Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SQUARE BALE LOADING PLATFORM AND PROCESSING APPARATUS
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to farm equipment for handling, transporting and
processing
large square bales of hay or straw. In particular, it relates to an apparatus
for handling large
bales having a square or rectangular cross-sectional profile, which are
equally arranged in
a stacked array on a farmer's field. The invention also relates to an
apparatus for
transfernng such bales onto the flat bed of a trailer, for transport and
subsequent separation
or chopping by a processor integral with the apparatus.
Background of The Invention
In modern farming, hay and straw is often harvested in large bales, which may
be square or
rectangular in section. These are typically left in place on the field after
the baling operation
and are often stacked two or more high. Typically, the stacked array of bales
left on the
field, or in a storage yard, be retrieved periodically, as required, and
delivered to a cattle
feeding station or the like. At the delivery end, the bales are then either
chopped or
separated to distribute the hay or straw to cattle or other livestock for feed
or bedding. It
is preferable that the entire operation be carried out with a single piece of
equipment which
picks up the bales from the field, places the bales on a towable flatbed
trailer or the like for
transport, and separates or chops the bales at the delivery point and
discharges the hay or
straw with sufficient force to emplace a suitable bed at a point remote from
the device.
Conveniently, such an apparatus is operable by a single operator, and is
desirably readily
towed behind and powered by a conventional tractor.
Conventionally, farmers transfer large hay bales from the field onto a flatbed
trailer by means
of a fork lift. A conventional fork lift, whether integrated into a tractor or
otherwise, is not
well suited for handling of stacked large bales, which may be stacked too high
for a fork lift
to safely and easily handle. In order to address this and other drawbacks of
operating a
separate lift, a forklift-type hoist may be integrated into a towable flatbed
trailer or bale
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processor: Examples of an integrated fork lift/flatbed trailer arrangement are
disclosed in
patent numbers:
U.S. 5,090,630 (Kopecky et al.)
Soviet Union 1704694 A1 (Lith Agic Acad)
U.S. 4,597,703 (Bartolini)
U.S. 4,449,672 (Morlock et al.)
It has been proposed to provide a combination fork/trailer combination which
is uniquely
suited for handling stacked bale arrangements. For example, US patent no.
5,211,345
(Siebenga) discloses a trailer undercarriage, which supports a long deck
hinged to the rear
end of the undercarnage. A bale processing means such as bale chopper is
mounted at the
front of the undercarriage. The deck is tiltable on the undercarnage by means
of fluid driven
rams, between a generally vertical position and a horizontal position. An
array of prongs or
forks extends from an end of the deck. When the deck is tilted into a
substantially vertical
position, the forks point rearwardly. The trailer in this position may be
backed into a
stacked array of bales, whereby the forks engage the base of the stack of
bales. The deck
when thus oriented must be longer than the height of the bale stack being
loaded. As the
deck is tilted downwardly, the forks lift and tilt the bale stack rearwardly
towards the deck.
The stack is brought to bear on the deck as the same reaches its horizontal
position. When
the trailer is towed to a feeding station or the like, the bales may
transferred from the tiltable
deck to the processor, by tilting the deck forwardly to permit the bales to
slide onto the
processor. A drop between the deck and the processor causes the bales to
tumble by one
turn (900) as they drop from the deck of the trailer bed onto the processor
deck, to expose
a selected face of a bale to the processing means. The bales may then be
chopped by means
of the integral bale processor.
The above prior art arrangement suffers several potential drawbacks. First,
the means by
which bales are conveyed along the tiltable deck to transfer the bales from
the deck onto the
processor, relying on gravity to slide the bales along the deck, renders this
aspect unreliable.
It is desirable to provide a reliable, positive means to convey the bales
along the deck into
the processor. Second, it is not always desirable to cause the bales to tumble
as they drop
onto the processor deck. In some circumstances, the farmer may wish to
directly transfer
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the bales onto the processor deck, in the same orientation as they rest on the
tiltable deck.
