Abstract:
A mower has a rotary cutting deck with a discharge opening covered by a discharge chute. A pivotal gate is placed beneath the discharge chute to pivot relative to the discharge opening between a closed position in which the gate blocks the discharge opening and an open position in which the gate opens the discharge opening, thereby providing discharge and non-discharge modes of operation respectively. A pivotal handle can be pivoted between first and second positions to thereby pivot the gate between the open and closed positions thereof. The handle and gate are arranged so that at least some portion of the handle extends in directions relative to the mower that are the same as the directions the gate extends relative to the discharge opening so that an operator can simply position the handle by observation of the handle portion to position the handle portion in an orientation corresponding to a desired orientation of the gate.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a rotary mower cutting deck having a discharge opening through which grass clippings may be discharged from the deck. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Lawn mowers are known having rotary cutting decks attached to or carried by the frame of the mower. Rotary cutting decks carry one or more cutting blades that rotate in substantially horizontal cutting planes. The decks are called rotary decks because of the rotary nature of the blade(s). The grass clippings created by the rotating action of the blade(s) are usually discharged through a discharge opening, often located on the right side of the deck. A discharge chute often extends outwardly from the side of the deck to shield the discharge opening to guard against inadvertent contact with the blade by a bystander and to control the direction of the discharged clippings. 
         [0003]    Multi-bladed rotary cutting decks of this type are often carried on riding lawn mowers that are operated by an operator who is seated on a seat on the frame of the mower. In addition, rotary cutting decks of this type are also often convertible between a discharge mode of operation, in which the discharge opening is open, and a non-discharge mode of operation, in which the discharge opening is blocked. When the discharge opening is blocked, the grass clippings cannot escape through the discharge opening. 
         [0004]    The reason for having a non-discharge mode of operation is to save time when cutting around areas in which the discharge of grass clippings would not be desirable. For example, if the operator is mowing or trimming around flower beds, sidewalks, driveways, or the like, the operator normally wants to prevent grass clippings from being discharged into the flower beds or onto the sidewalks and driveways. In a mower with a continuously open discharge opening oriented on the right side of the mower deck, this meant that the operator always had to place the left or non-discharge side of the cutting deck adjacent the flower beds, sidewalks, driveways, etc. when passing past such areas. Thus, the operator would frequently have to change directions while mowing to get the left side of the cutting deck up against the areas where the clippings should not be discharged. This need to change direction takes extra time and can be annoying to the operator. 
         [0005]    Some riding mowers have a blocking member adjacent the discharge opening that comprises a pivotal flap or gate. The gate has a closed position in which the gate covers the discharge opening in the non-discharge mode. The gate also has an open position in which the gate is clear of the discharge opening in the discharge mode. 
         [0006]    Thus, when the operator is mowing, if the operator comes to an area where grass clippings should not be discharged and the discharge opening is adjacent such areas, the operator can simply temporarily pivot the gate into its closed position to block the discharge opening. In this position, the grass clippings simply hit the closed gate and fall down to the ground without being discharged outside the deck. When the mower clears this area, the operator can pivot the gate back to its open position to resume discharging grass clippings from the deck. Moving the gate between its open and closed positions can be done quickly and on a temporary basis to block the grass clippings for even very short periods of time without having to change the direction of motion of the mower. 
         [0007]    The gate in such mowers is connected by a linkage to an operating handle placed near the operator&#39;s seat. The operator can swing the gate between its open and closed positions simply by moving the operating handle from one handle position to another. This can be done without stopping the mower and without the operator dismounting the mower. U.S. Pat. No. 6,874,309 to Bellis, Jr. discloses a handle operated, pivotal gate of this type. 
         [0008]    There are disadvantages with handle operated gates of this type. It is not always apparent which way the handle should be moved in order to open and close the gate. Accordingly, the operator has to learn this or pay attention to any type of operating instructions that might be placed on the mower near the handle. Until the operator has thoroughly learned the proper operation of the handle, it may be difficult to smoothly open and close the gate. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a pivotal gate that is arranged and linked to an operating handle in which the proper operation of the handle is more intuitively apparent to the operator. 
         [0009]    In addition, known gates pivot about substantially horizontal pivot axes. This arrangement provides little opportunity to offer effective intermediate positions of the gate. In such intermediate positions, the grass clippings tend to be deposited as a narrow band or windrow. This is not desirable. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    One aspect of this invention relates to a mower cutting deck having a discharge opening for discharging grass clippings from the cutting deck with the mower having an operator&#39;s station for carrying an operator thereon during mowing. This aspect of the invention comprises a movable gate having a closed position in which the gate substantially blocks the discharge opening to place the cutting deck in a non-discharge mode of operation and an open position in which the gate substantially clears the discharge opening to place the cutting deck in a discharge mode of operation. A pivotal handle can be pivoted by the operator to move the gate between the closed and open positions thereof. The handle has a hand grip. The position of the hand grip relative to the mower mimics the position of the gate relative to the discharge opening such that the operator can observe the hand grip of the handle and set the hand grip in the same relative position on the mower as a desired setting of the gate relative to the discharge opening on the cutting deck. 
