockwise when viewed from above.

The housing 12 includes a continuous sidewall 22 and a top wall 24 which extends from the sidewall 22. The grass is cut during rotation of the cutting blade 1 8, the grass clippings being thereafter thrown upwardly toward the interior surface of the top wall 24 of the housing 1 2, where the grass clippings continue to move in orbital motion in the direction of cutting blade rotation.

Wall means 25 defines a first chamber 27 (see Fig. 1) which extends above and arcuately around a portion of the top wall 24 and which accommodates the orbiting grass clippings and a second chamber 35 which extends above and arcuately around another portion of the top wall 24 and which also extends downwardly from the first chamber 27 in the direction of cutting blade rotation. The wall means 25 has a top discharge port 32 which, in the preferred and illustrated embodiment, opens into the first chamber 27 of the wall means 25.

More particularly, the wall means includes first wall means 26 which defines the first chamber 27 and second wall means 34 which defines the second chamber 35.

The first wall means 26 includes a top panel 28 which is spaced above the generally horizontal plane of the top wall 24 in an ever-increasing distance throughout the length of the first chamber 27, and annular sidewalls 30 extend downwardly from the top panel 28 to complete the enclosure of the first chamber 27. The top panel 28 includes edges 31 which define the top discharge port 32.

The second wall means 34, like the just described construction of the first wall means 26, includes a top panel 38 which extends from the top panel 28 of the first chamber 27 and which decreases in height gradually from the first chamber 27 downwardly to the top wall 24 of the housing 12, as well as annular sidewalls 40 which complete the enclosure of the second chamber 35.

As can be seen in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the first chamber 27 extends arcuately for approximately 1 800 around the top wall 24 and across the entire front of the housing 12. The adjoining second chamber 35 extends arcuately from the first chamber 27 for approximately another 900 around the top wall 24.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, a cover plate 42 is attachable to the housing 12 in sealing relationship with the discharge port 32 (as shown in Fig. 2) for preventing the escape of grass clippings through the discharge port 32. Consequently, when the cover plate 42 is attached, the lawn mower 10 operates as a chuteless grass mulching mower in which oribiting grass clippings accommodated in the first chamber 27 are thereafter downwardly deflected in response to cutting blade rotation by the second chamber 35 into the path of rotation of the cutting blade 1 8 and are thereby shredded on impact with the cutting blade 1 8 to form a mulch which is discharged on the ground beneath the housing 12.

More particularly, the cover plate 42 includes peripheral edges 44 which are adapted to fit in sealing registry with the edges 31 which define the top discharge port 32. The peripheral edges 44 include a forward edge 46 which has an attached forward cover tab member 48 and a rear edge 50 which has an attached rearward cover tab 52 member. In similar fashion, an outer side edge 54 of the peripheral edges 44 has an attached side tab member 56.

The housing 12 of the lawn mower 10 includes a shoulder 58 which, in the illustrated embodiment, is engageable by the rear cover tab member 52 (see Fig. 2) when the bottom peripheral edges 44 of the cover plate 42 are in sealing registry with the edges 31 defining the top discharge port 32. When the rear cover tab member 52 is engaged by the shoulder 58, both the forward and side cover tab member 48 and 56 are bolted by wing bolts 60 or the like to the housing 12.

Referring now to Figs. 3 through 5, a grass discharge chute 62 is attachable in place of the cover plate 42 to the housing 1 2 in communication with the top discharge port 32 when the cover plate 42 is not attached. When the grass discharge chute 62 is thus attached, orbiting grass clippings accommodated in the first chamber 27 are thereafter discharged outwardly of the housing 1 2 through the discharge chute 62 in response to cutting blade rotation.

As seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the grass discharge chute 62 includes a main body portion 64 which is generally curved radially outwardly of the engine 20 and which has a rearwardly facing discharge opening 66. In the illustrated embodiment, the rearwardly facing discharge opening 66 empties into a grass discharge bag 68 which is supported on the handle 16.