It is thus desirable to provide an arrangement whereby a farmer may select
whether or not
to tumble the bales in the transfer step. Further, there is no means provided
in the prior art
to prevent a stacked array of bales from toppling backwards, as the fork lift
arrangement
backs into the stack and engages the stack onto the tiltable deck. It is thus
desirable to
provide a means to temporarily fasten the bales to the deck as the same is
tilted away from
the vertical. Rearward toppling of the stack can be inconvenient, as it
renders pickup of the
bales difficult and may cause the bales to break; it is also dangerous, since
the bales could
injure a worker when they topple.
It is also desirable to provide a component of the bale handling apparatus for
cutting the
baling twine or wire as the bales are transferred onto the tiltable deck. The
cutting operation
should be performed in the same operation as the transfer of the bales from
the field stack
onto the trailer deck. This is a useful function in light of the tendency of
baling twine on the
lowermost bale to tangle as the bale shifts relative to the ground during the
transfer. Finally,
the bale processors of the prior art appear to be suitable only for grinding
or chopping of
bales. It is desirable to provide a means for separating rather than chopping
of bales, in
order to preserve relatively long lengths of straw, in an arrangement of the
type
characterized above.
Summary of The Invention
An object of certain embodiments of the invention is to provide an improved
bale handling
apparatus for picking up rectangular bales that are resting in a field in a
stacked pile,
transporting same and processing the bales by way of chopping or separating
the bales.
More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a means for
retrieving a stacked
array of square bales, tilting the stack onto a trailer for carrying the bales
in a row on the
trailer bed, and subsequently conveying the bales along the trailer bed
towards an integral
bale processor, where the bales may be readily and reliably conveyed along the
trailer bed.
It is a further objective in certain other embodiments to provide a reliable
means for
releasably fastening the bale stack as the same is tilted onto the trailer
bed, to reduce the risk
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of the stack toppling rearwardly. It is a further object in other embodiments
to provide in
such an apparatus a convenient means for severing the baling twine on at least
one of the
bales as the bales are transferred from the field stack onto the trailer bed.
The invention consists in one aspect of a bale loading platform, comprising:
a wheeled undercarriage having front and rear ends;
a deck pivotally mounted by a pivot mount to the rear end of said
undercarriage for
supporting a row of bales thereon;
actuating means such as a fluid-driven ram to pivot the deck between a first
generally
horizontal position and a second generally vertical position;
fork means such as an array of fork members mounted to a rear end of said
deck,
said fork means positioned generally horizontally at ground level when said
deck is
generally vertical;
conveyor means, associated with said deck such as by being incorporated within
said
deck, to convey a bale from a rear end of said deck to a front end thereof;
and
drive means to drive the conveyor and actuator means.
Conventional drive means, such as a power take off ("PTO") conveniently power
the
actuator and conveyor means.
Preferably, the apparatus further includes bale processing means mounted to
the front end
of the undercarnage. The processing means includes a processor deck for
receiving bales
from the conveyor. Preferably, the processor means comprises a rotatable drum
having an
array of flails pivotally mounted thereto for separating strands from the bale
as an alternative
to chopping the bale. The drum is mounted directly above the processor deck,
whereby the
bale may be confined between the processor deck and the drum. A pusher plate
or other
bale conveyor pushes the bale towards the drum such that the flails may act on
a vertical face
of the bale.
Preferably, the deck may be titled relative to the undercarriage by more than
90°, such that
the deck may be positioned to angle downwardly and forwardly to effectively
lower the front
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of the deck relative to the normal horizontal position of the deck. The
lowering may be
achieved by a lever arm actuated by a ram or the like, which raises or lower
the front end
of the deck relative to said frame about the deck pivot mount. In the position
in which the
front of the deck is lowered, the bales are carried directly onto the conveyor
bed in the same
general orientation as the bales sit on the deck. In the raised position, the
bales drop from
the main deck onto the conveyor onto said processor and will tend to tumble or
rotate by
about 900.
