Patent ID: 6155033
Filing Date: 2000-12-05
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
A self-propelled, walk-behind power tool comprising:a power deck mounting an engine having a rotatable drive shaft,a wheel drive assembly including left and right drive wheels mounted on opposite lateral spacing from beneath said power deck,a power train including a pair of gear-operated transmissions, each being drivingly connected to a respective one of said drive wheels, and means for drivingly connecting said transmissions to said engine drive shaft,a tool deck containing a rotatable drivable tool and being connected to a front side of said power deck,a handle bar attached to a rear side of said power deck and containing controls for independently operating each of said drive wheels and said rotatably mounted tool,said engine drive shaft containing a power take-off pulley and a pair of drive pulleys in axially spaced disposition along said drive shaft,input pulleys for rotating gears of said gear-operated transmissions being mounted on shafts extending from each of said gear operated transmissions on axes parallel to the rotation axis of said engine drive shaft,a power take-off belt operatively connecting said power take-off pulley to said tool,an input belt extending between each of said drive pulleys and a respective one of said input pulleys,said power train further including:a pair of idler pulleys, each being operative to engage a respective one of said input belts, each said idler pulley being rotatably mounted on one end of a lever which is pivotally mounted with respect to said power deck, andsaid controls on said handle bar including means connected to each respective idler pulley lever and being operative to pivot each said lever independently with respect to each other between angularly displaced positions to vary, incrementally the tension of the input belts on the respective drive and input pulleys for selectively varying the driving force to the respective drive wheels.