US3893284A — Lawn mower and collector therefor

Claim 1

Independent Claim 313 words

In a lawn mower having grass cutting means, a housing for the grass cutting means, the housing having a discharge port in a wall thereof through which cut grass is discharged outwardly of the housing, the combination of a movable closure carried by the housing for blocking said discharge opening when in closed position and for opening up said discharge port in opened position, said closure being subject to bias to urge the closure toward said closed position, a collector for collecting cut grass discharged through said discharge port, said collector being adapted to be mounted upon said housing adjacent said discharge port, a bracket carried by said housing adjacent said discharge port adapted to interengage with said collector upon positioning the collector adjacent said discharge port, operable linkage means carried by said housing for moving said closure to said opened position in opposition to said bias, and pivotal lever means carried by said collector and located to interengage with said linkage means upon interengagement of said bracket and said collector, said pivotal lever means and said linkage means including overthrow means for holding said lever means in a locked position upon swinging the lever means in a direction to interengage with said linkage means and sufficiently to operate said linkage means to move the said closure to said opened position, said lever means in said locked position retaining said collector interengaged with said bracket and in position for receiving cut grass discharged through said discharge port, the said lever means upon being swung in an opposite direction to an unlocked position disengaging said linkage means to permit said linkage means to operate so as to permit said closure under the urging of said bias to move to said closed position, said lever means upon being swung to said unlocked position permitting the said collector to be released from retention be said bracket.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 313 words

In a lawn mower having grass cutting means, a housing for the grass cutting means, the housing having a discharge port in a wall thereof through which cut grass is discharged outwardly of the housing, the combination of a movable closure carried by the housing for blocking said discharge opening when in closed position and for opening up said discharge port in opened position, said closure being subject to bias to urge the closure toward said closed position, a collector for collecting cut grass discharged through said discharge port, said collector being adapted to be mounted upon said housing adjacent said discharge port, a bracket carried by said housing adjacent said discharge port adapted to interengage with said collector upon positioning the collector adjacent said discharge port, operable linkage means carried by said housing for moving said closure to said opened position in opposition to said bias, and pivotal lever means carried by said collector and located to interengage with said linkage means upon interengagement of said bracket and said collector, said pivotal lever means and said linkage means including overthrow means for holding said lever means in a locked position upon swinging the lever means in a direction to interengage with said linkage means and sufficiently to operate said linkage means to move the said closure to said opened position, said lever means in said locked position retaining said collector interengaged with said bracket and in position for receiving cut grass discharged through said discharge port, the said lever means upon being swung in an opposite direction to an unlocked position disengaging said linkage means to permit said linkage means to operate so as to permit said closure under the urging of said bias to move to said closed position, said lever means upon being swung to said unlocked position permitting the said collector to be released from retention be said bracket.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 52 words

The combination claimed in claim 1 and in which said closure is comprised of an upper and lower door pivotally carried by said housing on spaced parallel horizontal axes, and said linkage means includes connecting means connecting said doors to cause them to swing in unison between opened position and closed position.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 34 words

The combination claimed in claim 2 and in which the bias urging the closure toward closed position is provided by a spring operably engaging one of said doors to urge it toward closed position.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 76 words

The combination claimed in claim 3 and in which said overthrow means includes an interengageable camming surface and camming member, said camming surface being carried by one of said lever means and said linkage means and said camming member being carried by the other of said lever means and said linkage means, the camming member upon moving the camming surface beyond a reference point overthrowing the linkage means to hold the closure in said opened position.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 230 words

The combination of a lawn mower having a discharge port through which cut grass is discharged and a collector attachable to the mower for collecting cut grass discharged through said port, said mower having closure means which is in the position of closing said port when the collector is not attached to the mower and is in another position such that the port is open when the collector is attached to the mower, biasing means carried by the mower for biasing said closure means to closed position when the collector is not attached to the mower, actuating means carried by said mower for moving said closure means to said another position against the urging of said biasing meanS, mounting means carried by the mower for the mounting of said collector to the mower, operating means carried by the collector for actuating said actuating means, and cooperable interengageable camming means carried by the operating means and actuating means for moving the actuating means upon movement of the operating means in a first direction to move the closure means to opened position and for concurrently holding the collector engaged to said mounting means, movement of the operating means in an opposite direction permitting the actuating means to move the closure means under the urging of said biasing means to closed position and permitting the collector to be disengaged from said mounting means.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 230 words

