Abstract
Swivel wheel spindle housing clamps provide an easy way, without drilling holes, to attach a steel rectangular horizontal tube across a front of zero turn lawn mowers. The clamps fasten to a spindle housing by tightening two set screw bolts of the clamp against one side of the spindle housing. The same spindle housing clamp fits both left spindle housing and the right spindle housing of the lawn mowers. The clamps fit small to large spindle housings. A pair of housing clamps can remain on the zero turn lawn mower all year long and not inhibit normal use. Carriage bolts and large, rubber coated, threaded knobs are provided so wrenches are not needed to lock the rectangular steel tube inside the pair of housing clamps. The rectangular steel horizontal tube can support a variety of useful attachments, including a ball hitch, a carrier platform, a snow blade, a leaf rake, or other useful devices.
Claims
1. A swivel wheel spindle housing clamp that attaches a cylindrical steel vertical housing, containing bearings for a swivel wheel spindle commonly found on zero turn lawn mowers, to a rectangular metal horizontal tube supporting various attachments, said clamp comprising: a top and bottom plate having a semicircular shape wherein said top and bottom plates include a plurality of square holes aligned arcuately being parallel with respect to said top and bottom plates with said plurality of hole being evenly spaced apart; a vertical plate comprising threaded holes being connected to said top and bottom plates and positioned substantially angular to said top and bottom plates; at least one fastening mechanism being attached to said vertical plate; a knob and fastening mechanism being connected together and removably attachable to said top and bottom plates.
2. The swivel wheel spindle housing clamp of claim 1, wherein said at least one fastening mechanism or plurality of said fastening mechanisms are threaded bolts being connected to the threaded holes of said vertical plate.
3. The swivel wheel spindle housing clamp of claim 1, wherein said knob and fastening mechanism has a fastening mechanism including a square member on a head of said fastening mechanism which locks in said square holes of said top and bottom plates.
4. The swivel wheel spindle housing clamp of claim 1, wherein said top and bottom plates include an arcuate inner surface with a hook at a distal end of said top and bottom plates which is distal from said vertical plate which is connected to a proximal end of said top and bottom plates.
5. The swivel wheel spindle housing clamp of claim 1, wherein said top and bottom plates include a straight edge on a distal end of an arcuate outer surface of said arcuate top and bottom plates.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
(1) FIG. 1 shows prior art of a side view of a zero turn lawnmower (700) without any attachments.
(2) FIG. 2 shows a side view of a zero turn lawnmower (700) with swivel wheel spindle housing clamps (40) installed on spindle housings at a front end of the lawnmower frame. A hitch ball (200) is shown mounted to a hitch plate (800), welded to a rectangular tube (500).
(3) FIG. 3 shows prior art of a swivel wheel spindle housing (901) on a lawn mower (700) with no spindle housing clamp attached. Wheel (300) is shown.
(4) FIG. 4 shows a swivel wheel spindle housing (901) on a lawn mower (700) with a housing clamp (40) attached. A rectangular steel tube (500) is shown mounted inside said housing clamp. Said rectangular tube has a hitch ball (200) mounted to a hitch plate (800), previously welded to said tube. Wheel (300) is shown.
(5) FIG. 5 shows a top view of a swivel wheel spindle housing clamps (40) fastened to spindle housings (901) of straight frame (900). FIG. 5 also shows a rectangular steel tube (500) fastened to said spindle housing clamps. Also shown in FIG. 5 is a semi circular shaped hitch plate (800) welded near a middle of said rectangular tube. Additionally, said plate is shown with a hitch ball (200) bolted onto said plate.
(6) FIG. 6 shows a too view of swivel wheel spindle housing clamps (40) fastened to spindle housings (901) of 45 degree angle alternate frame (910). FIG. 6 also shows a rectangular steel tube (500) fastened to said spindle housing clamps. Also shown in FIG. 6 is a semi circular shaped hitch plate (800) welded near a middle of said rectangular tube. Additionally, said plate is shown with a hitch ball (200) bolted onto said plate.
(7) FIG. 7 shows a too view of swivel wheel spindle housing clamps (40) fastened to spindle housings (91) of parallel alternate frame (920). FIG. 7 also shows a rectangular steel tube (500) fastened to said spindle housing clamps. Also shown in FIG. 7 is a semi circular shaped hitch plate (800) welded near a middle of said rectangular tube. Additionally, said plate is shown with a hitch ball (200) bolted onto said plate.
(8) FIG. 8 shows a three dimensional view of a complete swivel wheel spindle housing clamp (40).
(9) FIG. 9 shows a three dimensional view of a complete swivel wheel spindle housing clamp (40) comprising; plates (3) with semicircular shaped edges (11), square holes (5), threaded carriage bolt (7), rubber coated plastic threaded knob (9), thick plate (13), threaded holes (15), and fully threaded bolts (17).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
(10) FIG. 1 shows a side view of a zero turn lawnmower before adding any attachments.
(11) FIG. 2 shows a side view of a zero turn lawnmower with swivel wheel spindle housing clamps installed on spindle housings at a front end of said lawnmower frame. A rectangular steel tube is mounted inside said housing clamps. A steel plate is welded to said rectangular steel tube. A ball hitch is bolted through a hole in said steel plate.
(12) FIG. 3 shows a swivel wheel spindle housing with no housing clamp attached.
(13) FIG. 4 shows a swivel wheel spindle housing with a housing clamp attached. Two set screw bolts are screwed through a thick vertical side plate. Said set screw bolts are tightened until they secure said housing clamp firmly onto the spindle housing. A rectangular steel tube is shown mounted inside a pair of housing clamps. A carriage bolt is shown inserted vertically from a bottom side of said clamp. A plastic threaded knob is shown screwed onto said carriage bolt. Said plastic knob is hand tightened until said rectangular steel tube is secured within said plates of said clamp. A hitch ball is shown mounted by a threaded bolt through a steel plate, previously welded to said rectangular tube.
(14) FIG. 5 shows swivel wheel spindle housing clamps fastened to spindle housings that have been welded to a left front end and a right front end of straight frame cross tubes. Said clamps are locked onto both right spindle housing and left spindle housing. Said clamps are mounted to spindle housings at various angles allowing a rectangular steel tube to be mounted inside said clamps. A most inward pair of vertically aligned square holes, in a top plate and a bottom plate, is used to secure said tube by using two carriage bolts and threaded knobs. A semi circular shaped steel plate is also shown welded to a middle of said steel tube. Furthermore, a hitch ball is shown bolted through said plate.
(15) FIG. 6 shows swivel wheel spindle housing clamps fastened to spindle housings that have been welded to a left front end and a right front end of 45 degree angle cross tubes. Said clamps are locked onto both right spindle housing and left spindle housing. Said clamps are mounted to spindle housings at various angles allowing a rectangular steel tube to be mounted inside said clamps. An appropriate pair of vertically aligned square holes, in top and bottom plate, is used to secure a rectangular steel tube using two carriage bolts and threaded knobs. A semi circular shaped steel plate is also shown welded to a middle of said steel tube. Furthermore, a hitch ball is shown bolted through said plate.
(16) FIG. 7 shows swivel wheel spindle housing clamps fastened to spindle housings that have been welded at a left front end and right front end of parallel frame cross tubes. Said clamps are locked onto both right spindle housing and left spindle housing. Said clamps are mounted to spindle housings at various angles allowing a rectangular steel tube to be mounted inside said clamps. A most outward pair of vertically aligned square holes, in top and bottom plate, is used to secure a rectangular steel tube using carriage bolts and threaded knobs. A semi circular shaped steel plate is also shown welded to a middle of said steel tube. Furthermore, a hitch ball is shown bolted through said plate.
(17) FIG. 8 shows a 3 dimensional view of a complete swivel wheel spindle housing clamp. Said clamp has a top plate and a bottom plate that are welded at one end to a vertical thick plate. Said vertical plate has two threaded holes. Threaded set screw bolts are screwed into said threaded holes. Said set screws are to be tightened with a wrench until said clamp firmly grips a steel spindle housing. Both plates are identical and have several square holes. A carriage bolt is shown, ready to be vertically inserted upward, through one set of said square holes. A rubber coated plastic threaded knob, to be hand threaded onto said carriage bolt, is also shown. Both plates can flex and squeeze a rectangular steel tube when said plastic knob is hand tightened.
(18) FIG. 9 shows a three dimensional view of a complete swivel wheel spindle housing clamp. A top plate #3 and a bottom plate #3 have several evenly spaced square holes #5. A threaded carriage bolt #7, inserted vertically upward through one set of square holes #5, secures a rectangular steel tube, between said top and bottom plates, when rubber coated plastic threaded knob #9 is hand tightened onto said carriage bolt #7. Both identical plates #3 have an inside curve shaped edge #11. On a back side of a vertical rectangular thick plate #13, near a top edge, and also near a bottom edge, are welded plates #3. Said welds are near one end of said curve shaped edges #11. Said vertical thick plate #13 has two threaded holes #15. Two fully threaded bolts #17 are each screwed into a different threaded hole #15.
CONCLUSION
(19) A pair of swivel wheels is common on zero turn lawn mowers. Each swivel wheel spindle rotates inside a cylinder shaped steel housing A clamp that could be secured to a common place on zero turn lawn mowers would be very helpful in fastening attachments to said mowers. Swivel wheel spindle housing clamps provide a simple way to connect attachments to zero turn lawn mowers. Said clamps, secured to a common location on zero turn lawn mowers, can fasten a variety of steel tubes, allowing a connection for many useful attachments. Swivel wheel spindle housings are typically welded to front ends of zero turn lawnmower frames. Each upper and lower plate of said clamp has several square holes to insure a carriage bolt can be inserted through at least one set of square holes allowing said bolt to clear said rectangular steel tube. Swivel wheel spindle housing clamps are fixed to said spindle housings by tightening two fully threaded set screw bolts on each clamp. Mounted swivel wheel spindle housing clamps do not interfere with every day use of said lawn mowers. Each said clamp has a semicircular opening that fits a range of small to large spindle housings. Attachments such as a hitch ball, carrier platform, snow blade, leaf rake, and other useful devices, provide zero turn lawn mowers with easy access to equipment useful for accomplishing various tasks.
