Patent ID: 6945024

Claim:
A rake assembly adapted to be towed by a tow vehicle, comprising: a rear trolley arrangement defining opposite sides; a pair of rake arms, wherein each rake arm carries a series of rake members and wherein each rake arm is pivotably interconnected with one of the sides of the rear trolley arrangement; a drawbar arrangement extending forwardly from the rear trolley arrangement between the rake arms, wherein the drawbar arrangement is adapted for engagement with the tow vehicle; an extendible and retractable actuator arrangement interconnected with the drawbar arrangement; an operating mechanism interposed between the drawbar arrangement and the rake arms, wherein the operating mechanism includes a pair of front operating members and a pair of rear operating members extending outwardly in opposite directions from the drawbar arrangement, wherein each front operating member is pivotably interconnected with one of the rear operating members to define a set of operating members on each side of the drawbar, each of which is interconnected with one of the rake arms, wherein the front operating member and the rear operating member of each set define outer ends that are pivotably connected together at a joint, and further comprising; an actuator arm extending outwardly from each joint and engaged with one of the rake arms, wherein each actuator arm is pivotably interconnected with one of the front operating members and with one of the rear operating members at the joint therebetween; a front sliding arrangement associated with the drawbar, wherein each front operating member is pivotably interconnected with the front sliding arrangement; and a rear sliding arrangement associated with the drawbar, wherein each rear operating member is pivotably interconnected with the rear sliding arrangement; wherein the extendible and retractable actuator arrangement is interconnected with the drawbar and one of the sliding arrangements, wherein the extendible and retractable actuator arrangement is operable to move the front and rear sliding arrangements together and apart for selectively moving the rake arms between their open and closed positions.