Safety device for mowers

Claim 2

In a mower having a source of motive power, and cutting means driven by said source of motive power, a safety device for controlling the transmission of power to said cutting means comprising clutching means controlling the transmission of power to said cutting means, clutch operating means for engaging and disengaging said clutching means, control means operable to normally maintain said clutching means in the disengaged position and manually operated means activated in response to the weight of an operator to override the effect of said control means and permit said clutching means to be maintained in the engaged and disengaged positions and upon inactivation of said manually operated means enables said control means to move the clUtching means to the disengaged position.

Claim 3

In a mower according to claim 1 wherein said control means comprises first spring means holding said clutching means in the disengaged position and said manually operated means includes a second spring and means for stressing said second spring to render the first spring ineffective to disengage the clutching means when said clutching means is moved to the engaged position.

Claim 4

In a mower according to claim 2 wherein said clutching means comprises a lever pivoted at one end and carrying a clutching pulley at the other, means including a belt for transmitting power from said power source to said cutting means, said clutching pulley when in engagement with said belt effecting transmission of power and when out of engagement with said belt interrupting transmission of power and said first spring means functions to urge said clutching pulley out of engagement with said belt.

Claim 5

In a mower according to claim 3 wherein said second spring is secured at one end to said lever at a point between said pivot and said pulley and at the other end to a support positioned relative to said lever pivot so that said second spring will shift from one side of said pivot to the other side when said lever and pulley are moved to and from the belt engaging position.

Claim 6

In a mower according to claim 4 wherein said clutch operating means comprises manually operated means for moving said lever and clutching pulley into and out of the belt engaging position.

Claim 7

In a mower according to claim 2 including an operator''s seat carried by said mower, means interconnected with said seat and displaced in response to the weight of an operator in said seat and means coupling the last said means with said second spring whereby said second spring is stressed by the weight of the operator in said seat and is relaxed when the operator is removed.

Claim 8

In a self-propelled riding mower having at least three wheels, a source of motive power for driving at least one of said wheels, cutting means carried by said mower and an operator''s seat, a safety device for controlling the transmission of power to said cutting means comprising clutching means controlling the transmission of power to said cutting means, control means normally urging said clutching means into the disengaged position to interrupt transmission of power to said cutting means, manually operated means for moving said clutch between the engaged and disengaged positions and means responsive to the weight of an operator in said seat for over-riding said control means and permit said clutching means to be retained in the engaged position for driving said cutting means, said clutching means comprising a first pulley coupled to said cutting means, a second pulley coupled to said source of motive power, a belt loosely coupling and in slipping engagement with said pulleys and a third pulley movable to and from a position in engagement with said belt, said third pulley when in engagement with said belt effecting transmission of power from said second pulley to said first pulley, said manually operated means comprises a vertically disposed shaft rotatably mounted for movement about its longitudinal axis, a lever secured at one end to said shaft and carrying said third pulley on the other end thereof, said control means comprises a first spring urging said lever in a direction to move said third pulley away from said belt, and said weight responsive means comprises a second spring connected at one end to said lever, mechanical means associated with said seat and displaced by the weight of the operator and a coupling between the other end of the second spring and said mechanical means, said second spring when said clutching means is disengaged lying on one side of said shaft and when in the engaged position lying on the other side of said shaft whereby actuation of said mechanical means by the weight of said operator stresses said second spring to counteract the force of said first spring when said cLutching means is in the engaged position and hold the clutching means in the last said position and to supplement the action of the first spring when the clutching means is in the disengaged position.

Claim 9

In a self-propelled riding mower having at least three wheels, a source of motive power for driving at least one of said wheels, cutting means carried by said mower and an operator''s seat, a safety device for controlling the transmission of power to said cutting means comprising clutching means controlling the transmission of power to said cutting means, control means normally urging said clutching means into the disengaged position to interrupt transmission of power to said cutting means, manually operated means for moving said clutch between the engaged and disengaged positions and means responsive to the weight of an operator in said seat for over-riding said control means and permit said clutching means to be retained in the engaged position for driving said cutting means, said clutching means comprising a first pulley coupled to said cutting means, a second pulley coupled to said source of motive power, a belt loosely coupling and in slipping engagement with said pulleys and a third pulley movable to and from a position in engagement with said belt, said third pulley when in engagement with said belt effecting transmission of power from said second pulley to said first pulley, said manually operated means comprises a vertically disposed shaft rotatably mounted for movement about its longitudinal axis, a lever secured at one end to said shaft and carrying said third pulley on the other end thereof, said control means comprises a first spring urging said lever in a direction to move said third pulley away from said belt, and said weight responsive means comprises a second spring connected at one end to said lever, mechanical means associated with said seat and displaced by the weight of the operator and a coupling between the other end of the second spring and said mechanical means, said second spring when said clutching means is disengaged lying on one side of said shaft and when in the engaged position lying on the other side of said shaft whereby actuation of said mechanical means by the weight of said operator stresses said second spring to counteract the force of said first spring when said cLutching means is in the engaged position and hold the clutching means in the last said position and to supplement the action of the first spring when the clutching means is in the disengaged position.