Patent ID: 7540134

Claim:
A riding mower having an apparatus for adjusting the height of a mowing deck relative to a ground surface, the riding mower having a frame supporting an operator seating area and a deck lift system, wherein the mowing deck is supported by the deck lift system, the apparatus comprising: a lever pivotally connected to the frame of the mower proximate the operator seating area; a moveable arm having a first end pivotally connected to the lever and a second end, opposite the first end, operably connected to the deck lift system, the arm comprising a shoulder between the first end and the second end generally adjacent the operator seating area, wherein the shoulder connects to and extends generally normal to the arm; and a cam wheel rotationally connected to the frame of the mower proximate the shoulder of the arm, the cam wheel having an axis of rotation and an outer edge of varying radius relative to the axis of rotation, wherein the shoulder contacts a portion of the outer edge when the lever is in a first position, the shoulder is spaced from the outer edge when the lever is in a second position, and wherein the mowing deck height above the ground surface is a function of the radius of the cam outer edge in contact with the shoulder.