Patent ID: 7908837
Filing Date: 2011-03-22
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
1. An improved riding mower with a grass collector of the type in which the mower has a mower frame, a plurality of wheels for supporting the mower frame for movement over the ground, a cutting deck having at least one rotary blade for cutting grass and generating grass clippings, and a prime mover for powering at least one of the wheels and the at least one rotary blade, and in which the grass collector comprises a grass collector frame, an upper hood for receiving grass clippings from the cutting deck, and at least one container or bag carried beneath the upper hood for receiving the grass clippings from the upper hood, and a mounting system for detachably mounting the grass collector to the mower, wherein the improvement relates to the mounting system and comprises: (a) a pivotal mount for pivotally mounting a lower portion of the grass collector on the mower frame, wherein the pivotal mount comprises a hook and pivot arrangement by which the lower portion of the grass collector is hung by at least one hook on a pivot; (b) a quick connect fastening system for securing the grass collector to the mower frame in a substantially upright, operative position after the lower portion of the grass collector is first installed on the mower frame using the pivotal mount and after the grass collector is rotated in a first direction around the pivot into the substantially upright, operative position, wherein the quick connect fastening system comprises at least one retaining pin that slides between a retracted, non-operative position and an extended, operative position, wherein the at least one retaining pin in the extended, operative position thereof has a portion thereof abutting against a planar stop surface on the mower frame to prevent the grass collector from reversely rotating about the pivot out of its substantially upright, operative position, and wherein the planar stop surface has a planar extent that is substantially larger than the abutting portion of the at least one retaining pin such that precise vertical alignment of the retaining pin relative to the planar stop surface is not required; and (c) a compressible pad or bumper between the mower frame and the grass collector that is engaged by the grass collector as the grass collector approaches the substantially upright, operative position thereof, wherein the pad or bumper must be at least partially compressed in order to allow the at least one retaining pin on the grass collector to move into an abutting engagement against the planar stop surface such that the compression of the pad or bumper keeps the at least one retaining pin substantially snugly abutted against the stop surface to minimize rattling of the grass collector against the mower frame.