Patent ID: 7007448

Claim:
A reel mower, which comprises: (a) a frame supported for movement over the ground; (b) at least one reel cutting unit carried on the frame; (c) a mass damper attached to the mower by at least one elastomeric coupler, wherein the mass damper comprises an autonomous body that is separate from the frame and from the at least one reel cutting unit such that the mass damper is able to move independently relative to motion of the grams and relative to motion of the at least one cutting unit by deflection of the elastomeric coupler, and wherein the mass damper has a weight and the elastomeric coupler has a stiffness with the weight of the mass damper and the stiffness of the elastomeric coupler being chosen such that vibration produced by a vibrational excitation source induces counter motion in the mass damper which is distinct from motion of the frame and from motion of the at least one cutting unit to damp or lessen the vibration produced by the vibrational excitation source; and (d) wherein the mass damper is elongated having two opposite ends, and further including first and second elastomeric couplers for coupling the ends of the mass damper to the mower with the first elastomeric coupler coupling one end of the mass damper to the mower and the second elastomeric coupler coupling the opposite end of the mass damper to the mower.