Hitch structure for mounting a rotary mower laterally offset to one side of a tractor

Claim 1

A CUTTING IMPLEMENT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A TRACTOR, (B) A ROTARY CUTTER, (C) A TRACTOR-CUTTER INTERCONNECTING MEANS WHICH OPERATIVELY INTERCONNECTS SAID TRACTOR AND ROTARY CUTTER, (D) SAID TRACTOR-CUTTER INTERCONNECTING MEANS COMPRISING: (1) AN ELONGATED TORSION MEMBER HAVING AN INBOARD END AND AN OUTBOARD END AND BEING NORMALLY DISPOSED APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL TO THE GROUND, BUT CAPABLE OF BEING INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO THE GROUND, (2) SAID INBOARD END BEING DESIGNED TO BE LOCATED DIRECTLY BEHIND THE TRACTOR, (3) SAID OUTBOARD END BEING DESIGNED TO BE LOCATED IN AN OFFSET POSITION TO THE SAID AND REAR OF THE TRACTOR, (4) THE INBOARD END OF SAID TORSION MEMBER HAVING MOUNTED THEREON A MAST-TYPE HITCH STRUCTURE INCLUDING AN UPSTANDING MEMBER EXTENDING VERTICALLY ABOVE SAID TORSION MEMBER, (5) SAID UPSTANDING MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF ATTACHMENT MEANS WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO BE OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE TRACTOR SO THAT THE ENTIRE TRACTOR-CUTTER ATTACHMENT MEANS CAN BE RAISED AND LOWERED WITH RESPECT TO THE GROUND, (6) THE OUTBOARD END OF SAID ELONGATED TORSION MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH A MAST-TYPE HITCH STRUCTURE INCLUDING AN UPSTANDING MEMBER EXTENDING VERTICALLY ABOVE SAID TORSION MEMBER, AND WITH SECURING MEANS FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE ROTARY CUTTER IN TRAILING RELATIONSHIP TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, (7) THE INBOARD END OF SAID LONGATED TORSION MEMBER ADDITIONALLY HAVING MOUNTED THEREON A FIRST PULLEY WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN BY A POWER TAKE-OFF MEANS ON SAID TRACTOR, (8) A SECOND PULLY BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT THE OUTBOARD END OF SAID ELONGATED TORSION MEMBER AT A SPACED DISTANCE FROM SAID FIRST PULLEY, (9) AT LEAST ONE ENDLESS BELT OPERATIVELY INTERCONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND PULLEYS, (10) SAID SECOND PULLEY ALSO BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE DRIVE SHAFT OF THE ROTARY CUTTER. (E) THE ELONGATED TORSION MEMBER OF SAID TRACTOR-CUTTER INTERCONNECTING MEANS BEING DISPOSED IN ADVANCE OF SAID ROTARY CUTTER SO AS TO FUNCTION AS A STRONG RIGID BUMPER FOR INITIALLY CONTACTING AND BENDING OVER BRUSH AND FOLIAGE IN THE PATH OF THE ROTARY CUTTER, THUS FACILITATING EFFECTIVE OPERATION OF THE ROTARY CUTTER.