Piling rake

Claim 1

A rake for use with tractors, comprising: a blade connectable to a tractor and having a top, a bottom and front and back sides which are substantially vertical when the blade is connected to the tractor; a plurality of teeth spaced-apart in a row and extending from the bottom of the blade, each said tooth having a lug selectively connected thereto in one of a plurality of positions along said each tooth; a shaft and journal combination pivotally connecting each of the teeth to the blade and permitting independent pivotal movement of said each tooth away from objects encountered by said each tooth when the tractor moves; a plurality of fluid piston and cylinder combinations, each said combination having a cylinder pivotally connected to the back side of the blade near the top of the blade and a piston rod pivotally connected to the lug of one of the teeth so the pivotal movement of the teeth displaces pressurized fluid within the piston and cylinder combinations, the pressurized fluid reversing the pivotal movement when the teeth clear said objects a fluid accummulator and fluid conduits connecting the piston and cylinder combinations to the accummulator in parallel, the accummulator receiving pressurized fluid displaced from the piston and cylinder combinations when the teeth are pivotally moved by the objects; a coupler for charging the circuit with pressurized hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic system of the tractor; means for controlling the rate of the reverse pivotal movement comprising a flow control valve along the fluid conduits between the accummulator and the piston and cylinder combinations to restrict a return flow of fluid from the accummulator to the piston and cylinder combinations when the teeth clear the objects; the accummulator, the piston and cylinder combinations, the conduits and the flow control valve comprising a closed hydraulic system after being charged with pressurized hydraulic fluid; and a wheel rotatably mounted on the back side of the blade so the bottom of the wheel is generally even with the bottom ends of the teeth.