US4391041A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Powered ground care implement
Assignee: Toro Co
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Filing: 1981-04-20
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Granted: 1983-07-05
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Expires: 2001-04-20
Abstract
Abstract A powered ground care implement (2) includes a rotatable cutting head (14) having a filament line (16) for severing ground growing vegetation. An upwardly extending handle assembly (4) includes an engine (10) mounted at the top thereof. Engine (10) is fixedly secured to a backing plate (30) which is mounted by rubber mounting blocks (60) in an engine housing (12) secured to handle assembly (4). This vibrationally isolates engine (10) from handle assembly (4). Starter (80) having an active element (91) and a passive element (93) is contained in engine housing (12) with the active element (91) being secured to engine (10). In addition, a flexible drive cable (100) has an output end (101) non-rotatably received in recess (102) in the end of the crankshaft (23) of the engine (10).
Inventors
- 👤 David E. Porter-Bennett
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 08:21
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02B; F02B77/00; F02B77/11; F02B77/13; A; A01; A01D; A01D34/00; A01D34/01; A01D34/412; A01D34/416; F02B63/00; F02B63/02; F02F; F02F7/00; F02F7/0065; F02F7/008; F02B75/00; F02B75/02; F02B2075/022; F02B2075/025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
215 words
A powered ground care implement, which comprises: (a) active means for performing a grooming or working action on the ground or ground growing vegetation; (b) an elongated upwardly extending handle assembly having a lower end on which the active means is carried, the handle assembly being sufficiently long so that a standing operator can hold the handle assembly while positioning the active means closely adjacent to or in contact with the ground; (c) engine means for driving the active means, wherein the engine means has a crankshaft configured to cause engine vibration substantially more in a first direction than in other directions; and (d) means for mounting the engine means on the handle assembly, wherein the mounting means includes means for vibrationally isolating the engine means from the handle assembly to help an operator hold the handle assembly when the engine means is operating, wherein the mounting means has means for damping out vibration primarily in the first direction, and wherein the mounting means comprises: (i) a backing plate fixedly secured to the engine means; (ii) an engine housing fixedly secured to the handle assembly for receiving the backing plate; (iii) flexible means for mounting the backing plate in the engine housing so that vibration of the engine means is not transmitted to the housing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
215 words
A powered ground care implement, which comprises: (a) active means for performing a grooming or working action on the ground or ground growing vegetation; (b) an elongated upwardly extending handle assembly having a lower end on which the active means is carried, the handle assembly being sufficiently long so that a standing operator can hold the handle assembly while positioning the active means closely adjacent to or in contact with the ground; (c) engine means for driving the active means, wherein the engine means has a crankshaft configured to cause engine vibration substantially more in a first direction than in other directions; and (d) means for mounting the engine means on the handle assembly, wherein the mounting means includes means for vibrationally isolating the engine means from the handle assembly to help an operator hold the handle assembly when the engine means is operating, wherein the mounting means has means for damping out vibration primarily in the first direction, and wherein the mounting means comprises: (i) a backing plate fixedly secured to the engine means; (ii) an engine housing fixedly secured to the handle assembly for receiving the backing plate; (iii) flexible means for mounting the backing plate in the engine housing so that vibration of the engine means is not transmitted to the housing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
An implement as recited in claim 1, wherein the engine means is an internal combustion engine.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
An implement as recited in claim 1, wherein the crankshaft has a balance factor in the range of 2-20%.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
An implement as recited in claim 3, wherein the crankshaft has a balance factor in the range of 5-13%.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
67 words
An implement as recited in claim 1, wherein the flexible means comprises a plurality of flexible mounting blocks having a first portion secured to the backing plate and having a second portion secured to the housing, the first and second portions being capable of movement relative to each other in the first direction so that vibration of the engine means in the first direction is damped out.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
64 words
An implement as recited in claim 1, wherein the mounting blocks have a central portion received in the backing plate and outwardly extending ends substantially immovably received in opposed recesses in the engine housing, wherein the central portion is free relative to the housing to deflect up or down relative to the ends of the blocks to damp out motion in the first direction.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
An implement as recited in claim 6, wherein all the mounting blocks are located substantially in the same plane.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
180 words
A powered ground care implement, which comprises: (a) active means for performing a grooming or working action on the ground or ground growing vegetation; (b) an elongated upwardly extending handle assemby having a lower end on which the active means is carried, the handle assembly being sufficiently long so that a standing operator can hold the handle assembly while positioning the active means closely adjacent to or in contact with the ground; (c) engine means for driving the active means; (d) means for mounting the engine means on the handle assembly, wherein the mounting means includes means for vibrationally isolating the engine means from the handle assembly to help an operator hold the handle assembly when the engine means is operating; and (e) a starter comprising an active element and a passive element selectively engagable with the active element for starting the engine means, wherein the active element is fixedly carried by the handle assembly and the passive element is carried on the engine means so that the engine vibration is not transmitted to the active element of the starter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
180 words
A powered ground care implement, which comprises: (a) active means for performing a grooming or working action on the ground or ground growing vegetation; (b) an elongated upwardly extending handle assemby having a lower end on which the active means is carried, the handle assembly being sufficiently long so that a standing operator can hold the handle assembly while positioning the active means closely adjacent to or in contact with the ground; (c) engine means for driving the active means; (d) means for mounting the engine means on the handle assembly, wherein the mounting means includes means for vibrationally isolating the engine means from the handle assembly to help an operator hold the handle assembly when the engine means is operating; and (e) a starter comprising an active element and a passive element selectively engagable with the active element for starting the engine means, wherein the active element is fixedly carried by the handle assembly and the passive element is carried on the engine means so that the engine vibration is not transmitted to the active element of the starter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
63 words
An implement as recited in claim 8, wherein the active element of the starter comprises an outwardly extendable starting lug, and wherein the passive element of the starter includes a plurality of spaced ears any one of which is engageable by the starting lug in its extended position to rotatably couple the passive element to the active element for starting the engine means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
An implement as recited in claim 9, wherein the passive element includes a cup-shaped member secured to a crankshaft of the engine means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
166 words
A powered ground care implement, which comprises: (a) active means for performing a grooming or working action on the ground or ground growing vegetation; (b) an elongated upwardly extending handle assembly having a lower end on which the active means is carried; (c) engine means for driving the active means, wherein the engine means includes a crankshaft having an output end; and (d) a flexible drive cable extending between the engine means and the active means for driving the active means, wherein the drive cable includes a driven end having a cross-sectional configuration which is shaped to be non-rotatably received in a recess in the output end of the crankshaft, whereby the drive cable is attached to the crankshaft simply by virtue of the mating of its driven end and the output end of the crankshaft, and wherein the drive cable is under compression between the active means and the crankshaft to retain the driven end of the cable in the output end of the crankshaft.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
166 words
A powered ground care implement, which comprises: (a) active means for performing a grooming or working action on the ground or ground growing vegetation; (b) an elongated upwardly extending handle assembly having a lower end on which the active means is carried; (c) engine means for driving the active means, wherein the engine means includes a crankshaft having an output end; and (d) a flexible drive cable extending between the engine means and the active means for driving the active means, wherein the drive cable includes a driven end having a cross-sectional configuration which is shaped to be non-rotatably received in a recess in the output end of the crankshaft, whereby the drive cable is attached to the crankshaft simply by virtue of the mating of its driven end and the output end of the crankshaft, and wherein the drive cable is under compression between the active means and the crankshaft to retain the driven end of the cable in the output end of the crankshaft.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
179 words
A powered ground care implement, which comprises: (a) active means for performing a grooming or working action on the ground or ground growing vegetation; (b) an elongated upwardly extending handle assembly having a lower end on which the active means is carried, the handle assembly being sufficiently long so that a standing operator can hold the handle assembly while positioning the active means closely adjacent to or in contact with the ground; (c) engine means for driving the active means; and (d) means for mounting the engine on the handle assembly, wherein the mounting means includes means for vibrationally isolating the engine means from the handle assembly to help an operator hold the handle assembly when the engine means is operating, and wherein the mounting means comprises: (i) a backing plate fixedly secured to the engine means; (ii) an engine housing fixedly secured to the handle assembly for receiving the backing plate; and (iii) a flexible means for mounting the backing plate in the engine housing so that vibration of the engine means is not transmitted to the housing.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
179 words
