Patent ID: 6023921
Filing Date: 2000-02-15
Classification: A01D,Y10S

Abstract:
An arrangement for leveling a blade housing of a mower, the housing during operation of the mower being suspended from the underside of a vehicle frame in non-engaging relationship with ground over which said vehicle moves, comprising:a first pair of connecting links pivotally joined to respective opposite sides of a front portion of said housing and to said frame;a pair of fixed plates secured to respective opposite sides of a rear portion of said housing;a pair of adjusting plates each pivotally connected to a respective fixed plate, each of said adjusting plates including a slot overlying a correspondingly configured slot in said respective fixed plate;a second pair of connecting links pivotally joined to said adjusting plates and to said frame;a pair of pins passing through overlying slots in said fixed and adjusting plates, at least one of said pins additionally passing through an aperture of a lift link at its first end;locking means associated with each of said pins for selectively locking respective fixed and adjusting plates against movement relative to each other while permitting the lift link to pivot about its second end in response to movement of a lift pin; anda lift lever joined to said frame and displaceably movable relative to the frame;said lift pin being connected to said lift lever and movable when said lift lever is displaced, said lift pin being positioned within a slot in said lift link whereby when said lift pin is held against an upper end of the slot in the lift link while said fixed and adjusting plates are locked, the housing is selectively displaced towards or away from the ground in accordance with the direction of displacement of said lift lever and whereby when at least a portion of the housing is lowered into engagement with the ground and said fixed and adjusting plates are unlocked, the housing is released from suspension.