US 6,421,997 B1Granted

Straw buncher

OwnerDerrick Manninventor

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Abstract

A straw buncher is provided for collecting straw in bunches when towed across a field and for releasing the straw at desired locations into large piles. The straw buncher includes a hitch for connecting to a towing implement and a frame extending generally upward and rearward therefrom for maximizing ground clearance. The frame is supported on a pair of wheels. A basket is pivotally mounted on a rear end of the frame. The basket includes a pair of side collecting members and a rear collecting member extending therebetween. The collecting members are in the form of mesh sheets extending generally upright from the ground. The rear collecting member is spaced upward from the ground and includes a plurality of ground engaging tines extending downward from a bottom end for turning up the straw from the soil such that it may be collected by the collecting members. Hydraulics are provided for raising the basket relative to the frame for releasing the collected straw.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A straw buncher comprising;

a frame being supported on a pair of wheels for movement in a working direction;
a hitch mounted on a forward end of the frame;
and
a basket pivotally mounted on a rear end of the frame, the basket comprising:
a pair of side collecting members extending rearward relative to the working direction along respective sides of the frame, the side collecting members extending from a position adjacent to the ground generally upward therefrom;
a slider bar mounted along a bottom side of each side collecting member, the slider bar being arranged to engage the ground for sliding movement thereon as the frame moves in the working direction;
a rear collecting member connected between respective rear ends of the side collecting members, the rear collecting member having a bottom end positioned spaced upwardly from each slider bar and thus from the ground;
and
a plurality of tines at spaced positions across the bottom end of the rear collecting member, each tine extending generally downward from the bottom end of the rear collecting member for engaging the ground;
the basket being pivotal relative to the frame such that the basket may be raised upwardly from the ground to a transport position spaced from the ground for releasing straw which has collected in the basket into a pile on the ground.

7 more elements

A straw buncher comprising;

a hitch arranged to connect to a towing vehicle;
a frame comprising:
a pair of hitch members mounted at first ends on the hitch so as to extend rearward and outward therefrom to respective second ends spaced from each other, each hitch member being at an upward incline from the first end to the second end;
and
a pair of side members extending rearward from the respective second ends of the hitch members;
a pair of wheels mounted below the respective side members of the frame, oriented for movement in a forward direction;
and
a basket pivotally mounted on a rear end of the respective side members, the basket comprising a generally U-shaped collecting member and a plurality of tines extending downward therefrom for engaging the ground;
the basket being pivotal relative to the frame such that the basket may be raised upwardly from the ground to a transport position spaced from the ground for releasing straw which has collected in the basket into a pile on the ground.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.