         [0011]    Another aspect of this invention relates to a mower having a rotary cutting deck with a discharge opening covered by a discharge chute. A pivotal gate is placed beneath the discharge chute to pivot relative to the discharge opening between a closed position in which the gate substantially blocks the discharge opening and an open position in which the gate substantially opens the discharge opening, thereby providing discharge and non-discharge modes of operation respectively. A pivotal handle can be pivoted between first and second positions to thereby pivot the gate between the open and closed positions thereof. The handle and gate are arranged so that at least some portion of the handle extends in directions relative to the mower that are the same as the directions the gate extends relative to the discharge opening so that an operator can properly position the handle by observation of the handle portion to position the handle portion in an orientation corresponding to a desired orientation of the gate. 
         [0012]    Yet another aspect of this invention relates to a mower having a rotary cutting deck with a discharge opening covered by a discharge chute. The discharge chute has a flexible body that is formed into a downwardly facing chute-like form by a shaping frame along one side of the discharge chute. A pivotal gate is placed beneath the discharge chute to pivot relative to the discharge opening between a closed position in which the gate substantially blocks the discharge opening and an open position in which the gate substantially opens the discharge opening, thereby providing discharge and non-discharge modes of operation respectively. The pivotal gate is attached to a vertically upwardly extending pivot pin. The pivot pin of the gate extends upwardly through the discharge chute and is rotatably journalled on the shaping frame of the discharge chute so as to be carried on the discharge chute. 
         [0013]    An additional aspect of this invention relates to a mower having a rotary cutting deck formed by a top wall and a peripheral wall that enclose a plurality of cutting chambers each of which houses at least one rotary cutting blade that rotates in a substantially horizontal cutting plane. The peripheral wall of the cutting deck includes a discharge opening for allowing grass clippings to exit from the cutting deck. The discharge opening is covered by a generally U-shaped discharge chute that includes a top wall, a front wall and a rear wall. The discharge chute faces downwardly towards the ground and extends outwardly away from the discharge opening of the cutting deck. A pivotal gate is carried beneath the top wall of the discharge chute and pivots about a substantially vertical axis located adjacent the front wall of the discharge chute. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    This invention will be described hereafter in the Detailed Description, taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements or parts throughout. 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a rotary cutting deck according to this invention, particularly illustrating the pivotal gate located beneath the discharge chute of the mower with the pivotal gate being in its closed position to block the discharge opening of the deck; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is an inverted perspective view of the rotary cutting deck of  FIG. 1 , particularly showing the pivotal gate in its closed position to block the discharge opening of the deck; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the pivotal gate and discharge chute in  FIG. 1  along with the pivotal handle for operating the gate; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of just the pivotal gate and discharge chute shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of just the pivotal handle shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is perspective view of the pivotal handle and pivotal gate shown in  FIG. 1 , particularly illustrating the pivotal gate in its open position to clear the discharge opening of the deck; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 6 , but showing the pivotal gate in an intermediate position in which the gate only partially blocks the discharge opening. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show a rotary cutting deck  2  of the type that is attached to or carried by the frame of a lawn mower (not shown). Cutting deck  2  has a top wall  4 , a peripheral wall  6  that extends downwardly from top wall  4  and forms the peripheral boundary of cutting deck  2 , and three cutting chambers  8  beneath top wall  4 . Each cutting chamber  8  houses a rotary cutting blade (not shown) that rotates in a substantially horizontal cutting plane about a substantially vertical axis. As the cutting blades rotate, grass clippings are generated by the impact of the cutting edges of the blades with standing stalks of grass. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , cutting chambers  8  are open to one another so that the grass clippings created by the cutting blades can flow between cutting chambers  8  towards a common discharge opening  10 . Discharge opening  10  is provided somewhere in the peripheral boundary of cutting deck  2  and usually on one side of cutting deck  2 . In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , discharge opening  10  is shown blocked by a pivotal gate  12  that forms part of one embodiment of the present invention.  FIGS. 1 and 2  show gate  12  in a closed position substantially overlying discharge opening  10 . 
