Abstract:
A deck lifting assembly for a lawn mower includes first and second lifting brackets and a biasing member interconnecting the first and second lifting brackets or to biasing brackets separate from the lifting brackets. The biasing member imparts a biasing force on each of the lifting brackets or biasing brackets to cause each lifting bracket to rotate in a direction that raises the mower deck.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a lifting assembly for the cutting deck of a lawn mower. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    In one embodiment, the invention provides a lawn mower comprising: a frame; a prime mover supported by the frame; a mower deck; a cutting blade mounted below the mower deck to cut vegetation under the mower deck; a first lifting bracket pivotably mounted to the frame and interconnected to the deck, the first lifting bracket being pivotable about a first horizontal axis in a raising direction to raise the deck and pivotable about the first horizontal axis in a lowering direction to lower the deck; a second lifting bracket pivotably mounted to the frame and interconnected to the deck, the second lifting bracket being pivotable about a second horizontal axis in a raising direction to raise the deck and pivotable about the second horizontal axis in a lowering direction to lower the deck; and a biasing member interconnecting the first lifting bracket to the second lifting bracket, the biasing member imparting a biasing force on each of the first lifting bracket and second lifting bracket, the biasing force imparting torque to the first lifting bracket in the raising direction for the first lifting bracket and imparting torque to the second lifting bracket in the raising direction for the second lifting bracket. 
         [0003]    In some embodiments, the invention further comprises a first horizontal pivot shaft; and a third lifting bracket pivotable about the first horizontal axis in a lowering and raising direction to respectively lower and raise the deck; wherein the first lifting bracket and the third lifting bracket are rigidly mounted to the horizontal first pivot shaft about the first horizontal axis. In some embodiments, the invention further comprises a second horizontal pivot shaft; and a fourth lifting bracket pivotable about the second horizontal axis in a lowering and raising direction to respectively lower and raise the deck; wherein the second lifting bracket and the fourth lifting bracket are rigidly mounted to the second horizontal pivot shaft about the second horizontal axis. In some embodiments, the invention further comprises a second biasing member interconnected to both the third and fourth lifting brackets, and imparting a biasing force on each of the third and fourth lifting brackets, the biasing force imparting torque to the third lifting bracket in the raising direction for the third lifting bracket and imparting torque to the fourth lifting bracket in the raising direction for the fourth lifting bracket. 
         [0004]    In some embodiments, the biasing member includes a linear spring; and wherein a first end of the linear spring is interconnected to the first lifting bracket and a second end of the linear spring is interconnected to the second lifting bracket. In some embodiments, rotation of the first lifting bracket in its raising direction and rotation of the second lifting bracket in its raising direction causes extension of the linear spring and an increase in the biasing force. 
         [0005]    In some embodiments, the biasing member is interconnected to the first lifting bracket above the first horizontal axis and is interconnected to the second lifting bracket below the second horizontal axis, such that the raising direction for the first lifting bracket is the same as the raising direction for the second lifting bracket. 
         [0006]    In some embodiments, the invention further comprises a preload adjustment mechanism for preloading the biasing member to a desired biasing force. In some embodiments, the biasing member includes a linear spring; and wherein the preload adjustment mechanism includes a threaded member interconnected to one end of the linear spring, the threaded member being rotated in a first direction to increase the preload and in a second direction to decrease the preload. In some embodiments, the preload adjustment mechanism is interposed between the biasing member and one of the lifting brackets. 
         [0007]    In some embodiments, the invention further comprises a deck lift lever for actuation of the deck lifting assembly; wherein the applied force to the deck lift lever includes a maximum force and minimum force through the range of motion and wherein the minimum force is greater than 75% of the maximum force. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment, the invention provides a lawn mower comprising: a frame; a prime mover supported by the frame; a mower deck; a cutting blade mounted below the mower deck to cut vegetation under the mower deck; a first pivot shaft supported for rotation with respect to the frame about a first pivot axis; a second pivot shaft supported for rotation with respect to the frame about a second pivot axis; a first lifting bracket rigidly mounted to the first pivot shaft for rotation with the first pivot shaft about the first pivot axis, the first lifting bracket being interconnected to the mower deck to raise and lower the deck in response to pivoting of the first lifting bracket; a second lifting bracket rigidly mounted to the second pivot shaft for rotation with the second pivot shaft about the second pivot axis, the second lifting bracket being interconnected to the mower deck to raise and lower the deck in response to pivoting of the second lifting bracket; and a biasing member interconnected to both the first and second pivot shafts, the biasing member providing a biasing force that applies torque to the first and second pivot shafts to bias the first and second lifting brackets in a raising direction. 
