Rotary mower safety chute outlet

Claim 2

A blade housing for a lawn mower having a blade rotating about a vertical axis, said blade housing having a vertically extending side wall extending around the periphery of the intended path of blade rotation, said blade housing also having a top deck including a main portion, and a chute portion which extends arcuately from the main portion about the axis of intended blade rotation and then generally tangentially outwardly, said chute portion including inner and outer side walls connected to a top wall which gradually increases in height above the plane of intended blade rotation in the direction of intended blade rotation, and said blade housing also including means for downwardly deflecting discharge from said chute portion of objects which could otherwise cause injury to persons, said means comprising a surface extending upwardly and outwardly from about the plane of intended rotation of said blade and between said inner and outer chute portion side walls to form a chute bottom wall, and the inclusion in said chute portion top wall of a terminal part extending outwardly and downwardly from beyond the outer end of said surface for cooperation with said surface so as to downwardly deflect exiting objects.

Claim 3

A blade housing in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vertically extending side wall extends continuously around the periphery of the intended path of blade rotation and includes a main portion and an arcuately extending second portion of reduced height which merges at its ends with said main portion and which is located beneath said chute portion and has an upper edge located approximately in the plane of intended blade rotation and wherein said surface extends from said side wall portion of reduced height.

Claim 4

A blade housing in accordance with claim 1 wherein said chute top wall and said inner and outer chute side walls each include terminal portions which are fabricated of resilient material.

Claim 5

A blade housing for a lawn mower having a blade rotating about a vertiCal axis, said blade housing having a vertically extending side wall extending continuously around the periphery of the intended path of blade rotation and including a main portion, and a portion of reduced height having an upper edge located approximately in the plane of intended blade rotation, said blade housing also having a top deck including a main portion extending from a part of said side wall main portion, and a chute portion extending from the remaining part of said side wall main portion and from said top deck main portion and arcuately about the axis of intended blade rotation and then generally tangentially outwardly from said side wall, said chute portion including a top wall including a first part extending from said top deck main portion and approximately to a vertical projection of said housing side wall, said first part of said top wall having above the plane of intended blade rotation a height which gradually increases in the direction of intended blade rotation, said top wall including a second part which extends from said first part generally tangentially outwardly of said housing side wall, said chute portion also including an inner side wall having a first part connecting said top wall first part to said top deck main portion, and a second part extending from said inner side wall first part and from said second part of said top wall generally outwardly of said housing side wall, and said chute portion also including an outer side wall having a first part connecting said top wall first part to said remaining part of said side wall main portion, and a second part extending from said top wall second part and from said outer side wall first part generally tangentially outwardly of said housing side wall, and said blade housing also including means for preventing such discharge from said chute portion of objects which could cause injury to persons, said means comprising said side wall portion of reduced height, a surface extending upwardly and outwardly from said side wall portion of reduced height to form a chute bottom wall between said inner and outer side wall second parts, and the inclusion in said chute portion top wall second part of a terminal part extending outwardly and downwardly from beyond the outer end of said surface for cooperation with said surface so as to block such discharge of objects as could cause injury to persons.

Claim 6

A blade housing for a lawn mower having a blade rotating about a vertiCal axis, said blade housing having a vertically extending side wall extending continuously around the periphery of the intended path of blade rotation and including a main portion, and a portion of reduced height having an upper edge located approximately in the plane of intended blade rotation, said blade housing also having a top deck including a main portion extending from a part of said side wall main portion, and a chute portion extending from the remaining part of said side wall main portion and from said top deck main portion and arcuately about the axis of intended blade rotation and then generally tangentially outwardly from said side wall, said chute portion including a top wall including a first part extending from said top deck main portion and approximately to a vertical projection of said housing side wall, said first part of said top wall having above the plane of intended blade rotation a height which gradually increases in the direction of intended blade rotation, said top wall including a second part which extends from said first part generally tangentially outwardly of said housing side wall, said chute portion also including an inner side wall having a first part connecting said top wall first part to said top deck main portion, and a second part extending from said inner side wall first part and from said second part of said top wall generally outwardly of said housing side wall, and said chute portion also including an outer side wall having a first part connecting said top wall first part to said remaining part of said side wall main portion, and a second part extending from said top wall second part and from said outer side wall first part generally tangentially outwardly of said housing side wall, and said blade housing also including means for preventing such discharge from said chute portion of objects which could cause injury to persons, said means comprising said side wall portion of reduced height, a surface extending upwardly and outwardly from said side wall portion of reduced height to form a chute bottom wall between said inner and outer side wall second parts, and the inclusion in said chute portion top wall second part of a terminal part extending outwardly and downwardly from beyond the outer end of said surface for cooperation with said surface so as to block such discharge of objects as could cause injury to persons.