GB1584495A

GB1584495A - Rotary lawnmowers

Info

Publication number: GB1584495A
Application number: GB2273678A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: SUFFOLK LAWN MOWERS Ltd
Current assignee: SUFFOLK LAWN MOWERS Ltd
Priority date: 1978-05-25
Filing date: 1978-05-25
Publication date: 1981-02-11

Description

(54) ROTARY LAWNMOWERS (71) We, SUFFOLK LAWN MOWERS LIMITED, a British Company of Gipping Works, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 lEY, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to rotary lawn mowers.

It is well known to provide a rotary lawnmower with a tangential side ejection chute.

In this case. the side wall of the generally circular housing surrounding the cutting blade is provided with an opening through which the grass cuttings are ejected.

The conventional cutting blade used with such a mower includes, at each end, an upturned cutting edge which not only cuts the grass but blasts air radially outwardly so that the grass cuttings are ejected with enough force to keep the ejection chute free from blockage. Hereinafter, such a blade will be referred to as a conventional rotary blade.

It is also known to provide a rotary lawnmower with a special purpose cutting blade which is double twisted at each end to provide each end with an outboard, bottom cutting edge for initially cutting the grass and an additional inboard cutting edge above the bottom edge.which subsequently re-cuts the grass cuttings into a fine mulch. Such blades are hereinafter referred to as mulcher blades.

During the mulching of the grass cuttings, the cuttings must of course be retained in the housing within which the blade is rotating, and it has not therefore been possible to use such a blade efficiently with a mower having a side ejection chute.

In accordance with the present invention a rotary lawnmower fitted with a side ejection chute is further provided with a mulcher blade and with a removable cover which blocks the opening in the side wall associated with the chute to substantially prevent the ejection of cuttings produced by the mulcher blade whereby, with the cover removed and a conventional rotary blade fitted instead of the mulcher blade, the mower is reconverted to a side ejection rotary mower.

The cover may be releasably secured to the deck of the housing beneath which the blade rotates, and the securing means may be of any known kind.

One example of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which the sole figure shows a removable cover plate for blocking the exit of a side ejection chute on a rotary mower.

A rotary mower includes a cutting blade (not shown) rotating within a generally circular housing beneath a deck 10. The housing is formed with a side wall 18 having an opening formed with a conventional tangential, side ejection chute 11. With a cpnventional rotary blade fitted to the mower the grass cuttings will be ejected through the opening in the side wall and out of the chute 11.

To convert the mower to a mulching mower, a cover plate 12 is rigidly fixed across the exit of the chute Ii by passing the threaded studs 13 through the holes 14 in the cover plate flange 15 and securing the flange to the deck by means of wing nuts 16. The plate 12 has a curved inner guard plate 17 welded thereto, the curvature of the plate 17 corresponding to that of the side wall of the housing within which the cutting blade is rotated. The size and shape of the plate 17 also corresponds to that of the opening in the side wall. Thus, with the cover plate fitted, the housing is effectively provided with a substantially continuous side wall which retains the grass cuttings and thereby permits effective use of a mulcher blade.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A rotary lawnmower comprising a deck with a generally circular side wall having a tangential side ejection chute through which grass cuttings are ejected when a con

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. (54) ROTARY LAWNMOWERS (71) We, SUFFOLK LAWN MOWERS LIMITED, a British Company of Gipping Works, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 lEY, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to rotary lawn mowers. It is well known to provide a rotary lawnmower with a tangential side ejection chute. In this case. the side wall of the generally circular housing surrounding the cutting blade is provided with an opening through which the grass cuttings are ejected. The conventional cutting blade used with such a mower includes, at each end, an upturned cutting edge which not only cuts the grass but blasts air radially outwardly so that the grass cuttings are ejected with enough force to keep the ejection chute free from blockage. Hereinafter, such a blade will be referred to as a conventional rotary blade. It is also known to provide a rotary lawnmower with a special purpose cutting blade which is double twisted at each end to provide each end with an outboard, bottom cutting edge for initially cutting the grass and an additional inboard cutting edge above the bottom edge.which subsequently re-cuts the grass cuttings into a fine mulch. Such blades are hereinafter referred to as mulcher blades. During the mulching of the grass cuttings, the cuttings must of course be retained in the housing within which the blade is rotating, and it has not therefore been possible to use such a blade efficiently with a mower having a side ejection chute. In accordance with the present invention a rotary lawnmower fitted with a side ejection chute is further provided with a mulcher blade and with a removable cover which blocks the opening in the side wall associated with the chute to substantially prevent the ejection of cuttings produced by the mulcher blade whereby, with the cover removed and a conventional rotary blade fitted instead of the mulcher blade, the mower is reconverted to a side ejection rotary mower. The cover may be releasably secured to the deck of the housing beneath which the blade rotates, and the securing means may be of any known kind. One example of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which the sole figure shows a removable cover plate for blocking the exit of a side ejection chute on a rotary mower. A rotary mower includes a cutting blade (not shown) rotating within a generally circular housing beneath a deck 10. The housing is formed with a side wall 18 having an opening formed with a conventional tangential, side ejection chute 11. With a cpnventional rotary blade fitted to the mower the grass cuttings will be ejected through the opening in the side wall and out of the chute 11. To convert the mower to a mulching mower, a cover plate 12 is rigidly fixed across the exit of the chute Ii by passing the threaded studs 13 through the holes 14 in the cover plate flange 15 and securing the flange to the deck by means of wing nuts 16. The plate 12 has a curved inner guard plate 17 welded thereto, the curvature of the plate 17 corresponding to that of the side wall of the housing within which the cutting blade is rotated. The size and shape of the plate 17 also corresponds to that of the opening in the side wall. Thus, with the cover plate fitted, the housing is effectively provided with a substantially continuous side wall which retains the grass cuttings and thereby permits effective use of a mulcher blade. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A rotary lawnmower comprising a deck with a generally circular side wall having a tangential side ejection chute through which grass cuttings are ejected when a con ventional rotary blade (as herein defined) is rotated beneath the deck, a mulcher blade (as herein defined) which can be mounted for rotation beneath the deck in place of a conventional rotary cutting blade, and a removable cover for blocking the chute to substantially prevent the ejection of cuttings produced by the mulcher blade, whereby, with the cover removed and the mulcher blade replaced by a conventional rotary blade, the mower is reconverted to a side ejection rotary mower.

2. A lawnmower according to Claim 1 in which the removable cover device includes a curved plate having a curvature substantially corresponding to that of the said side wall, the cover being secured to the deck such that the curved plate and the side wall substantially surround the mulcher blade to retain the grass cuttings in the housing.

3. A lawnmower according to Claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

4. A cover for fitting over and blocking the chute exit of a side ejection rotary mower, the cover being substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.