Appeal No. 2003-0707
Application 09/690,534
DISCUSSION
Goman discloses a vehicle 12 having a front mower deck 14,
left and right wing mower decks 16 and 18, and mechanisms 10 for
mounting the wing mower decks to the vehicle for movement between
lowered operating positions and upper transport positions. As
best shown in Figures 2 through 4, each mounting mechanism
includes, inter alia, a push arm 24, a first arm member 30, a
first pivot mechanism 32 having a shaft 36, a second arm member
40, a second pivot mechanism 46 having a shaft 48, a third arm
member 58, a third pivot mechanism 60 having a shaft 62, a
hydraulic lift cylinder 72, a lever member 74, a strap 76 having
a slot 78, a lift pin 80 and a link member 82. As described by
Goman with respect to mower deck 18,
[d]uring normal mowing operations, the mower deck 18 is
lowered to the ground . . . .
When the operator wishes to raise the deck 18 such
as to pass over an obstruction or to latch the deck 18
in its transport position, the operator must first
actuate the hydraulic lift cylinder 72. As the
cylinder 72 extends, the lever member 74 will pivot
from the position shown in FIG. 2 counterclockwise
about its pivotal connection to the second member 40.
This causes the upper end of the lever 74 to shift to
the left as viewed in FIG. 2, which also pulls the
strap 76 to the left. As the cylinder 72 is extended
the strap 76 will shift toward the vehicle 12 until the
end of the slot 78 abuts against the lift pin 80. As
in the main brief, the examiner has withdrawn these rejections
(see page 8 in the answer).
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