Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ROUND BALE HOLDER FOR FRONT END LOADERS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to new and useful improve-
ments in round bale holding and transporting devices.
Such bales are extremely heavy and are difficult
to move from one location to another and many devices roll
these bales onto a carrier, move them to the desired loca-
tion and then unroll them.
Due to the weight of these bales, the portion of
the circumference thereof in contact with the ground, tends
to flatten so that it is extremely desirable to replace a
bale on the ground in exactly the same circumferential posi-
tion in order to prevent the flattened area being exposed to
weather which may well cause deterioration of the bale mate-
rial and of course, moving devices which unload bales by
rolling same, obviously cannot maintain the desired relative
position in the new location without considerable manoeuver-
ing of individual bales.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present device overcomes -these difficulties by
providing a device which can lift the bale clear of the ground,
move it to another location and lower it back on the ground
in exactly the same relationship of the circumference to the
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ground.
In acco-rdance with the invent:ion there is pro-
viclecl a round bale hoLder for operativc attachment to an
elevating and moving assembly such as a front end loader
arm assembly, three-point hitch assembly and the like;
comprising in combination a substantially vertical frame,
adjustable means secured to the frame for attaching said
frame to the elevating and moving assembly, at least two
spaced and parallel round bale engaging prong components
secured to and extending forwardly from said frame substan-
tially perpendicular to the plane thereof and said frame
including a pair of spaced and para]l.el horizontaL frame
members and a pair of spaced and parallel vertical end
frame members secured between adjacent ends of said hori-
zontal members, said bale engaging prongs being secured to
and extending from the lowermost of said horizontal mem-
bers, said adjustable means secured to the frame for
attachment to the elevating and moving assembly including
a plurality of pairs of multi apertured attachment plates
clamped to said spaced and parallel horizontal members and
adjustable therealong, said plates being reversible verti-
cally and/or selectively interchangeable to provide fur-
ther flexibility of adjustment thereof relative to the
attachment to the elevating and moving assembly.
Another advantage of the invention is that it is
readily attachable to such devices as the arms of a front
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end loader or the three-point hitch of a tractor or o~her
similar lifting and elevating mechanisms.
A further advantage of the invention is that the
bale prongs are socketed into position and held by clamp
bolts which may act as shear bolts and which furthermore
eliminate deterioration of the surround:ing frame metal
which often occurs when such prongs are welded to the
frame. Under these circumstances, they readily break under
adverse conditions whereas with the present device, the
shear bolts protect same. Furthermore, the prongs are
readily removable and replaced either with similar prongs
or other devices as
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desired.
Yet another advantage of the invention is to pro-
vide a devi.ce of the character herewithin described in which
the attaching plates are readily adjustable in a plurali-ty
of posi-tions so that they can suit the attachment arms of a
large variety of different manufactures of fron-t end loaders,
three~point hitch assemblies and the like.
A still further advantage of the invention is to
provide a device of the character herewithin described which
is simple in construction, economical in manufacture and
otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is desiyned.
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as
will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which
this invention relates as this specification proceeds) the
invention is herein described by reference to the accompany-
ing drawings ~orming a part hereof, which includes a descrip-
tion of the best mode known to the applicant and of the pre-
ferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present
invention, in which:
2 0 D:13SCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Eigure 1 is a top plan view of the device.
Figure 2 iS a rear view of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end view of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of one type of clamp
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used.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of a Eurther type of
clamp used.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of a yet further type
of clamp used.
Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional
view showing the preferred method of socketing the bale enga-
ging member to the frame.
Figure 8 is an enlarged front elevation of a type
of shear bolt which may be used to hold the bale engaging
member in position.
In the drawings like characters of reference indi-
cate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Proceeding therefore to describe the invention in
detail, reference to the accompanying drawings will show a
substantially vertical frame collectively designated 10 which
includes a pair of spaced and parallel horizontal me~bers 11
and 12 with the lowermost member 12 being of a larger dimen-
sion than the upper member 11 in order to receive and suppor-t
the bale engaging members or prongs collectively designated
13. A pair of vertically situated spaced and parallel end
members 1~ extend between the ends of the upper and lower
members 11 and 12 and are secured thereto as by welding or
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the like -thus making a substantially rigid support frame.
The bale engaging components or prongs 13 comprise,
in this embodiment, a pair of such members in spaced and pa-
rallel rela~ionship each belng preferably of cylindrical
cross sectional configuration and having a distal end 15
which is pointed -to facilitate the engagement thereof within
a round bale (not illustrated). The pointed ends not only
facilitate the engagement, but reduce the possibility of
this engagement cutting the conventional string which nor-
mally maintains the bales in the closed condition.
