Land clearing rake

Abstract

The invention is a land clearing rake that is typically mounted on a moldboard on a conventional bulldozer. The land clearing rake pivots about a shaft that is horizontally connected to the front of the moldboard. The rake is comprised of teeth connected to each other by heavy-duty plates between each of the teeth. The teeth may be arranged in one or more sections wherein the sections can be simultaneously raised or lowered by winches mounted on the moldboard. The winches are remotely controlled from the operator's seat. Thus, the land clearing rake is capable of being quickly raised or lowered by the operator while the earth moving equipment is moving back to prepare for another forward move. The ability to quickly transition between raking and grading modes significantly improves the efficiency of land clearing operations.

1 . A land clearing rake adapted to be secured to a moldboard on earth moving equipment, the land clearing rake comprising: 
 a plurality of teeth, having upper and lower ends, the teeth securely fastened to each other by plates located between the teeth, the teeth and plates being mounted on a moldboard, the moldboard comprising a top edge, a front, and a bottom edge, wherein the upper ends of the teeth are pivotally secured onto the front of the moldboard so that the lower end of the teeth protrude beyond the bottom edge of the moldboard when the land clearing rake is deployed and protrude above the top edge of the moldboard when the land clearing rake is undeployed;    one or more winches, each having a length of cable, wherein one end of the cable is secured to the drum of the winch and wrapped around the drum of the winch and the other end of the cable is connected to the land clearing rake, wherein the winch or winches are secured to the moldboard; and    a means for remotely controlling the winch or winches so that the rake can be manipulated between the deployed and undeployed positions.    
     
     
         2 . A land clearing rake adapted to be secured to a moldboard on earth moving equipment, the land clearing rake comprising: 
 One or more sections comprising a plurality of teeth, having upper and lower ends, the teeth securely fastened to each other by plates located between the teeth, the teeth and plates being mounted on a moldboard, the moldboard comprising a top edge, a front, and a bottom edge, wherein the upper ends of the teeth are pivotally secured onto the front of the moldboard so that the lower end of the teeth protrude beyond the bottom edge of the moldboard when the land clearing rake is deployed and protrude above the top edge of the moldboard when the land clearing rake is undeployed;    one or more winches, each having a length of cable, wherein one end of the cable is secured to the drum of the winch and wrapped around the drum of the winch and the other end of the cable is connected to the land clearing rake, wherein the winch or winches are secured to the moldboard; and    a means for remotely controlling the winch or winches so that the rake can be manipulated between the deployed and undeployed positions.    
     
     
         3 . The land clearing rake defined by  claim 1  wherein the upper ends of the teeth are pivotally secured to the moldboard near the midsection of the moldboard.  
     
     
         4 . The land clearing rake defined by  claim 2  wherein the upper ends of the teeth are pivotally secured to the moldboard near the midsection of the moldboard.  
     
     
         5 . The land clearing rake defined by  claim 1  wherein the moldboard further comprises a top planar surface and the winch or winches are attached to the top planar surface of the moldboard.  
     
     
         6 . The land clearing rake defined by  claim 2  wherein the moldboard further comprises a top planar surface and the winch or winches are attached to the top planar surface of the moldboard.  
     
     
         7 . The land clearing rake defined by  claim 1  wherein the cable is replaced by a rope.  
     
     
         8 . The land clearing rake defined by  claim 2  wherein the cable is replaced by a rope.  
     
     
         9 . The land clearing rake defined by  claim 1  wherein the cable is replaced by a chain.  
     
     
         10 . The land clearing rake defined by  claim 2  wherein the cable is replaced by a chain.  
     
     
         11 . The land clearing rake defined by  claim 1  wherein each cable is connected to a bracket, the bracket comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, with the cable being secured to the top surface of the bracket and the bottom surface of the bracket being rigidly secured to a cable swivel shaft, the cable swivel shaft comprising two ends and a longitudinal axis, each end of the cable swivel shaft confined in a bushing to allow the cable swivel shaft to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the cable swivel shaft, with the bushings being rigidly attached to the land clearing rake assembly, thereby allowing the cable and brackets to remain aligned with the winch.  
     
