Patent ID: 6651413
Filing Date: 2003-11-25
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
A mule drive apparatus for delivering power to a cutting deck attached to a lawn mowing vehicle, the apparatus comprising:a drive sheave operable to engage a power take-off shaft of a prime mover attached to the vehicle, the drive sheave operable to rotate about a drive sheave axis; a driven sheave adapted to couple to the cutting deck, the driven sheave operable to rotate about a driven sheave axis; a first endless belt and a second endless belt, each of the first endless belt and the second endless belt operable to frictionally engage both the drive sheave and the driven sheave; a first guide pulley positionable along a tension side of the first endless belt and a second guide pulley positionable along a tension side of the second endless belt; and a first idler pulley positionable along a slack side of the first endless belt and a second idler pulley positionable along a slack side of the second endless belt; wherein the first guide pulley is, when the vehicle is in an operating configuration, located on a first side of a vertical plane containing the drive sheave axis and the second guide pulley is located on a second side of the vertical plane.