mower deck adjustment wheel support

Abstract

Mower deck adjustment wheel support (100), which includes the following: a one-piece sheet metal bracket (108) which is attached to a mower (120) and to which a sleeve (110) is attached outside a skirt (121) of the mower (120); a wheel shaft (118) which is inserted through the sleeve (110); and a J-pin (102) which has a first end (105) that engages the wheel shaft (118) at a predetermined cutting height, and a second end (107) that engages in the metal sheet holder (108) by means of a coil spring (104) and is held, exhibits characterized by the fact that the coil spring (104) is wound between a flange (106) at the second end (107) of the J-pin (102) and an outer wall (111) of the metal sheet holder (108).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to mowers and in particular to a mower adjustment wheel support.

[0002] Mowers used for cutting grass and similar vegetation are typically equipped with one or more setting wheels that support the mowers at predetermined positions above the ground and prevent shearing. Setting wheels are usually supported by brackets attached to the top surface and outer wall of the mower. Each bracket may include a vertical sleeve into which a wheel shaft may be inserted. A setting wheel may be rotatably mounted at the lower end of the wheel shaft. To fix the setting wheel to a predetermined height, a spring-loaded pin may be attached to the bracket, and the pin may be inserted through one of several openings in the wheel shaft and through the sleeve. A separate retaining device may be attached to or welded to the mower or the bracket to hold the pin and spring in position within the wheel shaft and to retain the pin when withdrawn.

[0003] Some mower deck adjustment wheel supports are also designed to allow the adjustment wheels to be rotated into a sideways position. This sideways position allows the mower deck to be rolled outwards, away from the machine. The pin can then be pulled out of the openings in the wheel shaft and the sleeve. The adjustment wheel can then be rotated 90°, and the pin can be aligned with a different opening in the wheel shaft in the sideways position. The pin can then be released to lock the adjustment wheel shaft to the sleeve in the sideways position.

[0004] Furthermore, US 2007 / 0 028 577 A1 discloses a mower unit which has adjusting wheels that can be detachably locked in several different positions. US 3 754 385 A further discloses a lawnmower with a support element for a roller mounted on the lawnmower, which is located on an adjustable piece. The support element and the adjustable piece have a rod that extends through them into aligned openings in the support element and the adjustable piece to change the height of the roller. A spring is located on the rod, which yields to pressing the rod into the openings in the support element and the adjustable piece. JP H09-98631 A further discloses a mower with a mowing head that is height-adjustable via a pivoting linkage. The linkage has a horizontally extending pivot arm that is connected to a vertically extending adjusting strut.The adjusting strut is guided in a bushing formed on the housing of the mower attachment and has several locking holes through which the adjusting strut can be locked in different height positions by means of an adjusting pin extending through the bushing and the locking holes.

[0005] While the mower deck adjustment wheel supports described above are effective for setting adjustment wheels to target heights for mowing and for locking adjustment wheels in the lateral position, there is a need for a mower deck adjustment wheel support that offers lower costs, fewer parts, and reduced assembly time.

[0006] A mower deck adjustment wheel support comprises a one-piece sheet metal bracket that attaches to a mower deck and to which a sleeve is attached outside a skirt of the mower deck. A wheel shaft is inserted through the sleeve. A J-pin has a first end that engages the wheel shaft at a desired cutting height and a second end that is engaged and held by a coil spring within the sheet metal bracket. The coil spring is wound between a flange at the second end of the J-pin and an outer wall of the sheet metal bracket. The mower deck adjustment wheel support allows adjustment wheels to be set to desired cutting heights and locks adjustment wheels in the lateral position, but eliminates any separate retaining device for the pin, resulting in lower costs, fewer parts, and reduced assembly time. Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mower adjustment wheel support mounted on a mower unit according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Fig. Figure 2 is an expanded perspective view of a mower adjustment wheel support before mounting on a mower according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Fig. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a mower adjustment wheel support partially mounted on a mower unit according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0007] In one embodiment, which is in Fig.As shown in Figures 1-3, the mower deck adjustment wheel support 100 can be provided on a mower deck 120. A mower deck can generally have several mower deck adjustment wheel supports, each having essentially the same construction. Each mower deck adjustment wheel support can include a single removable J-pin 102, which an operator can use to set the adjustment wheel height by engaging a first leg 105 of the J-pin with the wheel shaft 118. A second leg 107 of the J-pin holds the J-pin in position by engaging with openings in a sheet metal bracket 108.

[0008] In one embodiment, the sheet metal bracket 108 can be attached to and / or welded to the upper surface and outer wall of the mower deck. For example, the sheet metal bracket 108 can be welded near each corner of a typical mower deck. Each sheet metal bracket 108 can be a one-piece, V-shaped sheet metal member comprising an outer wall 111 facing the left or right side of the mower deck, an inner wall 113 facing the interior or center of the mower deck, and a bridging surface 117 between the two walls. The outer wall 111 can lie in a first vertical plane that is generally parallel to the forward / reverse mowing direction, and the inner wall 113 can lie in a second vertical plane that is not parallel to the first plane but intersects the first plane outside the side skirt 121 of the mower deck.