A powered ground care implement, which comprises: (a) active means for performing a grooming or working action on the ground or ground growing vegetation; (b) an elongated upwardly extending handle assembly having a lower end on which the active means is carried, the handle assembly being sufficiently long so that a standing operator can hold the handle assembly while positioning the active means closely adjacent to or in contact with the ground; (c) engine means for driving the active means; and (d) means for mounting the engine on the handle assembly, wherein the mounting means includes means for vibrationally isolating the engine means from the handle assembly to help an operator hold the handle assembly when the engine means is operating, and wherein the mounting means comprises: (i) a backing plate fixedly secured to the engine means; (ii) an engine housing fixedly secured to the handle assembly for receiving the backing plate; and (iii) a flexible means for mounting the backing plate in the engine housing so that vibration of the engine means is not transmitted to the housing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
209 words
A powered ground care implement, which comprises; (a) active means for performing a grooming or working action on the ground or ground growing vegetation; (b) a handle assembly on which the active means is carried; (c) engine means for driving the active means; and (d) means for mounting the engine means on the handle assembly, wherein the mounting means includes means for vibrationally isolating the engine means from the handle assembly to help an operator hold the handle assembly when the engine means is operating, wherein the mounting means comprises: (i) a backing plate fixedly secured to the engine means; (ii) an engine housing fixedly secured to the handle assembly for receiving the backing plate, the engine housing having a plurality of sets of opposed recesses therein; and (iii) a plurality of flexible mounting blocks for securing the backing plate to the engine housing, wherein the mounting blocks have a central portion received in the backing plate and outwardly extending ends substantially immovably received in the opposed recesses of each set in the engine housing, wherein the central portion is free relative to the housing to deflect up or down relative to the ends of the blocks to damp out motion of the backing plate in a first direction.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
209 words
A powered ground care implement, which comprises; (a) active means for performing a grooming or working action on the ground or ground growing vegetation; (b) a handle assembly on which the active means is carried; (c) engine means for driving the active means; and (d) means for mounting the engine means on the handle assembly, wherein the mounting means includes means for vibrationally isolating the engine means from the handle assembly to help an operator hold the handle assembly when the engine means is operating, wherein the mounting means comprises: (i) a backing plate fixedly secured to the engine means; (ii) an engine housing fixedly secured to the handle assembly for receiving the backing plate, the engine housing having a plurality of sets of opposed recesses therein; and (iii) a plurality of flexible mounting blocks for securing the backing plate to the engine housing, wherein the mounting blocks have a central portion received in the backing plate and outwardly extending ends substantially immovably received in the opposed recesses of each set in the engine housing, wherein the central portion is free relative to the housing to deflect up or down relative to the ends of the blocks to damp out motion of the backing plate in a first direction.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
151 words
A powered ground care implement, which comprises: (a) an active means for performing a grooming or working action on the ground or ground growing vegetation; (b) a handle assembly on which the active means is carried; (c) engine means for driving the active means, wherein the engine means includes a cylinder and a carburetor for providing a fuel-air mixture which is burned in the cylinder; and (d) means for mounting the engine means on the handle assembly, wherein the engine mounting means comprises a non-metallic backing plate secured to the engine means and received on the handle assembly for mounting the engine means thereon, wherein the backing plate has a fuel passageway located between the carburetor and the cylinder which fuel passageway is sufficiently long to substantially reduce the rate of heat transfer from the engine means to the carburetor, whereby starting of the engine in a warm condition is enhanced.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
151 words
A powered ground care implement, which comprises: (a) an active means for performing a grooming or working action on the ground or ground growing vegetation; (b) a handle assembly on which the active means is carried; (c) engine means for driving the active means, wherein the engine means includes a cylinder and a carburetor for providing a fuel-air mixture which is burned in the cylinder; and (d) means for mounting the engine means on the handle assembly, wherein the engine mounting means comprises a non-metallic backing plate secured to the engine means and received on the handle assembly for mounting the engine means thereon, wherein the backing plate has a fuel passageway located between the carburetor and the cylinder which fuel passageway is sufficiently long to substantially reduce the rate of heat transfer from the engine means to the carburetor, whereby starting of the engine in a warm condition is enhanced.
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) | 1986-07-04 | 1987-01-03 | 1987-07-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-07-04 | 1991-01-03 | 1991-07-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-07-04 | 1995-01-03 | 1995-07-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |