Patent ID: 9713301
Date: 2017-07-25
CPC Classifications: A01D,A01K

Claim:
1. A method of displacing bees in an area of vegetation subject to cutting by a mowing machine, the method comprising the steps of: powering a mowing machine blower assembly comprised of a riding mowing machine and a blower assembly; positioning a mouth of the blower assembly in an operational position; and actuating a plurality of cutting blades of the riding mowing machine and a fan of the blower assembly immediately prior to cutting the area of vegetation with the plurality of cutting blades; wherein the step of positioning the mouth in an operational position is further comprised of orienting the mouth such that a stream of air created by the actuated blower assembly and emitted out the mouth contacts the area of vegetation directly in front of the cutting deck as a horizontal stream of air parallel to a ground surface and a vertical distance from the ground surface no higher than a vertical height of vegetation in the area of vegetation; wherein the stream of air created by the blower assembly blows on a width dimension of the area of vegetation in front of a cutting deck of the mowing machine that is about a same width dimension as the cutting deck; wherein the step of actuating the blower assembly agitates the area of vegetation immediately in front of the cutting deck with the stream of air emitted out the mouth; and wherein the method is performed by the mowing machine blower assembly comprising: the 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; the 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 the blower assembly, comprising: the 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.