Methods and apparatus for a lawn maintenance vehicle park brake and traction drive interlock are provided. A park brake mechanism is selectively operable between an engaged position and a disengaged position. A traction drive is also mounted to the lawn maintenance vehicle, the traction drive having a disable mode which prohibits transmission of a driving force from the traction drive to a drive wheel. A first operable connection between the park brake mechanism and a wheel brake activates the wheel brake. A second operable connection between the park brake mechanism and the traction drive activates the disable mode of the traction drive. A method of controlling a lawn maintenance vehicle with a park brake and traction drive interlock include the steps of providing a lawn maintenance vehicle, providing an operable park brake mechanism, providing a first operable connection, and providing a second operable connection.

A work machine comprises an engine, a work unit configured to be driven by the engine, a clutch provided between an output shaft of the engine and a power shaft of the work unit, and configured to transmit or cut off power from the output shaft of the engine to the power shaft, a sensor configured to detect an engine speed of the engine; and a control unit configured to control the engine and the clutch based on the engine speed of the engine. The control unit predicts, based on the engine speed of the engine detected by the sensor, whether or not the work unit will become locked by a load, and control the clutch to switch over from a transmission state to a cut-off state upon predicting that the work unit will become locked.

A riding lawn care vehicle includes a frame to which at least a first and second drive wheels are attachable. The vehicle further includes a brake assembly operably coupled to the first and second drive wheels to enable brakes to be selectively applied to the first and second drive wheels. The riding lawn care vehicle also includes a steering assembly with first and second steering levers. First and second steering levers are operably coupled to first and second drive wheels respectively to facilitate turning of the riding lawn care vehicle based on drive speed control of the first and second drive wheels responsive to positioning of first and second steering levers. First and second steering levers are also operably coupled to the brake assembly to activate the brake assembly in response to one of the first or second steering levers being rotated about a vertical axis of the respective lever.

This work machine is provided with a clutch mechanism which is provided on a motive power transmission path between a drive source and a wheel. The clutch mechanism is provided with: a drive shaft with which drive force from the drive source is transmitted; a key member which is provided so as to be capable of moving relative to the drive shaft; a driven member which is driven by the drive shaft via the key member; an impelling member which impels the key member towards the driven member; and a ratchet holder which is provided with an engagement groove and a guide part, and which is provided so as to be capable of rotating coaxially with the drive shaft.

A control system for a ground working vehicle. The control system may include a handle assembly including a handle member extending upwardly and rearwardly from a chassis of the vehicle. The control system may also include a speed control apparatus including a control grip operably connected to, and translatable along, the handle member. Translation of the control grip may activate a transmission to move the chassis in the forward direction when the control grip is translated downwardly along the handle member towards the chassis. Further, the control system may include a lockout apparatus movably attached to a handle member. The lockout apparatus may be adapted to selectively and physically restrict movement of the control grip relative to the handle member.

A carburetor drain apparatus includes a carburetor bowl, a fuel supply pipe, a fuel drain pipe, and a bail interface. The carburetor bowl is configured to store fuel and provide the fuel to an air passage. The fuel supply pipe is connected a fuel tank and the carburetor bowl. The fuel drain pipe is connected to the carburetor bowl. The bail interface is configured to operate in response to actuation of a bail to open the fuel drain pipe.

A garden tool power system comprises a motor, a reducer and a transmission shaft. The motor transmits the power to the transmission shaft through the reducer to drive wheels on the transmission shaft. The reducer comprises a pinion connected to an output end of the motor and a gear engaged with the pinion. The transmission shaft includes left and right shafts connected with each other through a connecting shaft. The gear mounted on the connecting shaft has at least two guiding rods transversely located thereon and two centrifugal blocks located between the guiding rods. Each guiding rod has a spring surrounded therearound and each spring located between two centrifugal blocks has two opposite ends respectively abutted against the corresponding portions of the centrifugal blocks. A fixing sleeve provided on the periphery of the centrifugal blocks is mounted on the transmission shaft and has buckle structures matching with the centrifugal blocks.

A transmission housing (2) including two housing elements (9) that can be positioned to press against each other and that in the assembled state define: a cavity (13); a shaft (6) projecting at least in part from the housing; a motion transmission mechanism (30) for transmitting motion to said shaft (6), the motion transmission mechanism (30) being housed at least in part inside the cavity (13) of the housing (2); and adhesive connection means (16) for connecting together housing elements (9) that are arranged in the zone where said housing elements (9) are pressed together and referred to as a join plane (10). The adhesive connection means (16) include a main channel (163) for receiving adhesive surrounding said cavity (13), said main channel (163) comprising a female element (1631) carried by a housing element (9) and a male element (1632) carried by the other housing element (9) with the male element (1632) being engaged at least in part in the female element (1631) in the assembled-together state of said housing elements (9).

A hand-propelled, self-driving, traveling machine that includes a clutch which enables transmission between a wheel and a transmission shaft. The clutch provides a drive state in which the transmission shaft drives the wheel to rotate and an unlocked state in which the wheel is rotatable relative to the transmission shaft. The clutch includes a driving member, combined with the transmission shaft, a movable pin, movable between a locked position in which the clutch is in the drive state and an unlocked position in which the clutch is in the unlocked state, a transmission member connected to the wheel, a movable friction member provided with a limiting slot, where the movable pin is partially disposed in the limiting slot, and a fixed friction member that is fixed to the chassis and that is in a frictional contact with the movable friction member.

A mower having a chassis, wheels for moving the mower in a mowing plane, and a cutting deck. The mower includes a parking brake having at least one brake member secured to the cutting deck. The cutting deck is mounted on the chassis so as to be able to move between at least one mowing position and a position in which the mower is stopped, in which the brake member comes into contact with at least one wheel of the mower so as to immobilize the wheel. The invention is intended in particular for use with mowers of the walk-behind or ride-on type, and with robotic mowers.