Claims
- 1. A cutting apparatus for lawns with a grass catcher for clippings, comprising:
- a housing for moving along the surface of the grass;
- a cutting mechanism disposed in said housing for cutting the grass and creating clippings internal to said housing;
- a primary discharge port for interfacing between the interior of said housing and the exterior thereof for discharging clippings at an angle of less than 45.degree. relative to the surface of the ground;
- means for discharging grass clippings from the interior of said housing out through said primary discharge port, said means for discharging tolerant to back pressure such that a high volumetric flow of grass clippings is maintained for a substantially wide range of back pressures on said primary discharge port;
- a diverter for diverting the clippings from said primary discharge port to a secondary discharge port, said secondary discharge port oriented at an angle greater than 90.degree. relative to the surface of the grass;
- a substantially sealed receptacle having an inlet port for interfacing with said secondary discharge port, said receptacle for holding the clippings; and
- means for supporting said receptacle relative to said housing.
- 2. The grass catcher of claim 1 wherein said means for supporting is disposed substantially overhead said cutting mechanism to provide a balanced relationship between said housing and said receptacle when said receptacle is full of grass clippings.
- 3. The grass catcher of claim 1 wherein said housing operates on air pressure to maintain said housing above the surface of the grass.
- 4. The grass catcher of claim 1 wherein said means for discharging the grass clippings comprises:
- an impeller mounted in said housing for common rotation with said cutting mechanism; and
- a projection device for projecting into said housing to reduce the air leakage therefrom;
- said projection device being disposed on the opposite side of said cutting mechanism from said impeller.
- 5. The grass catcher of claim 4 wherein said projection device is comprised of a relatively flat plate member attached to a bottom part of said housing for directing at least some of the air within said housing substantially laterally relative to the support surface.
- 6. The grass catcher of claim 1 wherein said primary discharge port is circular shaped and said diverter comprises a conduit having an arcuate shape with two open ends, one end for interfacing with said primary discharge port and the other end thereof comprising said secondary discharge port.
- 7. A cutting apparatus and associated grass catcher, comprising:
- a housing for moving along the surface of the grass;
- a rotary cutting mechanism for being disposed in the housing for cutting the grass;
- a motor for being disposed on the upper surface of said housing and substantially centered with respect thereto, said motor driving said rotary cutting mechanism;
- a primary discharge port for being disposed on said housing for allowing clippings to be discharged therethrough from the interior of said housing to the exterior thereof;
- a diverter for being connected to said primary discharge port for diverting the clippings discharged by said primary discharge port to a secondary discharge port that is directed toward a plane that is disposed over said motor;
- means for discharging the clippings through said primary discharge port to said diverter;
- a support disposed in said plane over said motor; and
- a receptacle for interfacing with said secondary discharge port and disposed on said support, said receptacle for holding the grass clippings.
- 8. The cutting apparatus of claim 7 wherein said housing is operable to be supported by air and further comprising means for generating positive pressure within said housing.
- 9. The cutting apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means for generating a positive pressure also includes said means for discharging.
- 10. The cutting apparatus of claim 7 wherein said housing further comprises a pivoting handle that has a defined plane with first and second protrusions extending downward therefrom, first and second protrusions pivotally interfaced with said housing on either side of said mower about the center of said housing, said handle operable to pivot wherein said support is comprised of a flat member having one side thereof anchored to said handle when said handle is in an operating position, said handle in said operating position orienting the upper surface of said support substantially horizontal with said housing and disposed over said motor.
- 11. The cutting apparatus of claim 10 wherein said receptacle comprises:
- a container having a lower surface for interfacing with the upper surface of said support and at least one opening for receiving grass clippings;
- a flange disposed over said one opening and oriented such that said flange is in a plane parallel and adjacent to the plane of said handle, said secondary discharge port oriented such that it extends through and centrally disposed with respect to said flange;
- sealing means for being disposed in said flange and for sealing around said secondary discharge port; and
- securing means for securing said container on said support:
- wherein pivoting of said handle away from said secondary discharge port allows disengagement of said secondary discharge port from said sealing means such that said container can be removed from said securing means.
- 12. The cutting apparatus of claim 11 wherein said container includes a lifting handle on the upper surface thereof for gripping purposes.
- 13. The cutting apparatus of claim 12 and further comprising a second lifting handle disposed on the side and rearmost portion of said container proximate to said flange for assisting in removing said container from said support.
- 14. The cutting apparatus of claim 11 wherein said securing means includes a rigid end cap disposed on the portion of said support at the forewardmost portion and on the upper surface thereof, said end cap having a cavity that faces rearward toward said handle and dimensioned to receive the forwardmost end of said container wherein said container is operable to have the end thereof inserted into said end cap and rotated downward until said flange contacts the surface of said handle.
- 15. The cutting apparatus of claim 14 wherein said container has an access opening disposed in the forwardmost end thereof that interfaces with said end cap such that when the forwardmost end of said container is disposed in said end cap, said end cap forming a seal therewith such that said container forms a substantially sealed volume.
- 16. The cutting apparatus of claim 11 wherein said diverter comprises a length of conduit being arcuate in shape having first and second ends, said first end interfaced with said primary discharge port and said second end comprising said secondary discharge port and oriented such that it is directed toward the interior of said container at said flange.
- 17. The cutting apparatus of claim 16 wherein at least a portion of said conduit is flexible to allow said second end of said conduit to expand outward along the longitudinal access thereof and compress along the longitudinal access thereof.
- 18. The cutting apparatus of claim 11 wherein said support further comprises a protrusion extending outward in a forward direction and downward, and said support is dimensioned such that when said handle is pivoted upward, said protrusion contacts the ground in front of said housing to provide an anchoring operation.
- 19. The cutting apparatus of claim 11 and further comprising a stabilizing device for stabilizing the handle relative to the ground when in a stationary position, said stabilizing device operable to be pivoted on said handle from a retracted to an extended position, said stabilizing device in the extended position extending downward from the pivoting point on said handle to said ground, the most distal end of said stabilizing device contacting the ground to provide an anchoring point therewith.
- 20. The cutting apparatus of claim 11 wherein said sealing means comprises a resilient gasket having an opening disposed therethrough, said opening dimensioned to be slightly less than the dimension of said secondary discharge port.
- 21. The cutting apparatus of claim 11 wherein said receptacle comprises a rigid housing.
- 22. The cutting apparatus of claim 11 wherein said container comprises a frameless canvas bag having at least one open end interfaced with said flange.
- 23. The cutting apparatus of claim 22 wherein said canvas bag includes a second opening and a zipper for sealing said second opening.
- 24. The cutting apparatus of claim 22 wherein said securing means includes:
- an end cap having a cavity formed therein and extending upward from the surface of said support and disposed on the forwardmost portion of said support, said cavity facing rearward relative to said support, said cavity dimensioned slightly smaller than the dimension of the end of said canvas bag diametrically opposite to said flange such that the discharging operation of clippings through said secondary discharge port is operable to inflate said canvas bag to form a secure fit at the end of said canvas bag within said cavity.
- 25. The cutting apparatus of claim 22 wherein said securing means comprises longitudinal rails disposed along either side of said support for cooperating with the lower and outer edges of said canvas bag such that when said clippings are discharged into said canvas bag, said canvas bag expands and extends outward to contact said rails, the distance between said rails being slightly less than the dimension of said canvas bag on the lower surface thereof.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent Ser. No. 395,799, filed Aug. 18, 1989, now abandoned, which is incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
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395799 |
Aug 1989 |
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