In a fizrther aspect, the invention comprises a tilting bale loading platform
of the general type
characterized above, including a retractable bale engaging means such as hook
means
mounted to the bale deck for temporarily engaging bales to the deck when the
deck is tilted
vertically so as to prevent toppling of the bale array during the bale
engagement operation.
The hook means may be retracted after the deck is returned to its horizontal
position to
release the hook means from the bales. When retracted, the hook means is fully
out of the
path of the bales on the deck. Preferably, the hook means is pivotally mounted
to the deck.
In a fizrther aspect, the bale loading platform includes a cutting means on at
least one of the
fork members for cutting bale twine from a lower face of at least one of the
bales.
Preferably the cutting means includes a sleeve member for slidable engagement
on the fork
means, plus a lock means to fix the position of the sleeve member on the fork
member. The
cutting means may comprise an elongate blade member spaced apart from and
parallel to the
fork member, the sharp edge of the blade member extending upwardly when the
fork
member is in its horizontal use position.
Having thus generally characterized the invention, the invention will now be
described by
reference to a detailed description of a preferred embodiment, having regard
to the
description and the accompanying drawings set out below.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevational view, showing the present invention in position
to engage
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a stacked array of bales;
Figure 2 is a side elevational view, with the deck in elevated, horizontal
position;
Figure 3 is a side elevational view, showing the deck in a lowered, generally
horizontal
position;
Figure 4 is top plan view of the invention;
l0 Figure 5 is a side elevational view, showing the deck in an elevated,
horizontal position;
Figure 6 is a rear elevational view;
Figure 7 is an elevational view of a fork member, illustrating the cutting
member component
on the fork member;
rigure 8 is plan view of the member shown in Figure 7; and
Figure 9 is a sectional view, along line A-A, of the cutting member.
Detailed Dcscrilriion of the Preferred Embodiment
'turning to Figures l through G, a towable trailer 10 incorporating the
present invention is
provided. The trailer comprises a subframe 12, having at its front end (i.e.,
facing the
tractor) a conventional hitch 14. The trailer is supported by a pair of wheels
16 which are
20 mounted on respective sides of the subframe 14. The subframe is a
conventional towable
trailer fi-amc, suitable for towing behind a tractor or the like. Typical
trailer elements of
brakes, lights, etc. are provided if reduired. A bale processor 20, which will
be described
in greater detail below, is mounted to the front end of the subframe. The
subframe supports
a superstructure composed of an elongate tiltable deck 22, which is pivotally
mounted to a
rear end of the fi-arne, by way of a pivot mount 32. The deck 22, which is
formed from an
open framework composed of steel members, substantially covers a rearward
portion of the
subframe. The deck is supported at its front end on the subframe by means of a
tiltable post
24 pivotally mounted at its lower end to the subframe 12. The post 24 extends
upwardly
li-om tl~e subframe to contact the front region of the deck when the deck is
fully lowered,
30 as seen in Figure 3. T'he post terminates in a sliding contact member 26,
which engages a
plate 28 within the deck when the same is lowered onto the post 24. A
hydraulic ram 30
pivotally joins the post and the subframe and when actuated, selectively
angles the post to
effectively raise or lower the height of the post 24 relative to the subframe
12, which in turn
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raises or lowers the front end of the deck 22 relative to the subframe 12. It
will be seen that
positioning of the post in a relatively steeply angled position (Figure 2)
suppous the deck
SL1CI1 that it is generally parallel to the subframe and thus horizontal when
the trailer is resting
on level ground. Angling of the post more shallowly (Figure 3) effectively
permits the front
of tlce dcck 22 to lower, tilting the deck downwardly and forwardly.
