Patent ID: 7775024

Claim:
A rotary mower apparatus adapted for attachment to a tractor attachment adaptor on a tractor for towing along the ground in an operating travel direction, the apparatus comprising; a central mower deck and right and left wing mower decks pivotally attached to respective right and left sides of the central mower deck; a front wheel assembly comprising of at least two caster wheels, a cross member, and front parallel linkages mounted to the front end of the central mower deck, and a plurality of rear wheels mounted behind the mower decks such that the mower decks ride along the ground on the wheels; a cutting blade element rotatably mounted under each mower deck so as to rotate about right, left, and central substantially vertical blade axis; a hitch mount attached to the cross member of the front wheel assembly; a hitch standard; a vertical shaft fixedly attached to the hitch standard; a floating hitch member pivotally attached to the front wheel assembly of the central mower deck via the vertical shaft inserted in the hitch mount attached to the cross member, so as to pivot about a substantially vertical hitch axis located coincidental with the vertical shaft and in front of the front wheel assembly; where the floating hitch member is further pivotally attached to the front wheel assembly via the hitch standard on the hitch mount about a substantially horizontal hitch axis oriented transversely to the floating hitch member; where the substantially horizontal hitch axis is provided by pins on the hitch standard; where the floating hitch member is adapted for pivotal attachment at a tow end thereof to the tractor attachment adaptor; where the attachments at the tow end or the floating hitch member provides a substantially vertical tow axis, a substantially horizontal longitudinal tow axis oriented substantially parallel to the operating travel direction, and a substantially horizontal transverse tow axis oriented substantially perpendicular to the operating travel direction; and where the pivotal attachments on the floating hitch member at both the mower end and the tow end further allow the floating hitch member and mower decks to float independent with respect to the tractor to follow contours of the ground; a drive adapted for connection to the tractor and operative to transfer power from the tractor to rotate the cutting blade element; a mower angle control comprising a hydraulic actuator 122 and a bell crank fixedly attached to the vertical shaft, operative to selectively pivot the floating hitch member about the substantially vertical hitch axis located in front of the front wheel assembly of the central mower deck.