USRE42109EExpiredUtility

Mower head with movable guard

54
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Jun 5, 2000Filed: Oct 26, 2007Granted: Feb 8, 2011
Est. expiryJun 5, 2020(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Jack O. Cartner
A01D 34/828
54
PatentIndex Score
1
Cited by
21
References
37
Claims

Abstract

A mower head has a deck with at least three sides and at least one side wall depending from the deck. A cutting blade is rotatably mounted to the deck on an axis extending through the deck. The deck is disposed above and generally parallel to the blade. A guard assembly includes an actuating member mounted on the deck. The guard is attached to the actuating member and pivotally attached to the deck via a hinge along two sides of the deck. A flap depends from the guard. A flap also depends from one of the three sides of said deck. A top surface of the guard and a top surface of the deck can be located in the same plane. In a second embodiment, the guard includes a first wall having a plurality of angled sections which matingly interconnect with angled sections of one of the deck sides. In a third embodiment, the top surface of the guard and the top surface of the deck are located in different planes.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1. A mower head comprising:
 a deck comprising: 
 at least four sides and four corners, and  
 three side walls, one depending from each of three of said at least four sides, wherein two of said three side walls are rigid;  
 
 at least one cutting blade rotatably mounted to said deck on an axis extending through said deck, said deck being disposed above and generally parallel to said blade; and  
 a guard assembly comprising: 
 a hinge mounted to and extending at an angle in relation to two adjacent ones of said at least four sides of said deck,  
 a guard pivotally attached to said deck via said hinge, and  
 said guard including a plurality of discretely angled sections which angled sections together form a single corner of said deck.  
 
 
     
     
       2. The mower head of  claim 1 , further comprising an actuating member mounted on said deck. 
     
     
       3. The mower head of  claim 2  wherein said actuating member comprises a hydraulic cylinder and a piston assembly. 
     
     
       4. The mower head of  claim 1 , further comprising a flap which depends from said guard and is movable in relation to said guard. 
     
     
       5. The mower head of  claim 4 , wherein said flap is oriented in a plane spaced apart from a plane of said guard. 
     
     
       6. The mower head of  claim 4 , wherein said flap is a resilient, one-piece flap. 
     
     
       7. A mower head comprising:
 a deck having at least four sides including a front side;  
 a boom arm to which said deck is mounted, said boom arm being positioned adjacent a first side edge of said mower head;  
 a guard assembly comprising: 
 a hinge extending at an angle between said front side and an adjacent one of said sides of said deck, wherein said front side comprises a movable side wall extending from said front side; and  
 a guard pivotally attached to said deck via said hinge, said guard comprising at least three discretely angled sections which angled sections together form a single corner of said deck, said guard being positioned adjacent a second side edge of said mower head, said second side edge being located opposite said first side edge  said movable side wall extending from said front side.  
 
 
     
     
       8. The mower head of  claim 7  further comprising an actuating member mounted on said deck. 
     
     
       9. The mower head of  claim 8  wherein said actuating member comprises a hydraulic cylinder and a piston. 
     
     
       10. The mower head of  claim 7  further comprising a flap which depends from said guard  wherein said movable side wall comprises a flap. 
     
     
       11. The mower head of  claim 7  further comprising a side wall which depends from said deck front side  second side edge, said second side edge being located opposite said first side edge. 
     
     
       12. The mower head of  claim 7  wherein said guard comprises a plurality of discretely angled sections. 
     
     
       13. A mower head comprising:
 a deck having four sides;    at least one cutting blade rotatably mounted to said deck on an axis extending through said deck, said deck being disposed above and generally parallel to said blade;    a guard assembly comprising a guard pivotally attached to said deck via a hinge which extends between two adjacent ones of said four sides of said deck such that said guard is positioned in a first corner of said deck; and said guard being selectively pivotable to a position above a plane of said deck; and    wherein said deck comprises a second corner, located adjacent said guard assembly, said second corner comprising two side walls which are rigid and non-moving, wherein a first side of said deck includes both said first corner and said second corner.    
     
