Implement for moving plant material in a field

An implement for moving plant material lying in a field, the implement having a central longitudinal axis oriented substantially parallel to a forward movement direction of the implement, the implement comprising:

• a frame;
• a plurality of rake wheels configured to engage plant material lying in the field upon movement of the implement across the field, each of the rake wheels having a plurality of substantially radially extending tines for engaging the plant materials, each of the rake wheels being rotatably mounted on the frame;
• and
• a plurality of support wheels mounted on the frame to rest upon a field surface of the field to support the frame in an elevated condition above the field surface;
• wherein the implement has a plurality of configurations, the plurality of configuration including a merge configuration configured to merge windrows of plant material on the field surface by lateral displacement of the plant material on the field surface, the plurality of configurations including a turn configuration configured to turn the plant material on the field surface with a degree of lateral movement of the plant material on the field surface, and the plurality of configurations including a fluff configuration configured to lift plant material off of the field surface without lateral displacement of the plant material on the field surface;
• wherein the frame comprises:
• a primary frame structure extending laterally with respect to the central longitudinal axis and having opposite lateral ends;
• and
• a pair of secondary frame structures mounted on the primary frame structure, the secondary frame structures being located toward the lateral ends of the primary frame structure, the secondary frame structures being movable with respect to the primary frame structure;
• wherein each of the secondary frame structures of the frame comprises:
• an inner arm element movably mounted on the primary frame structure at a respective one of the opposite lateral ends;
• and
• a support element mounted on the primary frame structure by the inner arm element, the support element being movably mounted on the inner arm element;
• and
• wherein each of the inner arm elements has at least two positions including an outward position and an inward position, the outward position corresponding to the merge configuration of the implement, the outward position corresponding to the turn configuration of the implement, the inward position corresponding to the fluff configuration of the implement.

An implement for moving plant material lying in a field, the implement having a central longitudinal axis oriented substantially parallel to a forward movement direction of the implement, the implement comprising:

• a frame;
• a plurality of rake wheels configured to engage plant material lying in the field upon movement of the implement across the field, each of the rake wheels having a plurality of substantially radially extending tines for engaging the plant materials, each of the rake wheels being rotatably mounted on the frame;
• and
• a plurality of support wheels mounted on the frame to rest upon a field surface of the field to support the frame in an elevated condition above the field surface;
• wherein the implement has a plurality of configurations, the plurality of configuration including:
• a merge configuration in which the frame is configured to support the plurality of rake wheels in a manner such that the rake wheels merge windrows of plant material on the field surface by lateral displacement of the plant material on the field surface;
• a turn configuration in which the frame is configured to support the plurality rake wheels in a manner such that the rake wheels turn the plant material situated in windrows having a first lateral spacing on the field surface with a degree of lateral inward movement of the plant material effective to produce laterally separated windrows in a second lateral spacing on the field surface which is closer together than the first lateral spacing;
• and
• a fluff configuration in which the frame is configured to support the plurality of rake wheels in a manner such that the rake wheels are oriented substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the implement to lift plant material off of the field surface without lateral displacement of the plant material on the field while preserving lateral positioning of windrows of the plant material on the field surface.