Patent ID: 7513095

Claim:
A rotary mower apparatus for operation in an operating travel direction, the apparatus comprising: a center section comprising a center deck and a center blade mounted under the center deck and driven through a center gear box mounted on the center deck; right and left inner wings comprising right and left inner wing decks pivotally attached at inner edges thereof to corresponding right and left outer edges of the center section, and inner and middle blades mounted under each of the right and left inner wing decks and driven through corresponding inner and middle gear boxes mounted on the inner wing decks; right and left outer wings comprising right and left outer wing decks pivotally attached at inner edges thereof to corresponding right and left outer edges of the right and left inner wings, and an outer blade mounted under each of the right and left outer wing decks and driven through outer gear boxes mounted on the outer wing decks; a plurality of rear wheels operative to support rear ends of the decks; a transport mechanism operative to fold the outer wings upward to a transport position over the inner wings, and operative to then fold the inner wings to a transport position oriented substantially upright from outer edges of the center section; and a drive operative to rotate each blade, the drive comprising a main gear box adapted at an input thereof for attachment to a rotating power source, and including a plurality of outputs; a center power shaft connected to a main gear box output at a first end thereof and connected at an opposite second end thereof to the center gear box, and a slip clutch in the center power shaft operative to drive the center blade; right and left power shafts, each connected to a main gear box output at a first end thereof and connected at an opposite second end thereof to a corresponding one of right and left T-gear boxes mounted on the corresponding right and left inner wing decks, the T-gear boxes each having first and second outputs; an inner power shaft connected to the first output of each T-gear box at a first end thereof and connected at an opposite second end thereof to the corresponding inner gear box, and a slip clutch in each inner power shaft operative to drive the inner blade; a middle power shaft connected to the second output of each T-gear box at a first end thereof and connected at an opposite second end thereof to the middle gear box, the middle gear box including an output, and a slip clutch in each middle power shaft operative to drive the middle and outer blades; and an outer power shaft connected to the output of each middle gear box at a first end thereof and connected at an opposite second end thereof to the outer gear box, and a slip clutch in each outer power shaft operative to drive the outer blade.