         [0009]    In some embodiments, the biasing member is interconnected to at least one of the first and second lifting brackets. In some embodiments, the lawn mower further comprises at least one biasing bracket, separate from the first and second lifting brackets, rigidly mounted to at least one of the first and second pivot shafts; wherein the biasing member is interconnected to the at least one biasing bracket. In some embodiments, the lawn mower further comprises: a third lifting bracket rigidly mounted to the first pivot shaft, the third lifting bracket being interconnected to the mower deck to raise and lower the deck in response to pivoting of the third lifting bracket; and a fourth lifting bracket rigidly mounted to the second pivot shaft, the fourth lifting bracket being interconnected to the mower deck to raise and lower the deck in response to pivoting of the fourth lifting bracket. In some embodiments, the lawn mower further comprises a second biasing member providing a biasing force that applies torque to the first and second pivot shafts to bias the first, second, third, and fourth lifting brackets in the raising direction. In some embodiments, the second biasing member is interconnected to at least one of the third and fourth lifting brackets. In some embodiments, the lawn mower further comprises at least one biasing bracket, separate from the first, second, third and fourth lifting brackets, the at least one biasing bracket being rigidly mounted to at least one of the first and second pivot shafts; wherein the second biasing member is interconnected to the at least one biasing bracket. In some embodiments, the lawn mower further comprises a synchronizing arm interconnected to each of the first and second lifting brackets, the synchronizing arm imparting rotation to the first lifting bracket in response to rotation of the second lifting bracket. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a lawn mower including a deck lifting assembly according to the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the deck lifting assembly. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the deck lifting assembly in a full-down position. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the deck lifting assembly in a second position. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the deck lifting assembly in a third position. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the deck lifting assembly in a fourth position. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the deck lifting assembly in a full-up position. 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view of another configuration of the deck lifting assembly. 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the configuration of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a side view of the configuration of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0020]      FIGS. 11-13  are plots of pedal force to blade height for three different sizes of cutting decks. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a lawn mower  110  including a frame  115 , a seat  117 , a prime mover  120 , left and right driven wheels  125 ,  130 , left and right passive wheels  135 ,  140 , left and right control arms  145 ,  150 , a deck assembly  155 , a deck lifting assembly  160 , and a height-of-cut assembly  165 . The terms “front,” “rear,” “left,” and “right” will be used in this specification from the perspective of an operator seated on the lawn mower  110  during ordinary operation. The frame  115  is supported by the driven wheels  125 ,  130  and passive wheels  135 ,  140 , and in turn supports the other components of the lawn mower  110 . The prime mover  120  may be, for example, a gasoline powered internal combustion engine, but may also be any other type of prime mover such as an electric motor, a hybrid gas/electric motor, a fuel cell, or any other suitable device operating on a suitable fuel. 
         [0023]    The left and right driven wheels  125 ,  130  are interconnected with the prime mover  120  through a power transmission and suitable hydraulic pumps and motors. The hydraulic pumps and motors are manipulated with the left and right control arms  145 ,  150 , with the left control arm  145  controlling the direction and speed of rotation of the left driven wheel  125  and the right control arm  150  controlling the direction and speed of rotation of the right driven wheel  130 . 
         [0024]    The illustrated lawn mower  110  may be referred to as a zero-turn-radius lawn mower or ZTR lawn mower because when one of the control arms  145 ,  150  is pressed full forward and the other control arm  145 ,  150  is pulled full rearward, the lawn mower  110  will move in a very tight radius owing to one wheel rotating forward and the other rotating backwards. A ZTR lawn mower steers through the speed and direction difference of the two driven wheels. Further, the illustrated lawn mower  110  is a sitting lawn mower, in which the operator sits in the seat  117  during operation. The deck lifting assembly  160  discussed below is applicable to this type of lawn mower and also to any other type of lawn mower having a mower deck. Examples of other types of lawn mowers include large walk-behind units, standing mowers (in which the operator stands during operation), and tractors (in which a steering wheel is used instead of control arms, and the mower is not designed to execute zero-radius turns). 
