Walk reel mower with a telescopic handle assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11051450-B2
Application number	US-201816234118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2018
Priority date	Nov 9, 2018
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A walk reel mower has a traction frame that carries a rotatable cutting reel that pushes grass against a bedknife for cutting the grass. A handle assembly extends rearwardly and upwardly from the traction frame. The handle assembly carries a handle that is gripped by a user to operate the mower as the user walks on the ground behind the traction frame. The handle assembly has upper and lower portions that have a telescopic connection to one another to adjust the height of the handle above the ground to accommodate users of different heights.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A walk reel mower, which comprises:
(a) a traction frame which mounts a prime mover, wherein the traction frame carries at least one ground engaging drive member that is operatively powered by the prime mover to self-propel the traction frame over the ground;
(b) a rotatable cutting reel that rotates about a substantially horizontal axis and that is operatively powered by the prime mover for pushing grass against a bedknife for cutting the grass; and
(c) a handle assembly that extends rearwardly and upwardly from the traction frame, wherein the handle assembly comprises a lower support that is operatively coupled to the traction frame and an upper mount that carries a handle which is gripped by a user during operation of the mower to guide and manipulate the mower, and wherein the upper mount has a telescopic connection to the lower support such that the upper mount is telescopically movable relative to the lower support to raise or lower the handle relative to the ground to adjust the height of the handle above the ground to suit users of different heights who walk on the ground behind the traction frame while operating the mower.

2. The walk reel mower of claim 1 , wherein the upper mount carries a latch that engages the lower support to hold the upper mount in one of a plurality of telescopically adjusted positions on the lower support, wherein the latch pivots about a pivot axis on the upper mount with the latch being biased towards the lower support.

3. The walk reel mower of claim 2 , wherein the latch has a grip area that is sized to be contacted by at least outer portions of some fingers of one hand of the user to allow the user to grip the latch and to pull the latch in a direction that rotates the latch against the bias to disengage the latch from the lower support.

4. The walk reel mower of claim 3 , wherein the latch includes a stop that abuts against the upper mount when the latch has been sufficiently pulled by the user to disengage the lower support.

5. The walk reel mower of claim 3 , further including a grip member carried on the upper mount, wherein the grip member is separate from the latch, is parallel to the pivot axis of the latch, and is close enough to the latch to allow the user to engage the grip member with a thumb of the user's one hand as the user grips the grip area of the latch with the at least outer portions of the some fingers of the user's one hand.

6. The walk reel mower of claim 1 , wherein the telescopic connection is a single telescopic connection.

7. The walk reel mower of claim 6 , wherein the single telescopic connection is located substantially along a longitudinal centerline of the traction frame.

8. The walk reel mower of claim 7 , wherein the single telescopic connection has a polygonal lateral cross-section.

9. The walk reel mower of claim 1 , wherein the telescopic connection has a polygonal lateral cross-section.

10. The walk reel mower of claim 1 , wherein the telescopic connection is formed by at least three straight sides on each of the lower support and the upper mount.

11. The walk reel mower of claim 10 wherein the telescopic connection is formed by a portion of the lower support having a square or rectangular shape and a portion of the upper mount having a downwardly facing U-shape that nests around the square or rectangular shape of the lower support portion.

12. The walk reel mower of claim 1 , wherein one side of the lower support has a plurality of exposed vertically spaced apertures, wherein the upper mount carries a movable latch having a locking pin which is shaped to enter into and engage within any selected one of the apertures in the lower support to adjust and hold the handle during operation of the mower at a height above the ground that depends upon which aperture receives the latch.

13. The walk reel mower of claim 12 , wherein the latch is a pivotal latch which is spring biased in a direction that moves the locking pin towards the apertures.

14. The walk reel mower of claim 13 , wherein the one side of the lower support is a bottom side of the lower support, and wherein the latch pivots on a horizontal pivot axis located below the bottom side of the lower support such that the locking pin faces upwardly to enter into the selected one of the apertures.

15. The walk reel mower of claim 13 , wherein a front side of the latch forms a forwardly facing grip area which is long enough to receive at least outer portions of some fingers of one hand of the user to allow the user to grip the latch and to pull the latch in a direction that pivots the latch against the spring bias to disengage the locking pin from the selected one of the apertures in which the locking pin had been engaged.

16. The walk reel mower of claim 15 , further including a grip member on the upper mount rearwardly of the latch, wherein the grip member is close enough to the latch to allow the user to engage the grip member with a thumb of the user's one hand as the user grips the grip area of the latch with the at least outer portions of the some fingers of the user's one hand.

17. A walk reel mower, which comprises:
(a) a frame which operatively mounts a rotatable cutting reel and a bedknife, wherein the cutting reel rotates about a substantially horizontal axis for pushing grass against a bedknife for cutting the grass; and
(b) a handle assembly that extends rearwardly and upwardly from the frame, wherein the handle assembly comprises:
(i) a lower support operatively coupled to the frame;
(ii) an upper mount having a slide interface with the lower support;
(iii) a handle carried by the upper support with the handle being gripped by a user during operation of the mower to guide and manipulate the mower; and
(iv) a latch pivotally mounted on the upper support and shaped to engage and disengage with the lower support in any of a plurality of vertically different positions on the lower support, the latch when disengaged from the lower support permitting the upper support to be slid upwardly or downwardly relative to the lower support to adjust the handle carried by the upper support into a higher or lower selected position, the latch when reengaged with the lower support in the higher or lower selected position thereafter holding the handle in the higher or lower selected position during a grass cutting operation.

18. The walk reel mower of claim 17 , wherein the latch when disengaged from the upper support has a portion which abuts against the upper support to stop out further pivotal motion of the latch such that the user can then use the latch to apply force to the upper support to lift or lower the upper support relative to the lower support.

19. The walk reel mower of claim 17 , wherein a front side of the latch forms a forwardly facing grip area which is long enough to receive at least outer portions of some fingers of one hand of the user to allow the user to grip the latch and to pull the latch in a direction that disengages the latch from the lower support.

20. The walk reel mower of claim 19 , further including a grip member on the upper mount rearwardly of the latch, wherein the grip member is close enough to the latch to allow the user to engage the grip member with a thumb of the user's one hand as the user grips the grip area of the latch with the at least outer portions of the some fingers of the user's one hand.

Assignees

• The Toro Co

Inventors

• Goman Gerald E
• Sirek Nicholas J

Classifications

• A01D75/306

  for lawn mowers positioned one behind the other or side by side · CPC title

• A01D42/08

  Sweeping snow · CPC title

• A01D34/44

  with two or more cutters · CPC title

• A01D34/43

  mounted on a vehicle, e.g. a tractor, or drawn by an animal or a vehicle · CPC title

• A01B45/00

  Machines for treating meadows or lawns {, e.g. for sports grounds} · CPC title