Patent ID: 8312946

Claim:
A self-propelled mowing machine, including: a chassis; a power unit; a handle coupled to the chassis, including a grip portion; a driving wheel rotatably coupled to the chassis; a transmission for propelling the mowing machine, interposed between the power unit and the driving wheel; a cable having a first end and a second end, the first end being coupled to the transmission, whereby operation of the transmission is controlled via the cable; and a trigger control system coupled to the handle adjacent the grip portion for operating the transmission between a halt condition and an advancement condition, including: a housing; a plurality of independently operable triggers rotatably coupled to the housing for movement between an engaged position and a disengaged position, each trigger including an operation member; a cam rotatably coupled to the housing about a cam rotation axis and operatively coupled to the second end of the cable, wherein rotation of the cam in a first direction about the cam rotation axis relatively decreases tension in the cable and rotation of the cam in a second direction about the cam rotation axis relatively increases tension in the cable; and an actuation member coupled to the cam a distance from the cam rotation axis, wherein movement of at least one of the plurality of triggers towards the engaged position causes a respective operation member of said trigger to engage the actuation member to rotate the cam in the second direction, whereby the transmission is operated in the advancement condition, and wherein the actuation member extends to contact an engagement surface of the operation member of each of the plurality of triggers, the engagement surfaces of each of the operation members being generally aligned.