Patent GB-297718-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to horse-drawn and power-driven rakes
IPC: A01D76/00
Filed: 1927-04-26
Abstract: 297,718. Nicholson, A. C. April 26, 1927. Rakes, horse and traction.-A self-acting rake is provided with a single control member for actuating the lifting means and the devices that hold the tines locked in the lifted or the lowered position. The tines 38 are carried by a shaft 37 mounted in a swinging frame 8, 11, pivoted on the main axle 1. The handwheels 2 are provided with ratchet teeth 3 adapted to be engaged by pawls 13 pivoted on a transverse shaft 12 mounted on the swinging frame, the bosses of the pawls being formed each with two lugs 16 arranged to engage with a supporting pin 14 fixed in the shaft. 12. The shaft 12 is normally pulled in one direction by a spring 17 but is adapted to be rocked in the other direction by a cam member 15 the latter movement permitting the pawls to fall into engagement with the ratchets. The pawls after engagement with the ratchets carry the tine frame round until they are lifted by lateral noses 18 bearing against stationary cams 19. The swinging frame is locked in its lifted or its lowered position by holding means comprising a sector shaped plate 20 forming part of the swinging frame and provided with a flange 21 that engages with a recess 22 on a locking plate 24 on the main frame in the working position or with an abutment 23 of the same plate when the swinging frame is in its lifted position. The pawls and the holding means are moved by a three armed actuator member 36 connected to the foot treadle 29 or to a cord in the case of a tractor drawn rake. In the normal raking position the control member 31 and the actuator member 26 are positioned as shown in Fig. 2, the tines being located in position by the plunger 21 engaging in the recess 22. Depression of the pedal 29 rocks the member 31 about its pivot 5 until a foot 341 at the end of an arm 34 pivoted on the controlled member bears against an arm 261 projecting from the actuator member. Continued depression of the pedal then causes the member 26 to rock about its pivot 36 and to withdraw the locking' plunger from the recess 22, afterwards bringing an arm 262 on the member 26 into engagement with the cam 15 on the pawl actuating shaft 12. The tine frame is thus caused to swing and it turns until the position shown in Fig. 6 is reached when the arm 261 has moved free of the foot 341. The actuator member tends to return to its normal position under the tension of a spring 270 and, if the pedal has been released after the lifting pawls have been moved into position, the plunger 21 is forced outwards by this tendency, engaging behind the abutment 23 and locking the tine frame in the raised position. The tines are thus held raised until the pedal is again depressed when another foot piece 314 on the control member 31 strikes the end of the plunger and pushes it back until it clears the abutment 23, when the tine frame falls to its original position, the plunger after passing the abutment riding along the curved face of the plate 24 until it can enter the recess 22 as the actuator member is swung about its pivot by the spring 270. The arm 34 of the control member is pivoted so that when the end of the arm 261 of the actuator strikes it, it is pushed to one side against the pressure of a spring, thus permitting the actuator member to move back to original position. If the pedal 29 is maintained depressed after the pawl rod 12 is actuated the foot piece 314 forms an extension of the curved surface of the plate 26 and prevents the plunger 21 moving to a position to engage the abutment 23. The tine frame in this case falls as soon as the pawls have been freed on the completion of the tilting movement.