         [0024]    As is customary in mowers of this type, discharge opening  10  is also covered by a generally U-shaped, downwardly facing, discharge chute  14  that extends outwardly from peripheral wall  6  for a short distance. Discharge chute  14  serves to protect bystanders from any objects that might be entrained in the grass clippings and be thrown through discharge opening  10 . Discharge chute  14  will deflect such objects downwardly towards the ground and will prevent bystanders from inadvertently sticking their feet into discharge opening  10 . Gate  12  is positioned beneath discharge chute  14  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0025]    Discharge chute  14  is preferably constructed in accordance with the assignee&#39;s prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,986,240 to Kallevig, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Discharge chute  14  has a main body  17  that is formed out of a flexible material, such as rubber. Main body  17  is shaped into a chute-like form by a rigid shaping frame  18  forming part of the entrance to discharge chute  14 . However, discharge chute  14  could be made entirely out of a rigid material if so desired. 
         [0026]    One embodiment of this invention also includes a pivotal handle  16  carried in or adjacent the operator&#39;s station (not shown) of the mower. The operator&#39;s station is provided on the frame of the mower and usually includes either a seat on which the operator is seated or a platform on which the operator stands. As shall be explained in more detail hereafter, handle  16  is operatively connected to gate  12 . The operator can swing or pivot handle  16  with his or her hand while the operator is carried on the mower at the operator&#39;s station to control the position of gate  12  relative to discharge opening  10 . 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3-5 , gate  12  comprises a rectangular flexible flap  20 , made of a stiffer but still flexible rubber material similar to that used in discharge chute  14 , that is bolted to a rigid upper support plate  22 . A vertically extending gate pivot pin  24  is attached to a front end of support plate  22  at the front of flap  20 . Pivot pin  24  is journalled in the front end of the shaping frame  18  of discharge chute  14  for rotation about a substantially vertical pivot axis. Gate  12  is approximately the same size as or slightly less in size than the size of discharge opening  10  to block discharge opening  10  when gate  12  is closed. See  FIG. 2 . 
         [0028]    A pair of Bowden cables  25  connect gate  12  to handle  16 . The top of gate pivot pin  24  includes a gate pulley  26   g  fixed thereto such that gate pivot pin  24  is rotated when gate pulley  26   g  is rotated. Gate pulley  26   g  includes a pair of spaced upper and lower flanges  28  that include a pair of aligned openings  30  and  32  therein. The inner cable  34  of a Bowden cable  25  has an enlarged circular head  36  that is received in one pair of the aligned openings  30  or  32  with inner cable  34  lying in the groove between upper and lower flanges  28 . Since there are two Bowden cables  25 , the inner cable  34  of one Bowden cable  25  is connected to the pair of openings  30  in gate pulley  26   g  and the inner cable  34  of the other Bowden cable  25  is connected to the other pair of openings  32  in gate pulley  26   g . Note that cable heads  36  are shown disconnected from openings  30  and  32  in the drawings for the purpose of clarity. 
         [0029]    Handle  16  is L-shaped having a vertical shaft  38  and a horizontal hand grip  40 . Handle shaft  38  is rotatably journalled for rotation about a substantially vertical axis in a bracket  42 . Bracket  42  is fixed to the frame of the mower in or adjacent to the operator&#39;s station. Thus, hand grip  40  of handle  16  is close to the operator&#39;s hand while the operator is operating the mower. 
         [0030]    The lower end of handle shaft  38  includes a handle pulley  26   h  that is identical to gate pulley  26   g . The other ends of the inner cables  34  of Bowden cables  25  are connected to the pairs of openings  30  and  32  in handle pulley  26   h . Again, the other ends of the inner cables  34  of Bowden cables  25  are shown disconnected from handle pulley  26   h  in the drawings simply for the purpose of clarity. In addition, the drawings also depict handle  16  more forwardly relative to cutting deck  2  than is the case in practice. In reality, handle  16  would normally be carried on the frame of the mower rearwardly of the rear ends of the inner cables  34  of Bowden cables  25 . 
         [0031]    Bowden cables  24  are set up to produce an identical direction of rotation in both handle  16  and gate pivot pin  24 , i.e. when handle pulley  26   h  rotates clockwise so does gate pulley  26   g  and when handle pulley  26   h  rotates counter-clockwise so does gate pulley  26   g . Also, as is typical of Bowden cables  25 , each Bowden cable  25  has an outer sheath  44  that is appropriately clamped to a bracket  46  on discharge chute  14  and to bracket  42  with inner cable  34  sliding back and forth within outer sheath  44 . In addition, sheath  44  can be clamped or tied at other locations to cutting deck  2  or the frame of mower  4  to help secure cable  25  in place as it extends between gate  12  and handle  16 . However, there is enough slack in cable  25  to accommodate any relative movement between cutting deck  2  and the frame of the mower during a mowing operation. 
