GB2506441A - Foliage deflector for lawnmowers - Google Patents

Abstract

A foliage deflector for a lawnmower comprises a device 2 for attachment to the side of a lawnmower and projecting forward of the front wheels 1 of the mower. The device may be permanently attached, integral to the mower or be detachable. The device may be attached to the front axle 3 which supports the front wheels and the device may be movable between a deployed and a non-use position. The device may be movable manually or by remote control by means of a Bowden cable for example. The position of the device may be controlled by stops. The deflector prevents damage to vegetation overhanging a lawn.

Description

Overhanging Foliage Deflector for Lawn Mowers

Description

The invention relates to the tendency of lawn mowers in general and lawn mowers with wheels at the front in particular to cause damage to plants and other foliage which maybe overhanging the edges of a lawn.

Typically, such vegetation will be dragged under the front wheels of the lawn mower and destroyed by the grass cutting mechanism. The invention prevents this occurring by deflecting overhanging vegetation such that it is guided harmlessly above the front wheels and allowed to fall back to its original position after the passage of the mower. This not only avoids damage to plants but also enables the grass growing beneath such vegetation to be cut without the need to hold it out of the way. The invention is applicable to both manually propelled and self propelled lawn mowers and to all types of mower cutting mechanism.

The Invention comprises a deflector shaped and positioned such as to guide overhanging vegetation over the front wheels of a lawn mower, together with means of attachment to the mower and means of controlling the position of the device when so attached. In a preferred embodiment the device is be attached to the lawn mower temporarily by means of a simple plug-on fixing, which optionally may serve as a hinge enabling the device to be moved to a stowed or non-deployed position. In an alternative embodiment the device may form an integral part of the machine and optionally may be moved from the stowed position to the deployed position by rEmote control from controls located conveniently for the operator. In either embodiment the device is held in the deployed position by fixed or movable stops such that it is able to lift overhanging vegetation while remaining adequately clear of the surface of the lawn. In either embodiment also, a stop may be provided to locate the device in its stowed position.

the invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures ito 7.

Figures land 2 show, in plan and side elevation respectively, an embodiment in which a deflector [2] shaped to guide overhanging foliage over the front wheel [1] is attached to the fixed front axle of a mower outboard of wheel [1], using a known locating mechanism [3] such as a bayonet fixing, such that it is held in the correct position to perform its deflecting function when the mower is in forward motion. For the purposes of illustration, Figure 1 shows both left and right hand deflectors attached; however it is intended that the fixing mechanism should be quick and simple to operate, allowing the deflector to be attached and detached as and when required. The attachment means may optionally be designed to be laterally symmetrical such that a single deflector may be attached to either side of the mower, obviating the need for a pair of handed deflectors.

Figures 3 and 4 show, in plan and side elevation respectively, an embodiment in which a deflector (4] shaped to guide overhanging foliage over front wheel [1] is attached to the side of a mower such that it is positioned outboard of wheel [1] at a hinge point 15] about which it may be moved manually between the deployed position [4a} and a stowed position [4b]. In the deployed position the deflector [4aJ is maintained in the correct position to perform the function of guiding foliage over the wheel when the mower is in forward motion by the stop [6) which is fixed to the body of the machine. In the stowed position the deflector [4bJ rests against a stop [7]. The deflector is attached to the hinge by any suitable means which ensures proper alignment of the deflector in the horizontal plane and facilitates quick and easy mounting and demounting. The hinge [5], deployment stop (6] and stowed position stop [7] are fitted to both sides of the mower. The deflector and its hinge attachment optionally may be designed such that the deflector can be attached to either side of the mower, obviating the need for a pair of handed deflectors. This embodiment is applicable to self propelled mowers with driven front wheels, as well as manually propelled mowers and self propelled mowers with driven rear wheels.

Figures Sand 6 show, in plan and side elevation respectively, an embodiment in which a deflector [8) shaped to guide overhanging foliage over front wheel [1] is rigidly attached outboard of wheel (1] to a rotatable outer stub axle [10), such that it may be moved from a stowed position [Sb] to a deployed position [8a] by remote control from a position convenient to the operator of the mower. figure 7 shows an embodiment of the positioning mechanism in which the wheel [1] is free to rotate about outer stub axle [10], which in turn can be rotated about fixed axle [11]. The deflector is held in the stowed position by means of coil spring 112] which is attached at one end to stub axle [10] and at the other end bears against spring stop (17]. The stowed position is determined by positioning pin [14] bearing against a stowed position stop [16]. Rotation of the stub axle [10] and attached deflector [81 is achieved by tensioning Bowden cable [13] which is wrapped around and attached at its end to stub axle [10]. The effect of tensioning cable (13] is to rotate the stub axle until positioning pin [14] comes into contact with deployed position stop [15], this position of the stub axle corresponding to the correct deployed position of the deflector [Sal. Tension may be applied by a suitable manually operated mechanism, here illustrated by the handle mounted lever [9] shown in Figure 5. Alternatively, in electrically powered mowers, rotation of the stub axle may be achieved by electrical means and controlled from the operating position by an electrical switch. The two sides of the lavn mower are equipped with deflectors and positioning mechanisms which are identical other than being of opposite hand. The two deflectors may be operated independently using two user controls as shown in FigureS or may be arranged to operate together from a single user control.

Claims (8)

1. Overhanging Foliage Deflector for Lawn Mowers Claims 1. A device which can be attached temporaiIy or permanently to either or both sides of a lawn mower such that vegetation overhanging the edge of a lawn is guided harmlessly over the wheels of the lawn mower and away from the cutting mechanism.
2. 2. A device as in Claim 1 which may be attached when required to a locating mechanism forming an integral part of the lawn mower.
3. 3. A device as in Claim 2 in which the locating mechanism is fixed to the outer ends of the front axle of the lawn mower.
4. 4. A device as in Claim 2 in which the locating mechanism comprises a hinge and positioning stops fixed to the body of the lawn mower.
5. 5. A device as in Claim 2 which may be moved manually between the deployed position and a non-deployed position.
6. 6. A device as in Claim 1 forming an integral part of the lawn mower and capable of being moved manually from a stowed position to the deployed position and vice versa.
7. 7. A device as in Claim 1-forming an integral part of the lawn mower and capable of being moved from a stowed position to the deployed position and vice versa by remote control from the normal operating position of the mower.
8. 8. A device as in claims 6 nd 7 whose position when deployed is controlled by fixed or movable stops such as to prevent the device digging into the lawn.