Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
- This invention relates to a bale loading and unloading device.
With the advent of balers which produce large bales of hay
weighing in excess of half of a ton, there has become a genuine need
for hay handling equipment which was not needed during an earlier era
when only smaller manually manoeuverable bales were the only type being
produced. It is especially a problem to load and unload such large
bales for transportation over long distances. It is, for example, too
time-consuming to transport one bale at a time, espeically by the use of
a slow-moving agricultural tractor. Normally, however, only a large
agricultural is satisfactory~ for lifting, loading and ~mloading bales
because of the large size and weight of the bales themselves. Conse-
quently, there has been a need to have specially designed trailers which
are normally long and narrow for hauling such bales. There has also
needed to be some other equipment available to load such trailers at
the point of departure and unload the bales at the point of destination.
Usually suc~ loading and unloading is accomplished by a large tractor
with a fork-lift structure attached to its three-point hitch and it is
therefore necessary to have such unloading equipment at the point of
departure and at the point of destination~
There is consequently a need for a trailer having a self-
contained mechanism for loading and unloading a plurality of large bales
of hay thereon and therefrom respectively. Some such trailers have been
devised, but the only ones which have generated the interest of potential
buyers have the disadvantage of belng too expensive because oE the com-
plexity thereof. Such trailers also have the disadvantage that they are
also expensive to maintain; and, because of the many moving parts
thereon, there is an increased danger of breakdowns and a corresponding
doubt about their dependability. At least one design of such trailers
uses a chain conveyor structure to move each bale to its proper place on
the trailer. It has been found, however, that such chain conveyor devices
tend to tear up the bales somewhat. This is especially true with respect
to large round bales having twine thereon which has rotted through due to
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long periods of storage. ~len such an exteriorly deteriorated bale is
transported by a chain conveyor type of loading device, the outer
weathered layer tends to be torn off and is lost. If the bale is then
stored outside where it is s~tbject to rain and snow, as is usually the
case, then even more of the outer layer of the bale will become
weathered and therefore be of less food value to livestock than if the
original outermost layer had veen retained.
An ob~ect of one aspect of the present invention is to provide
a device for transporting large bales of hay from place to place.
An object of another aspect of the invention is to provide a
device for connection to a bale hauling trailer for loading and unload-
ing the bales.
An ob~ect of a further aspect of the invention is to provide
a bale loading and unloading device which handles bales gently so as to
prevent damage to the bales.
An object of still another aspect of the inven~Lon is to pro-
vide a bale loading and unloading apparatus which unloads bales to the
same relative posltion wlth respect to the plane of the ground as it
was before being initially picked up.
An object of a still further aspect of the invention is to
provide a device for transporting a plurality of large bales.
An ob~ect of another aspect oE the invention :Ls to provide a
bale loading and unl.oa<lLn~ dev:Lce ~or a trailer whi.cll has very few
movin~ parts and is cxtremely de~endable.
By a broad aspect o.F the E~rcscn-t :Lnvention, a balc
loading and unloading device is provided comprising a frame;
-transpor-t wheels a-ttached to the .Frame for -towing from place to
. place; a first member pivotally a-t-tached to the frame a:Long an
~;axis subs-tantially parallel to the general direction of travel
of the device; a first rod having one end thereof rigidly attached
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to one end of the first member, -the first rod being substan~tially
perpendicular to the first member and substan-tially parallel
to the axis, the first rod being aclap-ted to be driven into a
bale by movement of the frame; means for pivo-ting -the first
member be-tween a substan-tially horizontal pos:i-tion whereby the
firs-t rod ex-tends to one side of the frame and a subs-tantially
vertical posi-tion whereby the f~irst rod ex-tends substantially
above the frame whereby a bale engaged by the first rod is
movable to and from a position on the ground and a position
above -the frame; a second member pivotally at-tached to the
frame along an axis substantially parallel to the general
direc-tion of travel of the device; a second rod having one end
thereof rigidly attached -to one of the second member, the
second rod being substantially perpendicular to the second
member and subs-tantially parallel to the pivotal axis of the second
member, the second rod being adap-ted to be driven into a bale
by movement of -the frame; and between a substan-tially horizontal
posi-tion whereby the second rod is to the other side of -the
frame and a subs-tantially vertical position whereby the second
rod extends substan-tially above the frame; wherein the first
and second members are adjacent to one another, whereby
when the first and second members are in their respective
substantially vertical positions, bales engaged by the Pirst
and second rods are in abutment, thereby -to tend -to prevent the
bales :Prom sliding oPP the Pirs-t and second rods due to clamping
action on the bale~ by -the first and second members.