The main body portion 64 of the grass discharge chute 62 includes at the front thereof peripheral edges 70 (see Fig. 4) which define an inlet opening and which, like the peripheral edges 44 of the cover plate 42, are adapted to fit in sealing registry with the edges 31 which define the top discharge port 32. Also like the cover plate 42, the front peripheral edges 70 include a forward edge 72 which has an attached forward tab member 74, a rear edge 76 which has an attached rear tab member 78, and an outer side edge 78 which has an attached side tab member 80.By virtue of this construction, the grass discharge chute 62 is attached to the housing 1 2 in virtually identical fashion as the cover plate 42, with the rear tab member 76 of the grass discharge chute 62 engaging the shoulder 58 of the housing 12 and the forward and side tab members 74 and 78 being thereafter bolted to the housing 12 by wing bolts 60 or the like.

To facilitate the flow of grass clippings accommodated in the first chamber 27 through the grass discharge chute 62, the chute 62 includes means 82 which extends into the housing 12 below the top wall 24 and in closely adjacent relationship above the path of cutting blade rotation (see Fig. 5) for deflecting the orbiting grass clippings 35 into the discharge chute 62 for discharge outwardly of the housing 1 2 in response to cutting blade rotation. In the illustrated embodiment, the chute deflection means includes an air scoop 82 which generally slopes into the first chamber 27 toward the path of cutting blade rotation and in a direction generally opposite to the direction of cutting blade rotation, thereby generating an air lifting action to direct the flow of grass clippings into the grass discharge chute 62.

To further enhance the flow of grass clippings from the first chamber 27 through the grass discharge chute 62, in the illustrated embodiment, the discharge port 32 is located adjacent to the point where the second chamber 35 extends downwardly from the first chamber 27, so that the upwardly sloping contour of the grass discharge chute 62 forms a continuation of the generally upwardly sloping contour of the first chamber 27 at its highest point above the top wall 24, together forming a continuous passage through which the orbiting grass clippings flow.

Various of the features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A lawn mower comprising a housing enclosing a rotary cutting blade and including a continuous sidewall, a top wall extending from said sidewall, wall means for defining a first chamber upwardly extending above and arcuately around a portion of said top wall and for defining a second chamber downwardly extending from said first chamber above and arcuately around another portion of said top wall in the direction of blade rotation, edge means on said wall means for defining a top discharge port, a cover plate attachable to said housing in sealing registry with said discharge port for preventing the escape of grass clippings through said top discharge port so as to permit the downward deflection of grass clippings by said second chamber for mulching and discharge below said housing in response to blade rotation, and a grass discharge chute attachable to said housing in communication with said top discharge port when said cover plate is not attached for discharging grass clippings outwardly of said housing in response to blade rotation.

2. A lawn mower according to Claim 1 wherein said grass discharge chute includes means extending into said housing for deflecting the grass clippings into said chute for discharge outwardly of said housing in response to blade rotation.

3. A lawn mower according to Claim 2 wherein said deflection means extends into said housing below said top wall.

4 A lawn mower according to Claim 3 wherein said deflection means extends into said housing below said top wall in closely adjacent relationship above the path of cutting blade rotation.

5. A lawn mower comprising a housing enclosing a rotary cutting blade and including a continuous sidewall, a top wall extending from said sidewall, first wall means defining a first chamber extending above and arcuately around a portion of said top wall for accommodating orbiting grass clippings in response to blade rotation, said first wall means including edges defining a top discharge port, second wall means defining a second chamber extending above and arcuately around another portion of said top wall and extending downwardly from said first chamber in the direction of blade rotation, a cover plate attachable to said housing in sealing registry with said discharge port for preventing the escape of grass clippings through said top discharge port so as to permit the downward deflection of the grass clippings by said second chamber for mulching and discharge below said housing in response to blade rotation, and a grass discharge chute attachable to said housing in communication with said top discharge port when said cover plate is not attached for discharging grass clippings outwardly of said housing in response to blade rotation.

6. A lawn mower according to Claim 5 wherein said grass discharge chute includes means extending into said first chamber for deflecting the orbiting grass clippings into said chute for discharge outwardly of said housing in response to blade rotation.

7. A lawn mower according to Claim 6 wherein said chute deflection means includes an air scoop generally sloping into said first chamber toward the path of cutting blade rotation and in a direction generally opposite to the direction of cutting blade rotation.

8. A lawn mower according to Claim 7 wherein said sloping air scoop has a terminal edge located in a closely adjacent relationship above the path of cutting blade rotation.

9. A lawn mower according to Claim 6 wherein said top discharge port is located adjacent to the point where the second chamber extends downwardly from said first chamber.

10. A grass discharge assembly for a chuteless mower housing substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.