         [0032]    A spring  48  bears between the underside of a horizontal flange  50  on bracket  42  and the top of handle pulley  26   h . Spring  48  is not strong enough to prevent handle pulley  26   h  or handle shaft  38  from rotating when handle  16  is turned by the operator. However, spring  48  is strong enough to engage a detent pin  52  on handle shaft  38  with one detent groove in a series of detent grooves  54 ,  56 , or  58  carried on the top of horizontal flange  50  on bracket  42 . The detent pin/detent groove structure helps hold handle  16 , and thus gate  12 , in one of a series of positions. 
         [0033]    The detent grooves include a first longitudinal detent groove  54  that is parallel to a forward direction of motion of the mower. When detent pin  52  is engaged in the first longitudinal detent groove  54 , hand grip  40  of handle  16  is also parallel to a forward direction of motion of the mower since hand grip  40  is parallel to detent pin  52 . When detent pin  52  is engaged in the first longitudinal detent groove  54 , gate  12  is arranged in its closed position to block discharge opening  10 . In this closed position, gate  12  is also parallel to the forward direction of motion of the mower. 
         [0034]    Accordingly, the orientation of hand grip  40  of handle  16  mimics the orientation of gate  12  relative to discharge opening  10 . When hand grip  40  is parallel to the forward direction of motion, namely when hand grip  40  is pointing to the rear as shown in the drawings, gate  12  will be similarly oriented on the cutting deck to block discharge opening  10 . 
         [0035]    If the user wants to open discharge opening  10 , the user grips hand grip  40  of handle  16  and pulls up slightly against the bias of spring  48  to disengage detent pin  52  from the first longitudinal detent groove  54 . The user can then swing handle  16  to the side by 90° until hand grip  40  of handle  16  is pointing outwardly towards the side. As handle  16  so rotates, this rotation is transmitted by the Bowden cables  25  to gate pivot pin  24  to similarly rotate gate  12 . Gate  12  will swing forwardly inside discharge chute  14  until gate  12  is generally adjacent or aligned with the front wall  60  of discharge chute  14 . 
         [0036]    In this open position of gate  12  as shown in  FIG. 6 , discharge opening  10  is now clear or unblocked and the grass clippings can exit through discharge opening  10 . Again, in this open position of gate  12 , the positions of gate  12  and hand grip  40  of handle  16  mimic one another. Both will be pointing straight out to the side. After making this rotational adjustment, the operator can let go of handle  16 . Spring  48  is effective to reseat detent pin  52  in a second transverse detent groove  56 . 
         [0037]    A third detent groove  58  is provided that is midway between the first longitudinal detent groove  54  and the second transverse detent groove  56 . This third inclined detent groove  58  allows the operator to position gate  12  in an intermediate position that is halfway between the open and closed positions of gate  12 . In this intermediate position, gate  12  deflects the grass clippings and any debris or objects entrained therein rearwardly. The intermediate position of the gate disperses the grass clippings over a distance of approximately one half the dispersal distance in the fully open position. Again, in this position, handle  16  and gate  12  have positions that mimic each other, namely handle  16  and gate  12  are each now inclined outwardly at a 45° angle relative to the forward direction of motion of the mower. See  FIG. 7 . 
         [0038]    In this invention, the operator knows the position of gate  12  from the position of handle  16  because the position of hand grip  40  visually mimics the location of gate  12  in a particular desired position. For example, to block discharge opening  10 , the operator knows that gate  12  should lie flat against discharge opening  10  with gate  12  being parallel to the forward direction of motion of the mower. All the operator has to do is to position hand grip  40  of handle  16  similarly, i.e. to place hand grip  40  so that hand grip  40  extends rearwardly but parallel to the forward direction of motion of the mower. 
         [0039]    Similarly, if the user wants discharge opening  10  to be unblocked by gate  12 , the user knows that gate  12  should be pivoted 90° to the side to be oriented transversely to the forward direction of motion of the mower. All the user has to do is to pivot handle  16  similarly, i.e. to swing hand grip  40  forwardly 90° until hand grip  40  points to the side. If the user stops the swinging motion of hand grip  40  after only 45° of rotation, both hand grip  40  and gate  12  will be rotated into the intermediate partially open/partially closed position described above. Again, both the motion and position of hand grip  40  mimic the motion and position of gate  12 . The user will intuitively understand how to control the position of gate  12  simply by observing the position of hand grip  40  and setting hand grip  40  in the same relative position on the mower as the desired setting of gate  12  on the cutting deck. 
         [0040]    Various modifications of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, the scope of this invention will be limited only by the appended claims.