Abstract:
Implements, such as landscape rakes, having chains with removably connected bars with teeth connected thereto are normally easier to service. The disclosed apparatus and method is an implement, such as a rake, that comprises a housing having a first-side portion and a second-side portion, a shaft rotatably supported by the housing, the shaft having a first end and a second end, a first member operatively connected to the shaft, and at least one bar removably connected to the first member.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     This disclosure relates generally to worktools, and, more particularly, to a landscape rake having at least one replaceable member located at a predetermined location and at least one bar removably connected to the member.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Work machines, such as skid steer loaders, wheel loaders, tractors, or backhoe loaders, or other work machines use implements, such as landscape rakes, to dislodge or rake rocks, plant residue, and other material from the surface and deposit it into a bucket. Implements such as landscape rakes have a shaft that drives a plurality of members or chains that have connected thereto bars with teeth such that the members rotate the bars connected thereto. The teeth dislodge the material and carry it into the bucket. Because the teeth and bars are often in contact with the ground, material, or other such surfaces, they get worn down and must be periodically replaced.  
         [0003]     One known landscape rake design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,828 B1 that issued to Paulson et al. on May 1, 2001. It discloses a landscape rake that includes a rotatably operable rake mechanism for performing a raking function, a bucket for receiving material raked, and a fluid actuator connected to the rake mechanism for moving the rake mechanism relative to the bucket. This landscape rake design can, however, be difficult to service because the rake mechanism has teeth that are not removably connected with the chains. In addition, there are three chains that are required to drive the landscape rake. This can cause additional servicing issues because of the additional components required.  
         [0004]     The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present embodiment is a rake, that comprises a housing having a first-side portion and a second-side portion, a shaft rotatably supported by the housing, the shaft having a first end and a second end, a first member operatively connected to the shaft, and at least one bar removably connected to the first member.  
         [0006]     In another embodiment, a method of servicing a rake, the rake comprises a housing, a shaft rotatably supported by the housing, the shaft having a first end and a second end, a first member operatively connected to the shaft, a second member operatively connected to the shaft, and at least one bar removably connected to the first member and the second member, comprises unfastening the bar from the first member and the second member, removing the bar from the housing, inserting at least one replacement bar into the housing, and removably fastening the replacement bar to the first member and the second member. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic front view of a landscape rake operatively mounted to a work machine;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic underside view of the landscape rake; and  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is an exploded diagrammatic view of a portion of an underside portion of the landscape rake.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0011]     Referring to the drawings, shown in  FIG. 1  is an implement, such as a rake, or more particularly, a landscape rake  100 , operatively mounted in the conventional manner to a work machine  103 , such as, but not limited to, a skid steer loader (depicted in  FIG. 1 ), tractor, wheel loader, or backhoe loader. The work machine  103  includes a hydraulic system  106  including a source of pressurized fluid. The hydraulic system  106  includes a pair of hydraulic fittings  109  adapted to connect, in fluid communication, the landscape rake  100  with the hydraulic system  106  of the work machine  103 .  
         [0012]     The landscape rake  100  is pivotally connected at a pivot joint (not shown) to a bucket  118 . The landscape rake  100  includes a housing  121 . The housing  121  having an underside portion  124 , a first-side portion  127 , and a second-side portion  130 . The housing  121  further includes a bracket  133  located in spaced relation to a distal end of a lift arm  136  fixedly mounted to the bucket  118 . An actuator, such as a hydraulic cylinder  139 , is pivotally connected to the bracket  133  and lift arm  136  by pivot joints  142 ,  145 , respectively. The hydraulic cylinder  139  can extend to pivot the landscape rake  100  about the pivot joint  142  to a position proximal a front opening (not shown) of the bucket  118  for depositing material therein when the landscape rake  100  is operating. Conversely, the hydraulic cylinder  139  retracts to pivot the landscape rake  100  through a range of open positions spaced from the front opening to allow dumping of the contents of the bucket  118 . Finally, an actuator such as a hydraulic motor  154 , or more specifically a gerotor type motor is connected to the second side portion  130  of the housing  121  and is in fluid communication with the hydraulic system  106  of the work machine  103 . A pair of hydraulic hoses  157  has a first-end portion  160  connected with the motor  154  and has a second-end portion  163  connectable with the hydraulic fittings  109  of the hydraulic system  106 . When the hydraulic hoses  157  are connected with the motor  154  and the hydraulic fittings  109 , the motor  154  is in fluid communication with the hydraulic system  106  of the work machine  103 .  
         [0013]     Depicted in  FIG. 2 , with reference numbers of previous figures being used to identify similar components therein, a shaft  203 , having a first end  206  and a second end  209 , has its first end  206  rotatably supported by the first-side portion  127  of the housing  121 . Further, the second end  209  of the shaft  203  is rotatably supported by the second-side portion  130  of the housing  121  and is operably connected with the motor  154  so that as the motor  154  operates, it will rotate the shaft  203  in either a counter-clockwise direction or a clockwise direction depending upon the direction of flow of the pressurized fluid to the motor  154  as selected by the operator.  
