Patent ID: 9713300
Date: 2017-07-25
CPC Classifications: A01D,A01K

Claim:
1. A mowing machine blower assembly comprising: a riding mowing machine, comprising: a plurality of wheels; a frame body supported by the plurality of wheels; wherein the frame body is further comprised of a drive unit housing and a cutting deck upon which a belt drive system is mounted, the belt drive system comprising a drive pulley and two additional pulleys rotatably coupled to the drive pulley by a belt; a plurality of cutting blades housed under the cutting deck rotatably coupled to the belt drive system; a drive unit housed inside the drive unit housing, the drive unit comprising a drive shaft and a the motor, the motor mounted to the drive shaft; wherein the drive pulley is directly mounted to the drive shaft; and wherein the motor supplies drive power to the plurality of wheels and to the plurality of cutting blades by turning the drive shaft; and a blower assembly, comprising: a fan; a fan drive shaft; and a fan housing having an interior space sized and shaped to house the fan, and a pair of through holes sized and shaped to receive the drive shaft; wherein the fan housing is mounted to the frame body such that it is positioned below the drive unit and above the cutting deck; wherein the fan drive shaft and the drive shaft of the drive unit are a same drive shaft; wherein the fan is directly mounted on the drive shaft, with the fan positioned on the drive shaft below the motor and above the drive pulley; wherein the fan housing is formed with an opening disposed as a funnel terminating in a mouth; and wherein the mouth is oriented and the funnel is sized and shaped such that a stream of air from the fan being turned directly by the motor turning the drive shaft is collected and concentrated by the funnel and forced out of the mouth onto a quantity of vegetation immediately in front of the cutting deck and prior to cutting the quantity of vegetation by the plurality of cutting blades.