Harvesters – Combined rakes and tedders – Side-delivery rake
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-07
2003-12-16
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Harvesters
Combined rakes and tedders
Side-delivery rake
C056S376000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06662541
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of raking pine straw, and more particularly to a pine straw rake apparatus and system, and to a square drive for the pine straw rake apparatus and system.
II. Description of the Related Art
Hay rakes are well known. When hay from hay fields is cut, hay rakes are used to rake hay into rows that are subsequently baled into bales by hay balers.
FIG. 1A
illustrates a perspective view of a prior art hay rake
100
. The rake
100
is normally mounted on a primary mover such as a tractor or trailer for a tractor.
The rake typically includes two circular drives
105
, comprised of two cross bars
107
. Each circular drive also includes a rotational point
106
a
,
106
b
. Rake bars
110
are connected to each circular drive
105
at corresponding points of connection
111
. Each rake bar
110
includes several teeth
115
for raking hay. During operation the circular drives
105
rotate about their respective points of rotation
106
a
,
106
b
. Each of the circular drives
105
have their own longitudinal axes. The longitudinal axes run parallel to each other. Another way of describing the orientation is that the respective planes in which the two circular drives
105
rotate are parallel and offset.
As the circular drives
105
rotate, each of the respective rake bars
110
move along with their points of connection
111
on the drives
105
. The teeth
115
of each bar
110
contact the ground each time the drive bars
107
point up and down.
FIG. 1B
illustrates a close up view of one of the circular drives
105
.
FIG. 1B
illustrates that in the prior art hay rake
100
, each of the rake bars
110
rotate in a circle and overlap the other bars. Arrows
120
illustrate the direction of rotation. At one instant, the teeth
115
of a given rake bar
110
are in contact with the ground
121
. At an instant later, the teeth
115
are picked up from the ground
121
as the circular drives
105
rotate in the direction of the arrows
120
. It can be seen that the rotation is purely circular and that the overlapping of the bars
110
is substantially elliptical. If the prior art rake
100
is used near an obstruction such as a tree or fence
122
, the closest point of contact that the rake
100
can make with the ground is at a distance A, which is typically larger than half the length of the cross bars
107
. This minimum distance is necessary to avoid a collision between the outer edges of the circular drives
105
and the obstacle
122
.
Pine straw is typically used as top covering for landscaping. Pine straw is typically harvested by growing rows of suitable pine trees. The pine needles fall from the trees and dry out to become suitable pine straw. The pine straw typically falls all around the trees from the base of the tree and outward. Typically small hay rakes, such as rake
100
, are used to gather the straw into rows that are subsequently gathered by small hay balers into small bales. In this case, the obstacle
122
is a pine tree. The circular motion of the hay rakes result in one point of contact with the ground such as described above, and this is the only time in which the teeth
115
contact the ground to rake the straw. Therefore a large is distance, A, typically 11-12 inches and higher from the base of the tree is not raked. The rake
100
can not be any closer to the tree than about half the length of the cross bars
107
or else it will hit the tree. This circular motion results in missed pine straw at and near the base of the tree.
FIG. 1C
illustrates a row of trees used for pine straw and a prior art hay rake having missed much of the pine straw. Therefore, workers with hand rakes have to manually rake the remaining pine straw from the base of the trees, requiring another pass of the hay baler. Hay balers and the circular drive of hay rakes are not ideally suited for pine straw raking.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention and the contemplated problems which have and continue to exist in this field, the invention features, pine straw rake apparatus and system and a square drive for use in the pine straw rake apparatus and system. The pine straw rake is adapted specially to efficiently rake up pine straw from the base of trees and outward.
In general in one aspect, the invention features a drive, including a first sprocket, a second sprocket, a third sprocket in a geometric and planar arrangement with the first and second sprockets and a roller chain wrapped around the partial circumferences of the sprockets.
In one implementation, the drive further includes a motor connected to the first sprocket.
In another implementation, the geometric arrangement is triangular.
In another implementation, the drive further includes a fourth sprocket in geometric and planar arrangement with the first, second and third sprockets and the geometric arrangement is square.
In another implementation the second and third sprockets have substantially the same diameter and the first sprocket has a diameter greater than the diameters of the second and third sprockets.
In another aspect, the invention features a pine straw rake, including two square drives in an offset and substantially parallel orientation with respect to each other, the square drives including a first sprocket, a second sprocket, a third sprocket in a geometric and planar arrangement with the first and second sprockets and a roller chain wrapped around the partial circumferences of the sprockets, a plurality of rake bars connected to respective points on each of the roller chains and a plurality of rake teeth connected to each of the rake bars.
In one implementation, the pine straw rake includes chain mounts connected to the roller chains and rotatably connected to respective ends of the rake bars and the rake bars are connected to the square drives at an angle.
In another implementation, the rake bars are adapted to overlap each other while in motion.
In another implementation, the square drives are adapted to direct the rake teeth in a motion toward the ground and in a motion along the ground during a cycle of movement of the square drive.
In still another aspect, the invention features a pine straw rake system, including a carrier having wheels, a pine straw rake connected to the carrier, the pine straw rake including two square drives in an offset and substantially parallel orientation with respect to each other, the square drives including a first sprocket; a second sprocket, a third sprocket in a geometric and planar arrangement with the first and second sprockets and a roller chain wrapped around the partial circumferences of the sprockets, a plurality of rake bars connected to respective points on each of the roller chains and a plurality of rake teeth connected to each of the rake bars.
In one implementation, the carrier is self-propelled.
In another implementation, the carrier is a trailer adapted to be pulled by a primary mover such as a tractor.
In another implementation, the trailer is a three point hitch.
In another implementation, the system includes a pine straw rake elevation adjustment attached to the carrier.
In another implementation, the system includes a cushion wheel connected to the carrier and oriented substantially perpendicular to the wheels.
In another implementation, the system includes a motor.
In yet another aspect, the invention features a rake system, including a plurality of rake bars, each bar having a plurality of rake teeth and means for orienting the rake teeth in a downward motion toward a point on the ground and in a motion within a line along the ground.
In another aspect, the invention features a method of raking pine straw, comprising providing a mechanism capable of orienting rake bars having rake teeth in a geometrical arrangement near a pine tree whereby pine straw close to the base of the pine tree is raked outward from the pine tree.
In still another aspect, the invention features a utility drive system, including two square drives in an
Hinkle & O'Bradovich, LLC
Mammen Nathan
Pezzuto Robert E.
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