Crazy Inventions: Pedal Operated Mower (US Patent 4,455,816)

Have you ever looked out at your lawn and thought, “Wow, that’s a lot of grass, I wish my kids could mow it.” Well your dreams have been answered.

Actually, your dreams were answered in 1984, because that’s the year Deanna F. Porath invented a tricycle that supports and helps to operate a lawn mower (US Patent 4,455,816). Now your kids can go out for weekend exercise and help the family around the house.


Porath describes her tricycle lawn mower as, “A tricycle frame providing basic support for the pedal operated mower, pedals turning a forward sprocket for providing locomotion, the locomotion communicating by a chain to turn a rear sprocket mounted on a shaft having a set of split cutting blades peripherally disposed about the cutting shaft for turning the shaft and cutting blades, and gear means connecting the cutter shaft with rear wheels of the tricycle frame and resulting in the locomotion thereof. A protective shield is mounted on the tricycle frame to protect the operator from debris thrown up during the course of mowing, and also a set of goose neck handle bars, an appropriate sized front wheel and a large triangular padded seat are also provided in the combination.”

Although Porath’s patent makes no specific mention of using one’s children to operate the device, the connection seems obvious. What age bracket outside of 5-12 year olds is skilled in operating a tricycle?

Somewhere Sunday armchair quarterbacks are breathing easier, now that there is one less chore to do. Let’s just hope Junior rides in a straight line. 

 

Have an idea for a future “Crazy Invention” blog? Let us know about it by emailing us at PatentSpecialist@NoroIP.com.


October 12, 2009

Category: Crazy Inventions

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Comments

sbstar18
10/12/2009 20:30:00

I think we need to alert the Department of Labor on this!


10/18/2010 21:58:52

The first riding mower not pulled by animals, I suppose? I see how this could be practical, but I don't remember ever seeing one in use in the 80's.

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