Mower motor cooling system

Claim 2

In a rotary mower: A housing having a top deck and a skirt depending from the outer periphery of said deck defining a cutting chamber beneath said deck, said chamber being substantially completely open at the bottom, an electric motor mounted on top of said deck, Said deck having an opening therein, said motor having an output shaft extending vertically downwardly through said opening, fan means mounted on said shaft beneath said deck in said chamber, fan means being adapted to draw cooling air past said motor through said opening and into said chamber, generally horizontal rotary cutter blade means supported by said shaft within said chamber, said shaft directly driving at least one of Said means, and and means directly drivingly interconnecting said fan and blade means with each other whereby the rotation of one effects rotation of the other.

Claim 3

The mower of claim 1 including means forming a part of said fan means and operatable engaging said blade means to provide a driving connection between said fan means and said blade means.

Claim 4

The mower of claim 1 including means depending from said fan means and engaging opposite sides of said blade means.

Claim 5

The mower of claim 1 including a channel forming an integral part of either said fan means or said blade means, the other of said fan or blade means being seated in said channel and drivingly engaged thereby.

Claim 6

The mower of claim 1 including an inverted channel depending from said fan means, said blade means being seated in said channel and drivingly engaged thereby.

Claim 7

The mower of claim 1 wherein said fan means is substantially unenclosed within said chamber except for said skirt and said blade means.

Claim 8

The mower of claim 1 wherein said fan means includes a plurality of fan blades which are radially offset with respect to said shaft and extend rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel.

Claim 9

The mower of claim 1 wherein the diameter of said fan means in substantially greater than the diameter of said motor.

Claim 10

The mower of claim 1 wherein said motor includes a casing, and wherein said casing is located entirely above the top deck of said housing.

Claim 11

The mower of claim 1 wherein said motor includes a tubular casing, Said casing being closed by a plate member secured to the top of said deck, said plate having an air discharge opening therein providing communication between the interior of said casing and said cutting chamber, said casing having air inlet openings in the upper end portion thereof for admitting cooling air to the interior of said casing and the motor enclosed thereby, said air discharge openings facing downwardly towards said fan means, said air inlet openings facing laterally outwardly from said casing.

Claim 12

The mower of claim 1 wherein said motor includes a tubular casing, air discharge opening providing air communication between the interior of said casing and the interior of said cutting chamber, and air inlet opening means in said casing for admitting atmospheric air to the interior of said casing, and a shroud mounted on said motor and enclosing the upper portion of said motor said shroud depending downwardly below said air inlet openings and spaced from said casing whereby cooling atmospheric air is admitted between said shroud and said casing and travels upwardly to said air inlet openings.

Claim 13

The mower of claim 1 wherein said fan means includes a plurality of radially offset blades extending rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel, said blades being mounted on a base element and extending upwardly therefrom, said base element having an inverted channel integrally secured thereto and depending from the underside of said base element, said blade means having an elongate blade member seated in said channel and drivingly engaged thereby.

Claim 14

The mower of claim 12 wherein said motor includes a tubular casing, the bottom of said casing being closed by a blade member secured to the top of said deck, said blade member having a plurality of openings formed therein and facing downwardly providing communication between the interior of said casing and said cutting chamber, said casing having a plurality of air inlet openings formed in the upper end portion thereof and facing laterally outwardly therefrom, and a shroud covering the upper end portion of said motor, said shroud extending below said inlet openings and spaced from said casing whereby atmospheric air passes upwardly between said shroud and casing before entering said inlet openings.

Claim 15

The mower of claim 1 wherein said motor includes a tubular casing having air inlet openings at the upper end thereof and air discharge openingS at the lower end thereof whereby said fan means draws cooling air from the atmosphere immediately adjacent said motor into said casing through said air inlet openings and downwardly interiorally of said casing and through said air discharge openings and then discharges said air radially directly into said cutting chamber whereby said cooling air does not pass through another enclosure from the time it is engaged by said fan until it enters said cutting chamber.

Claim 16

In a rotary mower: a housing having a top deck and a skirt depending from the outer periphery of said deck defining a cutting chamber beneath said deck, an electric motor including a tubular casing mounted on said deck, said casing being disposed entirely above said deck, said motor including a vertical output shaft extended downwardly into said cutting chamber, a fan and a rotary cutter blade mounted on said shaft in said cutting chamber, a plate member enclosing the bottom of said casing and secured to said motor casing, and fastening means securing said plate member to said deck whereby said plate serves as the means for attaching said motor to said housing, said plate member having a downwardly facing air discharge opening formed therein providing communication between the interior of said casing and the interior of said cutting chamber, said casing having an air inlet opening formed in the upper end portion thereof and facing laterally outwardly for admitting cooling air to the interior of said casing, and a shroud covering the upper end portion of said motor, said shroud extending below said inlet opening and whereby said cooling atmospheric air is admitted between said shroud and said casing upwardly before entering said inlet opening.

Claim 17

In a rotary mower: a housing having a top deck and a skirt depending from the outer periphery of said deck defining a cutting chamber beneath said deck, an electric motor including a tubular casing mounted on said deck, said casing being disposed entirely above said deck, said motor including a vertical output shaft extended downwardly into said cutting chamber, a fan and a rotary cutter blade mounted on said shaft in said cutting chamber, a plate member enclosing the bottom of said casing and secured to said motor casing, and fastening means securing said plate member to said deck whereby said plate serves as the means for attaching said motor to said housing, said plate member having a downwardly facing air discharge opening formed therein providing communication between the interior of said casing and the interior of said cutting chamber, said casing having an air inlet opening formed in the upper end portion thereof and facing laterally outwardly for admitting cooling air to the interior of said casing, and a shroud covering the upper end portion of said motor, said shroud extending below said inlet opening and whereby said cooling atmospheric air is admitted between said shroud and said casing upwardly before entering said inlet opening.