Patent ID: 8769916

Claim:
A farm implement configured to be releasably coupled to a tractor, the tractor having at least one rearwardly oriented power take off device, the farm implement comprising: a central frame, the central frame having a forward region and an opposed rearward region and means for releasably coupling the central frame to a tractor, wherein the releasable coupling means is located proximate to the forward region of the central frame, the releasable coupling means including a coupling member, the coupling member having a socket configured to receive the power take-off device of the tractor, the central frame having a length measured from the forward region to the rearward region and a width, wherein the central region length is greater than the central region width; at least two first crop engaging arms pivotally mounted on the central frame at a location proximate to the forward region of the central frame, the first crop engaging arms extending outward from a central axis to a first width wherein the first crop engaging arms have an outermost end; an end frame releasably connected to the opposed rearward region of the central frame, the end frame having a forward region and a rearward region and two side members, wherein the end frame has a length measured from the end frame forward region to the end frame rearward region and a width, wherein the end frame width is greater than the end frame length; at least two second crop engaging arms operatively connected to the end frame independent of the at least two first crop engaging arms, the at least two second crop engaging arms operatively connected to the side members of the end frame rearward of the at least two first crop engaging arms at a location proximate to the rearward region of the central frame, the second crop engaging arms extending outward from the central axis to a second width wherein the second width is greater than the first width, wherein the second crop engaging arms have an outermost end; a plurality of crop engaging members, wherein at least one crop engaging member is positioned on each of said first and second crop engaging arms; and at least one power transmission mechanism operatively connected to said first and second crop engaging arms, the power transmission mechanism configured to be releasably coupled to the rearwardly oriented power take off apparatus on the associated tractor.