Patent ID: 8065866

Claim:
A lawn mower comprising: a base including an annular guide channel for cut grass, said channel including a first channel portion; a motor mounted on the base; a cutting assembly rotatably driven by the motor about a generally upright axis, the cutting assembly being driven to cut grass and to cause the grass to circulate angularly about said upright axis and along said channel; a catcher coupled to the base and configured to receive the cut grass from said channel via said first channel portion; and a flap pivotably mounted for angular movement about a pivot axis generally normal to said upright axis between a first lowered position and a second raised position relative to said channel, said flap in said first lowered position permitting cut grass to travel through said first channel portion for delivery to said catcher in a catching operational mode, said flap in said second raised position directing the cut grass to continue along said channel so as to repeatedly engage the cutting assembly in a mulching operational mode.