Dual implement hitch

A dual implement hitch for pivotal connection to the drawbar of a towing vehicle whereby a pair of implements, such as rakes, tedders or the like may be selectively towed in one of several modes by a simple movement of an operator without disconnecting the implements from the hitch and reconnecting same in a different position. The hitch comprises an arched longitudinal frame having a clevis at its front end for connection to the towing vehicle. The rear of the longitudinal frame is rigidly supported upon an arched transverse from which is supported by dirigible wheels at its opposite ends. A first hitch element is provided at the front end of the longitudinal frame behind the clevis for pivotally connecting a first implement to the frame, beneath the arch. A second hitch element is provided at the rear of the longitudinal frame for pivotally connecting a second implement in trailing position behind the hitch. A tie rod maintains parallel relationship of the wheels. An operator is connected between the transverse frame and the tie rod for selectively moving the wheels to one of: a transport position with wheels parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hitch, a left offset position causing the hitch to track to the left, and a right offset position causing the hitch to tract to the right of the towing vehicle. Two side delivery rakes connected to the hitch may thereby be towed selectively in a transport mode, a single windrowing mode and a double windrowing mode.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a hitch for towing a pair of wheel supported 
implements behind a towing vehicle selectively in one of: a transport 
position and either of two working positions by manual or power operation 
of a control device without the necessity of disconnecting, repositioning 
and reconnecting the implements. 
More particularly the invention related to an adjustable hitch for towing a 
pair of side delivery rakes, or the like, selectively in one of: a 
transport position with one rake trailing the other in tandem, a single 
windrowing position with one rake trailing and offset to one side from the 
other to combine the hay picked up by each rake into a single windrow, and 
a double windrow position with one rake trailing and offset to the other 
side of the other rake wherein each rake delivers a separate windrow. 
2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
With the introduction of more powerful tractors in recent years, it has 
become economically importent, both from the standpoint of saving time and 
energy to connect implements in multiple to a towing vehicle. Various 
hitches have been developed for this purpose which are most commonly 
designed for use with particular implements each of which requires that 
certain features be designed into the hitch to meet the requirements of 
the implements when being transported or when in use. For transport it is 
commonly required that the implements be towed in tamdem directly behind 
each other so as to occupy only one traffic lane of a highway, whereas for 
field use the implements must be offset to the right or left of each 
other. 
The present hitch has been designed specifically for use in towing a pair 
of similar side delivery rakes of a type disclosed, for example, in U.S. 
Pat. No. 2,781,626 issued Feb. 19, 1957. The rakes each include a rotating 
side delivery rake reel mounted on a wheeled frame which is adapted to be 
towed behind a towing vehicle. If the rakes are built for left hand side 
delivery, one rake can be staggered to the left and rear of another rake 
in order that the one rake will pick up the hay delivered by the forward 
rake and in addition will rake up hay in the area over which it travels. 
This combines the output of the two rakes to produce a single large 
windrow. The two left hand delivery rakes can be towed with one trailing 
behind and offset to the right of the other so that each rake produces its 
own separate windrow. If the rakes are built for right hand side delivery, 
the trailing rake must be offset to the right in order to produce a single 
combined windrow, and offset to the left in order that each rake will 
deliver its own separate windrow. 
One prior art hitch for connecting a pair of side delivery rakes to a 
towing vehicle generally for the purpose just described is disclosed in 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,077,722, issued Feb. 19, 1963 to Sadler et al. It 
comprises an L-shaped frame having a front transverse frame member and a 
longitudinal frame member extending rearwardly from one end of the 
transverse frame member. The frame is supported on the ground by a front 
caster wheel mounted on the free end of the transverse frame member, and a 
rear wheel rigidly secured adjacent the rear end of the longitudinal frame 
member. The frame is connected to the drawbar of a tractor by a bracket 
secured to the transverse frame member and a hitch member. Draw bars are 
attached to the rear of the transverse frame member adjacent to the front 
caster wheel for towing a first side delivery rake, and to the rear end of 
the longitudinal frame member for towing a second side delivery rake 
laterally offset from the first side delivery rake. In order to change the 
positions of the two rakes, connected to the hitch disclosed in U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,077,722, the tractor must be stopped and both rakes must be 
unhitched, the implement hitch must be physically turned over, and the 
rakes then reconnected to the hitch in different positions. Considerable 
time and physical labor on the part of an operator are required in 
repositioning the hitch and rakes. 