[0009] In one embodiment, a sleeve 110 can have a generally vertical orientation and can be attached to and / or welded to the inner and outer walls of the sheet metal bracket 108 outside the side skirt of the mower unit. The sleeve 110 can have a pair of openings 112a, 112b on its opposite sides. The wheel shaft 118 can be inserted into and through the vertical sleeve 110. The wheel shaft can have several vertically spaced openings 122 next to the upper end of the wheel shaft and perpendicular to the forward / reverse mowing direction. To fix the adjusting wheel 116 to a predetermined height so that it can rotate in a forward / reverse mowing direction, the first end 105 of the J-pin 102 can be inserted through one of several openings 122 through the wheel shaft 118 and through the openings 112a, 112b on opposite sides of the vertical sleeve 110.The adjusting wheel 116 can be rotatably attached to a hub 124, which generally extends horizontally from the lower end of the wheel shaft.

[0010] In one embodiment, the J-pin 102 can have a first shorter leg 105, a second longer leg 107, and a curved intermediate section 109 that connects the two legs. The curved intermediate section can serve as a handle or grip used to adjust the height of the adjustment wheel. The second longer leg 107 can be inserted through a first pair of openings 114a, 114b in the sheet metal bracket 108. For example, opening 114a can extend through the outer wall 111, and opening 114b can extend through the inner wall 113. When the second leg of the J-pin is inserted through the first pair of openings 114a, 114b, the J-pin can generally be perpendicular to the forward / reverse mowing direction. The first pair of openings 114a, 114b can also be aligned perpendicular to the outer wall 111 of the bracket.For example, opening 114a can be located closer to the vertical sleeve 110, and opening 114b can be located closer to the mower unit. Optionally, the metal sheet bracket 108 can also include a second pair of openings 115a, 115b, which can be oriented perpendicular to the inner wall of the metal sheet bracket 108.

[0011] In one embodiment, the coil spring 104 can be wound around the second leg 107 of the J-pin 102 to pre-tension the J-pin into engagement with the wheel shaft and the bracket and to hold the J-pin in position. The coil spring 104 can be positioned in the sheet metal bracket 108 under the bridge surface 117 and extend between a flange 106 on the J-pin and the outer wall 111. The coil spring 104 assists in holding the J-pin in engagement with the wheel shaft 118 and in engagement with the sheet metal holder 108. The coil spring 104 holds the J-pin by preventing or limiting the second longer end 107 of the J-pin from being pulled out of the openings 114, 115 in the sheet metal holder 108, unless an increased force is exerted on the J-pin.

[0012] In one embodiment, the coil spring 104 prevents or limits how far the J-pin 102 can be withdrawn to slightly further than the sleeve diameter but less than the gap between the pair of openings 114a, 114b, unless a greater force is applied. The operator can withdraw the J-pin from the wheel shaft 118 to change the adjusting wheel height. For example, the operator can withdraw the J-pin by pulling the curved intermediate section 109 of the J-pin until the first short end 105 of the J-pin emerges from the opening 122 in the wheel shaft 118 and the openings 112a, 112b on opposite sides of the sleeve 110. Withdrawing the J-pin from the wheel shaft compresses the coil spring 104 between the flange 106 and the outer wall 111.Unless a greater force is applied, the coil spring 104 holds the second longer end 107 of the J-pin and prevents or limits its withdrawal from the openings 114, 115 in the sheet metal holder 108. The operator can move the wheel shaft 118 up or down relative to the sleeve 110, reinsert the first shorter end 105 of the J-pin through the openings 112a, 112b on opposite sides of the sleeve 1102 and through another opening 122 in the wheel shaft 118.

[0013] In one embodiment, to lock the adjusting wheel to a lateral rotation for mounting or removing the mower from the vehicle, the operator can insert the J-pin 102 through the opening 123 in the wheel shaft. The opening 123 can be offset by 90° from the openings 122 so that the opening 123 is parallel to the forward / reverse mowing direction. The short leg 105 of the J-pin 102 can be inserted through the opening 123 in the wheel shaft and the openings 112a, 112b on opposite sides of the sleeve 110.

[0014] Alternative embodiments of the mower deck adjustment wheel support 100 can include, instead of a J-pin 102, a pin of a different shape, having a first end that engages the wheel shaft 118 at a predetermined cutting height, and a second end that is engaged and held in the sheet metal bracket 108 by a coil spring 104. The mower deck adjustment wheel support 100 eliminates the need for any retaining device that would otherwise be required to hold the pin and spring in position within the wheel shaft 118 or to hold the pin in place when withdrawing it from the mower deck bracket. This results in lower costs, fewer parts, and reduced assembly time for the mower deck adjustment wheel support 100.

Claims

[1] Mower deck adjustment wheel support (100) comprising the following: a one-piece sheet metal bracket (108) which is attached to a mower (120) and to which a sleeve (110) is attached outside a skirt (121) of the mower (120); a wheel shaft (118) which is inserted through the sleeve (110); and a J-pin (102) which has a first end (105) that engages the wheel shaft (118) at a predetermined cutting height, and a second end (107) that engages in the metal sheet holder (108) by means of a coil spring (104) and is held, exhibits characterized by , that the coil spring (104) is wound between a flange (106) at the second end (107) of the J-pin (102) and an outer wall (111) of the metal sheet holder (108). [2] Mower adjustment wheel support (100) according to claim 1, wherein the coil spring (104) biases the second end (107) of the J-pin (102) into a pair of openings (114a, 114b) in the metal sheet holder (108). [3] Mower adjustment wheel support (100) according to claim 1, wherein the one-piece metal sheet support (108) comprises the outer wall (111), an inner wall (113) and a bridging surface (117) between the outer wall (111) and the inner wall (113).

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