Found old hay rake

[Click]

during hunting season I fell across an old pull behind hay rake buried in brush on a farm we bought nearly 5 years ago. Anyway, I broke one of the big steel drive wheels that has the gear drive on it when I pulled it out of the brush.
It has wood beams that the rakes tuck into, steel dolly wheels, but no tag or plate with a brand or serial number on it anywhere.
I then went around scratching with a wire brush and found lots of part numbers, they all start with " CR " and on the overhead primary steel beam in 2 places I found the words "Illinois G - USA " hand welded. I took good clear digital photos of this and all part numbers I could find. Now if I can figure out what I have that would be great. Where do I start? Thanks for any ideas you folks might have. I restored an old 69 Camaro, maybe this is next.






 

[ShadetreeRet]

Well, it is definitely old! I tried to Google a few places, but came up with nothing. I enjoyed the photos anyway, and good luck with it.
 

[oleclint]

Wow, you do have a very old rake. I ve never seen one with the adjusting lever at the rear end in my 70+yrs. I have no idea as to the brand, but it is "different".
The word" Illinois--USA is the name of the company that made steel many yrs ago.They made all kinds & shapes of steel for lots of things.
Hope this helps a little. clint
 

[Click]

Thank you guys... one of the major ag parts companies in Georgia also said it doesnt ring a bell with them either, never seen it before. I will keep digging, look for more names or part numbers. I have to latch one of those boat trailer jacks to the end where the wheel broke off, just to move it onto a trailer so I can get it up to the house where I can work on it easier. The Mrs. is starting to talk about lawn art now. Oh boy !
 

[Click]

here are more photos of the parts with I.D. numbers on them. IF this helps us find some parts book with CR numbers in it, that might tell us the brand of the machine.








 

[Leroy]

It is not a Dain fore runner of Deere or a McCormick. Might be a Keystone that was also a part of the IHC family. Also it is not a Sandwich that was the fore runner of New Idea. Thinking it might have been a short line manufacture limited in sales area. The wood on the bars Dain was like that and the use of wood ended in 1933 and also Keystone. Do not have a picture of the Keystone and my McCormick parts manual says it was elimited as no longer a call for parts.
 

[Tim(nj)]

That one tall steering post on the back with that cast cap on top looks distinctive. I've seen a circa 1919 Moline ad that has an illustration of what they call a combination rake (works as a tedder, too) that appears to have that feature, but since it's a small ink drawing, I can't see enough detail otherwise. Maybe would explain CR prefixes?
 

[1031D]

Years ago I had a Keystone 3 bar that looked identical, wasn't a bad rake either.