High clearance mower hitch

摘要

A rotary mower has a center mower deck and a hitch arm assembly adapted at a front end for connection to a tractor drawbar. A hydraulic pump is mounted on the hitch arm assembly and connected to a hydraulic motor mounted on the center mower. An upward arm section of the hitch arm assembly extends upward from a front portion of the hitch arm assembly to provide a desired clearance distance between a middle arm section of the hitch arm assembly and the ground, and a downward arm section of the hitch arm assembly extends downward from the middle arm section to a rear end of the hitch arm assembly which is pivotally connected to the mower deck about a hitch pivot axis oriented horizontally and perpendicular to the operating travel direction. The hitch pivot axis is located at a vertical position below top edges of the front wheels.

主权项

1. A rotary mower apparatus comprising:
a center mower deck mounted on front and rear wheels for movement along a ground surface in an operating travel direction; a hitch arm assembly adapted at a front end thereof for connection to a drawbar of a tractor; a hydraulic pump mounted on the hitch arm assembly, and a pump driveshaft adapted at a front end thereof for attachment to a power take-off of the tractor, and connected at a rear end thereof to the hydraulic pump; a hydraulic motor mounted on the center mower deck and connected to rotate a blade under the center mower deck, the hydraulic motor connected to receive pressurized hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump; wherein an upward arm section of the hitch arm assembly extends upward from a front portion of the hitch arm assembly to provide a desired clearance distance between a middle arm section of the hitch arm assembly and the ground surface, and a downward arm section of the hitch arm assembly extends downward from the middle arm section to a rear end of the hitch arm assembly; wherein the rear end of the hitch arm assembly is pivotally connected to the mower deck about a hitch pivot axis oriented substantially horizontally and perpendicular to the operating travel direction; and wherein the hitch pivot axis is fixed with respect to the mower deck and located forward of the rotational axis of the front wheels at a vertical position that is closer to a rotational axis of the front wheels than to top edges of the front wheels.