Means are provided to detachably mount these bales
to the bottom frame member 12 so that they extend perpendi-
cularly therefrom and reference to Figure 7 will show the
preferred method. A small sleeve 16 is welded to the front
wall 17 of the member 12 and a larger cylindrical sleeve 18
is welded to the rear wall 19 of the member 12. Alternati-
vely, a single sleeve may extend clear through the tube 12
and be welded at the front and back walls, it being under-
stood that these walls are apertured to receive -the sleeves
16 and 18.
The inner end 20 of the cylindrical prong 13 sock-
ets into the sleeves as clearly shown and a clamp nut and
bolt assembly 21 extends through the wall of the rear sleeve
18 and through adjacent the inner end of the cylindrical
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prong 20 thus clamping the prong Eirmly in position within
the ~rame member 12. These nut and boll: assemblies 21 not
only act to clamp the prongs in position but also may act
as shear bolt assemblies in the event that the prongs hit
a rock or tree~ Under conventional constructions, such
prongs are often welded to the support structure which weak-
ens same, making it difficul-t to effect repairs in the event
that they break off from the suppor-ting structure. With the
present device, the bolts shear without damage occurring to
the frame or to the prongs.
Figure 8 shows a type of shear bolt which may be
used, if desired, with annular lines of weakness 22 being
provided around the shank 23 of the bolt 21, said lines of
weakness occurring adjacent the surface of the wall of the
sockets 18.
Means are provided to attach the assembly to an
elevating and moving assembly such as the arms of a front
end loader or the three-point hitch of a tractor or the
like.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 show three different bracket
assemblies all of which are formed from angle iron or the
like and include the first flange 24 and the offstanding
flange 25 e~tending at right angles from one edge thereof.
The flange 24 is apertured to receive nut and bol-t assem-
blies 26 which engage through plates 27 thus permitting to
be cLamped to the horizontal members ll and 12 with the
plates on one side thcreof and the flange 24 on the other.
The attaching flanges 25 are provided wiith a plurality of
apertures 28 to suit the attachment thereoE to various manu-
factures of elevating and moving assemblies.
The particular clamp members shown in Figure 6
are provided with tubular sleeves 29 extending from the
flanges 25 thereof which may be used to receive the pivot
holt of the elevating and moving assembly so that the posi-
tioning of the prongs 13 may be controlled within limits.
It will be noted that the various apertures 28
formed in the attaching flanges 25 of the brackets, are
positioned so that the brackets can, if desired, be reversed
vertically and/or interchanged upon the frame members 11
and 12 thus giving greater Elexibility in adjusting same
to suit the attachment to various elevating and moving assem-
blies. Furthermore, they can be moved along the members
11 and 12 once again to assist in the positioning thereof.
Upwardly extending brackets 30 are shown in Figures
2 and 3 in spaced and parallel relationship one with the
other and extending upwardly from a base plate 31 and se-
cured to the upper member 11 by means of nut and bolt as-
semblies 32 and plates 33. These may also be used to re-
ceive the pivot bolt assembly of elevating and moving assem-
blies, depending upon the design of same.
In operation, the prongs 13 are socketed into the
sleeves 16 and l~ and held in position by means of clamp
and shear bolt assemblies 2L whereupon the various brackets
shown in Figures 4, S and 6 may be adjusted so that the as-
sembly can be mounted to the elevating and moving assembly.
The prongs are then engaged within a bale which may then be
elevated and transported to another location and lowered
onto the ground in exactly the same position as it was
originally thus preventing weathering and deterioration
occurring to the bale contents.
It should also be noted that the various types oE
brackets shown in Figures ~, 5 and 6 are arrangecL to give
the greatest flexibility of attachment.
from
Viewing the frame/the rear as shown in Figure 2,
the brackets as illustrated, have been labelled as follows
frorn the lefthand side of Figure 2, AB CD EF. As an example
of the changes that may be made, they may be arranged as
follows:
B A D CF E
A E D CB F
A B C D E F
A B D C E F
F B C D E ~
Since various modifications can be made in my in-
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vention as hereinabove described, and many apparen-tly widely
different embodiments of same made within the spirit and
scope of the claims without departing from such spiri-t and
scope, it is intended that all matter con-tained in the ac-
companying speciEication shall be interpreted as illustra-
tive only and not in a limiting sense.
