Patent ID: 8235151

Claim:
A return to neutral control mechanism for a zero turning radius mower, comprising: a left control lever and a right control lever mounted on the zero turning radius mower, each control lever independently pivotable between forward, neutral and reverse positions to control a hydrostatic pump, each hydrostatic pump connected by hydraulic conduits to a separate hydrostatic motor so that each control lever independently rotates a separate drive wheel in forward, neutral or reverse; a brake pedal moveable between a disengaged position to an engaged position; the brake pedal linked to a return to neutral shaft having an axis extending laterally across the mower and a pair of cams fixedly mounted to the shaft, a control pivot attached to each control lever, each control pivot sliding on one of the cams; movement of the brake pedal toward its engaged position urges the return to neutral shaft to rotate on its axis so that the control pivots sliding on the cams move the left and the right control levers from their forward or reverse positions toward their neutral positions.