Shiftable Wheel Assembly for Rake Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural rakes face challenges in maintaining maximum clearance between their structural components and the ground during operation to avoid disturbing mown crops, and in minimizing their transport height to clear obstacles.
Innovation Solution
A pivotable wheel assembly relative to the tongue assembly allows the rake to elevate during operation and lower during transport, achieving optimal clearance and compactness by shifting between working and transport dispositions through hydraulic actuators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the rake structural components are positioned to maintain maximum clearance from the ground during operation, then the mown crop is not disturbed, but the transport height increases making it difficult to clear obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel assembly is made rotatable relative to the tongue assembly, allowing dynamic adjustment between working disposition (forward pivot for clearance) and transport disposition (rearward pivot for low profile). This dynamic reconfiguration resolves the contradiction by adapting the structure's geometry to different operational states.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces rotational movement of the wheel assembly as an additional degree of freedom. By pivoting the wheel assembly forward or rearward, the rake transitions between elevated working position and lowered transport position, effectively using dimensional change to resolve the height contradiction.
2Length of stationary object
If the wheel assembly is forwardly pivoted to elevate the tongue assembly during working disposition, then clearance is maximized, but the envelope displaced by the rake increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel assembly's rotatable connection allows the rake to dynamically adjust its envelope volume. During working disposition, the forward pivot creates necessary clearance height. During transport, the rearward pivot minimizes the displaced envelope, resolving the contradiction between clearance and compactness.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a rake, comprising a tongue assembly and a wheel assembly operably coupled to the tongue assembly and being rotationally shiftable relative to the tongue assembly and the wheel assembly mounting a pair of rake assemblies. Each of the pair of rake assemblies is disposable in a generally horizontal disposition when the rake is in a transport disposition, the generally horizontal disposition being effected in part by the rotational shifting of the wheel assembly when transitioning between a working disposition and the transport disposition. The present invention is further a method of disposing the aforementioned rake in the transport disposition.