Vacuum collector assembly for lawn tractors

摘要

A vacuum collector assembly comprises a mountable hitch having support posts connected to one another by horizontal supports and a hinge mechanism for connecting to a trailing carriage. The trailing carriage includes a lift assembly and an engine support frame for mounting thereon an engine operating conjunctively with an impeller assembly for developing negative pressure within a blower housing that is connected in between a receptacle hood and a lawn cutting deck. The engine support frame generally extends outwardly from a pair of vertical columns each having ends connected to support runners for situating atop thereof a pair of receptacles holders suited for receiving receptacle bins utilized in storing collected debris. The lift assembly comprises side arms functioning with a trailer jack having internal gearing made operable by an extension rod and handle assembly to facilitate rotation thereof that effects lifting and lowering of the trailing carriage apart and away from the mountable hitch to allow for wheeled transport and storage of the vacuum collector assembly.

主权项

1. A vacuum collector assembly for attachment to a lawn tractor having a rearward main frame and a lawn cutting deck equipped with an outward chute, said assembly comprising, in combination:
a mountable hitch having pairs of forward and rearward support posts each having connective ends fixedly connected to the rearward main frame; a trailing carriage having an engine support frame for mounting thereon vacuum power means, said engine support frame being fixedly connected to and extending outwardly from a pair of vertical columns, said vertical columns having bottom ends respectively connected to lower support runners extending relatively perpendicular to said vertical columns, said lower support runners having ends fixedly connected to a primary cross brace to structurally support and substantially maintain a parallel relation of said lower support runners, said primary cross brace having a wheel mounted thereto for supporting and carrying said trailing carriage; hinged connecting means for connecting said mountable hitch to said engine support frame of the trailing carriage; at least one receptacle holder mounted atop of said lower support runners for receiving thereon an equal number of receptacle bins suited to receive and store collected debris; a receptacle hood substantially positioned above said receptacle bin for passing therethrough collected debris destined for accumulation and collection in said receptacle bin, said receptacle hood having a receptacle opening and exterior sealing means for sealing the connection between said receptacle bin and said receptacle opening, said receptacle hood having venting means for relieving positive pressure commonly present in said receptacle hood and said receptacle bin during operation of said vacuum power means; and a lift assembly for lifting said trailing carriage apart and away from said mountable hitch, said lift assembly having left and right side arms positioned relatively parallel to one another and along and below said engine support frame, said lift assembly having movable means for raising and lowering said side arms relative to said engine support frame.