Tlce deck pivot mount 32 permits the deck to pivot between a first, generally
vertical
position for engaging a stacked array of hay bales, for example at a bale
storage site, and a
range of substantially horizontal positions as seen in Figures Z and 3, for
transporting and
pfOCeSSlllt,' the bales. .Pivotal movement of the deck is actuated by a fluid-
driven ram 34,
which pivotally joins the deck 22 to the frame 12. The pivot mount permits the
deck to
rotate about a vertical plane by greater than 90°, permitting the deck
to angle forwardly an
downwardly when the post 24 is lowered.
The deck 22 incorporates bale transport means 36, which consists of a pair of
continuous
conveyor chains 38, on either side ofthe deck, each rot,~tably driven between
front and rear
pulley mcmbcrs 40 and 42. The rear pulley members 42 are each rotatably
journaled on an
axle 44, for free rotation. The front pulley members 40 are fixedly mounted to
a common
transverse axle 46, which in turn is journaled for free rotation within
bearing blocks 48
mounted to the deck 22. The axle 46 is rotatably driven by a motor 50 linked
to the axle by
conventional drive linkage means. Conveniently, the upper length of chain
bears on a
support surface such as a trough 52 or the like Lined with a material such as
nylon to present
a low-friction bearing surface for the chains 38. The conveyor chains
incorporate bale-
CII~a~Clilcllt means, for example cross slats 54, to engage the bales in order
to advance them
forwardly along the deck, towards the bale processor when the chain drive is
activated.
f ivotally mounted to the rear end of the deck is a bate fork assembly 56. The
fork assembly
56 is rotatable bctwcen a storage position wherein the assembly lies generally
flat on the
deck, and a bale pick-up position, wherein the assembly joins the deck at an
approximately
90° angle. The fork assembly consists of an array of elongated lines 60
each having a chisel-
shaped and tapered exposed end 62. The bases 64 of the respective tines are
fastened to a
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shaft 66, which in turn is rotatably journaled within bearing blocks 68
mounted to the deck
22 for free rotation of the shaft. The free rotation of the shaft permits the
fork assembly to
accommodate irregularities of the ground surface. Further, when the deck is
positioned
horizontally, the fork assembly will pivot forwardly to lie flat on the deck
surface during
transport. A stop member 70 prevents the fork assembly from tilting downwardly
past a
generally horizontal position, when the deck is vertical.
A retractable bale hook 72 is mounted to the middle region of the deck. The
bale hook
consists of a curved hook arm 74, joining a support 76. The support is
pivotally mounted
to one of the deck members. The hook is driven between a retracted position,
wherein the
hook is withdrawn from the deck surface (seen in Figure 2), and an extended
position as
seen in Figure 1 wherein the hook extends outwardly past the deck surface in a
direction
which is rearward when the deck is vertical. A hydraulic ram 78 pivotally
joins the support
to the deck, for actuating the retractable hook between the respective
positions. In the
extended position seen in Figure l, the bale hook may be plunged into the
interior of a bale
80, in order to secure the bale to the tiltable deck to prevent toppling of
the bale stack as the
device retrieves a bale array. Conveniently, the bale hook 72 will be driven
into the bale
stack during the pickup process, at a stage when the bales are supported on
the forks in a
vertical stack before the deck is tilted away from the vertical. The bale hook
may then be
retracted below the deck level when the deck 22 tilts back to the horizontal.
The various hydraulic rams described herein are actuated by a source of
hydraulic fluid,
connected by conventional hydraulic lines to the rams. Control means such as
one or more
hydraulic pressure regulators control the operation of the various motor-
driven and hydraulic
components. These control and drive means are not illustrated, as they are
conventional and
drawn to those skilled in this act.
