Multi-blade lawn mower with offset wheel

摘要

A lawn mower comprises an articulating mowing deck and a caster wheel assembly for supporting and facilitating travel of the mowing deck. The articulating mowing deck includes an inboard deck portion and an outboard deck wing portion. The inboard deck portion and outboard deck wing portion each have at least one cutting blade. The outboard deck wing portion is pivotally attached to the inboard deck portion in a manner so that the outboard deck wing portion is pivotable about a horizontally disposed deck wing pivot axis. The axis extends generally from a forward portion of the articulating mowing deck toward a rear portion of the articulating mowing deck. The outboard deck wing portion is pivotable about the axis between a cutting position and a transport position. When the outboard deck wing portion is in its cutting position, an outboard cutting blade rotates in a plane that is generally parallel to terrain over which the outboard deck wing portion travels. In the transport position, the outboard deck wing portion and outboard cutting blade are pivoted upwardly from the terrain and generally inwardly toward the inboard deck portion about the pivot axis. The caster wheel assembly includes a mounting arm with a proximal portion and a distal portion, which carries a caster wheel. The proximal portion is mounted to the inboard deck portion inboard of the pivot axis. The distal portion extends forwardly and laterally outwardly from the proximal portion so that the caster wheel carried by the distal portion is located outboard of the pivot axis.