US3556549A — Steering wheel pivoting mechanism for riding mower

Claim 1

Independent Claim 217 words

A steering assembly for a riding lawn mower of the type selectively positionable between a substantially upright locked operating position and a storage position remote from said locked position, said assembly comprising: a support; a lower steering shaft journaled to said support; an upper steering shaft; a steering handle mounted on said upper steering shaft; a hinged connection joining adjacent ends of said upper and lower shafts; a first collar slidably mounted on one of said shafts, said first collar having a concavity defining a peripheral wall structure thereabout; a second collar mounted on the other of said shafts and telescopically displaceable within the concavity of said first collar in a supporting close proximity to said peripheral wall structure; and said first and second collars having an extended position whereat one of said collars is positioned about said hinged connection to effect a locking of said shafts in axial alignment with each other, said collars having a retracted position at which said second collar telescopes into the concavity of said first collar providing a displacement of that collar locking said shafts to effect a release thereof, whereat said second collar provides an underlying support of the peripheral wall structure along the telescoped portion of said first collar when the steering asSembly is in the remote storage position.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 217 words

A steering assembly for a riding lawn mower of the type selectively positionable between a substantially upright locked operating position and a storage position remote from said locked position, said assembly comprising: a support; a lower steering shaft journaled to said support; an upper steering shaft; a steering handle mounted on said upper steering shaft; a hinged connection joining adjacent ends of said upper and lower shafts; a first collar slidably mounted on one of said shafts, said first collar having a concavity defining a peripheral wall structure thereabout; a second collar mounted on the other of said shafts and telescopically displaceable within the concavity of said first collar in a supporting close proximity to said peripheral wall structure; and said first and second collars having an extended position whereat one of said collars is positioned about said hinged connection to effect a locking of said shafts in axial alignment with each other, said collars having a retracted position at which said second collar telescopes into the concavity of said first collar providing a displacement of that collar locking said shafts to effect a release thereof, whereat said second collar provides an underlying support of the peripheral wall structure along the telescoped portion of said first collar when the steering asSembly is in the remote storage position.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 46 words

The invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said first collar is mounted on said shafts and disposed about said hinged connection to effect the locking thereof in the extended position, said first collar being movable axially upwardly along said upper shaft to said retracted position.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 88 words

The invention as recited in claim 2 and further comprising bias means for urging said first and second collars into said extended locking position, said first collar being movable to said retracted position against the force of said bias means whereby said upper shaft may be angularly moved relative to said lower shaft, said bias means being operative to snap said first collar to said extended locking position attendant to said upper shaft being moved from an angular to an axially aligned position relative to said lower shaft.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 37 words

The invention as recited in claim 3 wherein said bias means includes a compression spring concentrically mounted on said upper shaft within said concavity and having its opposite ends in engagement with said first and second collars.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 184 words

In a riding lawn mower of the type having a mounted body defining an operator''s compartment, a steering assembly comprising: a support mounted at the forward end of said body and in advance of said operator''s compartment; a lower shaft journaled to said support and having an upper end projecting above said support; an upper steering shaft having a lower end hingedly connected to said upper end of said lower shaft; a steering wheel mounted on said upper shaft; a lower collar slidably mounted on said upper and lower shafts about the hinge connected thereat to effect an axially aligned interconnection of said upper and lower shafts in a substantially upright operating position, said lower collar having an upwardly facing concavity defining a peripheral wall structure thereabout; and an upper collar mounted on said upper shaft and telescopically displaceable within said concavity to provide an underlying support for said peripheral wall structure when said lower collar is moved upwardly to a position whereat said upper shaft and said steering wheel are swingable about said hinged connection to a collapsed position in said operator''s compartment.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 184 words

In a riding lawn mower of the type having a mounted body defining an operator''s compartment, a steering assembly comprising: a support mounted at the forward end of said body and in advance of said operator''s compartment; a lower shaft journaled to said support and having an upper end projecting above said support; an upper steering shaft having a lower end hingedly connected to said upper end of said lower shaft; a steering wheel mounted on said upper shaft; a lower collar slidably mounted on said upper and lower shafts about the hinge connected thereat to effect an axially aligned interconnection of said upper and lower shafts in a substantially upright operating position, said lower collar having an upwardly facing concavity defining a peripheral wall structure thereabout; and an upper collar mounted on said upper shaft and telescopically displaceable within said concavity to provide an underlying support for said peripheral wall structure when said lower collar is moved upwardly to a position whereat said upper shaft and said steering wheel are swingable about said hinged connection to a collapsed position in said operator''s compartment.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-01-18	1974-07-20	1975-01-19	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-01-18	1978-07-20	1979-01-19	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-01-18	1982-07-20	1983-01-19	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Steering wheel pivoting mechanism for riding mower

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