1. A walk-behind outdoor power equipment unit, comprising:
a housing operable for movement over a ground surface;
a handle assembly comprising a first handle member and a second handle member each pivotally coupled to the housing, wherein the handle assembly may be selectively locked, relative to the housing, in a first operating position; and
a handle assembly release apparatus associated with the handle assembly, wherein the handle assembly release apparatus comprises a release member operable to impart a releasing force simultaneously to each of the first and second handle members to unlock the handle assembly from the first operating position, the releasing force at least partially reacted by the housing.
2. The unit of claim 1, wherein the release member comprises a lever operable to pivot about an axis transverse to a longitudinal axis of the unit.
3. The unit of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a first handle retention portion operable to pivotally receive the first handle member, and a second handle retention portion operable to pivotally receive the second handle member.
4. The unit of claim 3, wherein the release member comprises contact portions operable to simultaneously slide between both the first handle retention portion and the first handle member, and between the second handle retention portion and the second handle member.
5. The unit of claim 3, wherein the first handle retention portion comprises a lip against which the first handle member is biased, the lip comprising a first recess at a location corresponding to the first operating position of the handle assembly.
6. The unit of claim 5, wherein the lip comprises a second recess at a location corresponding to a second storage position of the handle assembly.
7. The unit of claim 3, wherein the releasing force comprises a force that displaces the first handle member relative to the first handle retention portion, and the second handle member relative to the second handle retention portion.
8. The unit of claim 1, wherein the releasing force comprises a force that displaces the first handle member and the second handle member transverse to a longitudinal axis of the unit.
9. The unit of claim 1, wherein the handle assembly is movable to a second storage position.
10. A walk-behind lawn mower, comprising:
a housing operable for movement over a ground surface;
a handle assembly comprising at least one handle member, the handle assembly pivotally coupled to the housing and operable to be selectively locked, relative to the housing, in a first operating position; and
a handle assembly release apparatus associated with the handle assembly, wherein the handle assembly release apparatus comprises a lever pivotable about an axis transverse to a longitudinal axis of the mower and operable to impart a releasing force to the at least one handle member to unlock the same from the first operating position.
11. The mower of claim 10, wherein the releasing force is at least partially reacted by the housing.
12. The mower of claim 10, wherein the housing further comprises a handle retention portion operable to pivotally receive the handle assembly.
13. The mower of claim 12, wherein the lever comprises a contact portion operable to slide between the handle retention portion and the at least one handle member.
14. The mower of claim 10, wherein the releasing force comprises a force that displaces the at least one handle member in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the mower.
15. A walk-behind lawn mower comprising:
a housing operable for movement over a ground surface, the housing comprising a first and a second handle retention portion;
a handle assembly comprising a first and a second handle member pivotally coupled to the first and second handle retention portions, respectively, the handle assembly operable to be selectively locked, relative to the housing, in a first operating position; and
a handle assembly release apparatus associated with the housing and operable to unlock the handle assembly from the first operating position, wherein the handle assembly release apparatus comprises a lever member operable to simultaneously apply a separating force between the first handle member and the first handle retention portion, and between the second handle member and the second handle retention portion.
16. The mower of claim 15, wherein the first and second handle retention portions define a generally transverse pivot axis about which the handle assembly pivots.
17. The mower of claim 15, wherein the lever member pivots about a generally horizontal and transverse axis.
18. The mower of claim 15, wherein the lever member is operable to simultaneously wedge between the first handle member and the first handle retention portion, and between the second handle member and the second handle retention portion.
19. The mower of claim 15, wherein the first handle retention portion comprises a lip against which the first handle member is biased, the lip having a first recess at a location corresponding to the first operating position of the handle assembly.
20. The mower of claim 15, wherein the first handle retention portion is positioned immediately adjacent to the first handle member.
21. The mower of claim 20, wherein the first handle member is biased towards the first handle retention portion.
22. A walk-behind lawn mower comprising:
a housing operable for movement over a ground surface;
a handle assembly comprising a handle member, the handle member pivotally coupled to a handle retention portion of the housing and operable to be locked in at least a first operating position relative to the housing; and
a handle assembly release apparatus associated with the housing, wherein the handle assembly release apparatus comprises a release member pivotable about an axis transverse to a longitudinal axis of the mower, the release member operable to selectively slide between the handle member and the handle retention portion.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A system for transporting wayside data on a rail vehicle, comprising:
a wayside device positioned adjacent to a rail, said rail vehicle configured to travel along said rail;
a transceiver coupled to said wayside device configured to transmit and receive data relating to the operation of said wayside device; and
a transceiver coupled to said rail vehicle in communication with said wayside device transceiver upon said rail vehicle passing within a proximate distance of said wayside device along said rail, said rail vehicle transceiver is configured to one of transmit and receive said data based upon said communication with said wayside device transceiver;
said rail vehicle is configured to transport said data between said wayside device and a secondary location along a pre-existing route of said rail vehicle determined prior to said communication with said wayside device transceiver.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the rail vehicle is a train having a plurality of locomotives.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the communication between said wayside device transceiver and said rail vehicle transceiver is a wireless communication.
