Patent ID: 7231757

Claim:
A method of adjusting the clearance between a bedknife and a rotating cutting reel of a cutting reel unit of a lawn mowing apparatus adapted for cutting a fawn, wherein an elevation of said clearance between said cutting reel and said bedknife corresponds to a height-of-cut of said lawn, comprising the steps of: providing a cutting reel and a bed knife, the clearance between the cutting reel and the bedknife located close to a surface of a lawn to be cut during cutting; providing at least one contact sensor; relatively moving the reef toward the bedknife at a first end of said reel until a contact between the reel and the bedknife is detected by said at least one contact sensor; relatively moving the reel at said first end away from the bedknife a pre-defined distance; relatively moving the reel toward the bedknife at a second end of said reel until a contact between the reel and the bedknife is detected by said at least one contact sensor; relatively moving the reel at said second end away from the bedknife said pre-defined distance; and relatively moving the reel at both said first and second ends toward the bedknife to achieve a pre-selected distance between said reel and said bedknife that is less than said pre-defined distance, to automatically controllably set said clearance.