Base plate for power equipment configured for mounting an engine and a tool
View Patent ↗A pressure washer includes an engine having a vertical shaft and a pump designed to be powered by the engine. Additionally, the pressure washer includes a base plate, where the engine is coupled to the base plate with a first set of fasteners and the pump is independently coupled to the base plate with a second set of fasteners. The base plate is designed to allow the engine to be unfastened and removed from the base plate without also unfastening the pump.
1. A pressure washer, comprising:
a frame comprising tubular members;
a motor having a shaft;
a pump configured to be powered by the shaft; and
a base plate fastened to the tubular members and formed from an integral sheet of solid material, wherein the base plate comprises:
a first set of fastener holes;
a second set of fastener holes; and
a separator protrusion extending between the first and second sets of fastener holes, wherein the separator protrusion tapers such that the second set of fastener holes is interior to the first set of fastener holes on the base plate;
wherein the motor is coupled to a first side of the base plate via the first set of fastener holes and the pump is independently coupled to a second side of the base plate opposite to the first side via the second set of fastener holes, and wherein the shaft extends through the separator protrusion into the pump to power the pump; and
wherein the base plate is configured to allow the motor to be unfastened and removed without unfastening the pump from the base plate.
2. The pressure washer of claim 1 , wherein the separator protrusion is substantially conical.
3. The pressure washer of claim 2 , wherein the frame has a plurality of wheels and is tiltable about the wheels to allow a user access to the pump for unfastening the pump from the base plate.
4. The pressure washer of claim 3 , wherein the motor is a vertically-shafted combustion engine.
5. The pressure washer of claim 1 , wherein the base plate is configured to allow the pump to be unfastened and removed without unfastening the motor from the base plate.
6. An engine-powered product, comprising:
a frame comprising tubular members;
a base plate fastened to the tubular members and formed from an integral sheet of solid material having a protrusion that is tapered such that the protrusion has a wider end and a narrower end, wherein the base plate further includes an opening formed through the narrower end of the protrusion;
a combustion engine fastened to the wider end of the protrusion of the base plate, the engine having a vertical crankshaft; and
a pump fastened to the narrower end of the protrusion of the base plate,
wherein the base plate further comprises a first set of apertures for fastening the engine to the base plate, and a second set of apertures for fastening the pump to the base plate, the second set of apertures within the perimeter of the first set of apertures and wherein the protrusion extends between the first set of apertures and the second set of apertures, whereby a base of the engine is offset from the pump,
wherein the crankshaft extends through the opening to engage the pump, and wherein the engine may be unfastened from the base plate without also unfastening the pump from the base plate.
7. The product of claim 6 , wherein a plurality of threaded fasteners fasten the pump and the engine to the base plate.
8. The product of claim 7 , wherein the threaded fasteners used to fasten the pump to the base plate are inserted into a first side of the base plate, and wherein the threaded fasteners used to fasten the engine to the base plate are inserted into a second side of the base plate.
9. The product of claim 8 , wherein the base plate is configured to allow for unfastening and refastening of the pump while the engine remains fastened to the base plate.
10. The product of claim 6 , wherein the protrusion is substantially conical and narrows from the first set of apertures toward the second set of apertures.
11. The product of claim 10 , wherein the frame has a plurality of wheels and is tiltable about the wheels to allow a user access to the pump for unfastening the pump from the base plate.
12. The pressure washer of claim 1 , wherein the sheet further comprises a crease.
13. The pressure washer of claim 12 , wherein the crease spans the length of the base plate.
14. The product of claim 6 , wherein the base plate comprises a planar surface, wherein the protrusion angles diagonally from the planar surface to a ledge that is interior to a diagonal portion of the protrusion, wherein the ledge is parallel with the planar surface.
15. The product of claim 14 , wherein the opening is formed in and encircled by the ledge of the protrusion.
16. The product of claim 14 , wherein a first set of holes for fastening the combustion engine to the base plate are formed on the planar surface proximate to the wider end of the protrusion, and wherein a second set of holes for fastening the pump to the base plate are formed in the ledge.