Patent Publication Number: US-2021161068-A1

Title: Finger-bar-type mower

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a finger-bar-type mower in which blades reciprocate left and right to mow grass. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Mowers are largely classified into a type of mowing grass by means of high-speed rotation of blades, and a type of mowing grass with blades which are arranged in a long shape like scissors and are reciprocated left and right at a high speed. The latter is also called a finger bar type. 
     The type of using high-speed rotation of blades is good in terms of operation and accessibility, but may cause dangers due to scattering of work residues during work and may make operators tired and thus exposed to danger because operators themselves have to maintain the mower at a certain height from the ground. 
     Finger-bar-type mowers, which are technically originated from pruning machines, are relatively safe and have high performance in terms of quality and thus have been recently developed into a larger type configured to be attached to a tractor. 
     However, finger-bar-type mowers are mechanically limited because driving power is transmitted from one end side, and thus it is difficult to use finger-bar-type mowers together with small machines and implement portable finger-bar-type mowers. 
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Technical Problem 
     Therefore, the present invention is invented by considering the above-mentioned circumstances, and an objective of the present invention is to provide a finger-bar-type mower in which a driving shaft is disposed at the center of a blade and wheels are attached to both end sides such that the finger-bar-type mower can be easily operated by placing the finger-bar-type mower on the ground and moving the finger-bar-type mower along the ground. 
     Solution to Problem 
     For the above-described objective of the present invention, a finger-bar-type mower includes: a connection gear which is power-connected to a driving means of the finger-bar-type mower; a reduction gear which is connected to the connection gear; a shaft which is rotated according to rotation of the reduction gear; a bridge which accommodates and supports the connection gear and the reduction gear; a blade which is power-connected to the shaft and is reciprocated left and right according to rotation of the shaft, the blade including cutting edges; a guide part which supports the bridge and extends along the blade; and wheels which are respectively connected to both ends of the guide part, wherein the shaft is disposed in center regions of the blade and the guide part. 
     The guide part is connected to the wheels such that the guide part has an adjustable height from ground. 
     In addition, the blade includes an upper blade and a lower blade, and as the shaft is rotated, the cutting edges of the upper blade and the lower blade repeatedly approach each other and depart from each other. 
     In addition, the finger-bar-type mower further includes: a first part gear and a second part gear which are connected to the shaft and have teeth formed on only circumferential portions thereof; and a first return gear and a second return gear which each have a first tooth array and a second tooth array parallel to each other and which are capable of reciprocating left and right by engagement with the teeth of the first and second part gears, wherein the upper blade is connected to a lower portion of the first return gear, and the lower blade is connected to an upper portion of the second return gear, wherein the teeth of the first part gear are formed opposite to the teeth of the second part gear, and the upper blade and the lower blade may be moved in opposite directions. 
     In addition, finger-bar-type mower further includes: a gear case which is power-connected to the driving means and includes a connection shaft at a lower side thereof, the connection shaft being connected to the connection gear; and a roof housing which surrounds the gear case from an upper side, wherein the bridge is coupled to a center portion of the guide part, and the roof housing is fastened to the bridge. 
     Advantageous Effects of Disclosure 
     According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a finger-bar-type mower in which a driving shaft is disposed at the center of a blade and wheels are attached to both end sides such that the finger-bar-type mower can be easily operated by placing the finger-bar-type mower on the ground and moving the finger-bar-type mower along the ground. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view illustrating an assembled state of a mower according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view illustrating a disassembled state of the mower shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a view illustrating a state in which a connection gear and a reduction gear are accommodated in a bridge in the mower according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a part gear and a return gear are coupled to a shaft in the mower according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view illustrating the part gear and the return gear of the mower according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a view illustrating the bridge of the mower according to the present invention. 
       
