Conventionally, rotary mowers contain a rapidly-rotating blade contained within a mower housing. There is defined within the mower housing an opening called a discharge opening through which the mower cuttings are discharged from the mower.
At times, the operator wants the cuttings to be spread over the land being cut to decay and fertilize the land. At other times, the operator may want the cuttings to be bagged. A third important function for rotary mowers is mulching, in which case the cuttings are repeatedly cut within the housing and dropped to the ground below the housing. Mulching is performed when the discharge opening is covered so that the cuttings cannot escape from the housing through the opening.
For purposes of this discussion, the invention will be described as a lawn mower used to cut grass and to mulch grass as well as leaves. It is not intended to limit the use of the invention to this type of operation, however.
Specifically, the invention is directed to a cover and a cover assembly for a discharge opening in a mower housing. In particular, the invention is directed to a cover assembly which serves the three functions of mulching, side-discharging, and enabling the attachment needed for rear bagging to be mounted without removing the cover assembly. The cover includes means for improving both the mulching function, as well as aiding in the wide area dispersion of the cuttings.
In spite of the fact that there are a multitude of mower manufacturers and a multitude of different forms of rotary mowers, the prior art does not show a cover assembly for a discharge opening which can perform the previously-described functions.