         [0025]    The deck assembly  155  includes a deck  170  and multiple cutting blades  180 . The prime mover  120  drives rotation of the cutting blades  180  to cut vegetation (e.g., grass) under the deck  170 . The deck  170  includes a plurality of mounting brackets with horizontal deck bolts  185 . 
         [0026]    The deck lifting assembly  160  includes a foot pedal  210 , left and right front lifting brackets  220 ,  225 , a front pivot shaft  230 , left and right rear lifting brackets  240 ,  245 , a rear pivot shaft  250 , a right synchronizing arm  265 , a lifting link  270  associated with each of the front and rear lifting brackets  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245 , a lifting bolt  275  associated with each of the front and rear lifting brackets  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245 , and left and right biasing members  280 ,  285 . The foot pedal  210  is in the operator zone, which is defined as the region accessible by an operator on the lawn mower during ordinary operation. The foot pedal  210  is interconnected with the front pivot shaft  230  or with one of the front lifting brackets  220 ,  225 , such that pivotal movement of the foot pedal  210  (e.g., under the influence of the operator&#39;s leg and foot) actuates the deck lifting assembly  160 . Other types of deck lift actuators may be employed in place of or in addition to the foot pedal  210 , including hand lever. 
         [0027]    The left and right front lifting brackets  220 ,  225  are rigidly mounted to (i.e., fixed for rotation with) opposite ends of the front pivot shaft  230 , and the left and right rear lifting brackets  240 ,  245  are rigidly mounted to (i.e., fixed for rotation with) opposite ends of the rear pivot shaft  250 . The rigid mounting may be achieved through a keyed connection, as illustrated, but in other embodiments may be achieved with splines, a tapered shaft, or permanent interconnection via welding, for example. The front pivot shaft  230  defines a front pivot axis  290  and the rear pivot shaft  250  defines a rear pivot axis  295 . The front lifting brackets  220 ,  225  pivot about the front pivot axis  290  with the front pivot shaft  230 , and the rear lifting brackets  230 ,  235  pivot about the rear pivot axis  295  with the rear pivot shaft  250 . 
         [0028]    The right synchronizing arm  265  is pinned to each of the right front lifting bracket  225  and right rear lifting bracket  245 . The right synchronizing arm  265  and the front and rear pivot shafts  230 ,  250  ensure that the front and rear lifting brackets  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245  pivot in a synchronized fashion. 
         [0029]    The lifting links  270  are pinned at a top end to the lifting bolts  275  and at a bottom end to the deck bolts  185 , and are thus interconnected between an associated lifting bracket  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245  and the deck  170 . Each lifting bracket  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245  pivots about the associated horizontal pivot axis  290 ,  295  in a raising direction that lifts the deck  170  through the lifting link  270 , and a lowering direction that permits the deck  170  to lower under the influence of gravity. In the illustrated embodiment, the raising direction of the right side lifting brackets  225 ,  245  is clockwise as seen from the right side. The raising direction of the left side lifting brackets  220 ,  240  is counterclockwise when viewed from the left side. 
         [0030]    The left and right biasing members  280 ,  285  are provided in the form of linear coil springs, but in other embodiments can be any suitable alternative, such as air springs, torsion springs, compound springs having non-linear spring constants, and resilient material. The left biasing member  280  is interconnected at one end to the left front lifting bracket  220  and is interconnected at the opposite end to the left rear lifting bracket  240 . The right biasing member  285  is interconnected at one end to the right front lifting bracket  225  and is interconnected at the opposite end to the right rear lifting bracket  245 . The lifting brackets  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245  fulfill two purposes: they raise and lower the deck assembly  155  and they provide anchor points for the biasing members  280 ,  285 . In another configuration ( FIGS. 8-10 , discussed below), the two purposes may be fulfilled by separate brackets. In such a configuration, one or both ends of the left and right biasing members  280 ,  285  can be interconnected to biasing brackets (or spring brackets) that are separate from the lifting brackets  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245  but that are rigidly mounted to the front and rear pivot shafts  230 ,  250 . In view of this, the lifting brackets  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245  of this configuration may also be referred to as biasing brackets or as lifting/biasing brackets because of the dual purpose they serve. 
         [0031]    The biasing members  280 ,  285  directly apply torque in the raising direction on both brackets to which they are interconnected, which assists the operator lifting the deck assembly  155  through the foot pedal  210 . The illustrated biasing members  280 ,  285  are linear springs that are characterized by a spring constant that results in a biasing force F when the spring is extended. The spring force F acts on each of the lifting brackets to which the spring is attached, directed along a longitudinal extent or longitudinal axis  310  of the spring. The illustrated linear springs operate in tension and may therefore also be called tension springs. 