4. The system of claim 2, wherein the communication between said wayside device transceiver and said rail vehicle transceiver is a wired communication.
5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:
a processor positioned on said rail vehicle, said processor coupled to said rail vehicle transceiver; said processor having a programmable memory for said rail vehicle transceiver to transport said data of at least one selective wayside device among a plurality of wayside devices along said pre-existing route of said rail vehicle.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein said data is at least one of diagnostic data, operational data and statistical data relating to the operation of said wayside device.
7. The system of claim 5, wherein for said at least one selective wayside device, said programmable memory includes one of said rail vehicle transceiver to transmit said data to said wayside device transceiver and said rail vehicle transceiver to receive said data from said wayside device transceiver.
8. The system of claim 6, wherein upon said rail vehicle transceiver receiving data from said wayside device transceiver, said rail vehicle transceiver is configured to store said data in a memory of said processor during said transport of said data between said wayside device and said secondary location.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein a monitoring center is positioned at said secondary location, a transceiver is coupled to said monitoring center; said monitoring center transceiver is in communication with said rail vehicle transceiver upon said rail vehicle passing within a proximate distance of said monitoring center.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein said data is retrieved from said processor and transmitted from said rail vehicle transceiver to said monitoring center transceiver.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein said monitoring center is configured to evaluate said at least one of diagnostic data, operational data and statistical data relating to the operation of said wayside device to determine an onset of failure of said wayside device.
12. The system of claim 9, said monitoring center transceiver is configured to transmit said data of said wayside device to said rail vehicle transceiver, said data is stored in said memory, said rail vehicle is configured to transport said data to said wayside device along said pre-existing route and transmit said data from said memory to said rail vehicle transceiver and to said wayside device transceiver.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein said data is configuration data of said wayside device.
14. The system of claim 5, wherein said programmable memory is programmed such that said rail vehicle is configured to transport data from at least one failed wayside device among said plurality of wayside devices along said pre-existing route.
15. The system of claim 5, wherein said rail vehicle includes a plurality of transceivers, said processor being coupled to said plurality of transceivers; upon one of said transceivers transmitting or receiving said data from said wayside device transceiver, said processor is configured to deactivate the remaining of said transceivers from communicating with said wayside device transceiver.
16. A communication system for transporting wayside data on a rail vehicle, comprising:
a rail vehicle traveling along a rail, said rail vehicle having a transceiver;
a wayside device positioned adjacent to a rail, said wayside device having a transceiver in communication with said rail vehicle transceiver upon said rail vehicle passing within a proximate distance of said wayside device along said rail;
said rail vehicle transceiver is configured to one of transmit and receive said data based upon said communication with said wayside device transceiver, said rail vehicle is further configured to transport said data between said wayside device and a secondary location along a pre-existing route of said rail vehicle determined prior to said communication with said wayside device transceiver.
17. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the rail vehicle is a train having a plurality of locomotives.
18. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the communication between said wayside device transceiver and said rail vehicle transceiver is a wired communication.
19. The communication system of claim 18, further comprising:
a processor positioned on said rail vehicle, said processor coupled to said rail vehicle transceiver; said processor having a programmable memory for said rail vehicle transceiver to transport said data of at least one selective wayside device among a plurality of wayside devices along said pre-existing route of said rail vehicle.
20. A method for transporting wayside software data on a rail vehicle, comprising:
positioning a wayside device adjacent to a rail, said rail vehicle configured to travel along said rail;
coupling a transceiver to said wayside device, said transceiver being configured to transmit and receive software data relating to the operation of software within said wayside device;
coupling a transceiver to said rail vehicle in communication with said wayside device transceiver upon said rail vehicle passing within a proximate distance of said wayside device along said rail;
configuring said rail vehicle transceiver to one of transmit and receive said software data based upon said communication with said wayside device transceiver; and
transporting said software data between said wayside device and a secondary location along a pre-existing route of said rail vehicle determined prior to said communication with said wayside device transceiver.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the rail vehicle is a train having a plurality of locomotives.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the communication between said wayside device transceiver and said rail vehicle transceiver is a wired communication.
23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:
providing a processor on said rail vehicle, said processor coupled to said rail vehicle transceiver; said processor having a programmable memory for said transporting said software data between at least one selective wayside device among a plurality of wayside devices along said pre-existing route of said rail vehicle.
24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:
programming said programmable memory such that said rail vehicle is configured to transport said software data from at least one failed wayside device among said plurality of wayside devices along said pre-existing route.