By one variant thereof, the device includes
means attached to one oP the first member and -the firs-t rod for
preventlng rotation of -the bale wi-th respect to the first rod.
30By a variation thereof, the rotation preventing
means comprises a first shaft rigidly attached to the first
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nember, the first shaF-t being sui)s-tantially parallel to -the
first rod and being located on the same side of the flrs-t member
as the first rod, whereby the first shaft is adapted to engage
the bale ~7hen -the bale is engaged by the firs-t rod. r
By yet ano-ther varian-t, the means for pivoting
the first member comprises a double-acting hydraulic cylinder
pivotally connected -to the first member a-t one end thereof and
pivotally connected to the frame at the o~her end -thereof.
By a modification -thereof, the device includes
~10 means attached to one of the second member and the second rod
for preventing rotation of a bale wi-th respect -to -the second rod.
By yet another modification, the device includes a third member P
pivotally attached to the frame along an axis substantially parallel to
th~ general direction of travel of the device; a third rod having one
èlld thereof rigidly attached to one end of the third member, the third
rod being substantially perpendicular to the thlrd member and substan-
tially parallel to the pivotal axis of the third member, the third rod
being adapted to be driven into a bale by movement of the Erame; and
means for pivoting the third member between a substantially hori~ontal
position whereby the third rod is to one side of the rame and a sub~
stantially vertical position whereby the third rod extends substantially
above the frame.
. By yet another variant? the device includes a .Eourtll member
pivotally attached to the frame along an ax:ls substant:Lally parallel to
the gcneral d:lrection o:l travel oE the clevice; a Eourth rod having one
end thereo rigidly attached to one end g:E the fourth member, the fourth
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rod being substantially perpendicular to the fourth member and substan-
tially parallel to the pivotal axis of the fourth member, the fourth rod ;-
being adapted to be driven into a bale by movement of the frame; and
means for pivoting the fourth member between a substantially horizontal
position whereby the fourth rod is to one side of the frame and a sub-
stantially vertical position whereby the third rod extends substantially
above the frame.
By another variant, the first and second rods extend forwardly
on the front side of the first and second members respectively and the
third and fourth rods extend rearwardly on the rear side of the third and
fourth members respectively.
By a further variant, the device includes means attached to the
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third member for preventing rotation of a bale received in the third rod
with respect to the third rod.
By yet a further variant, the device includes means attached
to the fourth member for preventing rotation of a bale received on the
fourth rod with respect to the fourth rod.
In the acco~panying drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred em~odiment of
one aspect of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of Figure
1 taken along line 2-2 of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the embo~iment of
Figuxe 1 taken aldng line 3-3 of Figure l;
Figure 4 is a partial view taken along line 4-4 of ~igure 3;
Figure 5 is a top plan view of an aspect of the present inven-
tion in readiness to load a bale of hay thereon; and
Figure 6 is a top plan view of an aspect of the present inven-
tion having a full load of bales thereon.
Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals
designate identical or corresponding parts Lhroughout the several views,
Figure 1 shows a bale handling apparatus 10 constructed according to an
aspect of the present invention. The bale handling apparatus 10 has a
frame 11 ~lth transport wheels 12 attached thereto. The rame 10 has a
hitch arrangement 13 at the front thereof for connection to a prime:
mover such as, Eor example, a tractor 15 as shown in Figures 5 and 6.
A plurality of arm members 14 are pivotally attached to the
frame 10 by means of a pin structure 16. Each of the arm members 14 has
a rod 17 and a shaft 18 rigidly attached thereto. Both the rod 17 and the
shaEt 18 are substantially perpendicular to the arm member 14 and are
generally parallel to the axis of the pivotal pin 16 and to the direction
of forward or rearward eravel of the frame 11 and transporting device 10.
Referring to Figure 3, lt can be seen that each arm member 14
has an angled pro~ection 19 on one end thereof and that a hydraulic
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cylinder 21 is pivotally attached by a pin 22 to one end of this angled
pro~ection 19. The other'end of the hydraulic cylinder 21 is pivotally '
connected to the frame 11 by means of a pair of transverse cross-b~aces
23 and a brace 24 connected to the transverse braces 23. A pin 26 then
serves pivotally to connect the hydraulic cylinder 21 to the frame member
24 of the main frame 11.