In contrast to the hitch disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,077,722, the present 
hitch is adjusted merely upon movement of a single control means without 
disconnecting the rakes from the hitch. 
Other dual implement hitches of which applicant is aware are disclosed in 
the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 
______________________________________ 
3,177,828 Cramer Apr. 13, 1965 
3,292,948 McMasters et al 
Dec. 20, 1966 
3,568,423 Hale et al Mar. 9, 1971 
3,990,718 Holland Nov. 9, 1976 
4,178,010 Gerber Dec. 11, 1979 
4,245,458 Smith Jan. 20, 1981 
______________________________________ 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,568,423 and 4,245,458 disclose dual hitch frames for hay 
rakes which are structurally and functionaly substantially different from 
the present invention. 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,177,828, 3,292,948 and 4,178,010 disclose dual hitch 
frames for various agricultural implements which differ structurally from 
the present invention particularly in the means for adjusting the hitch to 
reposition the towed implements without disconnecting the implements from 
the hitch. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the invention to provide a dual hitch which is simple 
and economical in construction and which upon operation of an offset 
control device, manually or by power means, will tow two side delivery 
rakes in a selected one of: a nonworking tandem transport position; a 
first laterally offset position in which the output of a front rake is 
delivered to a trailing rake and the output of the trailing rake is a 
single large windrow; and a second laterally offset position is which each 
rake rakes and delivers a separate windrow thereby producing two windrows 
each of about half the volume of the single large windrow. 
While the invention is described particularly for use in towing side 
delivery rakes, it will be obvious that the hitch of this invention may be 
used for towing other implements, such as tedders and others which must be 
towed in tandem for transport and in staggered, offset relationship for 
field use. 
The hitch of this invention comprises an arched longitudinal frame member 
having a clevis at its front end for connection to the towing vehicle. The 
rear of the longitudinal frame member is rigidly supported upon an arched 
transverse frame member which is supported by dirigible wheels at its 
opposite ends. A first hitch element is provided at the front end of the 
longitudinal frame member behind the clevis for privotally connecting a 
first implement to the frame, beneath the arch. A second hitch element is 
provided at the rear of the longitudinal frame member for pivotally 
connecting a second implement in trailing position behind the hitch. A tie 
rod maintains parallel relationship of the wheels. A wheel offset control 
means is connected between the transverse frame member and the tie rod for 
selectively moving the wheels to one of: a transport position with wheels 
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hitch, a left offset position 
causing the hitch to track to the left, and a right offset position 
causing the hitch to tract to the right of the towing vehicle. Two side 
delivery rakes connected to the hitch may thereby be towed selectively in 
a transport mode, a single windrowing mode and a double windrowing mode. 
The wheel offset control means includes a wheel position index plate 
affixed to the top of the arched transverse frame member and a wheel 
offset control handle pivoted at one end to the tie rod and swingable over 
the wheel position index plate about a fulcrum intermediate, the ends of 
the lever. The handle includes a hand grip portion at its end opposite the 
end connected to the tie rod. Index holes are provided in the wheel 
position plate in an arc centered about the fulcrum for the handle. A 
spring biased latch, including a spring projected latch pin, is mounted on 
the wheel offset control handle with the pin in alignment with a hole 
through the handle. As the handle is swung over the wheel position index 
plate, the latch pin moves over the arc in which the index holes are 
located and it will be projected into one of the holes unless prevented 
from doing so by a latch handle. The latch handle is provided to lift the 
latch pin out of the index holes so that the wheel offset handle may be 
swung to a selected position. 
