Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Lawnmower with rotating blade housing

The housing for the blade can rotate when it hits an object
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Inevitably when one cuts their yard there are objects that get in the way. Be it a mailbox, an umbrella, a toy the children left for dead., these objects cause cutting the yard more difficult. I propose that we give the blade housing the ability to rotate. Of course the blades would have to have the ability to rotate with the housing as well, other wise it could be messy.

I envision driving the lawnmower and running near the mailbox. Going slowly, the blade housing taps the mailbox post. This causes the whole housing section to stay stationary, but it is pinioned under the main chassis so the entire thing starts to rotate behind and under where I'm sitting (if it is the typical seated mower). I can't decide if the housing should be on a pneumatic arm that will push it back out, or get pushed to a spring to bounce it back out, or even be put on some geared device so it will make a full rotation underneath me to go back to the 'normal' position. In any event, once I have driven past the object that caused the whole process the blade goes back to the 'normal' position and I can continue cutting grass like I normally would.

This device could increase the safety of having a mower, a lot less severed limbs. It would also reduce the need to edge as much, or at least make edging a much easier job.

barnzenen, May 15 2009

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       Uh oh. Someones on lawn duty again. Hi barney!!!   

       Anything that would save limbs gets my vote. Just don't save 'em up and use them for bad things.
blissmiss, May 16 2009
  

       Couldn't stay away could you?
zeno, May 16 2009
  

       depending on how your mower deck mounts this could be quite easy to implement or nearly impossible. How much clearance do you have?
WcW, May 16 2009
  

       All the mowers I've been on have an adjustable clearance from .5 to 4 inches. Was hoping that the same control that handled the clearance could possibly contain the rotating abilities.   

       Yes, lawn duty again, latest adventure includes the lawnmower cutting off while I was in the middle of a busy road with cars swerving around me. Lots of fun.
barnzenen, May 17 2009
  

       Could you post a picture of the mower you envision this for? I have troubles seeing it for the models i know.
loonquawl, May 18 2009
  
      
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