     
         12 . The land clearing rake defined by  claim 2  wherein each cable is connected to a bracket, the bracket comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, with the cable being secured to the top surface of the bracket and the bottom surface of the bracket being rigidly secured to a cable swivel shaft, the cable swivel shaft comprising two ends and a longitudinal axis, each end of the cable swivel shaft confined a bushing to allow the cable swivel shaft to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the cable swivel shaft, with the bushings being rigidly attached to the land clearing rake assembly, thereby allowing the cable and brackets to remain aligned with the winch.  
     
     
         13 . The land clearing rake defined by  claim 1  wherein the teeth are pivotally secured using a plurality of tubular mounting sleeves secured onto the front of said moldboard near the midsection of said moldboard; at least one shaft housed inside said tubular mounting sleeves and occupying holes located near the top end of each of the teeth; and a means to transversely secure said shaft in said tubular mounting sleeves.  
     
     
         14 . The land clearing rake defined by  claim 2  wherein the teeth are pivotally secured using a plurality of tubular mounting sleeves secured onto the front of said moldboard near the midsection of said moldboard; at least one shaft housed inside said tubular mounting sleeves and occupying holes located near the top end of each of the teeth; and a means to transversely secure said shaft in said tubular mounting sleeves.  
     
     
         15 . The land clearing rake defined by  claim 1  wherein the plurality of teeth connected by the plates is comprised of two or more sections and each section is controlled independently by two or more winches.  
     
     
         16 . Disposing a land clearing rake attached to a blade on earth moving equipment, the land clearing rake comprising a plurality of teeth, having upper and lower ends, the teeth securely fastened to each other by plates located between the teeth, the teeth and plates being mounted on a moldboard, the moldboard comprising a top edge, a front, and a bottom edge, wherein the upper ends of the teeth are pivotally secured onto the front of the moldboard so that the lower end of the teeth protrude beyond the bottom edge of the moldboard when the land clearing rake is deployed and protrude above the top edge of the moldboard when the land clearing rake is undeployed; one or more winches, each having a length of cable, wherein one end of the cable is secured to the drum of the winch and wrapped around the drum of the winch and the other end of the cable is connected to the land clearing rake, wherein the winch or winches are secured to the moldboard; and a means for remotely controlling the winch or winches so that the rake can be manipulated between the deployed and undeployed positions wherein the earth moving equipment is used to clear roots, small timber, and debris from land, the method comprising the steps of: 
 placing the land clearing rake in the deployed position;    lowering the moldboard and land clearing rake to contact the roots, small timber, debris and earth;    moving the earth moving equipment forward to separate the roots, small timber, and debris from the earth;    stopping the earth moving equipment;    moving the earth moving equipment backward to level the raked area while simultaneously raising the land clearing rake to an undeployed position and raising the moldboard of the earth moving equipment as needed; and    stopping the earth moving equipment.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the steps are repeated as necessary to remove the roots, small timber, and debris from the earth.  
     
     
         18 . Disposing a land clearing rake attached to a blade on earth moving equipment, the land clearing rake comprising a plurality of teeth, having upper and lower ends, the teeth securely fastened to each other by plates located between the teeth, the teeth and plates being mounted on a moldboard, the moldboard comprising a top edge, a front, and a bottom edge, wherein the upper ends of the teeth are pivotally secured onto the front of the moldboard so that the lower end of the teeth protrude beyond the bottom edge of the moldboard when the land clearing rake is deployed and protrude above the top edge of the moldboard when the land clearing rake is undeployed; one or more winches, each having a length of cable, wherein one end of the cable is secured to the drum of the winch and wrapped around the drum of the winch and the other end of the cable is connected to the land clearing rake, wherein the winch or winches are secured to the moldboard; and a means for remotely controlling the winch or winches so that the rake can be manipulated between the deployed and undeployed positions wherein the earth moving equipment is used to clear roots, small timber, and debris from land, the method comprising the steps of: 
 placing the land clearing rake in the deployed position;    lowering the moldboard and land clearing rake to contact the roots, small timber, debris and earth;    moving the earth moving equipment forward to separate the roots, small timber, and debris from the earth;    stopping the earth moving equipment;    moving the earth moving equipment backward to level the raked area while simultaneously raising the moldboard of the earth moving equipment as needed; and    stopping the earth moving equipment.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the steps are repeated as necessary to remove the roots, small timber, and debris from the earth.