The arch of the main longitudinal frame member is high enough so that the 
longitudinal frame member may be swung over a rake or other implement 
which is connected to the first hitch element. The arch of the transverse 
frame member is of sufficient height to clear a windrow delivered by the 
rake attached to the first hitch element. The tie rod is arched similarly 
to the transverse frame member for the same purpose and maintains a 
parallel relationship to the transverse frame as it is mcved to position 
the wheels in selected positions. 
While the invention is disclosed as having a manually operated wheel offset 
control mean, it is within the scope of this invention to provide motor 
operating means (not shown) for operating the wheel offset control means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 2, 3 and 6, the 
invention, as indicated by the reference numeral 10, is a hitch device for 
connecting a plurality of wheeled implements with a towing vehicle to be 
towed in tandem behind the towing vehicle for transportation, or to be 
towed in either of a right-hand, or a left-hand laterally spaced staggered 
relationship for field use. The hitch device 10 is especially suited for 
connecting a pair of rakes R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, each having its own wheel 
supported frame, with the towbar of a tractor T as shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 5 
and 11. FIGS. 1 and 11 show the hitch 10 with rakes R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 
connected in tandem behind the tractor T for transportation FIG. 4 shows 
the hitch 10 with rake R.sub.2 laterally spaced to the left and to the 
rear of rake R.sub.1 and FIG. 5 shows the hitch 10 with rake R.sub.2 
laterally spaced to the right and to the rear of rake R.sub.1. 
The hitch 10 comprises an arched longitudinal main frame member 11, having 
hitch means 12 at its front end for pivotal connection to the drawbar of a 
tractor, and an arched transverse frame member 13, to the top center of 
which the rear end of the frame member 11 is secured as by welding. The 
opposite ends of the transverse frame member 13 are each supported above 
the ground by a wheel 14 with a tire 15. Each wheel 14 is mounted on a 
stub axle 16 having a king pin 17 upstanding from its inner end. Each king 
pin 17 is rotatably mounted in a sleeve bearing 18 which is fixed on one 
end of the transverse frame member 13. A lever 19 is affixed to the top of 
each king pin 17 for turning the king pin in its sleeve bearing 18 and the 
levers on the two king pins at opposite sides of the transverse frame 
member 13 are interconnected by a tie rod 20 in a conventional manner for 
steering the wheels. 
As clearly shown in FIG. 6, the tie rod 20 is arched upwardly similar to 
the transverse frame member 13 for the purpose of permitting the hitch 10 
to pass over windrowed hay or other obstructions in the field without 
engaging same and either damaging the hitch 10 or dragging the 
obstruction. They both include a generally linear, top central member, 
downwardly and outwardly inclined legs at opposite ends of the top central 
member and short projections angled outwardly from the lower ends of the 
legs. In the case of the transverse frame member 13, the top central 
member is designated 13a, the downwardly inclined legs are 13b, and the 
short projections are 13c. In the case of the tie rod 20, the top central 
member is designated 20a, the downwardly inclined legs are 20b and the 
short projections are 20c. The short projections 13c of the transverse 
frame member 13 carry the sleeve bearings in which the king pins 17 are 
rotatably mounted. The short projections 20c of the tie rod 20 are 
pivotally connected to the levers 19 by pivot pins 21. 
The main longitudinal frame member 11 includes an elongated top central 
portion 11a which extends generally horizontally and is elevated 
sufficiently to permit a rake or other implement attached to the front end 
of frame member 11 to pass under the longitudinal frame member as it is 
shifted in position in accordance with the purposes of this invention 
subsequently to be described. 
