Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6662538
-
Patent Number
6,662,538
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, August 28, 200122 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, December 16, 200320 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Emerson; Roger D.
- Bennett; Timothy D.
- McDowell; Brouse
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 060 487
- 060 490
- 060 491
- 056 118
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A lawn mower has a mainframe, a sub-frame bolted onto the mainframe for ease of installation and removal and traction motors mounted on the sub-frame. The traction motors have shafts for driving engagement with drive wheels used in moving the lawn mower. Hydraulic pumps are mounted onto the sub-frame and have pump drive pulleys. Pump belts operatively connect the pump drive pulleys to the mower driven pulley. Preferably the sub-frame has end plates connected by tie rods. Each of the end plates supports one of the traction motors on one side and one of the frame pumps on the other side.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A. Field of Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of methods and apparatuses for a lawn mower having a power head main frame and a sub-frame.
B. Description of the Related Art
Currently in the art of lawn mowers, zero turn ride on mowers are well known and are designed so that the traction drive transmission components are individually mounted on the main frame. A series of holes in the mounting surface are provided to accommodate a variety of components. The individual hydraulic pumps and left and right traction motors are mounted separately on the frame to accommodate various sizes and configurations of mowers. Accordingly, when assembling a mower, the hydraulic pumps and left and right traction motors are mounted on the main frame, adjusted for alignment, and connected with the rear engine on the main frame. This piece-by-piece assembly is time consuming and requires the skills of trained personnel.
Another problem arises when mowers need to be repaired in the field. When the main frame is bent or broken the current practice has been to replace the complete main frame assembly. This is costly from a labor and materials standpoint. Also if individual pumps or traction motors need to serviced and repaired, difficulties have been encountered gaining access to the product fittings, mounting hardware, and hydraulic pumps.
The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for reducing these problems. The difficulties that are inherit in the art are therefore overcome in a way that is simple and efficient, while providing better and more advantageous results.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention, the lawn mower includes a main frame, a sub-frame mounted on the main frame, traction motors mounted on the sub-frame and having shafts for driving engagement with wheels of the mower, hydraulic pumps mounted on the sub-frame, pump drive pulleys mounted on the pumps, a main frame mower driven pulley mounted on the main frame, and pump belts trained around the pump pulleys and the mower-drive pulley.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sub-frame assembly for mounting on a lawn mower main frame comprising parallel spaced apart end plates, connecting rods between the end plates, and traction motors mounted on the end plates for supporting drive wheels of the mower.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of installing a sub-frame assembly on a main frame of a mower having a power source is provided wherein traction motors and wheels are mounted on the sub-frame apart from the main frame and the sub-frame with the traction motors is then fastened to the main frame and connected to the power source on the main frame.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is an elevation of the sub-frame mounted on the main frame with parts being broken away.
FIG. 2
is a fragmentary end view of the sub-frame and main frame taken along the plane of line
2
—
2
in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
is an elevation of the sub-frame embodying the invention.
FIG. 4
is a bottom view of the sub-frame taken along the plane of line
4
—
4
in FIG.
3
.
FIG. 5
is a sectional end view of a sub-frame end plates and connecting bars taken along the plane of line
5
—
5
in FIG.
4
.