         
           
             
                 
               
                 
                     
                 
                 
                   &lt;Descriptions of reference numerals&gt; 
                 
                 
                     
                 
               
              
                 
                     
                 
              
             
             
                 
                 
              
                 
                   100: mower 
                   110: roof housing 
                 
                 
                   115: intermediate cover 
                   120: gear case 
                 
                 
                   121: connection shaft 
                   125: connection gear 
                 
                 
                   130: reduction gear 
                   135: shaft 
                 
                 
                   140: bridge 
                   150: guide part 
                 
                 
                   151: bent portion 
                   152: wheel-fixing hole 
                 
                 
                   153: through-hole 
                   161, 162: wheels 
                 
                 
                   171: upper blade 
                   172: first part gear 
                 
                 
                   175: first return gear 
                   181: lower blade 
                 
                 
                   182: second part gear 
                   185: second return gear 
                 
                 
                   190: lower cover 
                   195: external power transmission shaft 
                 
                 
                     
                 
              
             
           
         
       
     
    
    
     MODE OF DISCLOSURE 
     Hereinafter, configurations and operations will be described in detail according to preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. When allocating reference numerals to elements in the drawings, like elements are denoted, if possible, with like reference numerals even though the elements are illustrated in different drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a view illustrating an assembled state of a mower according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is an exploded view illustrating a disassembled state of the mower shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  is a view illustrating a state in which a connection gear and a reduction gear are accommodated in a bridge in the mower according to the present invention.  FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a part gear and a return gear are coupled to a shaft in the mower according to the present invention.  FIG. 5  is a plan view illustrating the part gear and the return gear of the mower according to the present invention.  FIG. 6  is a view illustrating the bridge of the mower according to the present invention. 
     The present invention provides a finger-bar-type mower (hereinafter, referred to as a mower  100 ) in which a driving shaft is disposed in center regions of blades and wheels are attached to both end sides such that the mower  100  can be easily operated by placing the mower on the ground and moving the mower  100  along the ground. 
     The mower  100  includes a gear case  120 , a connection gear  125 , a reduction gear  130 , a shaft  135 , a bridge  140 , a roof housing  110 , a guide part  150 , wheels  161  and  162 , an upper blade  171 , a lower blade  181 , part gears  172  and  182 , and return gears  175  and  185 . 
     The gear case  120  is power-connected to a motor (driving means) provided in a main body (not shown) of the mower  100 , and a connection shaft  121  is provided on a lower portion of the gear case  120  for being rotated according to the rotation of the motor. 
     The roof housing  110  surrounds the gear case  120  from an upper side to protect the gear case  120  and is fastened to the bridge  140  to accommodate components therein. 
     The connection gear  125  is a part that is power-connected to the driving means of the mower  100 , and in an embodiment, the connection gear  125  may be power-connected to the connection shaft  121  of the gear case  120 . 
     The reduction gear  130  is connected to the connection gear  125  to reduce the speed of rotation when power is transmitted from the motor. 
     The shaft  135  is rotated according to the rotation of the reduction gear  130  for transmitting the driving power of the motor to the upper blade  171  and the lower blade  181 . 
     The bridge  140  accommodates and supports the connection gear  125  and the reduction gear  130  in a recess formed therein. 
     Blades include the upper blade  171  and the lower blade  181  and are power-connected to the shaft  135  for being reciprocated left and right according to the rotation of the shaft  135 . The upper blade  171  and the lower blade  181  are provided with cutting edges  171   a  and  181   a  for cutting grass. 
     The guide part  150  supports the bridge  140  and extends along the blades  171  and  181 . A through-hole  153  through which the shaft  135  may pass is formed in a center region of the guide part  150 . The shaft  135  is disposed at center regions of the blades  171  and  181  and the guide part  150  and transmits power from the motor to the blades  171  and  181 . 
     The wheels  161  and  162  are connected to both ends of the guide part  150 , respectively. The guide part  150  is connected to the wheels  161  and  162  in such a manner that the height of the guide part  150  can be adjusted with respect to the ground. For example, bent portions  151  are formed on end portions of the guide part  150 , and a plurality of wheel-fixing holes  152  are formed in the bent portions  151  at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the bent portions  151 . Wheel axles  161 a of the wheels  161  and  162  may be inserted into wheel-fixing holes  152  for being fastened to the guide part  150 . 
     The height of the guide part  150  may be varied with respect to the ground by separating the wheel axles  161   a  from the wheel-fixing holes  152  and fastening the wheel axles  161   a  to other wheel-fixing holes  152  having a different height. 
     The bridge  140  is coupled, by welding or the like, to the center region of the guide part  150  in which the through-hole  153  is located. 
     The roof housing  110  is fastened to the bridge  140  by fastening members  111 . In a space formed by the roof housing  110  and the bridge  140 , the gear case  120 , the connection gear  125 , and the reduction gear  130  are accommodated and fixed. An intermediate cover  115  may be positioned above the connection gear  125  and the reduction gear  130  and may be fastened together with the roof housing  110  and the bridge  140 . The intermediate cover  115  supports upper portions of the connection gear  125  and the reduction gear  130 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the shaft  135  is rotatably accommodated in the roof housing  110  and the bridge  140 , and a portion of the shaft  35  extends downward and is coupled to the part gears  172  and  182  for transmitting power. 
     The part gears  172  and  182  are power-connected to the shaft  135 , and teeth  172   a  may be formed on only a circumferential portion of the part gears  172  and  182 . For example, the teeth  172   a  may be formed within a range of about 90° along the circumference of the part gear  172 . The part gears  172  and  182  include a first part gear  172  for driving the upper blade  171 , and a second part gear  182  for driving the lower blade  181 . 
     The return gears  175  and  185  may include a first tooth array  175   a  and a second tooth array  175   b  that are parallel to each other while extending in a transverse direction, and the return gears  175  and  185  may be reciprocated left and right as being connected to the teeth  172   a  of the part gear  172 . The return gears  175  and  185  include a first return gear  175  and a second return gear  185 . 
     The upper blade  171  is connected to a lower portion of the first return gear  175  by a coupling means such as a key, and the lower blade  181  is connected to an upper portion of the second return gear  185 . A lower cover  190  accommodates and supports the second part gear  182  and the second return gear  185  from a lower side. 
     In the drawings, although the second part gear  182  and the second return gear  185  which are located under the lower blade  181  are not clearly shown, the second part gear  182  and the second return gear  185  have the same structures as the first part gear  172  and the first return gear  175 . However, the position of teeth of the second part gear  182  is opposite the position of the teeth  172   a  of the first part gear  172  such that the lower blade  181  and the upper blade  171  may reciprocate in opposite directions. 
     When the shaft  135  is rotated, the first part gear  172  and the second part gear  182  are rotated. Then, the teeth  172   a  are engaged with the first tooth array  175   a  of the first return gear  175 , thereby moving the first return gear  175  to the right. When the first return gear  175  is moved to the right, the upper blade  171  connected to the first return gear  175  is also moved to the right. 
     Next, as the first part gear  172  is further rotated, the teeth  172   a  are engaged with the second tooth array  175   b  of the first return gear  175 , thereby moving the first return gear  175  to the left and the upper blade  171  connected to the first return gear  175  to the left as well. 
     The teeth of the second part gear  182  are formed opposite to the teeth  172   a  of the first part gear  172  such that when the first return gear  175  is moved to the right, the second return gear  185  is moved to the left, and when the first return gear  175  is moved to the left, the second return gear  185  is moved to the right. The lower blade  181  connected to the second return gear  185  is moved together with the second return gear  185 . 
     Therefore, when the shaft  135  is rotated, the cutting edges of the upper blade  171  and the lower blade  181  repeatedly approach each other and depart from each other, thereby mowing grass by shear force. 
     In addition, an external power transmission shaft  195  may be power-connected to the shaft  135  and may extend outward from the roof housing  110 . The external power transmission shaft  195  extending outward from the roof housing  110  may be used later to provide driving power to a self-propelled wheel or a grass collector. 
     As described above, the two blades  171  and  181 , which are in close contact with each other, repeat a high-speed reciprocating motion as the part gears  172  and  182  attached to the shaft  135  interact with the return gears  175  and  185 . Therefore, an operator may mow grass by pulling and pushing the mower  100  on the ground using the wheels  161  and  162  without the burden of a weight. 
     In addition, since the shaft  135  is located in the center regions of the blades  171  and  181  of the mower  100  of the present invention, an operator may, if necessary, increase or decrease the width of the blades  171  and  181  to the left or right without the burden of a weight. 
     It is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment embodiments, and various modifications or changes may be made therein without departing from the technical scope of the present invention.