A configuration of a direct drive lawnmower spindle assembly to protect sensitive electric motor components is provided. A spindle shaft of the spindle assembly is supported by upper and lower bearings. An upper end of the spindle shaft is mounted to a rotor of the electric motor and a lower end of the spindle shaft extends through the clearance opening. The lower bearing is supported by a lower bearing carrier that is mounted to the bottom of the spindle housing. The lower bearing can be serviced by removing the lower bearing carrier. A clearance gap between the spindle shaft and the clearance opening is sufficiently small to limit spindle shaft tipping to a degree that will not damage the motor. The invention also provides a friction coupling system for coupling a blade with the rotating spindle shaft.

In an electric grass cutting machine relating to the present invention, an electric motor for driving a traveling device having a pair of left and right front wheels and a pair of left and right rear wheels and a gear transmission for speed-changing output from the electric motor and transmitting the resultant power to the traveling device are disposed between the left and right rear wheels and arranged one after the other in the front/rear direction at positions laterally of a conveying duct for guiding cut grass pieces from a rear discharge type mower device to a grass collecting container supported to a rear portion of a machine body frame.

A stand-up grounds maintenance vehicle including a chassis, a control tower, an implement, and a cover. The chassis is supported upon a ground surface by a plurality of ground-engaging members and extends along a longitudinal axis between a front end and a rear end. The control tower is coupled to the chassis proximate the rear end. The implement is attached to the chassis and is positioned at least partially forward of the control tower. The implement includes an implement drive. The cover extends over the implement drive and is pivotally coupled to the chassis.

A lawn mowing apparatus may include sensors that are fastened to both its mower deck and its chassis. The sensors may sense a position of the mower deck in relation to the chassis. The sensed position of the mower deck may be presented to the operator via a dashboard display of the lawn tractor or transmitted via a wireless signal to another device. Based on such sensed position, an operator of the lawn tractor may manually adjust the position of the mower deck until the sensed position of the mower deck is within an acceptable operating range. In some embodiments, servomotors may used to adjust the position of the mower deck until the sensed position of the mower deck is within an acceptable range.

A brake control unit configured to control a brake to a braked state in response to a brake position sensor having detected that a steering lever has been operated to a stop position and to a released state in response to the brake position sensor having detected that the steering lever has been operated from the stop position toward a travel operation pathway and a travel position sensor having detected that the steering lever is at a neutral position, at which the steering lever is placeable to stop travel.

A steering axle drive assembly includes a steering axle having opposite ends, a wheel pivotally connected with each steering axle end, and a control mechanism. The wheels are operated by the control mechanism for rotation about a vertical axis and a horizontal axis. When the axle is connected with a vehicle, the control mechanism controls the steering axle wheels independent of other wheels of the vehicle, such as the main drive wheels, to steer and drive the vehicle from an origin in any direction without passing through the origin. Preferably, a motor or linear actuator controls the rotation of the steering axle wheels. The steering axle drive assembly can be further improved by including an angled axle.

A disc mower for cutting crop material includes a plurality of cutter assemblies attached to a frame. Each of the cutter assemblies includes a respective motor operatively attached to a respective disc for rotating the disc. A cutter controller is operatively coupled to the respective motor of each of the plurality of cutter assemblies for selectively controlling a respective commanded rotational speed of the respective motor of one of the cutter assemblies independently of the respective commanded rotational speed of the respective motor of another of the cutter assemblies. Each of the individual cutter assemblies may be vertically moveable relative to the frame independently of the other of the cutter assemblies.

A controlling method of a robot lawn mower includes a mowing procedure, an interruption determining procedure and an interrupting procedure. The interruption determining procedure includes steps of receiving sensing data indicating a current sensing result related to at least one of surrounding environment or an operation status of the robot lawn mower, and determining whether an interruption condition related to at least one of an environment factor or an operation factor of the robot lawn mower is met. When it is determined that the interruption condition is met, the interrupting procedure is executed, and the robot lawn mower moves to a preset standby location.

A controlling method of a robot lawn mower includes a mowing procedure, an interruption determining procedure and an interrupting procedure. The interruption determining procedure includes steps of receiving sensing data indicating a current sensing result related to at least one of surrounding environment or an operation status of the robot lawn mower, and determining whether an interruption condition related to at least one of an environment factor or an operation factor of the robot lawn mower is met. When it is determined that the interruption condition is met, the interrupting procedure is executed, and the robot lawn mower moves to a preset standby location.

A deck height control system for use with a mower that has a deck positioned at a first height and is configured to support a blade motor. The control system includes an actuator that may be configured to vertically displace the deck from the first height to a second height. A deck system module may connect to the actuator and be capable of signaling the actuator, during operation, to displace the deck a particular deck distance in a particular vertical direction necessary to achieve the second height. The deck system module may further have a deck height memory capable of storing information relating to deck displacement activity. A control may connect to the deck system module and be capable of signaling the particular deck distance and particular vertical direction to the deck system module when engaged by an operator. A battery-operated mower may include the deck height control system.