Vertical storage grounds maintenance apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9848531-B2
Application number	US-201514595657-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2015
Priority date	Jan 13, 2015
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A grounds maintenance apparatus such as a lawn mower adapted for movement from a horizontal operating orientation to a vertical storage orientation. Embodiments of the apparatus provide supplemental storage wheels adapted to permit rolling of the apparatus over a ground surface while in the vertical storage orientation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A grounds maintenance apparatus comprising:
a body supporting a ground-working tool, wherein the body comprises front and rear sides and left and right sides;
a plurality of support wheels mounted to the body and adapted to support the body in rolling engagement with a ground surface while the body is in a horizontal operating orientation;
a plurality of storage wheels connected to the body along one of the sides, wherein the plurality of storage wheels are adapted to move from a first or stowed position when the body is in the horizontal operating orientation, to a second or deployed position when the body is in a vertical storage orientation; and
a storage wheel actuation mechanism coupled to the body and adapted to move the plurality of storage wheels between the first or stowed position and the second or deployed position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of storage wheels has a rolling diameter that is 50% or less of a rolling diameter of one of the plurality of support wheels.

3. A lawn mower comprising:
a deck comprising an upper wall and downwardly extending sidewalls that together define a cutting chamber, wherein the deck comprises front and rear sides and left and right sides;
a plurality of support wheels mounted to the deck and adapted to support the deck in rolling engagement with a ground surface when the mower is in a horizontal operating orientation;
a plurality of storage wheels mounted to the deck along one of the front, rear, left, or right sides, wherein the plurality of storage wheels are elevated above the ground surface when the mower is in the horizontal operating orientation, and are in contact with the ground surface when the mower is in a vertical storage orientation, and wherein the plurality of storage wheels are adapted to move from a first or stowed position to a second or deployed position;
an operator handle assembly pivotally connected to the deck and movable between: an operating position corresponding to the mower being in the horizontal operating orientation; and a collapsed position accommodating the mower being in the vertical storage orientation; and
a storage wheel actuation mechanism coupled to the deck and adapted to move the plurality of storage wheels from the first or stowed position to the second or deployed position.

4. The mower of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of support wheels comprises left and right front support wheels located at or near the front side of the deck, and left and right rear support wheels located at or near the rear side of the deck.

5. The mower of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of storage wheels comprise two wheels each adapted to rotate about an axis that is parallel to an axis of at least one of the plurality of support wheels.

6. The mower of claim 3 , wherein the storage wheel actuation mechanism is connected to the handle assembly such that the storage wheels move from the first or stowed position to the second or deployed position when the handle assembly is moved from the operating position to the collapsed position.

7. A method of storing a walk-behind lawn mower comprising:
moving a handle assembly of the mower from an operating position to a collapsed position;
moving a plurality of storage wheels from a first or stowed position to a second or deployed position;
lifting a first side of the deck of the mower until ground support wheels at or near the first side of the deck are elevated above a ground surface; and
supporting the mower, in a vertical storage position upon the ground surface, with the plurality of storage wheels located along a second side of the deck opposite the first side.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising rolling the mower, on the plurality of storage wheels, in a direction parallel to a rotational axis of at least one of the ground support wheels.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising rolling the mower, on the plurality of storage wheels, in a direction perpendicular to a rotational axis of at least one of the ground support wheels.

Assignees

• The Toro Co

Inventors

• Wadzinski Chris A
• Hurst John O
• Clarke Khari S
• Gill John T
• Petersen Ryan M
• Daly Mark C

Classifications

• A01D34/824 Primary

  Handle arrangements · CPC title

• A01D34/001

  Accessories not otherwise provided for · CPC title