The combination of a lawn mower having a discharge port through which cut grass is discharged and a collector attachable to the mower for collecting cut grass discharged through said port, said mower having closure means which is in the position of closing said port when the collector is not attached to the mower and is in another position such that the port is open when the collector is attached to the mower, biasing means carried by the mower for biasing said closure means to closed position when the collector is not attached to the mower, actuating means carried by said mower for moving said closure means to said another position against the urging of said biasing meanS, mounting means carried by the mower for the mounting of said collector to the mower, operating means carried by the collector for actuating said actuating means, and cooperable interengageable camming means carried by the operating means and actuating means for moving the actuating means upon movement of the operating means in a first direction to move the closure means to opened position and for concurrently holding the collector engaged to said mounting means, movement of the operating means in an opposite direction permitting the actuating means to move the closure means under the urging of said biasing means to closed position and permitting the collector to be disengaged from said mounting means.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 81 words

The combination claimed in claim 5 and in which said closure means comprises a pair of pivotally swingable doors movable relative to each other in one direction to open said port and in another direction to close said port, said actuating means interconnecting said doors to provide for their movement in unison in which said biasing means comprises a spring urging a said door to move toward closed position, and said operating means includes lever means pivotally carried by said collector.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 129 words

The combination claimed in claim 5 and in which said cooperable interengageable camming means includes a first camming element carried by and movable with said closure means and a second camming element carried by and movable with said operating means, interengagement of the first camming element and second camming element and the movement of said operating means in a first direction causing the said first camming element to move in a direction that moves the closure means to opened position, the disengagement of the said first and second camming elements and the movement of the operating means in an opposite direction permitting the said first camming element to move in another direction that permits the closure means to move under the bias of the biasing means to closed position.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 125 words

The combination as claimed in claim 6 and in which said biasing means is a spring operably engaging one of said doors, said cooperable interengageable camming means includes a camming surface movable with one of said doors and a camming member movable with said operating means, the movement of the operating means in one direction causing the camming member to cammingly engage said camming surface and to move in a direction to move said one door to opened position, the movement of the operating means in an opposite direction causing the camming member to disengage said camming surface to permit it to move in an opposite direction and to allow said one door to move to closed position under the bias of said biasing means.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 47 words

The combination as claimed in claim 5 and including cooperable locking means carried by the operating means and mounting means for locking said collector mounted to said mower upon movement of the operating means and actuating means to a position in which said closure means is opened.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 54 words

The combination as claimed in claim 9 and in which said operating means is held in position to lock the collector to the mower by said actuating means being moved sufficiently by the operating means to a position wherein the bias of said camming means is overcome to permit movement of the actuating means.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 204 words

The combination of grass mower means, collector means mountable on said mower means for collecting cut grass discharged by the mower means through a discharge port therein, closure means carried by the mower for closing said port in one position of the closure means and for opening said port in another position of the closure means, biasing means carried by said mower means for urging said closure means to closed position, mounting means associated with said collector means and said mower means for attaching said collector means to the mower means in position to receive cut grass discharged through said port, actuating means independent of said collector means and carried by the mOwer for moving said closure means to open position against the bias of the biasing means and for permitting said closure means under the urging of said biasing means to move to closed position without dependence upon the attachment and disattachment of the collector means to the mounting means, and operating means carried by, and movable relative to, the collector means to operate said actuating means upon the attachment of the collector to the mounting means and the manual movement of the operating means in a direction to operate the actuating means.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 204 words

