Lawnmower Blade Sharpener

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method of sharpening reel blades on a lawnmower reel includes positioning a grinding wheel in contact with the reel, rotating the grinding wheel about an axis of rotation, linearly translating the grinding wheel along a longitudinal path. and rotating the reel about its longitudinal axis. The axis of rotation of the grinding wheel is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the reel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure may be better understood with reference to the following drawings. Matching reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the drawings, and components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lawnmower reel of the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a partial side elevational view of a reel blade of the prior art, illustrating a cutting edge, a cutting surface, and a relief angle of the reel blade.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of an embodiment of a lawnmower blade sharpener of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lawnmower blade sharpener shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lawnmower blade sharpener of FIG. 3 coupled to a plurality of feet, illustrating a reel positioned below the lawnmower blade sharpener.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a lawnmower blade sharpener of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a rotary blade attachment that can be attached to an embodiment of the lawnmower blade sharpener to sharpen rotary lawnmower blades, the attachment being illustrated with the lawnmower blade sharpener shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method of sharpening a reel of a reel lawnmower.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method of sharpening a rotary blade of a rotary lawnmower.

Claims

1. A method of sharpening reel blades on a lawnmower reel, the method comprising: positioning a grinding wheel in contact with the reel so that an axis of rotation of the grinding wheel is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the reel;rotating the grinding wheel about its axis of rotation;linearly translating the grinding wheel along a longitudinal path; androtating the reel about its longitudinal axis.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the grinding wheel in contact with the reel comprises positioning the grinding wheel so that the axis of rotation of the grinding wheel is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the reel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the grinding wheel in contact with the reel comprises: positioning the grinding wheel so that the axis of rotation of the grinding wheel is transverse to a cutting edge of the reel blade, and the axis of rotation of the grinding wheel is parallel to a cutting surface of the reel blade, andtangentially contacting the cutting surface of the reel blade with an outer surface of the grinding wheel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein rotating the grinding wheel about its axis of rotation comprises moving an outer surface of the grinding wheel tangentially along a cutting surface of the reel blade in a direction that is generally parallel to a cutting edge of the reel blade, so that the grinding wheel sharpens the cutting edge and levels the cutting surface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein linearly translating the grinding wheel along a longitudinal path comprises linearly translating the grinding wheel in a direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the reel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein rotating the reel about its longitudinal axis comprises rotating the reel about one to two revolutions per minute.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the grinding wheel is simultaneously rotated about its axis of rotation and linearly translated along the longitudinal path.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein rotating the reel about its longitudinal axis comprises rotating the reel while maintaining a distance between the longitudinal axis of the reel and an outer surface of the grinding wheel, so that relatively uniform leveling of the reel blades is facilitated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein: a plane is defined by the path of linear translation of the grinding wheel and the longitudinal axis of the reel; andthe axis of rotation of the grinding wheel is perpendicular to the plane.

10. A lawnmower blade sharpener, comprising: a supporting frame;a carriage assembly coupled to the supporting frame, the carriage assembly including a longitudinally extending railway and a carriage slidably mounted on the railway;a grinding wheel coupled to the carriage, the grinding wheel having an axis of rotation that is transverse to the railway; anda powering device coupled to the grinding wheel, the powering device being configured to rotate the grinding wheel about the axis of rotation.

11. The lawnmower blade sharpener of claim 10, wherein one or more components of the supporting frame and the carriage assembly are made from aluminum.

12. The lawnmower blade sharpener of claim 10, further comprising another powering device configured to linearly translate the carriage along the railway.

13. The lawnmower blade sharpener of claim 10, wherein an outer surface of the grinding wheel is a tapered bell shape.

14. The lawnmower blade sharpener of claim 10, wherein the carriage assembly can be pivoted between a first position and a second position, the axis of rotation of the grinding wheel being substantially parallel to a plane defined by supporting frame when the carriage assembly is in the first position, and the axis of rotation of the grinding wheel being substantially perpendicular to the plane when the carriage assembly is in the second position.

15. The lawnmower blade sharpener of claim 14, further comprising a rotary blade attachment that can be positioned in the sharpener to sharpen rotary blades, the rotary blade attachment including: at least one mounting plate;a clamping mechanism that can couple a rotary blade to the mounting plate; andan adjuster than can be used to level the rotary blade.

16. A lawnmower blade sharpener comprising: a grinding wheel having an axis of rotation;means for rotating the grinding wheel about the axis of rotation; andmeans for moving the grinding wheel along a path of linear translation, the path of linear translation of the grinding wheel being transverse to the axis of rotation of the grinding wheel, such that when a lawnmower reel is placed in the sharpener with a longitudinal axis of the reel extending along the path of linear translation, the axis of rotation of the grinding wheel is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the reel.

17. The lawnmower blade sharpener of claim 16, wherein the axis of rotation of the grinding wheel is perpendicular to the path of linear translation of the grinding wheel.

18. The lawnmower blade sharpener of claim 16, wherein the lawnmower blade sharpener further comprises means for holding the reel, such that a distance from the longitudinal axis of the reel to an outer surface of the grinding wheel is maintained during sharpening.

19. The lawnmower blade sharpener of claim 18, wherein: the means for holding the reel aligns the reel with the path of linear translation of the grinding wheel, such that the longitudinal axis of the reel and the path of linear translation of the grinding wheel define a plane; andthe axis of rotation of the grinding wheel is perpendicular to the plane.

20. The lawnmower blade sharpener of claim 16, wherein the means for rotating the grinding wheel about its axis of rotation is a pneumatic motor coupled to the grinding wheel.

21. The lawnmower blade sharpener of claim 16, wherein the means for moving the grinding wheel along the path of linear translation is a carriage assembly coupled to a supporting frame, the carriage assembly including: a railway extending between members of the supporting frame, the railway defining the path of linear translation, anda carriage positioned on the railway, the grinding wheel being coupled to the carriage such that sliding the carriage along the railway moves the grinding wheel along the path of linear translation.

22. The lawnmower blade sharpener of claim 16, further comprising means for automating the movement of the grinding wheel along the path of linear translation, and means for automating the rotation of the reel about its longitudinal axis.

23. A method of sharpening a rotary lawnmower blade comprising: positioning a lip of a cupped grinding wheel in contact with a cutting surface of a rotary blade, an axis of rotation of the cupped grinding wheel being perpendicular to the cutting surface of the rotary blade;rotating the cupped grinding wheel about its axis of rotation;linearly translating the cupped grinding wheel along a longitudinal path, the longitudinal path being substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal length of the rotary blade.