         [0014]     The shaft  203  includes a first sprocket  212  and a second sprocket  215  connected thereto by welding or another suitable process. The first sprocket  212  is located a first predetermined distance D 1  from the first end  206  of the shaft  203  and the second sprocket  215  is located a second predetermined distance D 2  from the second end  209  of the shaft  203 . The first and second predetermined distances D 1 , D 2  are of substantially equal lengths. In the present embodiment, the first and second predetermined distances D 1 , D 2  are one third of the entire length of the shaft  203 , e.g., if the overall width D 3  of the shaft  203  is about 62 inches, the first and second predetermined distances D 1 , D 2  are about 20.667 inches from the first and second ends  206 ,  209  of the shaft  203 , respectively.  
         [0015]     Further depicted in  FIG. 2  is a first member, such as a belt, cable, linkages, etc., or as shown, a first chain  220  and a second member, such as a belt, cable, linkages, etc., or as shown a second chain  223  encircling and operatively connected to the first sprocket  212  and the second sprocket  215 , respectively. When the shaft  203  rotates the first sprocket  212  and second sprocket  215  rotate further rotating the first chain  220  and the second chain  223 , respectively. The first and second chains  220 ,  223  are located the first and second predetermined distances D 1 , D 2  from the first end  206  and the second end  209  of the shaft  203 , respectively, as described above. As depicted in  FIG. 3 , the first chain  220  and second chain  223  each include a plurality of tabs  326  connected thereto by welding or another suitable process. Each tab  326  includes at least one aperture  329 . For exemplary purposes herein, two apertures  329  are depicted in  FIG. 3 . It should be understood, however, that any numbers of apertures can be used without deviating from the intent of the present embodiment.  
         [0016]     As depicted in  FIG. 2 , a plurality of bars  235 , each having first ends  238  and second ends  241 , are removably connected to the first chain  220  and the second chain  223 . The bars  235  are at least partially enclosed within the housing  121 . The bars  235  further include a plurality of teeth  258  connected thereto by welding or another suitable process. As depicted in  FIG. 3 , with reference numbers of previous figures being used to identify similar components therein, each bar  235  includes a plurality of apertures, for exemplary purposes herein, the present embodiment includes a first pair of apertures  344  therethrough and a second pair of apertures  347  therethrough. The bars  235  are removably connected to the first and second chains  220 ,  223  by using a plurality of mechanical fasteners such as bolts  349  and nuts  352 . The bolts  349  have an end portion  355  and are longer than the height of the bars  235  such that the end portion  355  of the bolt  349  protrudes out of the first pair and second pair of apertures  344 ,  347  when inserted therein. To removably connect the bars  235  to the first and second chains  220 ,  223 , the bolts  349  are inserted through the apertures  329  of the tabs  326  of the first and second chains  220 ,  223  and then through the first and second pair of apertures  344 ,  347  of the bars  235 . The nuts  352  are then fastened to the end portion  355  of the bolts  349  removably connecting the first and second chains  220 ,  223  to the bar  235 . This is repeated for each bar  235  so that each bar  235  is removably connected to the first and second chains  220 ,  223 .  
       Industrial Applicability  
       [0017]     In operation, with the landscape rake  100  positioned proximal to the front opening of the bucket  118 , pressurized fluid will be supplied to the motor  154  to operate the motor  154  and rotate the shaft  203 . The bucket  118  is articulated to bring the teeth  258  into contact with a surface such as the ground surface, and the work machine  103  will be moved in either a forward or reverse direction such that the teeth  258  will dislodge or rake rocks, plant residue, and other desired material from the surface and deposit it into bucket  118  through the front opening. After frequent use of the landscape rake  100 , the teeth  258  and/or the bars  235 , wear out and need to be replaced.  
         [0018]     To service the landscape rake  100  the bars  235  are unfastened from the first and second chains  220 ,  223  by unscrewing the nuts  352  from the end portion  355  of the respective bolts  349 , removing them from the first and second pair of apertures  344 ,  347  of the bar  235  to be removed and from the apertures  329  of the tabs  326  of the first and second chains  220 ,  223 . The bar  235  is then removed from the housing  121 . A replacement bar  235   a , such as a new bar with new teeth, the same bar with new teeth, or a new bar with the same teeth, is then inserted into the housing  121  and re-fastened to the first and second chains  220 ,  223  by inserting the bolts  349  through the apertures  329  of the tabs  326  of the first and second chains  220 ,  223  and then through the first and second pair of apertures  344 ,  347  of the bars  235 . The nuts  352  are then fastened to the end portions  355  of the respective bolts  349  removably connecting the first and second chains  220 ,  223  to the bar  235 . This is repeated until all of the worn out bars and teeth are replaced.  
         [0019]     In operating the landscape rake  100  of the present embodiment, the location of the first and second chains  220 ,  223  at the first and second predetermined distances D 1 , D 2  increases the efficiency of the landscape rake  100  and increases the efficiency by which the debris enters the bucket  118  during operation thereof. These efficiencies are created because the load profile on the shaft  203  and the load profile on the bars  235  are reduced because there is no longer a center force acting on the bars  235  or the shaft  203  and the two external forces are moved closer to the center of the shaft  203 . The reduction of the load profiles and the efficiencies created permits there only to be two chains used instead of other arrangements that may use three or more chains to drive the landscape rake  100 .  
         [0020]     Other aspects, objects and advantages of the invention could be obtained from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims.