Abstract:
An adjustable tracked side-delivery hay rake for use in agriculture for collecting the hay in tidy haycoks, is provided with adjustable wheels movable between a raised and narrow position, suitable for transport and based on the presence—on the arms supporting the wheels—of universal joints that allow movements in all directions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The adjustable tracked side-delivery hay rake according to the present invention is an agricultural machine that is to be employed on the fields for collecting the hay in tidy haycoks. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
   It is well known that the existing machines have—all or in part—the following features: they have an adjustable width for the passage on the field, they have an adjustable angle of convergence of the side-delivery hay rake wheels; the weight of said wheels is balanced and sprung; the hay rake wheels are movable between two positions: onelowered on the floor for working, one raised from the floor for transport; finally, the wheels are movable between two further positions, sometimes combined with the preceding ones: a large one for working and a narrow one, less encumbrant and suited for transport. 
   Furthermore, it is known that above mentioned mobility of the wheels of the hay rake and of the relative arms supporting the wheels from a working position to a transport position are sometimes obtained in such machines known to the art, by performing a rotation of each of the ams supporting the wheels around its own axis placed according to the most different directions according to the machine model. All this means that a certain realization complexity is a common feature of nearly all the machines known, as well as a certain uneasiness in manoeuvring and a relatively high realization cost. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   All said inconveniences and functional negativities may be overcome by means of the adjustable tracked side-delivery rack according to the present invention. 
   Infact, the side-delivery rack according to the present invention is based—for the movements for adjusting the convergence of said wheels as well as for the movement of the relative arms for supporting the wheels between a large and low position for working and a bent and raised position for transport—on the presence—on the arms supporting the wheels of the machine—of universal joints which allow movements in all directions, the realization of pliable side-delivery racks having an easy and comfortable operation as well as being easy in realization and cheap in the realization cost. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will be described more in detail hereinbelow relating to the enclosed figures, in which: 
       FIG. 1 , is a rear axonometric view of a scheme of a possible realization of a preferred embodiment of the side-delivery rack according to the present invention, in working position; 
       FIG. 2 , shows an axonometric front view of the same machine in transport position; 
       FIG. 3  shows an exploded rear view of the central part of said machine. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Relating now to the details, the figures show:
         a pulling steer  2  and the transversal element  3  provided with a plurality of holes  4  and with a plurality of holes  5 ;   the right wheels  11  of the side-delivery rack, shown for exemplifying and not limiting purposes in the number of four; the right arm  12  supporting the wheel, consisting of an inner part  13  and of an outer part  14 , and said wheels  11  being applied in rotating manner to said outer part  14 , and arrow  101  showing the raising direction of said right wheels  11 ;   the left wings  15  of said side-delivery rack, shown for exemplifying and not limiting purposes in the number of four; the left arm  16  supporting the wheel consisting of an inner part  17  and of an outer part  18 , and said wheels  15  being applied in rotating manner to said outer part  18 , and an arrow  102  showing the raising direction of said left wheels  15 ;   the lower right support  21 , sliding with respect to the transversal element  3  in the direction of the arrows  22  and  23 , provided with a plurality of holes  25 , with a plurality of holes  26 , with the couple of holes  27 , with the notch  87  and with the supporting wheel  28 , shown for exemplifying and not limiting purposes in the number of one;   the lower left support  31 , sliding with respect to the transversal element  3  in the direction of arrows  32  and  33 , provided with the plurality of holes  35 , with the plurality of holes  36 , with the couple of holes  37 , with the notch  88  and with the supporting wheel  38 , shown for exemplifying and not limiting purposes in the number of one;   the orientable right head  41  having the shape of a hollow, lengthened bushing, to which an appendix  42  is applied provided with an end  43  and to which the inner part  13  of the right arm  12  supporting the wheel is hinged in a rotable manner by means of a pin  44  and suspended in elastic manner by means of a spring  45 , and which is provided with holes  46 ;   the orientable left head  51  having the shape of a hollow, lengthened bushing, to which an appendix  52  is applied provided with an end  53  and to which the inner part  17  of the left arm  16  supporting the wheel is hinged in a rotable manner by means of a pin  54  and suspended in elastic manner by means of a spring  55 , and which is provided with holes  56 ;   the right intermediate element  61 , formed by a bushing  62  to which a first lever  64  is applied provided with an end  65 ; by a pin  66  that may be inserted into said bushing  62  and into holes  27 , thus connecting the right intermediate element  61  to the lower right support  21  in a rotable manner according to arrows  103  and  104 , according to a first rotation axis  6  coinciding with the axis of a pin  66 ; as well as by a pin  63 , preferably but not necessarily fixed in a perpendicular way to said bushing  62 , and that may be inserted into the orientable right head  41 , thus connecting said orientable right head  41  to the right intermediate element  61  in a rotable manner according to arrows  107  and  108 , according to a second rotation axis  7  coinciding with the axis of said pin  63 ;   the left intermediate element  71 , formed by a bushing  72  to which a second lever  74  is applied provided with an end  75 ; by a pin  76  that may be inserted into a bushing  72  and into holes  37 , thus connecting the left intermediate element  71  to the lower left support  31  in a rotable manner according to arrows  105  and  106 , according to a third rotation axis  8  coinciding with the axis of a pin  76 ; as well as by a pin  73 , preferably but not necessarily fixed in a perpendicular way to said bushing  72 , and that may be inserted into the orientable left head  51 , thus connecting said orientable left head  51  to the left intermediate element  71  in a rotable manner according to arrows  109  and  110 , according to a fourth rotation axis  9  coinciding with the axis of said pin  73 ;   a hydraulic cylinder  81  with double effect and its stem  82 , as said stem  82  is axially extensible and retractile with respect to said hydraulic cylinder  81  with double effect under the action of the same, whereby the end  83  of said stem  82 , the end  84  of said cylinder  81  and a pin  85  are connecting said end  83  of said stem  82  in rotable manner to said end  65  of said first lever  64 , and a pin  86  connecting in rotable manner said end  84  of said cylinder  81  to said end  75  of said second lever  74 ;   a right ratchet  91  hinged in rotable manner through a hole  92  onto said pin  85 , and provided with an end  93  to be engaged in said notch  87 , and also provided with a hole  94 , and an arrow  95  showing the raising direction of said right ratchet  91 ;   a left ratchet  96  hinged in rotable manner through a hole  97  onto said pin  86 , and provided with an end  98  to be engaged in said notch  88 , and also provided with a hole  99 , and an arrow  100  showing the raising direction of said right ratchet  96 ;   strings  131  and  132  that may be knotted respectively to holes  94  and  99  for raising ratchets  91  and  96  in the direction of arrows  95  and  100 ;   the right connecting rod  111  provided with a first end  112 , in turn provided with a hole  113  that may be inserted from an end  43  of an appendix  42  wit the result of rotably connecting said end  112  of said connecting rod with said appendix  42 , and provided with a second end  114  with a hole  115 ;   the left connecting rod  121  provided with a first end  122 , in turn provided with a hole  123  that may be inserted from an end  53  of an appendix  52  wit the result of rotably connecting said end  122  of said connecting rod with said appendix  52 , and provided with a second end  124  with a hole  125 ;   a demountable pin  29  that may be inserted into said holes  4  and  25 ;   a demountable pin  39  that may be inserted into said holes  5  and  35 ;   a demountable pin  116  that may be inserted into a hole  115  and into holes  26 , with the result of rotably connecting the end  114  of said connecting rod  111  with the lower right support  21 ;   a demountable pin  126  that may be inserted into a hole  125  and into holes  36 , with the result of rotably connecting the end  124  of said connecting rod  121  with the lower right support  31 ;   a demountable pin  47  that may be inserted into holes  46 ;   a demountable pin  57  that may be inserted into holes  56 ;
 
whereby all said demountable pins are shown in exemplifying and not limiting manner and are of the well known and largely used kind consisting of a rod provided with a swelling on one end and with a transversal hole on the other end, and of a spring plug that may be inserted into said transversal hole.
       

   The hydraulic circuits for operating the hydraulic cylinder  81  with double effect, which are always present in these kinds of machines and of which many kinds are useful for this kind of purpose, are not shown in the figures because they are not relevant for the aim of the present invention. 
   Relating now to the details shown in the enclosed figures, the working of the machine according to the present invention may be described as follows: 
     FIG. 1  shows the machine according to the present invention in working position, the wheels open and down. 
   The angular position of the wheels of the hay rake and of the left and right wheel-supporting arms, are blocked by the constant presence of connecting rods  111  and  121 , which contrast any possible rotation according to arrows  107  or  108  of the right rotary head  41 , and according to arrows  109  or  110  of the left rotary head  51 , as well as of the other parts of the machine according to the present invention connected thereto. 
   It is possible to vary said angular position by temporarily unstringing the demountable pin  116  from holes  115  and  26 , and the demountable pin  126  from holes  125  and  36 , thus temporarily releasing the connecting rods  111  and  121 ; now the wheels of the hay rake and the arms supporting the wheels may be moved into the new, desired position, blocking them anew and inserting again said demountable pins into holes  115  and  26  and in the holes  125  and  36 , choosing the most suitable ones. 
   The width of the passage on the field depends on the position of the right lower support  21  and on the position of the left lower support  31  onto the transversal element  3 , and is blocked by the constant presence of the demountable pin  29  inserted in holes  4  and  25  and of the demountable pin  39  inserted in holes  5  and  35 . 
   It is possible to vary said passage width by temporarily unstringing the demountable pin  29  from holes  4  and  25  and the demountable pin  39  from holes  5  and  35 , thus temporarily releasing the right lower support  21  and the left lower support  31 . Now said elements may be moved into the new desired positions, blocking them anew and inserting again said demountable pins into holes  4  and  25  and into holes  5  and  35 , choosing the most suitable ones. The moving into the two directions of the lower right support  21  and left support  31  may be performed advantageously operating in one sense or in another the double effect hydraulic cylinder  81 , which thus will move in one sense or into the other all parts of the machine connected to end  83  of the stem  82 , and to the end  84  of said cylinder  81 . 
   The weights of the wheels and of the arms supporting the wheels are balanced and sprung due to the presence of springs  45  and  55  and due to the fact that the inner part of the right arm  13  supporting the wheels and the inner part of the left arm  17  supporting the wheels are respectively hinged onto the right rotary head  41  and onto the left rotary head  51 ; such springing may be eliminated and at the same time the movements of the inner part of the right arm  13  supporting the wheels and of the inner part of the left arm  17  supporting the wheels may be blocked with respect to the right rotary head  41  and to the left rotary head  51 , by introducing a demountable pin  47  into holes  46  and a demountable pin  57  into holes  56 , which may be useful for preventing undesired movements of shaking of the arms supporting the wheels of the hay rake during the transport operations. 
   The raising and bending of the wheels and of the arms supporting the right as well as the left wheels, with a passage from the working position to the transport position, is performed by shortening the double effect hydraulic cylinder  81 ; as a consequence, the end  84  of said cylinder  81  and the end  83  of the stem  82  pull the end  65  of the first lever  64  and the end  75  of the second lever  74 , which make rotate inwardly the bushing  62  with the pin  63  as well as the bushing  72  with the pin  73 , thus moving also the right rotary head  41  and the left rotary head  51 , with all the parts of the machine according to the present invention connected thereto. 
   The presence of connecting rods  111  and  121  prevents undesired movements of above mentioned parts of the machine: as it imposes a precise position to end  43  of appendix  42  and to end  53  of appendix  52 , they force all the parts of the machine connected thereto to get placed in the final transport position shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 2  shows the side-delivery hay rake according to the present invention in the transport position, the wheels closed and raised. 
   In said position, the right ratchet  91 , under the action of its own weight, automatically places its own end  93  into the notch  87  of the right lower support  2 , and the left ratchet  96 , under the action of its own weight, automatically places its own weight  98  into the notch  88  of the left lower support  31 . 
   All this prevents translation movements of said notches and therewith any movement of end  65  of the first lever  64  and of end  75  of the second lever  74 , maintaining also automatically blocked any other movement of all other parts connected with the machine according to the present invention. 
   For bringing the machine according to the present invention back to its working position, it is necessary first to release said notches raising them in the direction of arrows  95  and  100  by pulling the strings  131  and  132  respectively knotted to holes  94  and  99 ; at this point, the operation in the sense of an elongation of the double effect hydraulic cylinder  81  will bring the wheels and the arms supporting the wheels back downwards and in the working position, causing effects different from those described above. 
   It is obvious that the operations described above may be performed contemporarily on the right and left wheels and arms supporting the wheels of the hay rake, as well as only on the right or on the left parts; so it will be possible to contemporarily use all the wheels of the machine according to the present invention, or just those of one part thereof. 
   The great advantage of the machine according to the present invention consists in that the existing connections between the right rotary head  41  and the right lower support  21 , as well as between the left rotary head  51  and the left support  31 , obtained due to the right intermediate element  61  and the left intermediate element  71 —due to the kind of working of said intermediate elements based onto contemporary movements around two rotation axis&#39; being preferably but not necessarily perpendicular one to the other—mainly form the universal joints, i.e. joints that allow movements in all directions. 
   This fact, together with the presence of connecting rods  111  and  121 , which allow to limit in a simple and precise manner the unlimited movement possibilities of the universal joints, to the sole desired movements, confers to the side-delivery hay rake according to the present invention not only a great flexibility in operating and regulation, but also in projecting and building, which means that it is easy to realize with a great flexibility of models and versions, so as to satisfy the most different requests and needs. 
   If desired, the connecting rods  111  and  121  may be provided with further devices—of which may exist and are suitable for the purpose—like e.g. screws, threading and similar which allow the regulation in length; the demountable pins  47  and  57  for blocking the springing movement of arms  12  and  16 , may be replaced with any one of the many devices known suitable for the purposes like locks, bolts and similar, without therefore leaving the limits of the present invention.