US3636686A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Safety flap arrangement for discharge apertures in rotary lawnmower baseplates
Assignee: Victa Ltd
•
Filing: 1970-09-09
•
Granted: 1972-01-25
•
Expires: 1990-09-09
Abstract
Abstract A pivoted flap arrangement for covering the grass discharge opening in a rotary lawnmower, and comprising a cover plate, a pivoted handle on the baseplate for opening the plate, a flexed spring leaf interconnecting the plate and the handle, and an overcenter (or toggle) action between the spring and the handle whereby resilient opening force is applied to the plate when the handle is operated and when the plate has pivoted to a fully open position the handle and plate are automatically returned.
Inventors
- 👤 Dolph Allan Meyer
- 👤 Ross Leslie Phelps
- 👤 David Paul Seidel
- 👤 Edward Henry Sykes
- 👤 Ian Sweet Clipsham
- 👤 Donald Gray
- 👤 Theodore Demetrius Ractivand
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 07:08
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01D; A01D34/00; A01D34/01; A01D34/412; A01D34/42; A01D34/49; A01D34/62; A01D34/63; A01D34/81; A01D34/82; A01D34/824; A01D43/00; A01D43/06; A01D43/063; A01D43/0631; B; B62; B62D; B62D51/00; B62D51/001; A01D2101/00; F; F02; F02B; F02B1/00; F02B1/02; F02B1/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
93 words
A safety flap arrangement for covering a grass discharge aperture in a rotary lawnmower baseplate, said arrangement comprising a plate member hinged to the baseplate for movement between open and closed conditions, a pivoted control lever for manual operation to move the plate from its closed condition, and resilient means connected between the lever and the plate so as to be flexed by operation of the lever to draw the plate member to its open condition and to effect automatic return of the lever to restore the plate member to its closed condition.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
93 words
A safety flap arrangement for covering a grass discharge aperture in a rotary lawnmower baseplate, said arrangement comprising a plate member hinged to the baseplate for movement between open and closed conditions, a pivoted control lever for manual operation to move the plate from its closed condition, and resilient means connected between the lever and the plate so as to be flexed by operation of the lever to draw the plate member to its open condition and to effect automatic return of the lever to restore the plate member to its closed condition.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
A safety flap arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the lever is pivoted by one end to the baseplate above the discharge aperture and closing of the plate is effected at least partly by gravitational force.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A safety flap arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the resilient means is elongated and pivotally fixed by one end to an intermediate position on the lever.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
83 words
A safety flap arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the plate member is constructed to engage with a grasscatcher fitted to the lawnmower to be arrested in its opening movement short of a fully opened condition, and wherein in said arrested position the relationship of the lever pivot and the resilient means pivot on the lever to the anchoring point of the resilient means on the plate member is such as to create an overcenter action locking the lever in an operated position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
A safety flap arrangement according to claim 4, wherein in said fully open condition of the plate member the anchoring point of the resilient means passes beyond an alignment with the lever pivot and the resilient means pivot on the lever to unlock said lever and allow its automatic return.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A safety flap arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the resilient means is a spring strip the tension in which tends to bow it to reduce the spacing between its ends.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
134 words
A safety flap arrangement for a grass discharge orifice on a baseplate of a rotary lawnmower, said arrangement comprising a cover plate pivotally movable between fully open and closed conditions, a manually operable control lever pivoted to the baseplate, resilient means between the plate and the baseplate urging the cover plate to the closed condition, a bowed spring leaf whose ends are forced apart for connection between the lever and the cover plate, and an overcenter disposition of the connecting points of the lever to the baseplate and the bowed spring to both the cover plate and the lever whereby the lever is locked in its operated position until the cover plate nears its fully open condition to draw the lever from its operated position thus removing an opening force on the cover plate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
134 words
A safety flap arrangement for a grass discharge orifice on a baseplate of a rotary lawnmower, said arrangement comprising a cover plate pivotally movable between fully open and closed conditions, a manually operable control lever pivoted to the baseplate, resilient means between the plate and the baseplate urging the cover plate to the closed condition, a bowed spring leaf whose ends are forced apart for connection between the lever and the cover plate, and an overcenter disposition of the connecting points of the lever to the baseplate and the bowed spring to both the cover plate and the lever whereby the lever is locked in its operated position until the cover plate nears its fully open condition to draw the lever from its operated position thus removing an opening force on the cover plate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
60 words
A safety flap arrangement according to claim 8, wherein an auxiliary spring is carried by the lever and a projection is fixed upon the baseplate for engagement by the auxiliary spring during operation of the lever to cause the auxiliary spring to contact said bowed spring and to prize the cover plate from its closed condition if it should bind.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
A safety flap arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the auxiliary spring is an end portion of said resilient means folded back upon itself and provided with an inturned engagement tongue.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
A safety flap arrangement according to claim 7, wherein an abutment is provided upon the lever to engage the bowed spring when the lever is unoperated to exert a force upon the cover plate tending to hold it closed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-01-24 | 1975-07-26 | 1976-01-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-01-24 | 1979-07-26 | 1980-01-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-01-24 | 1983-07-26 | 1984-01-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |