Haymaking machines

Claim 2

A haymaking machine comprising a frame and at least one rake head rotatably mounted on said frame to turn about a substantially vertical axis, said rake head including at least one support arm pivoted on a pivotal axis to central housing means of said head, said pivotal axis being substantially inclined to said vertical axis of rotation, the outer end of said arm having a tine group that is freely pivotable about pivot means adjacaent said end, said arm being movable from a working position to a contracted transport position and a spring mechanism connected to bias said arm about said pivotal axis to the transport position during non-rotation of said head, driving means connected to said head to rotate same during operation.

Claim 3

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support arm is turnable about the axis of a pivotal shaft that is directly connected to a central housing of said rake head.

Claim 4

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the axis of said pivotal shaft is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said rake head.

Claim 5

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the axis of said pivotal shaft is non-perpendicularly inclined to a plane that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said rake head.

Claim 6

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the angle of inclination of said pivotal shaft axis has a magnitude of about 30°.

Claim 7

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said spring mechanism is associated with said pivotal shaft to turn said support arm upwardly about said shaft.

Claim 8

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said spring mechanism is a coil spring at least part of which is wound around said pivotal shaft.

Claim 9

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein, when in a transport position, said support arm extends upwardly in substantially parallel relationship with the axis of rotation of said rake head and in a position adjacent said central housing of that rake member.

Claim 10

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of tine groups on corresponding arms are pivotally mounted on said head with tines extending generally outwardly with respect to the axis of rotation of said rake head during operation.

Claim 11

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein said tine groups are pivotally mounted on said housing with tines that extend adjacent their corresponding support arms in the contracted transport position of said rake head.

Claim 12

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein said tines extend downwardly and away from their connections to their corresponding support arms in the contracted transport position.

Claim 13

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of support arms with corresponding groups of tines and each support arm has a length which is not less than about 40 percent of the radius of the circular path that is traced by the tips of the tines during operative rotation of the rake member.

Claim 14

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 12, wherein the length of at least one tine of each tine group has a magnitude which is equal to not less than about 45 percent of the radius of the circular path that is traced by the tips of the tines during operation of said rake head.

Claim 15

A haymaking machine comprising a frame having at least one rake head supported on an upwardly extending shaft, said head having a central housing and driving means connected to said head to rotate said housing, a plurality of support arms pivoted to said housing and turntable about substantially horizontal pivotal axes from generally radial, outwardly extending working positions to upwardly extending, contracted transport positions, each arm having tine means pivoted to the outer end of that arm and said tine means being turnable about a generally horizontal axis, said arms and their corresponding tine means being movable by centrifugal forces to radial working positions and a first spring mechanism being connected to said arms to bias same into their upwardly extending transport position during non rotation.

Claim 16

A haymaking machine comprising a frame having at least one rake head supported on an upwardly extending shaft, said head having a central housing and driving means connected to said head to rotate said housing, a plurality of support arms pivoted to said housing and turntable about substantially horizontal pivotal axes from generally radial, outwardly extending working positions to upwardly extending, contracted transport positions, each arm having tine means pivoted to the outer end of that arm and said tine means being turnable about a generally horizontal axis, said arms and their corresponding tine means being movable by centrifugal forces to radial working positions and a first spring mechanism being connected to said arms to bias same into their upwardly extending transport position during non rotation.

Claim 17

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 14, wherein a second spring mechanism interconnects a tine group of said tine means with each support arm and each tine group is pivoted its arms to turn on a second pivotal axis.

Claim 18

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein said second spring mechanism is connected to bias said tine group about said second pivotal axis whereby said group extends substantially parallel to its support arm in contracted transport position.

Claim 19

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 16, wherein said support arm has a stop that limits the pivotal movement of said tine group about said second pivotal axis.

Claim 20

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 16, wherein, when said tine group extends substantially alongside its support arm, the center of gravity of that tine group is located above said second pivotal axis when said rake head is revolving at least as fast as a predetermined speed.

Claim 21

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first and second spring mechanisms connect said arms to said housing and to said tine groups respectively whereby during a decrease in speed of rotation of said rake head from an operational speed, said second spring mechanism first biases the tine groups relative to their support arms and thereafter said first spring mechanism biases the support arms to the contracted transport position.

Claim 22

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein stop means on said head limits the pivoting of each support arm relative to said central housing.

Claim 23

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 20, wherein each group has tines and the tines of each group extend downwardly away from their corresponding connections to the support arms when said rake head is in transport position.

Claim 24

A haymaking machine comprising a frame having at least one rake head supported on an upwardly extending axis of rotation, said rake head having central housing means and driving means connected to said head to rotate said housing means, a plurality of support arms pivoted to said housing means and turnable about pivotal axes inclined to said axis of rotation of the head from outwardly extending working positions to upwardly extending transport positions, each support arm having tine means connected to the outer end of that arm, said arms and their corresponding tine means being movable by centrifugal forces to said working positions, spring means positioned around said axis of rotation of the head and said spring means having a longitudinal axis in general alignment with said axis of rotation, said spring means being in association with the inner ends of said supporting arms, the outer ends of said arms together with their corresponding tine groups being turnable about said pivotal axes simultaneoussly into the transport position when the drive to said housing means is discontinued.

Claim 25

A haymaking machine comprising a frame having at least one rake head supported on an upwardly extending axis of rotation, said rake head having central housing means and driving means connected to said head to rotate said housing means, a plurality of support arms pivoted to said housing means and turnable about pivotal axes inclined to said axis of rotation of the head from outwardly extending working positions to upwardly extending transport positions, each support arm having tine means connected to the outer end of that arm, said arms and their corresponding tine means being movable by centrifugal forces to said working positions, spring means positioned around said axis of rotation of the head and said spring means having a longitudinal axis in general alignment with said axis of rotation, said spring means being in association with the inner ends of said supporting arms, the outer ends of said arms together with their corresponding tine groups being turnable about said pivotal axes simultaneoussly into the transport position when the drive to said housing means is discontinued.

Claim 26

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 22, wherein said spring means is a compression spring.

Claim 27

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 23, wherein said spring means cooperates with a slideable member that is movable axially within said housing means and said member is operatively associated with all of the support arms.

Claim 28

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 24, wherein said spring means and said slideable member are mounted on a sleeve that surrounds the axis of rotation of said rake head.

Claim 29

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 22, wherein said spring means is a bellows containing a compressible fluid.

Claim 30

A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 23, wherein said compression spring is positioned on a sleeve within said housing means to bias a slideable member downwardly into contact with the inner ends of said arms, said inner ends comprising cranks that pivot and move the outer arm ends with their corresponding tine groups upwardly into the transport position during the non-rotation of said head.