GB2356120A - Lawncare apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to lawn care apparatus, in particular lawnmowers and lawn scarifiers or rakes, in particular to a chassis for mowers and scarifiers which provides means for adjusting the height at which the lawnmower, especially a cylinder lawnmower, cuts or the scarifier engages the lawn surface. The apparatus has a chassis and which includes operative means (12, figure 4) supported upon or within the chassis for performing an operation upon a lawn. The chassis comprises front and rear pivotally interconnected frame elements each frame element comprising a pair of substantially parallel arms 15, 20 spaced either side of the operative means (12) and being pivotally mounted upon the chassis, each arm carrying a respective wheel or respective ends of a roller assembly carried therebetween. The mechanism further comprises retaining means for retaining the pivotally interconnected front and rear frame elements in a selected position (figures 6, 7, 8).

Description

1 2356120 LAWN CARE APPAPLATUS The present invention relates to lawn care

apparatus, 'in particular law- nmowers and lawn scarifiers or rakes, in particular to a chassis for mowers and scarifiers which 5 provides means for adjusting the he' ht at which the law-nmower, especially a cylinder 19 lawrimower, cuts or the scanifier engages the lawn surface.

According to the present Mivention, there is provided a lawn care apparatus havm'g a body and a chassis and which 'includes operative means supported upon or within the chassis for performing an operation upon a lawn. the chassis comprising front and rear pivotally interconnected frame elements, each frame element compnismig a pair of substantially parallel arnis spaced either side of the cutter and being pivotally mounted upon the chassis. each arm carrying a respective wheel or respective ends of a roller assembly carried therebetween, the mechanism further comprising retainirig means for retaining the pivotally interconnected front and rear frame elements in a selected position.

Preferably, the rear frame element carries a roller assembly.

Preferably, the retam"ing means comprises a lever attached to the rear frame member, the lever comprising engagement means co-operable with corresponding means provided upon the chassis or body of the apparatus. Preferably, the engagement means on the lever comprises one or more projections which are adapted to engage a senies of notches 'in or on the chassis or body of the apparatus.

Preferably, the series of notches 'in or on the chassis or body of the lawnmower is in the form of a discrete element mountable upon the chassis or body.

In one embodiment. the apparatus is a lawn mower and the operative means comprises a cutter. Preferabiv. the cutter is of the cvhnder tvpe.

In another embodiment, the apparatus is a lawn scarifier or rake.

2 The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in further detail, bv way of example only, with reference to the accompanying dravings, in whi ch:

Figure I is a perspective view of an embodiment of a chassis for a lawn care apparatus 1 in accordance with the present 'invention-, Figure 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of Fioure I Figure 3 is a left side view of the embodiment of Fioure I - Figure 4 illustrates the embodiment of Flaure I 'in a lavvrimo-,.ver in a raised (long cut) confic,uration, 1 i Figure 5 illustrates the embodiment of Figure I in a la,vnmower in a lowered (short cut) configuration.

Ficrure 6 is a perspective vie,,v of a component of the height adjustment mechanism of a lawn care apparatus-.

Figure 7 is a front vievv of the component of Figure 6-- and Figure 8 is a side vie-vv of the component of Figure 6.

Refe to the F12ures, there shown a height of cut adjustment mechanism 10 for a law-n mow-er having a bod,,,- I I and chassis (obscured). The mower is of the cNhnder t-pe having a cylindrical cutter unit 12 rotating about a transverse horizontal axis mounted upon the chassis and driven by a petrol engine or electric motor (not shown).

The heig ight of cut adjustment mechanism 10 includes crenerally s,,mmetrical front and rear frame elements 13,14. The front frame element 13 comprises a pair of generally parallel arins 15,15' spaced apart by means of a forward spacer bar 16 at what becomes, in use. the forward end thereof The rear frame element 14 similarly comprises a pair of generally parallel arms 20,20' spaced apart by a rear spacer bar 21 2 5 at point intermediate the two ends of the arms 20,,20'.

3 The two frame elements 13,14 are pivotally interconnected, by means of a pin 25 projecting from the sides of one frame element (as shown, the front frame element, towards the rear thereof) engaging elongate apertures 26 provided 'in the side of the other frame element (as shown. the rear frame element, towards the forward end 5 thereof).

As shown, each arm 15,15' of front frame element 13 further carries the axle of a wheel 30 and the axle of a roller assembly 31 is mounted between the arms 20,20'. Alternative arrangements are equally possible. For example.. a roller could be mounted also between the arms 15,15' of the front frame element 13.

