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US 5,630,476 AGranted
Rock raking apparatus
AssigneeFarmers' Factory Company
InventorsPhillip W. Foster, Gerald T. Foster, Paul Burton, John J. Broz
Life of this patent
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AssigneeFarmers' Factory Company
InventorsPhillip W. Foster, Gerald T. Foster, Paul Burton, John J. Broz
Estimating the term…
A rock raking apparatus which is adapted to be attached to a self-propelled vehicle and includes a rock raking unit with a toothed rotor and a rock collector bucket pivotably connected to the raking unit. The rotor is driven to propel rocks into the bucket. The raking unit includes a power-rotated brush positioned to deflect the propelled rocks into the rear of the bucket, to clean the surface of the rotor to prevent carryover and to prevent the formation of rock barricades at the entrance of the bucket to assure that the bucket is filled. The rotor is based on a cylindrical drum having a pattern of symmetrical radially extending teeth affixed to the peripheral surface thereof, with the pattern also being symmetrical so that the drum is reversible end for end when the leading edges of the teeth are worn. Double pivot mounts allow limited floating of the raking unit with respect to the bucket to accommodate uneven ground.
Apparatus adapted to be attached to a self-propelled vehicle and operable to rake up rocks from the ground as the vehicle moves along the ground, said apparatus comprising a raking unit having first and second ends and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls, a rotor supported by said side walls to rotate about a first laterally extending axis, said rotor having an outer periphery from which extend a plurality of angularly spaced rows of laterally spaced and generally radially extending teeth, a motor for rotating said rotor about said axis, said rotor normally being rotated in a first direction to rake rocks along the ground toward the vehicle and toward the first end of said raking unit when said vehicle is moved in a direction such that said first end of said raking unit is disposed in leading relation to said second end, a bucket movable with said raking unit and normally closing the first end thereof whereby rocks raked along the ground by said rotor are propelled into said bucket, and deflector means for directing rocks propelled by the rotor into the bucket, the deflector means comprising a brush supported by the side walls for rotation about a second axis parallel to the first axis and positioned with respect to the rotor to:
Apparatus adapted to be attached to a self-propelled vehicle and operable to rake up rocks from the ground as the vehicle moves along the ground, said apparatus comprising a raking unit having first and second ends and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls, a rotor supported by said side walls to rotate about a first laterally extending axis, said rotor comprising a rigid cylinder having an outer periphery with a plurality of angularly spaced rows of laterally spaced and generally radially extending teeth affixed thereto, end caps secured to the ends of the cylinder and having central journals affixed thereto for rotational support of the rotor on the side walls, a motor for rotating said rotor about said axis, said rotor normally being rotated in a first direction to rake rocks along the ground toward the vehicle and toward the first end of said raking unit when said vehicle is moved in a direction such that said first end of said raking unit is disposed in leading relation to said second end, a bucket movable with said raking unit and normally closing the first end thereof whereby rocks raked along the ground by said rotor are propelled into said bucket, and a brush supported by the side walls for rotation, said brush being positioned in the path of rocks propelled by the rotor, and rotated at a speed adequate to deflect said propelled rocks into the bucket, the brush having bristles engaging the periphery of the rotor for clearing debris therefrom to prevent carryover, and the bristles of the brush being sufficiently stiff to prevent formation of a rock barricade at the entrance of the bucket, thereby to allow the bucket to fill.
Apparatus adapted to be attached to a self-propelled vehicle and operable to rake up rocks from the ground as the vehicle moves along the ground, said apparatus comprising a raking unit having first and second ends and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls, a rotor supported by said side walls to rotate about a first laterally extending axis, a motor for rotating said rotor about said axis, said rotor normally being rotated in a first direction to rake rocks along the ground toward the vehicle and toward the first end of said raking unit when said vehicle is moved in a direction such that said first end of said raking unit is disposed in leading relation to said second end, a bucket movable with said unit and normally closing the first end thereof whereby rocks raked along the ground by said rotor are propelled into said bucket, a rotating brush positioned and rotated at a speed adequate to deflect rocks propelled by the rotor into the bucket, said rotor comprising a cylindrical drum having a plurality of generally radially extending teeth spaced along and attached to the rotor periphery in a symmetrical pattern, each tooth also being symmetrical, so that the rotor is reversible end for end, end plates closing the respective ends of the drum and having journals secured thereto for mounting the rotor for rotation about said first axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.