The hydraulic cylinder 21 is of a double acting type and has
a hose (not shown) connecting each end thereof wi~h the hydraulic syst~m
of the tractor 15. Accordingly, hydraulic controls tnot shown) on the ~-
tractor can be activated either'to lengthen or shorten the effective
length of the hydraulic cylinder 21 as is well known in this art. Each
of the five arms 14, as shown in Figure 1 for example,'and the structure
'' immediately connected thereto, including the hydraulic cylinders 21,
constitutes a separate bale loading and unloading assembly structure.
Each of the five bale loading and unloading assemblies shown are essen-
tially identical except that the two'at the rear of the device have the
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rods 17 and the shafts 18 extending rearwardly instead o~ forwardly for
reasons which wLll be dLscussed below. It is to be understood that more
or less than five of these assemblies can be mounted on a single frame
and still fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
For example,'it is considered that it would be practical to use as few
as one of the bale loading and unloading assemblies on a erame and as
many as a dozen on a single frame 11.
In operation, when it is desired to load a bale, the device 10
is merely placed in position for example, as is shown in Figure 5 in
readiness to engage a bale. Initially, the cylinders would be shortened
in length as shown in solid lines in Figure 3 so that the arm members 14
assume an essentially horizontal position. The frame 11 is then moved
along the ground by use of the wheels 12 and the prime mover 15 to drive
the rod 17 and shaft 18 into a bale 27. Once the bale 27 has been engaged,
then the hydraulic cylinder 21 of that respective arm member 14 is
actuated to lengthen the effective length thereof so as to move the bale
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up~ardly above the frame and off the ground as is shown in Figure 3
in dashed lines. Each of the ~ive loading and unloading assemblies
including each respective arm 14 would be loaded in essentially the
same way except that, of course, the three forward loading and unloading
assemblies would require that the device be driven forwardly into the
bale in order to engage each bale whereas the two rear loading and
unloading assemblies would need'to be backed into the'bale in order to
engage the bales.- It is also-noted that in the arrangement whereby two
of the arms 14 are directly across from each other such as is shown by
the rearmost two arms 14 in ~he preferred'embodiment, tha~ when the
bales 27 are loaded'thereon, they will contact each other near the
center of the device 10 so as to tend to prevent the bales from falling
oEf of the rod 17 and 'shafts 18. This is true because of the forces
exerted by the hydraulic cylinders 21 tending to move the arms 14 to
a somewhat vertical position. These opposing forces of the two arms 14
will tend further to clamp the hay between them together and therefore
tend securely to hold the bales for transporting purposes.
Once the bales are transported to the point of destination by
use of a towing vehicle, then they can be unloaded by causing the effec-
tive length of the hydraulic cylinders 21 again to be shortened 80 as tomove the bales from an upper position as shown by the arms 14 in the
dashed lines in Figure 3 to a lower position as shown by the arms 14 ln
solid lines in Figure 3. It is important to note that the bale 27 is
moved back onto the ground in the exact positlon Erom which it leEt the
ground originally when it was loaded. ~his is important because it
minimizes any damage from the bale which might occur if the bale were
rotated or rolled along a chain conveyor or the like. It is believed to
be clear without an extensive explanation that the rear bales could be
unloaded either one at a time or both at the same time by keeping the .
three front bales in their loaded position, or unloading the front bales
~irst, then by moving either one or two of the rear bales to the ground
by use of the hydraulic cylinders, and then finall~ driving the device.
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forward by use of the prime mover 15 thereby to pull the rod and shaft
out of each bale. Once the rod 17 and shaft 18 are re~oved from the
bale, it is most convenient to move the arms 14 to their vertical posi-
tion before unloading the next bale. With respect to the unloading of
the three forward bales, it is probably most convenient to unload them
one at a time by first using the respective hydraulic cylinder 21
thereby to move each respective bale ann to a horizontal position and
thereby move the respective bale to a position on the ground and them to
back up the bale handling device 10 by use of the tractor 15 so as to
release that respective bale from the bale holding rod and shaft 17 and
18. Once each bale is unloaded, the respective arm member 14 is moved
to its vertical position by actuating the respective hydraulic cylinder
21. Other sequences of loading and unloading are, of course, well
within the skill of those in this art and within the skill of a person
who would be utilizing such equipment.
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