         [0032]    Variations in the illustrated embodiment fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, the shafts  230 ,  250  could be configured at 90° from the positions shown, so they extend forward and rearward along the respective left and right sides. The deck lifting brackets  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245  would also be turned 90° so that they pivot about horizontal axes  290 ,  295  extending forward and rearward. 
         [0033]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3-7 , the biasing members  280 ,  285  include a preload adjustment mechanism  315 , which in the illustrated embodiment includes a male threaded member  320  and a female threaded member  325  that receives the male threaded member  320 . In other embodiments, the preload adjustment mechanism  315  can take other forms, such as a turnbuckle between two springs, the two springs together defining the right or left “biasing member.” The preload adjustment mechanism  315  permits the deck lifting assembly  160  to be used with decks of a wide variety of sizes and weights. 
         [0034]    Details and operation of the deck lifting assembly  160  are illustrated in  FIGS. 3-7 , which illustrate the right side brackets  225 ,  245 . The left side brackets  220 ,  240  operate on the same principles as the right side brackets  225 ,  245 , and are essentially a mirror image of those illustrated in  FIGS. 3-7  with the exception of some dimensions being different to accommodate components on the right and left sides, and the left side brackets  220 ,  240  not having mounting points for a synchronizing arm or pedal. 
         [0035]    Each lifting bracket  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245  is mounted to the pivot shaft  230 ,  250  at a first connection point C 1 , is pinned to the lifting link  270  at a second connection point C 2 , and is pinned to an end of the biasing member  280 ,  285  at a third connection point C 3 . The first and second connection points C 1 , C 2  define a first line L 1  and the first and third C 1 , C 3  connection points define a second line L 2 . In the illustrated embodiment, the angle between lines L 1  and L 2  for the front brackets  220 ,  225  is larger than 90° and the angle between lines L 1  and L 2  for the rear brackets  240 ,  245  is less than 90° (e.g.,) 80°. 
         [0036]    Each lifting bracket  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245  bears a portion of the weight of the deck assembly  155 . The weight of the deck assembly  155  acts vertically down along a line of weight W. The line of weight W acts on the second connection point C 2 . The torque applied to each lifting bracket  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245  by the weight of the deck assembly  155  is the weight borne by the bracket multiplied by the horizontal distance between the line of weight W and the horizontal axis  290 ,  295 . The horizontal distance will be referred to as the deck moment arm DM. The deck moment arm DM equals the cosine of the angle between the first line L 1  with respect to horizontal, multiplied by the distance between the first and second connection points C 1 , C 2 . 
         [0037]    The torque applied to each lifting bracket  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245  by the biasing member  280 ,  285  equals the biasing force F multiplied by the perpendicular distance between the horizontal axis  290 ,  295  and the line of force F. The perpendicular distance will be referred to as the spring moment arm SM. The spring moment arm SM equals the sine of the angle between the second line L 2  and the line of force F multiplied by the distance between the first and third connection points C 1 , C 3 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 3  illustrates the deck lifting assembly  160  in the fully lowered or “full down” position, in which the deck assembly  155  is at the lowest end of its range of motion. 
         [0039]    In the full-down position ( FIG. 3 ), the first connection point C 1  of the right front lifting bracket  225  and the front pivot axis  290  are above and forward of the second connection point C 2  and above and rearward of the third connection point C 3 . The first connection point C 1  of the right rear lifting bracket  245  and the rear pivot axis  295  are above and forward of the second connection point C 2  and below and forward of the third connection point C 3 . 
         [0040]    The terms “above” and “below” are used to indicate a position above a horizontal plane containing the referenced point or axis. The narrower term “directly above” or “directly below” will be used to indicate a position above a horizontal plane containing the reference point or axis and also in a vertical plane containing the reference point or axis. In other embodiments, the biasing members  280 ,  285  could both be interconnected above or below both of the bracket pivot points C 1 , in which case the brackets would pivot in opposite raising directions. In this regard, each lifting bracket  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245  can have its own raising direction and lowering direction, although in the illustrated embodiment all raising and lowering directions are the same. 
         [0041]    The force F of the spring is as large as it can be in the full-down position, because the third connection points C 3  of the brackets  225 ,  245  are farthest apart and the spring  285  is stretched as far as it will be stretched within the range of motion. The spring moment arm SM is as small as it will be in the range of motion, which offsets the large spring force F in terms of torque applied to the lifting brackets  225 ,  245 . The deck moment arm DM is less than its maximum because the first line L 1  is not horizontal. 
         [0042]      FIG. 4  illustrates the deck lifting assembly  160  in a second position, in which the first connection point C 1  of the right front lifting bracket  225  and the front pivot axis  290  are at the same height and forward of the second connection point C 2  and above and rearward of the third connection point C 3 . The first connection point C 1  of the right rear lifting bracket  245  and the rear pivot axis  295  are at the same height and forward of the second connection point C 2  and below and forward of the third connection point C 3 . 
         [0043]    The first line L 1  is horizontal, and consequently the deck moment arm DM is maximized in this position. The deck moment arm DM is equal to the distance between the first and second connection points C 1 , C 2 . A push arm stabilizes forward and rearward swinging of the deck assembly  155  and causes the deck assembly  155  to follow an arcuate path as it is raised and lowered, consequently, between the full-down and full-up positions, the lifting links  270  are swept forward in the illustrated embodiment. The downward component of weight W of the deck assembly  155  is still borne entirely by the deck lifting brackets  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245  at connection point C 2 . The deck moment is therefore the portion of weight W borne by the brackets  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245  multiplied by the distance between points C 1  and C 2 . 
         [0044]    Because the second line L 2  is not perpendicular to the spring line of force F, the spring moment arm SM is not maximized, although it is larger than in the full-down position. The spring force F is reduced a little because the third connection points C 3  are closer to each other than in the full-down position. 
         [0045]      FIG. 5  illustrates the deck lifting assembly  160  in a third position, in which the first connection point C 1  of the right front lifting bracket  225  and the front pivot axis  290  are below and forward of the second connection point C 2  and directly above the third connection point C 3 . The first connection point C 1  of the right rear lifting bracket  245  and the rear pivot axis  295  are below and forward of the second connection point C 2  and directly below the third connection point C 3 . The second line L 2  for both brackets  225 ,  245  is vertical but not perpendicular to the spring line of force F, so the spring moment arm SM is not maximized. The deck moment arm DM is smaller than in  FIG. 4 . The spring force F continues to shrink as the third connection points C 3  draw closer to each other. 
         [0046]      FIG. 6  illustrates the deck lifting assembly  160  in a fourth position, in which the first connection point C 1  of the right front lifting bracket  225  and the front pivot axis  290  are below and forward of the second connection point C 2  and above and forward of the third connection point C 3 . The first connection point C 1  of the right rear lifting bracket  245  and the rear pivot axis  295  are below and forward of the second connection point C 2  and below and rearward of the third connection point C 3 . The second line L 2  is perpendicular to the spring line of force F and the spring moment arm SM is consequently maximized in this position. The spring moment arm SM is equal to the distance between the first and third connection points C 1 , C 3 . The spring torque applied to the brackets  225 ,  245  is equal to the spring force F multiplied by the distance between the first and third connection points C 1 , C 3 . The spring force F is lower in this position than in the previous figures. The deck moment arm DM is smaller than in  FIG. 5  and is similar to the deck moment arm length in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 7  illustrates the deck lifting assembly  160  in a “full up” position. In this position, the spring force F is at a minimum, but so is the deck moment arm DM. The angle between the second line L 2  and the spring moment arm SM is relatively small, so the spring moment arm is relatively large. The first connection point C 1  of the right front lifting bracket  225  and the front pivot axis  290  are below and forward of the second connection point C 2  and above and forward of the third connection point C 3 . The first connection point C 1  of the right rear lifting bracket  245  and the rear pivot axis  295  are below and forward of the second connection point C 2  and below and rearward of the third connection point C 3 . 
         [0048]    With reference to  FIGS. 4-7 , the user input force or pedal force is identified as PF, and is directed onto the foot pedal  210  from an expected angle for an operator sitting in the seat. The effective moment arm to which the pedal force PF is applied to pivot the front pivot shaft  230  and the entire deck lifting assembly  160  is identified as FM. For the purpose of example, the invention will be discussed with respect to three deck assembly  155  sizes, each having a weight, and a spring gap setting for the preload adjustment mechanism  315  (i.e., the space between the end of the biasing member and just short of the point C 3 ), as in the following Table 1: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Example Decks 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Deck Size 
                 Weight 
                 Spring Gap 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 52″ 
                 280 lbs. 
                 3.5″ 
               
               
                 60″ 
                 291 lbs. 
                 3.0″ 
               
               
                 72″ 
                 375 lbs. 
                 0.0″ 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0049]    The foot pedal force PF is plotted in Plots 1, 2, and 3 ( FIGS. 11-13 ) for the three examples through the range of motion of the deck lifting assembly  160 : 
         [0050]    The pedal forces for the several examples above vary as shown in the following Table 2: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Pedal Force Analysis for 52″, 60″, and 72″ Decks 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 52″ 
                 60″ 
                 72″ 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Avg PF (lbs) 
                 72.4 
                 72.1 
                 78.2 
               
               
                   
                 Max PF (lbs) 
                 83.4 
                 82.0 
                 83.1 
               
               
                   
                 Min PF (lbs) 
                 66.5 
                 66.9 
                 76.0 
               
               
                   
                 Mid PF (lbs) 
                 75.0 
                 74.4 
                 79.5 
               
               
                   
                 +/− from Mid (lbs.) 
                 8.5 
                 7.6 
                 3.5 
               
               
                   
                 +/− from Mid (%) 
                 11.3 
                 10.2 
                 4.4 
               
               
                   
                 Min/Max (%) 
                 79.7 
                 81.5 
                 91.5 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0051]    Because of the moment arms and forces in the various positions illustrated and described above, the user applies a substantially constant pedal force PF to the foot pedal  210  throughout the entire range of motion, and there are no large spikes or dips in the required pedal force PF. Substantially constant means the minimum pedal force PF is more than 75% in some embodiments, 85% in other embodiments, and 90% in other embodiments, and the maximum and minimum pedal forces vary from the midpoint between them by no more than about 15% in some embodiments, 12% in other embodiments, 11% in other embodiments, and 5% in other embodiments. 
         [0052]    Additionally, in view of Plots 1, 2, and 3 ( FIGS. 11-13 ), the portions of range of motion in which the required pedal force PF increases tend to be associated with points at which the operator has more leverage and the leg at the most favorable angles to apply PF perpendicular to the moment arm of the foot pedal  210 . As the foot pedal  210  rises through the range of motion and the knee of the operator drops (i.e., in the later half of the range of motion), more of the leg force is used to apply torque to the foot pedal  210  and the operator effort becomes more efficient. Consequently, any small increase in required pedal input force is easily accommodated by the more efficient application of force by the operator and the perceived effort is less likely to be noted by the operator. 
         [0053]      FIGS. 8-10  illustrate an alternative deck lifting assembly  460  construction or embodiment. The alternative deck lifting assembly  460  is identical or substantially similar to the deck lifting assembly  160  discussed above, with the exception that the alternative deck lifting assembly  460  provides separate deck lifting brackets and biasing brackets (or spring brackets). Like components in the alternative embodiment  460  are given the same reference numbers as used for the embodiment  160  discussed above. It will be understood that both the right and left assemblies in the alternative embodiment  460  can be modified with separate lifting and biasing brackets, although only the right side is illustrated. 
         [0054]    In addition to the components described above with respect to the first deck lifting assembly  160 , the deck lifting assembly  460  includes deck lifting brackets  525 ,  545  and separate biasing or spring brackets  547 ,  548 . The lifting brackets  525 ,  545  and the biasing brackets  547 ,  548  are rigidly mounted to the front and rear pivot shafts  230 ,  250 . The biasing brackets  547 ,  548  provide mounting points for the ends of the right biasing member  285  (the same is true for the biasing brackets and left biasing member  280  on the left side, not illustrated). In other configurations or embodiments, the biasing members  280 ,  285  can be mounted at one end to a biasing bracket and at the opposite end to a lifting bracket. 
         [0055]    In the appended claims, we refer to the deck lifting brackets  220 ,  225 ,  240 ,  245  (and  525 ,  545  of the alternative embodiment), in no particular order, as first, second, third, and fourth deck lifting brackets to avoid limiting designations such as forward, rearward, left, and right. 
         [0056]    Thus, the invention provides, among other things, a deck lifting assembly in which a substantially constant force can be applied to a deck actuator through the entire range of motion of the deck lifting assembly, and in which biasing members are attached to and act on two lifting brackets. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.