Each arm 15,15'.20,20' of each frame element 13,14 is individually pivotafly mounted upon the chassis of the lawninower. As shown. each arm 15,15' of front frame element 13 is pivotally mounted upon the chassis at a mounting point A and each arm 20,20 of rear frame element 14 is pivotally mounted upon the chassis at a mounting point B. Mounting, points A and B are intermediate the front and rear ends of each arrn, but are generally adjacent the point of pivotal interconnection between the front and rear frame elements 13,14.

As will be appreciated most clearly from a comparison of Figures 4 and 5. flexing of the interconnection between the front and rear frame elements will. by virtue of the fixed pivoting connections to the chassis, raise and lower the cutter unit 12 with respect to the axes of the wheels 30 and roller 31 and thus ground level 40. Thus the height of cut of grass over which the lawninower is moved is adjusted. It will also be appreciated that 'in order to allow such flexMig with the two fixed pivot pomits A and B, apertures 26 cannot simply be round, but must be elongate to allow for a certain degree of lateral movement of the pin 25.

1 Such fleXM'a is achieved by means of a lever 45 mounted. 'in the embodiment shown, upon one arm 20, of the rear frame element 14. Clearly, the height of cut mechanism must be retained at a particular cut height. Suitably, this is acliieved by means of a ratchet-type mecharuism, for example comprising a projectmia member on the 'inner surface of the lever (or other part of the rear frame element) engaging a series of 4 notches provided on the body or chassis of the lawrimower, such that the height of cut position can be indexed from a high cut position to a low cut position and a number of intermediate positions.

In the preferred embodiment.. the series of notches are provided on a discrete element 50 (Figures 6 to 8) which is mountable at a switable location on the chassis or body of the mower. The elonuate element 50 comprises a plurality of hnear index notches 51 n arranged with an arcuate alignment, the radius of the arc corresponding to the radius of flexure of the rear frame element 14 and/or adjustment lever 45. Use of a separate msert allows the range of he' ht of cut adjustment to be varied between machines. for example different markets may have different preferences for max:imum and MM'imum cut heights and the number of M'termediate positions. Additionally, different height z:1 11 be required where the chassis i used 'in a lav,-n rake or scarifier.

ranges WI I I is Whilst the 'invention has been illustrated with respect to a lawn mower of the cylinder type, it vill be appreciated that 'in the context of a height of cut adjustment mechanism, the chassis is equally suitable for inclusion in other forms of lavnmower, such as rotan, moNvers where one or more blades are rotated about a vertical axis.

CL.AJMS I. A lawn care apparatus havinz- a chassis and which includes operative means supported upon or within the chassis for performing an operation upon a lawn, the chassis comprising front and rear pivotally interlinked frame elements, each frame z element comprising a pair of substantially parallel arms spaced either side of the operative means and being pivotally mounted upon the chassis, each arm carrying a respective wheel or respective ends of a roller assembly carried therebetween, the mechanism further comprising retaining means for retaining the pivotally interlinked ID front and rear frame elements in a selected position.

1) - A lawn care apparatus as claimed in claim I wherein adjacent arms of the front and rear frame elements are pivotally interlinked by means of a pin projecting from the arm of one of the frame elements engaginc, an elongate aperture in the adjacent arm of the other frame element.

3, A lawn care apparatus as claimed in claim I or claim 2 wherein the rear frame element carries a roller assembly.

4. A lawn care apparatus as claimed in any one of claims I to 3) further comprising a body.

5. A lawn care apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the retaining means comprises a lever attached to the rear frame member, the lever comprising =1 engagement means co-operable with corresponding means provided upon the chassis ZD or body of the apparatus.

6. A lawn care apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the engagement means on the lever comprises one or more projections which are adapted to engage a series of notches in or on the chassis or body of the apparatus.

6 7. A lawn care apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the series of notches in or on the chassis or body of the apparatus is in the form of a discrete element mountable upon the chassis or body.

8. A lawn care apparatus as claimed in any preceding, claim wherein the apparatus is a lawn mower and the operative means comprises a cutter.

9. A lawn care apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the cutter is of the cylinder type.

10. A lawn care apparatus as claimed in any one of claims I to 7 wherein the apparatus is a lawn scarifier or rake.

11. A lawn care apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.