The procedure for loading a stack of bales 80 onto the deck 22 comprises the
initial step of
rotating the deck into the generally vertical position seen in Figure l,
wherein the fork
assembly 56 drops into a horizontal position. The trailer 10 may be then
backed into a
stacked array of bales 80, such that the fork assembly 56 slides under the
bale stack. The
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bale hook 72 is then plunged into the stack to fasten the bale stack to the
deck. The deck 22
is then tilted rearwardly, such that the stack is tilted rearwardly and is
brought to bear on the
deck, until the deck reaches a generally horizontal position, as seen in
Figures 2 and 3. In
this position, the stack of bales now rests onto its side and forms a row of
bales extending
along and resting on the deck. The horizontal deck position may be selected as
either the
fully horizontal position of Figure 2, wherein the there is provided a
substantial drop
between the front of the deck and the bale processor 20, and the downwardly-
tilting position
of Figure 3, wherein the front edge of the deck is generally level with the
bale processor,
although a slight drop down to the processor is acceptable. In the first
position, the bales
will tumble as they drop to the processor and land in a position 90°
rotated from their
position. In the second position, the tumbling will not occur. A 90°
rotation may be
desirable in order to expose a face of the bale which is not bound by twine to
the processor
drum. Alternatively, the farmer may elect to expose a bale in either an end-on
(i.e. cross
grain) position or parallel to the grain of the bale, depending on the extent
of chopping or
separating desired. The farmer may also elect to tumble the initial bales, but
not rotate the
final bale if the baling twine has been severed in the lowermost bale.
The outermost tines of the bale fork assembly are each provided with a blade
member 90
which serves as a twine cutter, the purpose of which will be further described
below. The
blade member, seen more particularly in Figures 7 - 9, comprises a pair of
sleeves 92 for
slidable engagement with the corresponding tine. A set screw 94 within each of
the sleeves
locks the sleeve into position on the tine. A blade 100 extends between the
two sleeves, and
consists of a generally U-shaped band, the sides of which each form a
sharpened edge 102.
The blade member serves to slice the bale twine on the lowermost bale, which
may become
entangled as the bale is deposited on the ground during the baling or bale
stacking processes.
The cutting operation may be performed as the fork assembly slides under the
lowermost
bale during the bale pick-up process.
The bale processor 20 comprises a generally flat processor platform 110,
having conveyor
means incorporated therein to convey a bale deposited thereon, in a direction
transverse to
the trailer axis, towards a bale separator arrangement. The conveyor may
comprise a chain-
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driven pusher plate 112, which engages a side of the bale and pushes the bale
towards the
separator. A continuous chain 113, driven by a motor (not shown) is fastened
to the plate
112 to drive the plate from a first side of the platform 110 to a second side.
The chain is
supported on the platform surface by a recessed trough 115. Mounted along the
second side
of the processor is an elongate drum 114, mounted to an axle 116 which is
journaled for
rotation within bearing blocks 118. The drum axis is transverse to the
direction of travel of
the bales on the processor platform. The drum 114 is mounted directly above
the processor
deck such that there is a space between the level of the processor platform
and the bottom
of the drum to confine a portion of a bale therebetween. The drum is rotatably
driven by
conventional drive means such as a motor (not shown). An array of hinged
flails 120 is
mounted to the drum. The flails act on the vertical face of the bale 80 as the
same is pushed
against the drum, in order to separate the strands of straw from the face of
the bale and
discharge same from the processor, between the drum and the processor deck. A
processor
of this general type is described in Canadian Patent No. 2,167,664
(Vandenberg).
It will be seen that the bale processor may alternatively comprise a bale
chopper for both
separating and cutting the hay or straw strands of the bale. In this version,
cutter means may
be provided either on the drum (eg. U.5. Patent No. 5,601,241 (Brewster)) or
separately
from the flail-carrying drum (eg. Canadian Patent No. 2,191,692 (Vandervalk)).
It will be seen by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains
that although the
invention has been described by way of a detailed description of a preferred
embodiment,
departures from and variations to this arrangement may be made without
departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention, as the same is fully set out and
characterized in the
accompanying patent claims.