     
       14. The mower head of  claim 13  further comprising an actuating member mounted on said deck. 
     
     
       15. The mower head of  claim 14  wherein said actuating member comprises a hydraulic cylinder and a piston. 
     
     
       16. The mower head of  claim 13  further comprising a flap which depends from said guard. 
     
     
       17. The mower head of  claim 13  further comprising a side wall which depends from said deck first side. 
     
     
       18. The mower head of  claim 13  wherein said guard comprises a plurality of discretely angled sections. 
     
     
       19. A mower head comprising:
 a deck comprising at least four sides and including a front side;    at least one cutting blade rotatably mounted to said deck;    a guard assembly comprising: 
 a hinge extending at an angle between said front side and an adjacent side of said deck;  
 a guard pivotally attached to said deck via said hinge, said guard forming a first front corner of said deck, said guard being selectively pivotable to a position above a plane of said deck; and  
   wherein said deck comprises a second front corner which is non-movable in relation to said deck, said second front corner being defined by said front side and an adjacent side of said deck.    
     
     
       20. The mower head of  claim 19  wherein one of said at least three sides comprises a plurality of angled sections. 
     
     
       21. The mower head of  claim 19  wherein said deck further comprises a fourth side and at least three side walls, one depending from at least three of said four sides, wherein two of said at least three side walls are rigid. 
     
     
       22. The mower head of  claim 19  wherein one of said at least three sides further comprises an extension which protrudes under said guard. 
     
     
       23. The mower head of  claim 19 , further comprising an actuating member mounted on said deck. 
     
     
       24. The mower head of  claim 23  wherein said actuating member comprises a hydraulic cylinder and a piston, said cylinder including a chamber surrounding said piston. 
     
     
       25. The mower head of  claim 19 , further comprising a flap which depends from said guard. 
     
     
       26. The mower head of  claim 25 , wherein said flap is a resilient, one-piece flap. 
     
     
       27. A mower head comprising:
   a deck comprising:      at least four sides,        at least one cutting blade rotatably mounted to said deck on an axis extending through said deck, said deck being disposed above and generally parallel to said blade; and          a guard assembly comprising:      a hinge mounted to and extending at an angle in relation to two adjacent ones of said at least four sides of said deck,        a guard pivotally attached to said deck via said hinge, and          said guard including a wall having at least three discretely angled sections which angled sections together form a single corner of said deck.      
     
     
       28. The mower head of  claim 27 , further comprising an actuating member mounted on said deck.  
     
     
       29. The mower head of  claim 28  wherein said actuating member comprises a hydraulic cylinder and a piston assembly.  
     
     
       30. The mower head of  claim 27 , further comprising a flap which depends from said guard and is movable in relation to said guard.  
     
     
       31. The mower head of  claim 30 , wherein said flap is oriented in a plane spaced apart from a plane of said guard.  
     
     
       32. The mower head of  claim 30 , wherein said flap is a resilient, one- piece flap.    
     
     
       33. A mower head comprising:
   a deck having at least three sides including a front side and opposed first and second side edges extending away from said front side;        a boom arm to which said deck is mounted, said boom arm being positioned adjacent said first side edge of said mower head;        a guard assembly comprising:      a hinge extending at an angle between said front side and said second side edge of said deck; and        a guard pivotally attached to said deck via said hinge, said guard being spaced from said first side edge,        wherein said guard comprises at least three discretely angled sections and at least one of said sections extends forwardly of said deck front side.        
     
     
       34. The mower head of  claim 33  further comprising an actuating member mounted on said deck.  
     
     
       35. The mower head of  claim 34  wherein said actuating member comprises a hydraulic cylinder and a piston.  
     
     
       36. The mower head of  claim 33  further comprising a flap which depends from said guard.  
     
     
       37. The mower head of  claim 33  further comprising a side wall which depends from said deck front side.

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