The combination of grass mower means, collector means mountable on said mower means for collecting cut grass discharged by the mower means through a discharge port therein, closure means carried by the mower for closing said port in one position of the closure means and for opening said port in another position of the closure means, biasing means carried by said mower means for urging said closure means to closed position, mounting means associated with said collector means and said mower means for attaching said collector means to the mower means in position to receive cut grass discharged through said port, actuating means independent of said collector means and carried by the mOwer for moving said closure means to open position against the bias of the biasing means and for permitting said closure means under the urging of said biasing means to move to closed position without dependence upon the attachment and disattachment of the collector means to the mounting means, and operating means carried by, and movable relative to, the collector means to operate said actuating means upon the attachment of the collector to the mounting means and the manual movement of the operating means in a direction to operate the actuating means.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 78 words

The combination claimed in claim 11 and in which said closure means in open position extends into the collector means, and in which the actuating means and operating means cooperate to prevent removal of the collector means from the mower means until after the operating means has been moved in a direction to permit the actuating means to move to a position allowing the closure means to move under the urging of the biasing means to closed position.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 163 words

In combination with a grass mower and a collector attachable to the mower for collecting cut grass discharged through a port in the mower, first means carried by said mower for closing said port, second means carried by said mower for opening said port independently of the attachment of said collector to said mower, third means carried by the mower for automatically causing the first means to close the port when the collector is not attached to the mower, fourth means carried by said mower and disposed to oppose the said third means for causing the second means to open said port when the collector is attached to the mower, fifth means carried by, and movable relative to, said collector for operating said forth means upon movement of the fifth means relative to said collector, and sixth means carried by said mower and said collector for locking the collector attached to the mower upon the opening of the port by the fourth means.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 163 words

In combination with a grass mower and a collector attachable to the mower for collecting cut grass discharged through a port in the mower, first means carried by said mower for closing said port, second means carried by said mower for opening said port independently of the attachment of said collector to said mower, third means carried by the mower for automatically causing the first means to close the port when the collector is not attached to the mower, fourth means carried by said mower and disposed to oppose the said third means for causing the second means to open said port when the collector is attached to the mower, fifth means carried by, and movable relative to, said collector for operating said forth means upon movement of the fifth means relative to said collector, and sixth means carried by said mower and said collector for locking the collector attached to the mower upon the opening of the port by the fourth means.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 44 words

The combination claimed in claim 13 and in which said third, fourth and fifth means cooperate to prevent dis-attachment of the collector from the mower after the port has been opened by the second means until after the port is closed by first means.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 163 words

The combination of a grass mower having a discharge port, a grass collector mountable to said mower for collecting cut grass discharged through said discharge port, a movable closure carried by said mower for said port, closing means carried by, and movable relative to, the mower for automatically moving the closure to close the port in the absence of the collector from the port, engaging means extending from and operatively connected to said closure for moving the closure to open position upon movement of the engaging means in one direction, and opening means carried by, and movable relative to, the collector to operatively engage said engaging means to move the said engaging means in said one direction for moving the closure to open position, in opposition to said closing means, upon attachment of the collector to the mower and the operation of said opening means relative to said collector in a movement directed to move the said engaging means in said one direction.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 163 words

The combination of a grass mower having a discharge port, a grass collector mountable to said mower for collecting cut grass discharged through said discharge port, a movable closure carried by said mower for said port, closing means carried by, and movable relative to, the mower for automatically moving the closure to close the port in the absence of the collector from the port, engaging means extending from and operatively connected to said closure for moving the closure to open position upon movement of the engaging means in one direction, and opening means carried by, and movable relative to, the collector to operatively engage said engaging means to move the said engaging means in said one direction for moving the closure to open position, in opposition to said closing means, upon attachment of the collector to the mower and the operation of said opening means relative to said collector in a movement directed to move the said engaging means in said one direction.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-07-07	1979-01-06	1979-07-08	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-07-07	1983-01-06	1983-07-08	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-07-07	1987-01-06	1987-07-08	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Lawn mower and collector therefor

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag