GB685527A - Improvements in side delivery rakes and/or swath turners - Google Patents

Abstract

685,527. Swath-turners. BAMFORDS, Ltd. June 19, 1950 [May 7, 1949; May 11, 1950]. Nos. 12233/49 and 11737/50. Class 6(iii) Relates to side-delivery rakes or swathturners in which the rake bars are carried by eccentrically-placed reels placed in spaced parallel planes and rotating on parallel axes, the rake bars being inclined to the direction of travel. According to the invention, the frame of the machine and the raking mechanism is a complete unit adapted to be moved substantially vertically in relation to the ground wheels for purposes of adjustment or for transport. The unit may be adapted for simultaneous adjustment of both ends of the frame. Fig. 1 shows a horizontal frame consisting of a transverse member 10 and a longitudinal member 11, both members preferably being tubular as decribed in Specification 685,600. At each end of the transverse members is slidably mounted a caster wheel 15, and near one end is . rotatably mounted a horizontal shaft 17 carrying a reel or disc 18 to which rake bars 19 are attached. At the rear end of the frame member 11 is a transverse pin 20 on which a two-armed lever is mounted. On the rear arm 21 of the lever is mounted a ground wheel 23 driving the reel or disc 24 through a chain 35 and sprocket wheels 32, 33, the sprocket 33 being mounted on a shaft projecting from a gearbox which has reversible gearing and provides two speeds. The lever comprises two frame members 21, 25 connected by distance pieces 26, a tube 27 through which the pivot pin 20 passes and a tube 28, while a tension spring 29 connects the lever to the machine frame, see Fig. 2. A transverse member 30 extending from the frame member 11 carries a bearing for the rear disc 24. Links 38, 39 parallel to the frame member 10 have screw-threaded ends of opposite hand engaging in a nut 40 provided with a hand-wheel 41, by rotating which the effective length of the links is decreased or increased. The link 38 is also engaged with the arm 45 of a bellcrank lever mounted on the frame, the other arm 46 bearing on a cap 47 on the standard of the wheel 15. The arm 45 is connected by a tension spring 48 to the frame 10. The link 39 is attached to the arm 50 of a second bellcrank lever, the other arm of the lever being pivoted on a link 54 parallel to the frame member 11 and having at its rear a wedge-shaped portion 55 engaging a roller 37 on the forward arm 36 of the two-armed lever. Thus by rotating the hand-wheel 41, the effective lengths of the links 38, 39 are changed to raise or lower the caster wheel 15 relative to the frame, while the roller 37 moves along the wedge 55 to raise or lower the rear wheel 23 relative to the frame and raking mechanism. The springs 29 and 48 tend to raise the frame and may be adjustable. The second forward caster wheel may be adjusted vertically in the same way as the first. In a modification, the links 38, 39 are replaced by a shaft rotatably mounted in brackets on the transverse frame member. The shaft is rotated by a hand-lever engaging with a notched quadrant. The shaft is connected by levers at each end to the standard of each forward wheel so that by operating the hand-lever the frame and raking mechanism can be raised or lowered relative to the ground. The shaft is connected through levers and a link to a two-armed lever at the rear of the frame, so that the rear of the frame is adjusted simultaneously with the forward part. The operating hand-lever may be replaced by a foot-lever and the rakes may be mounted in front of the transverse frame member.