Patent ID: 7596934
Filing Date: 2009-10-06
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
1. A lawn mower comprising: first and second drive wheels; a first pump for controlling the first drive wheel, and a second pump for controlling the second drive wheel, the first and second drive wheels being independently drivable via the pumps in both forward and reverse directions so as to permit zero radius turning of the mower; at least one cutting blade for cutting grass, the cutting blade being part of a cutter deck assembly; an engine mounted on an upper surface of an engine deck, the engine including an engine drive shaft extending downwardly from a bottom side thereof; at least one cutter deck drive belt supported by a plurality of cutting blade drive belt pulleys for driving at least one cutting blade of the mower, the cutter deck drive belt being driven by the engine drive shaft and extending between the engine drive shaft and the cutter deck assembly; at least one pump belt for driving at least one of the first and second pumps, the pump belt also being driven by the engine drive shaft; wherein the cutter deck drive belt and the pump belt are operable to be positioned at different substantially parallel elevations during at least some mower operations, and wherein the cutter deck drive belt is located at an elevation above an elevation of the pump belt; wherein all the cutting blade drive belt pulleys of the mower are located at an elevation above the elevation of the pump belt; and wherein the pumps are mounted on an upper surface of a pump deck, wherein the upper surface of the pump deck on which the pumps are mounted is at an elevation below the upper surface of the engine deck on which the engine is mounted.