Wheel rake

An agricultural implement comprising:

• a primary frame having a front end, a rear end and opposed sides;
• a pair of opposed secondary frames each operably supporting a bank of ground driven wheel rakes;
• and
• joint means for operably, pivotally coupling each of said secondary frames to said primary frame;
• said secondary frames each comprising an elongated beam for supporting said wheel rakes, each of said beams having a proximal end operably coupled to said primary support frame by said joint means and an opposed, distal end, said secondary frames each including ground engaging support wheels at said distal ends of said beams, and including castor means having an extended shank rotatably, operably carried by the distal end of the secondary beam, said secondary beam including an ear operably carried by said beam and depending downwardly from said beam alongside said shank, a brake band substantially circumscribing said shank and operably, fixedly engaged to said ear, said brake band having an inner friction surface operably engagable with said shank for applying rotational friction to said shank, and variable tightening means operably engaged to said brake band for selectively setting the frictional load on said shank.

An agricultural implement comprising:

• a primary frame having a front end, a rear end and opposed sides;
• a pair of opposed secondary frames each operably supporting a bank of ground driven wheel rakes;
• joint means for operably, pivotally coupling each of said secondary frames to said primary frame;
• and
• rake support arms operably, pivotally coupling said wheel rakes to respective ones of said secondary frames, said rake support arms having a first end operably coupled to a respective secondary frame and a second end operably coupled to a respective wheel rake, a tension spring oriented generally co-planar with each said rake support arm and having a first end operably coupled to a respective secondary frame and a second end operably coupled to the second end of a respective rake support arm, the coupling of the first end of the tension spring being at a greater lateral distance in said common plane from the first end of the rake support arm than the lateral distance that the coupling of the second end of the tension spring is displaced in said common plane from the second end of the rake support arm, such that the angle measured from said second end and formed by said spring and said support arm is a relatively small acute angle.

An agriculture implement comprising:

• a primary frame having a front end, a rear end and opposed sides;
• a secondary frame operably supporting a bank of ground driven wheel rakes shiftable between an extended position and a folded, transport position;
• joint means for operably, pivotally coupling said secondary frame to said primary frame;
• said secondary frame comprising an elongated beam for supporting said wheel rakes, said beam having a proximal end operably coupled to said primary support frame rear end by said joint means and an opposed, distal end engageable with said primary frame front end, and further including upwardly tending ramp means operably carried by said primary support frame front end engageable with said secondary frame distal end when said secondary frame is being folded to said transport position for elevating said distal end of said secondary frame when said secondary frame is in the folded, transport position.

An agricultural implement for being drawn through a field comprising:

• a primary frame having a front end, a rear end and opposed sides;
• a secondary frame operably supporting a bank of ground driven wheel rakes;
• and
• joint means freely operably pivotally coupling said secondary frame to said primary support frame in at least two planes of rotation while said implement is drawn through a field for raking the rotational degree of freedom of one such plane being such that said secondary frame is free to pivot in said plane responsive to variations in the contour of the field without putting undue stress on said joint means.

An agriculture implement comprising:

• a primary frame having a front end, a rear end and opposed sides;
• a secondary frame operably supporting a bank of ground driven wheel rakes;
• joint means for operably, pivotally coupling said secondary frame to said primary frame;
• said secondary frame comprising an elongated beam for
• supporting said wheel rakes, said beam having a proximal end operably coupled to said primary support frame rear end by said joint means and an opposed, distal end engageable with said primary frame front end, and further including upwardly tending ramp means operably carried by said primary support frame front end engageable with said secondary frame distal end when said secondary frame is being folded to said transport position for elevating said distal end of said secondary frame when said secondary frame is in the folded, transport position;
• said ramp means comprising a first portion being an upwardly tending ramp and a second portion being a transport position, the transport position being substantially parallel to and raised from said primary support frame, the secondary frame having roller means operably, rotatably engageable with said ramp means while the secondary frame is being folded for riding up said upwardly tending ramp to the transport position.