Working vehicle

Claim 2

A lawn mower comprising: a body, including a plurality of ground-engaging wheels and a frame which includes a hood member secured to said frame, said hood member including a lower portion and an upwardly extending generally cylindrical upper portion adapted to receive a rotatable member therein; a bell-shaped rotatable cutting member including grass cutting means secured to a main portion thereof, said rotatable cutting member including a sleeve portion extending vertically from a top part of said main portion and rotatably secured in a journaled relationship by at least a pair of bearings within and spaced along said upper portion of said hood member, the rotation of said cutting means defining a path contained within the area of said lower portion of said hood member, said cutting means including a flange portion extending outwardly from a bottom edge of said main portion, and a plurality of blades secured at spaced intervals to said flange portion; power means supported on said body for rotating said rotatable member to perform work by the rotation of said grass cutting means at a predetermined position relative to ground; a spindle operatively connected to at least one of said ground-engaging wheels and including a portion rotatably journaled substantially entirely within and closely adjacent to the sleeve portion of said rotatable member along substantially the entire length thereof by at least a second pair of bearings spaced along said sleeve portion of said rotatable member, said first and said second pairs of bearings being on a common axis, whereupon said one wheel is rotatable within the area circumscribed by the rotation of said work portion of said rotatable member; and means secured to said frame and to said hood member for adjusting the cutting height of said cutting means as a unit which includes said hood member.

Claim 3

A lawn mower according to claim 1 wherein a bottom portion of said hood member is formed as an annular channel in which the blades of said cutting means revolve.

Claim 4

A lawn mower according to claim 2 further comprising a plurality of fan blades secured to a bottom part of said conical portion of said cutting means and positioned so as to revolve within said annular channel of said hood.

Claim 5

The power apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said body includes means for driving at least one of said plurality of ground-engaging wheels by a chain drive mechanism comprising a bevel gear for driving a sprocket engaging a chain which engages said wheel.

Claim 6

A lawn mower according to claim 1 further comprising steering means operatively connected to ground-engaging wheel means.

Claim 7

A lawn mower according to claim 5 wherein said lawn mower includes at least a pair of said rotatable members and a pair of said spindles of a pair of ground-engaging wheels respectively journaled within said pair of rotatable members, said steering wheels being operatively connected to steer each of said pair of ground-engaging wheels.

Claim 8

The lawn mower of claim 1 wherein said height adjusting means includes a pivotable member secured at one end to said hood member and at the other to an adjusting member; a handle secured to said adjusting member and to said frame; said pivotable member including a pivot member secured to said frame, said height adjusting means being arranged to permit said bearings to raise or lower relative to the spindle during adjustment.

Claim 9

A rideable type lawn mower comprising: a body, including a plurality of ground-engaging wheels and a frame which includes a hood member secured to said frame, said hood member including a lower portion and an upwardly extending generally cylindrical upper portion adapted to receive a rotatable member therein; a bell-shaped rotatable cutting member including grass cutting means secured to a main portion thereof, said rotatable cutting member including a sleeve portion extending vertically from a top part of said main portion and rotatably secured in a journaled relationship by at least a pair of bearings within and spaced along said upper portion of said hood member, the rotation of said cutting means defining a path contained within the area of said lower portion of said hood member, said cutting means including a flange portion extending outwardly from a bottom edge of said main portion, and a plurality of blades secured at spaced intervals to said flange portion; power means supported on said body for rotating said rotatable member to perform work by the rotation of said grass cutting means at a predetermined position relative to ground; and a canted spindle operatively connected to at least one of said ground-engaging wheels and including a portion rotatably journaled substantially entirely within and closely adjacent to the sleeve portion of said rotatable member along substantially the entire length thereof by at least a second pair of bearings spaced along said sleeve portion of said rotatable member, said first and said second pair of bearings being on a common axis, whereupon said one wheel is castered and rotatable within the area circumscribed by the rotation of said work portion of said rotatable member; and means secured to said frame and to said hood member for adjusting the cutting height of said cutting means as a unit which includes said hood member.

Claim 10

A rideable type lawn mower comprising: a body, including a plurality of ground-engaging wheels and a frame which includes a hood member secured to said frame, said hood member including a lower portion and an upwardly extending generally cylindrical upper portion adapted to receive a rotatable member therein; a bell-shaped rotatable cutting member including grass cutting means secured to a main portion thereof, said rotatable cutting member including a sleeve portion extending vertically from a top part of said main portion and rotatably secured in a journaled relationship by at least a pair of bearings within and spaced along said upper portion of said hood member, the rotation of said cutting means defining a path contained within the area of said lower portion of said hood member, said cutting means including a flange portion extending outwardly from a bottom edge of said main portion, and a plurality of blades secured at spaced intervals to said flange portion; power means supported on said body for rotating said rotatable member to perform work by the rotation of said grass cutting means at a predetermined position relative to ground; and a canted spindle operatively connected to at least one of said ground-engaging wheels and including a portion rotatably journaled substantially entirely within and closely adjacent to the sleeve portion of said rotatable member along substantially the entire length thereof by at least a second pair of bearings spaced along said sleeve portion of said rotatable member, said first and said second pair of bearings being on a common axis, whereupon said one wheel is castered and rotatable within the area circumscribed by the rotation of said work portion of said rotatable member; and means secured to said frame and to said hood member for adjusting the cutting height of said cutting means as a unit which includes said hood member.

Claim 11

The lawn mower of claim 8 wherein said height adjusting means includes a pivotable member secured at one end to said hood member and at the other to an adjusting member; a handle secured to said adjusting member and to said frame; said pivotable member including a pivot member secured to said frame, said height adjusting means being arranged to permit said bearing to raise or lower relative to the spindle during adjustment.