Rake wheels for gathering crop material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12302794-B2
Application number	US-202117541488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2021
Priority date	Oct 2, 2015
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

Rake wheels for raking apparatus for gathering crop material into a windrow. The rake wheel includes a center hub and disks for securing and limiting circumferential and axial movement of the tines of the rake wheel. The rake wheel may include a set of fasteners for securing the tines to the disk with the set of fasteners being disposed radially outward of the center hub.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rake wheel for gathering crop material into a windrow, the rake wheel comprising:
a center hub having a rotational axis about which the rake wheel rotates;
a plurality of tines that extend outward from the center hub, the tines including an outer end defining an outer circumference for engaging a surface over which the rake wheel rotates, and an inner end positioned radially opposite the outer end and secured to the center hub, the rake wheel having a midpoint midway between the rotational axis and the outer circumference;
a disk for securing the tines, the disk having an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer and inner surfaces extending radially toward the outer circumference of the tines, the disk radially overlapping the midpoint, each tine being directly secured to the inner surface to limit circumferential movement of the tines and each tine contacting the inner surface of the disk; and
a set of fasteners for securing the tines to the disk, the set of fasteners being disposed radially outward of the center hub.

2. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 1 wherein the set of fasteners is a first set of fasteners, the rake wheel further comprising a second set of fasteners for securing the plurality of tines in the center hub.

3. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 1 wherein the rake wheel does not include a support band that is radially spaced from the center hub and having apertures through which each tine extends.

4. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 1 wherein the center hub is separate from the disk.

5. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 1 wherein the disk is planar.

6. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 1 wherein each tine is secured within a groove formed in the disk.

7. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 1 comprising bosses that extend from the disk, each tine extending between a pair of bosses to limit movement of the tine.

8. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 1 wherein the disk comprises a polymer.

9. A rake wheel for gathering crop material into a windrow, the rake wheel comprising:
a center hub having a rotational axis about which the rake wheel rotates;
a plurality of tines that extend outward from the center hub, the tines including an outer end defining an outer circumference for engaging a surface over which the rake wheel rotates, and an inner end positioned radially opposite the outer end and secured to the center hub;
a first disk having an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer and inner surfaces extending radially toward the outer circumference of the tines, the first disk extending radially to at least 50% and less than 80% of the distance between the rotational axis and the outer circumference of the tines;
a second disk having an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer and inner surfaces extending radially toward the outer circumference of the tines, the second disk extending radially to at least 50% and less than 80% of the distance between the rotational axis and the outer circumference of the tines, the first and second disks forming the center hub; and
a set of fasteners that extend between the first and second disks that clamp the tines between the inner surface of the first disk and the inner surface of the second disk, wherein the disks limit displacement of the tines in the axial direction relative to the rotational axis and permit the tines to move circumferentially between the disks.

10. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 9 wherein the set of fasteners are a first set of fasteners, the rake wheel further comprising a second set of fasteners that secure the plurality of tines in the center hub.

11. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 10 wherein the first set of fasteners are disposed radially outward of the second set of fasteners.

12. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 9 wherein each tine contacts the inner surface of the first and second disks.

13. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 9 wherein each fastener of the set of fasteners does not contact a tine.

14. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 9 wherein the first disk has an outer circumference and the second disk has an outer circumference, each tine being free of support radially beyond the outer circumferences of the first and second disks.

15. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 9 wherein the first disk and the second disk each extends radially to at least 50% and less than 75% of the distance between the rotational axis and the outer circumference of the tines.

16. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 9 wherein the first disk and the second disk each extends radially to at least 50% and less than 70% of the distance between the rotational axis and the outer circumference of the tines.

17. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 9 wherein the first disk and the second disk each extends radially to at least 50% and less than 65% of the distance between the rotational axis and the outer circumference of the tines.

18. A rake wheel for gathering crop material into a windrow, the rake wheel comprising:
a disk, the disk having a center hub having a rotational axis about which the rake wheel rotates;
a plurality of tines that extend outward from the center hub, the tines including an outer end defining an outer circumference for engaging a surface over which the rake wheel rotates, and an inner end positioned radially opposite the outer end and secured to the center hub of the disk, the rake wheel having a midpoint midway between the rotational axis and the outer circumference, the disk having an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer and inner surfaces extending radially toward the outer circumference of the tines, the disk radially overlapping the midpoint, each tine being directly secured to the inner surface to limit circumferential movement of the tines; and
a set of fasteners for securing the tines to the disk, the set of fasteners being disposed radially outward of the center hub.

19. The rake wheel as set forth in claim 18 , wherein the set of fasteners are a first set of fasteners, and the rake wheel further includes:
a second set of fasteners that secure the plurality of tines in the center hub, wherein the first set of fasteners are disposed radially outward of the second set of fasteners.

Assignees

• Vermeer Mfg Co

Inventors

• Dunham Lisle J
• Hartwick Ty
• Wang Xiaohang

Classifications

• A01D80/02

  Tines; Attachment of tines · CPC title

• A01D78/14 Primary

  the tines rotating about a substantially horizontal axis · CPC title