Patent ID: 8196382

Claim:
In combination with a mower device pulled by a farm vehicle, said mower device having a rotating blade for cutting vegetation, said blade driven by a gearbox coupled to a power takeoff shaft of said farm vehicle, a mower deck assembly manufactured from a polymer material having a thickness of about one inch, said mower deck assembly comprising: (a) a main portion disposed generally horizontally when said mower deck is in a position for cutting said vegetation, said main portion having each of a substantially planar top surface and substantially planar bottom surface; (b) a pair of side walls, each of said pair of side walls extending downwardly from said main portion generally perpendicular thereto and forming in combination with said main portion a compartment of a housing wherein said blade rotates; (c) a pair of flanges disposed horizontally when said mower deck is in said position for cutting said vegetation, each of said pair of flanges extending outwardly from a bottom edge of a respective side wall; (d) a drive shaft aperture formed through a thickness of said main portion; (e) a predetermined plurality of first apertures formed through said thickness of said main portion in radial alignment relative to said drive shaft aperture; and (f) a predetermined plurality of second apertures formed in a predetermined pattern through said thickness of said main portion; at least a pair of spaced apart flanges extending upwardly from said top surface of said main portion, wherein said mower deck assembly includes a plate manufactured from a polymer material, said plate having: (g) a predetermined shape; (h) a substantially planar upper surface thereof abuttingly engaging said gearbox, whereby said plate is positioned between said main portion and said gearbox; (i) a center aperture formed through a thickness of said plate; (j) a predetermined plurality of third apertures formed through a thickness of said plate in substantial alignment with said predetermined plurality of first apertures formed through said main portion; (k) a predetermined plurality of fourth apertures formed in a predetermined pattern through said thickness of said plate in substantial alignment with said predetermined plurality of second apertures formed through said main portion; (l) whereby said plate is attached in a releasable connection to said main portion with fasteners passed through said aligned fourth and second apertures; and (m) whereby said releasable connection is configured to fail when said rotating blade attached to said gearbox encounters a rigid object during operation of said mower device.