Patent ID: 7305811

Claim:
A side-mount mowing attachment for a riding mower or yard tractor, comprising: a mowing deck having at least one cutting assembly; said mowing deck having a front side, a back side, an inner side, and an outer side; said mowing deck being adapted to be removably secured to a primary mowing deck of the riding mower or yard tractor by a hinge coupling at said mower inner side, said hinge coupling configured to allow said mowing deck to articulate independently from said primary mowing deck; a quick release enabling said attachment to be quickly removed from, and attached to, the primary mowing deck of said tractor; said quick release comprising said hinge coupling; said hinge coupling comprising a first hinge support comprising a pair of spaced apart arms mounted to and extending from said primary mowing deck of said tractor, a second hinge support comprising a pair of spaced apart arms mounted to and extending from said attachment mowing deck inner side, and a hinge pin; said arms of said first and second hinge supports each comprising a holes; the holes of said second hinge support being aligned the holes of said first hinge support; said hinge pin extending through the aligned holes of said first and second hinge supports to pivotally connect said second hinge support to said first hinge support; said hinge pin being received in said hinge supports for easy removal of said pin from said hinge supports; a cable operatively coupled to said mowing deck outwardly from said hinge coupling; said cable being movable between a retracted and an extended position to selectively pivot said mowing deck between a raised position and a lowered position; a power transfer system operatively coupled to said at least one cutting assembly; said power transfer system being adapted to be engagable with said primary mowing deck of said riding mower or yard tractor, said power transfer system configured to drive said at least one cutting assembly only when said mowing deck is in said lowered position; said power transfer system comprising a drive-belt and at least one pulley; said at least one cutting assembly being operatively connected to said at least one pulley; said drive-belt being sized to engage a drive pulley of said tractor; and a keeper extending upwardly from said attachment mower deck near said mower deck inner side; said keeper comprising a pair of legs extending upwardly from said mower deck and an upper bar extending between said legs; said upper bar extending generally parallel to said hinge pin when said hinge pin is received in said hinge supports; said drive belt extending between said keeper arms and below said keeper upper bar when said attachment is connected to the tractor.