Patent ID: 7617665
Filing Date: 2009-11-17
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
1. A mower comprising: a mower deck that opens downward; a plurality of vertical shafts rotatably supported by the mower deck; a plurality of cutting blades driven by the vertical shafts inside the mower deck, the cutting blades being arranged generally in a lateral direction, adjacent pair of cutting blades being rotatably driven in opposite directions from each other; a cutting chamber formed inside the mower deck and provided for each cutting blade; an opening formed between the cutting chambers for adjacent cutting blades, for allowing flow passage of cut grass at least from one of the cutting chambers for the adjacent cutting blades to the other of the cutting chambers for the adjacent cutting blades; a first vacuum plate defining a boundary of a first region in a mower travel direction of each of the cutting chambers; a second vacuum plate defining a boundary of a second region in the mower travel direction of each of the cutting chambers, the second vacuum plate including: a cut grass discharging outlet formed on a side of the second cutting chamber opposite from the opening, wherein a rotating direction of the cutting blade in the first cutting chamber is set such that the cutting blade travels along the opening in a direction away from the linear peripheral guide face, and a rotating direction of the cutting blade in the second cutting chamber is set such that the cutting blade travels along the opening in a direction away from the arcuate peripheral guide face.