A steeply downwardly inclined front post portion 11b is rigidly secured at 
the front end of the top central portion 11a, and a less steeply 
downwardly inclined rear portion 11c is rigidly secured at the rear end of 
the top central portion 11a. On the front of the front post portion 11b is 
mounted the hitch means 12 for connecting the hitch device 10 to the 
drawbar of a towing vehicle. It includes a pair of vertically spaced, 
forwardly extending clevis members 22 and 23, adapted to straddle the 
drawbar of a tractor, and a drop pin 24 adapted to drop through vertically 
aligned apertures in the clevis members and an aligned aperture in a draw 
bar to pivotally connect the hitch device 10 to a tractor or other towing 
vehicle. On the rear of the front post portion 11b behind the hitch means 
12 is fixed a short drawbar 25 with aperture 25' therethrough for pivotal 
connection with a front rake R.sub.1 or other towed implement. 
The bottom end of the rear portion 11c of the main longitudinal frame 
member 11 is rigidly connected to the top central portion of the 
transverse frame member 13 (FIG. 6). A downward extension 11d from the 
rear portion 11c carries at its lower end a rearwardly extending drawbar 
26 with aperture 27 therein for pivotal connection to a rear rake R.sub.2 
or other implement. 
The wheels 14 on the opposite ends of the transverse frame member 13 are 
normally always maintained in parallel relationship to each other by means 
of the tie rod 20. In order to angle the wheels 14 in selected directions 
relative to the transverse frame member 13, a wheel offset control means 
30 is provided for shifting the tie rod 20 to the right or to the left as 
indicated by arrows A and B in FIG. 6 and for thereby changing the angle 
of the wheels relative to the transverse frame member. The transverse 
frame member 13 as shown in the top plan view of FIG. 3 is perpendicular 
to the longitudinal axis of the main longitudinal frame member 11. When 
the wheels 14 of the hitch are directed perpendicular to the axis of the 
transverse frame member and thus parallel to the axis of the main 
longitudinal frame member 11 the hitch 10 will track directly behind the 
towing vehicle. If the wheels 14 are angled to the right or to the left 
from the position where they are parallel with the longitudinal frame 
member 11, the rear end of the hitch 10 will shift to the right or to the 
left until the wheels 14 are in parallel alignment with the direction of 
travel of the towing vehicle. 
The wheel offset control means 30 includes a wheel position plate 31 which 
is fixed to and extends forwardly from the top central member 13a of the 
transverse frame member and is substantially flush with the upper surface 
thereof. A wheel offset control handle 32 is pivoted to the upper surface 
of the top transverse frame member 13 by vertical pivot pin 33 so that it 
may be moved parallel to the upper surface of the wheel position plate 31. 
The control handle 32 includes a forwardly extending hand grip portion 32a 
and a flat lever arm portion 32b extending rearwardly from the hand grip 
portion. The lever arm portion is pivoted to the upper surface of the tie 
rod 20 rearwardly of the fulcrum 33 by pivot pin 34. The wheel position 
plate 31 has three or more apertures 35 extending therethrough which are 
located on an arc whose center is the axis of the pivot pin 33. The 
apertures 35 cooperate with a wheel offset control latch 36 to latch the 
control handle 32 in selected one of three positions, including a center 
position and right and left-hand positions. 
The wheel offset control latch 36 (see FIG. 12) comprises a U-shaped frame 
37 having a pair of horizontally spaced, upright legs 38 connected at 
their bottom ends by a flat connecting portion 39 which is fixedly secured 
to the top of the flat lever arm portion 32b. A rearwardly projecting ear 
portion 38a is coplanar and integral with the top portion of each of the 
upright legs. Horizontally aligned apertures in the ears 38a of the two 
legs 38 receive a bolt 42 which provides a pivot support for a latch 
operating handle 40. The bolt 42 is secured in position by a nut 42'. The 
handle 40 is of T-shape and includes a tubular cross-head portion 40a, 
which is pivotally mounted on the bolt 42, and an elongated handle portion 
40b extending forwardly between the legs 38 of the latch frame 37. A pivot 
pin 45 extends transversely through the handle portion 40b a short 
distance from the cross-head portion 40a and is parallel with the 
cross-head portion. A pair of links 46 and 47 are pivotally mounted on 
opposite ends of the pivot pin 45. The links 46 and 47 pivotally support 
the cross head 43a of a T-shaped latch pin 43 above a fixed bridge member 
48 rigidly secured between the legs 38. Aligned apertures 49, 50 and 51 
respectively extend centrally through the bridge member 48, the latch 
frame connecting portion 39 and the wheel offset control handle 32, 
providing a through passage for reciprocal movement of elongated stem 
portion 43b of the latch pin 43 which normally extends downwardly 
therethrough into one of the position apertures 35 in the wheel position 
plate 31. A compression coil spring 44 is positioned surrounding the latch 
pin stem 43b between the fixed bridge 48 and a disk 52 which is fixed to 
the lower portion of latch pin stem 43b above the connecting portion 39 of 
the latch frame 36. The compression spring 44 normally biases the latch 
pin downwardly into latching position as shown in FIG. 12. In order to 
release the latch 36 so that the wheel offset control handle 32 can be 
moved over the wheel position plate 31, the latch pin 43 is lifted by 
lifting the free end of the latch operating handle 40. In doing so the 
handle pivots about its pivot pin 42, the cross pin 45 is lifted, lifting 
the links 46 and 47 which in turn lift the cross head 43a of the latch pin 
43 and thus the latch pin stem 43b is lifted until it disengages the wheel 
position plate 31. In lifting the latch pin 43, the coil spring 44 is 
compressed so that when the handle 40 is released the coil spring 44 will 
again force the latch pin 43 downwardly, and the latch pin will lock in 
the first position aperture 35 in the wheel position plate with which it 
becomes aligned upon movement of the wheel position control handle 32. 
As seen in FIG. 3, the lower end, or tongue, of the rear extension 11d is 
angularly offset to the left of the main portion of the longitudinal frame 
11 inorder to properly position the back rake R.sub.2 with respect to the 
windrow delivered by the front rake R.sub.1. An offset of the drawbar 
aperture 27 from the longitudinal axis of the main portion of frame 11 by 
approximately three inches has been found to be satisfactory, however, the 
amount of offset required, if any, will depend upon the implements being 
towed. 
Operation of the Invention 
The operation of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing 
description. 
A pair of rakes, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, or other implements, are connected to 
the front and rear hitch elements 25 and 26 respectively of the hitch 10 
which is connected by the front clevis elements 23 and 24 and drop pin 24 
to the tow bar of a tractor or other tow vehicle. 
For transportation of the rakes along a highway, it is necessary to have 
the rakes track in approximate tandem alignment with the tractor inorder 
to utilize as little of the width of the highway as possible. To condition 
the hitch and towed implements for the transportation made, the wheel 
offset control means 30 is positioned as shown in FIG. 3 with the wheel 
offset control handle 32 locked in the central, or neutral, position by 
the wheel offset control latch pin 43 projecting through the center index 
aperture 35 as shown in FIG. 12. In the neutral position of the wheel 
offset control handle 32, the dirigible hitch wheels on opposite sides of 
the transverse frame member 13 are in parallel with the longitudinal main 
frame member 11. 
For field use, depending upon the amount of hay on the ground, the operator 
will select to tow the rakes in either a single or a double windrowing 
mode. If the hay on the ground is sparce, or very dry, the operator may 
select to tow the rakes in a single windrowing mode, as shown in FIG. 4, 
wherein the trailing rake picks up the hay delivered by the forward rake 
and combines it with hay which the trailing rake picks up from the ground 
over which it travels. The hitch 10 is conditioned to tow the two 
left-hand side delivery rakes R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 in the single windrowing 
mode by lifting the wheel offset control latch handle 40 to lift the latch 
pin 43 from the center index aperture 35, in which it was located during 
the transportation mode, and by moving the control handle 32 to the left 
(toward the longitudinal frame member 11). The wheels 14 are thereby 
angled to the left causing the rear end of the hitch to swing to the left 
until the wheels reach a position wherein they are again parallel with the 
direction of travel of the towing vehicle. Since the front rake R.sub.1 is 
connected to the hitch 10 close behind the connection of the hitch 10 to 
the tractor drawbar, as seen in FIG. 11, it continues to track in 
approximate tandem alignment with the tractor T while the arched 
ongitudinal frame member of the hitch swings over the front rake R.sub.1 
to position the rear end of the hitch and the rake R.sub.2 in an offset 
position to the left of the front rake. The amount of offset is 
predetermined so that the trailing rake R.sub.2 will overlap a left-hand 
portion of the swath covered by the front rake R.sub.1. The predetermined 
amount of left-hand offset is used in determining the position of the 
left-hand index aperture 35 in the index plate 31 so that when the latch 
pin 43 comes into alignment with the left offset position aperture 35 by 
moving the offset control handle 32 to the left, the latch pin 43 is 
projected by the spring 44 into the left-offset index aperture. The wheel 
offset control means 30 is thereby locked in position to provide the hitch 
and rear rake R.sub.2 with the correct amount of left-hand offset for the 
single windrowing mode. 
If the hay lying on the ground is thick and heavy, the operator may select 
to operate the hitch in the double windrowing mode wherein each of the 
rakes R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 deliver separate windrows W.sub.1 and W.sub.2 as 
shown in FIG. 5. This is done to prevent the formation of a combined 
windrow with an excessively large volume of hay. The two smaller windrows 
are advantageous especially if the hay is damp or wet and must dry before 
it is baled. To condition the hitch 10 in the double windrowing mode, the 
operator moves the wheel offset control handle to the right of the 
central, or neutral, position until the latch pin 43 drops into the 
right-hand index aperture 35. The wheels 14 are thereby angled to the 
right causing the rear end of the hitch 10 and the rake R.sub.2 to move to 
the right until the wheels 14 reach a position wherein they are again 
parallel with the direction of travel of the towing vehicle. The amount of 
right-hand offset is predetermined so that the trailing vehicle will 
overlap the right-hand portion of the front rake R.sub.1 in order to avoid 
leaving a strip of hay on the ground between the windrows W.sub.1 and 
W.sub.2. As described with respect to the left offset position aperture, 
the right offset position aperture 35 is located in accordance with the 
predetermined amount of right-hand offset of the rake R.sub.2 from the 
front rake R.sub.1. 
For implements other than rakes, and even for rakes of different sizes, the 
amount of offset of one implement from another, in field use may differ. 
Index apertures 35 will therefore be provided in the wheel position plate 
31 in accordance with the requirements of the implements to be towed. The 
index plate may be provided with a multiplicity of appropriately spaced 
index apertures so that the hitch 10 is adapted for universal use with 
rakes of different sizes and for other implements requiring different 
offsets in field use. 
While the rakes R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are both illustrated as being left-hand 
delivery rakes, it is within the intended scope of this invention that 
both rakes may be for right-hand delivery or one rake may be for 
right-hand delivery and the other rake may be for left-hand delivery. 
If the rakes are both right-hand delivery rakes, the hitch and rakes will 
be in a single windrowing mode when the rear rake is offset to the right 
of the front rake preferably allowing some overlap, and the hitch and 
rakes will be in a double windrowing mode when the rear rake is offset to 
the left of the front rake allowing some overlap. 
If the two rakes are mixed left-hand and right-hand delivery rakes, the 
hitch and rakes will be in a single windrowing mode when the right-hand 
delivery rake is offset to the rear and to the left of the left-hand 
delivery rake,and in a double windrowing mode when the right-hand delivery 
rake is offset to the rear and to the right of the right-hand delivery 
rake. 
The invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration, 
but it will be obvious that numerous modifications and variations may be 
resorted to within the spirit and scope of the invention without departing 
from the claims.