Lawnmower lever flexibly or pivotably anchored at one end, attached to a switch pull cord at the other end.

An actuating mechanism for an electric switch f comprises a lever 6 provided at one end with an actuator, e.g. a cord 8d for engaging the switch. The lever 6 has a first, relatively-rigid portion 8a and by a second, relatively-flexible portion 8c. An anchoring member 10 is provided at that end of the lever 6 remote from the actuator 8d and the lever is pivotably or flexibly connected to the anchor member. The lever may be contacted to switch box 4 for a lawnmower, and may be situated on a U-shaped handle 1 for the lawnmower, shaped to complement the corner portion of the handle. The lever may be made of polypropylene and the flexible portions may be integral with the lever, such that the lever has thin flexible portions at either end. The lever may have a rubber over-molding.

Lawn maintenance apparatus

A lawn maintenance apparatus, such as a lawnmower, comprises a housing 1 defining a cutting chamber 3 open on a bottom surface of the lawn maintenance apparatus, a plurality of wheels 2, and a cutting element 4 mounted in the cutting chamber for rotation about an axis, in which the housing further defines an impeller chamber 7, separated from the cutting chamber by at least one wall 8, and an intake passage 13 leading from the cutting chamber towards the impeller chamber, the lawn maintenance apparatus further comprising an impeller 6 in the impeller chamber mounted for rotation about the axis, rotation of the impeller about the axis causing air to be drawn into the impeller chamber through the intake passage. The apparatus may also comprise a grass collection device having a grass collection chamber 10 interposed between the intake passage and the impeller chamber.

Lawn maintenance apparatus