FIG. 6
is an elevation like
FIG. 1
of a second embodiment with the power take off having a horizontal shaft.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference now to the drawings, which are for the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention and a modification only and not for the purpose of limiting the same,
FIGS. 1-5
show a main-frame and sub-frame assembly
10
for a lawn mower having a power source such as an engine, not shown, mounted on a main frame
12
. In accordance with the invention a sub-frame
14
is fastened to the main frame as by bolts
16
, extending through plates
18
fastened to the edges of the main frame
12
and through end plates
20
of the sub-frame
14
. As shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5
the sub-frame
14
has end plates
20
, tie rods
22
,
24
, and
26
fastened to the lower edges of the end plates as by welding. Bolt holes
30
at the upper edge of the end plates
20
and
22
, provide for receiving bolts
16
, removably connecting the sub-frame
14
to the main frame
18
.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, the sub-frame components of the end plate
20
are shown it being understood that the components mounted on the end plate at the other side are the same. Mounted on the inner face of the end plate
20
is a hydraulic pump
32
driven by a pump drive pulley
34
, mounted on the hydraulic pump. As shown in
FIG. 1
a power shaft
36
rotated by an engine mounted on the main frame
12
extends vertically into the space between the hydraulic pump
32
and a similar hydraulic pump
38
mounted on the opposite end plate, not shown. The hydraulic pump
38
also has a pump drive pulley
40
. The power shaft
36
has pulleys
42
and
44
in alignment with the pump drive pulleys
34
and
40
so that V-belts
46
and
48
, may be trained around these pulleys and the pump drive pulleys
34
and
40
for driving the hydraulic pumps
32
and
38
. Also mounted on the end plate
20
is a traction motor
50
fastened by bolts
52
threaded through boltholes
54
in the end plate.
A wheel
54
may be bolted on a hub
56
of a shaft
58
driven by the traction motor
50
by nuts
60
on studs
62
of the hub
56
. Tire
64
may be mounted on the wheel
54
. A similar traction motor, wheel and tire may be mounted on the opposite plate
22
.
Referring to
FIG. 6
a modification is shown in which the power shaft
36
′ extends in a horizontal direction and similar parts are identified with the same numerals, but with an apostrophe for this modification. In order to drive the hydraulic pumps
32
′ and
38
′ with the power shaft
36
′ the pumps are rotated to the position shown in FIG.
6
. The pulleys
34
′ and
40
′ rotate about horizontal axes and the V-belts
46
′ and
48
′ may then be trained over the drive pulleys
40
′ and
44
′.
It is to be understood that the controls for the traction motor
50
mounted on end plate
20
and the traction motor mounted on end plate
22
are well known in the art and also the hydraulic hoses
66
,
67
,
68
,
69
,
70
,
71
, and
72
attached to the hydraulic pumps
32
and
38
may be connected to suitable components on the main frame
12
. These connections may be of a quick disconnect type.
In the manufacture of the lawn mower, traction motors
50
and the hydraulic pumps
32
and
38
are mounted on the sub-frames
14
. By mounting the assembled sub-frame
14
on the main frames
12
the manufacture of the lawn mowers is simplified. The sub-frame assembly may also be stock piled to facilitate assembly of the mowers.
In addition to this advantage in assembling the mower, the service and maintenance are facilitated by the ability to move the sub-frame
14
and the attached components as a unit. This makes repair easier because the unit sub-frame is separate and can be pulled away from the main frame as a unit. It also can be replaced with a substitute sub-frame assembly
14
, which can be mounted on the main frame and the defective sub-frame assembly transported back to a maintenance facility, which is adapted to repair the parts of the sub-frame assembly.
The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obvious modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading of the specification. It is intended by the applicant to include all modifications and alterations in so far that they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof. Having thus described the invention, it is now claimed:
Claims
- 1. A lawn mower comprising a main frame, a sub-frame mounted on said main frame, wherein said sub-frame is bolted on said main frame for ease of installation and removal, traction motors mounted on said sub-frame and having shafts for driving engagement with wheels of said mower, hydraulic pumps mounted on said sub-frame, pump driven pulleys mounted on said hydraulic pumps, main frame mower drive pulleys mounted on said main frame and pump belts trained around said pump driven pulleys and said mower drive pulleys; wherein, said sub-frame end plates connected by tie rods, each of said end plates supporting one of said traction motors on an outer side and one of said frame pumps on an inner side and each of said pump driven pulleys being connected to said mower drive pulleys mounted on a main frame mower drive shaft.
- 2. A lawn mower according to claim 1 further comprising said main frame mower drive shaft being in a generally vertical portion and said pump drive pulleys being rotatable about generally vertical axes.
- 3. A lawn mower according to claim 1 further comprising a main frame mower drive shaft being in a generally horizontal position and said pump drive pulleys being rotated about generally horizontal axes.
US Referenced Citations (17)