Abstract:
A method of removing and installing two blades and their mounting spindles from the deck of a lawn mower including holding the spindle heads simultaneously against rotation with a wrench have two operative ends and an adjustable connection connecting the operative ends.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a method and the apparatus for removing and installing spindles and cutting blades and more particularly, with respect to a lawn mower having two or more cutting blades mounted on separate spindles, a method and apparatus for removing and installing such blades and spindles. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     In commercial lawn mowers having two or more spindle mounted cutting blades, the prior art method of removing the nut from the top of the spindle so that the spindle could be withdrawn downwardly from the pulley mounted thereon and from the mower deck and then from the mower blade itself, so that the blade could be removed and sharpened or replaced, was to reach under the mower with a wrench and grasp the head of one of the spindles with the wrench. The usual nut at the top of the spindle was then removed by using a second wrench thereon. The wrench on the head of the spindle had to be held in order to keep the wrench from moving and spindle from rotating and, since the blades are still sharp when being removed and are extremely sharp when being installed, the hand holding the wrench on the spindle head was subject to being injured. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention utilizes a wrench having at least two pair of spaced operative interconnected ends; with each end being operative to secure the head of one of said spindles and with the interconnecting member being space adjustable so that the space between the operative ends can be adjusted whereby both ends can simultaneously be connected to the spindles to the prevent the rotation of the spindles and movement of the wrench so that the nut on the spindle top can be removed. To reinstall, the spindles are then re-inserted through the blades, the deck and the pulley, the heads of the spindles are held by the double ended wrench, there is no need to any longer manually hold the head wrench and the nut on the top of the spindle can be securely threaded on the top of the spindle and thereby mount the blades on the mower and remove the double ended wrench from the spindle heads. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of a lawn mower suitable for use in the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line  2 — 2  in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 shows a double ended wrench suitable for use in this invention; and 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken like FIG. 2 which shows a double ended wrench mounted on and holding the blade spindles. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention concerns a method for installing and/or removing blade spindles from a multiple spindle commercial lawn mower having two or more blade spindles. 
     There is shown in FIG. 1 the plain view of a commercial mower  10  having a deck  12 . Referring also to FIGS. 2 and 3, the deck  12  has an integral conventional skirt  13  depending therefrom. Within the confines of the deck and skirt art a pair of mower blades  14  and  14 A, each conventionally mounted on a spindle  15  and  15 A, respectively. The spindles  15  and  15 A have respectively formed thereon a head  16 ,  16 A, a shaft portion  17  and a threaded upper end  18  so that, in overall appearance, the spindles  15  and  15 A look like elongated bolts. The blades  14  and  14 A are mounted on the spindles  15  and  15 A, respectively with a central opening  19  in the blade receiving the spindle and the lower side of the blade abutting the tops of the heads,  16 ,  16 A respectively. Each spindle then passes through the central opening in one or more spacers  20  and a washer  21 , with the spacers abutting the top surface of the blades  14  and  14 A and the washer  21  being disposed between the spacers  20  and the deck  12 . On each of the spindles  15  and  15 A, immediately above and abutting the top of the deck  12  is a washer  22  and immediately above each of the washer  21  is a pulley  23  or  23 A which is conventionally keyed to the spindle  15  and  15 A, and a washer  24  in on the spindle and butting the top of each pulley  23  and  23 A. Finally a nut  26  is threaded onto the threaded upper end  18  of each of the spindles to thereby tighten the pulley-spindle and blade assembly to the deck  12 . 
     A motor  27  is conventionally carried by a plurality of supports  28  secured thereto and secured to the deck  12 , with the motor shaft directed downwardly and mounting on its lower end a drive pulley  29  and this drive pulley is connected by a continuous belt  30  to the pulleys  23  and  23 A in a conventional manner. As seen in FIG. 1, a conventional suitable idler pulley  31  is carried by a conventional suitable bracket  32  and the latter can be shifted, in a conventional manner, and by a well known shifting device (not shown) so that the pulley  31  will tighten the belt for driving the blades  14 ,  14 A or to loosen the belt for a non-driving condition relative to the blades. Three ground engaging wheels  33  are conventionally carried by the deck  12  in a well known manner to support the deck for cutting movement relative to the supporting surface so that the blades  14 ,  14 A can cut the grass below the deck  12 . Means, not shown, are conventionally provided to move the mower  10 , such as it being self propelled, manually pushed or connected to a tractor. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, a spindle holding tool  34  in the form of a double ended wrench in shown. The medial portion  35  of the tool  34  is made up of a pair of telescoping members  36  and  37 , with the member  36  being rectangular in cross section and telescopically received in a rectangular cross sectioned opening  38  in the member  37 . A set screw  39  threadingly mounted in an opening  40  in the member  37  can be screwed inwardly to fix the relative telescopic movement of the member  36  inwardly or outwardly relative to the member  37 . 
     The end of the members  36  and  37  each has a mounting boss  41  non-rotatably mounted thereon and extending laterally at right angles therefrom in a coplanar relationship with each other. Each of the bosses has removable mounted thereon a conventional socket  42 . Since the usual spindle  15 ,  15 A has a {fraction (15/16)} inch head thereon, a {fraction (15/16)} inch socket can be used. However, since some mowers do have a spindle  15 ;  15 A with a different sized head  16 , the sockets can be changed to match the head. 
     In the operation of sharpening the blades  14  and  14 A which, on a commercial mower subject to frequent and extended use, is done very frequently, the prior art method required the removal of the blade by tipping the deck  12  sufficiently to reach under the deck with a wrench and grasp the head  16  of each spindle  15 ,  15 A, in turn, and, while holding the wrench with one had to prevent spindle rotation, placing another wrench on the nut  16  to loosen and remove the same. In the instant invention the method involved appropriately spacing both of the sockets  42  of the spindle holding tool  34  and placing them on the heads  16  of both of the spindles simultaneously after reaching under the deck  12 . With the tool located on both heads, the hand can be withdrawn from under the mower. The tool&#39;s reaction against the spindles keeps it in place and prevents either spindle from rotation and the operator can then remove each of the nuts  26  from a spindle  15 ;  15 A. At this time, the tool  34  is removed from the heads  26  and the spindles are withdrawn downwardly until removed from the pulleys, washer, spacers and the blade. The blade is then sharpened and, ideally, a “sharp edge conventional protective coating” is placed on the sharpened edge. The spindle  15 - 15 A is then reinserted through the blade  14 - 14 A, the spaces  20  and washers  21 , the deck, the keyed pulley and the nut  26  is then tightened thereon, to complete the assembly, the sockets of the tool  34  are removed from both the spindles. 
     While only a single embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it is apparent that many changes can be made there without departing from the scope of this invention as set forth in the following claims.