Patent ID: 6575839
Filing Date: 2003-06-10
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
A quill assembly for use in a lawn mower for transferring power from a belt drive connected to a pulley at the top of the assembly to a rotating cutting blade connected at the bottom of the assembly, the quill assembly comprising:a. a housing having a central bore extending from a top of the housing to a bottom of the housing; b. a bottom bearing supported by a seat within a bottom bearing bore at the bottom of the housing; c. a top bearing having an outer ring supported by a seat within a top bearing bore at the top of the housing; d. a jackshaft having a center portion positioned within the central bore of the housing and supported for rotary operation by the top and bottom bearings, a blade end of the jackshaft extending from the bottom of the housing and a pulley end of the jackshaft extending from the top of the housing; e. a pulley adapter adjoining the top of the housing, the pulley adapter having a center section with a central bore positioned around the pulley end of the jackshaft in a slip-fit engagement and an adjacent outer section with a flexible outer lip extending over and sealing the top of the housing, the flexible outer lip being flexible enough to bend when it contacts the housing; and f. a blade adapter recessed into a blade adapter counter-bore at the bottom of the housing, the blade adapter having a central bore surrounding the blade end of the jackshaft.