Patent ID: 6591594
Filing Date: 2003-07-15
Classification: A01D,F16H

Abstract:
A method of providing a lawn mower apparatus capable of cutting grass or other vegetation, said method of providing a lawn mower apparatus comprising the steps of:providing a cutting blade capable of cutting said grass or other vegetation; providing a cutting blade control selectively movable between a cutting position and an idle, non-cutting, position, for causing said cutting blade to be either in a cutting mode or an idle mode, respectively; providing a shift lever selectively moveable between a forward and a reverse position, for causing forward and rearward movement of said lawn mower apparatus, respectively; providing a reverse lock out latch movable between a blocking position and a cleared position, said reverse lock out latch when in said cleared position configured to allow movement of said shift lever between said forward and reverse positions, said reverse lock out latch when in said blocking position configured to block movement of said shift lever from said forward position towards said reverse position, said reverse lock out latch also configured to be capable of being moved into said blocking position when said shift lever is in said reverse position; providing at least one control linkage intermediate said cutting blade control and said reverse lock out latch, said control linkage configured in one operational mode to cause said reverse lock out latch to be moved to said blocking position when said cutting blade control is moved to said cutting position; and operating said lawn mower apparatus such that if a user attempts to shift said lawn mower apparatus from forward to reverse movement by use of said shift lever while said cutting blade is in said cutting mode and said control linkage is in said one operational mode, said cutting blade control must first be moved into said idle position to allow said reverse lock out latch to move to said cleared position, whereupon said shift lever may then be moved to said reverse position and then said cutting blade control may be moved back into said cutting position to cut in reverse.