GB2204557A

GB2204557A - Bale handling apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2204557A
Application number: GB08710890A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Nigel Pratt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-05-08
Filing date: 1987-05-08
Publication date: 1988-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 2007-05-08
Also published as: GB2204557B; GB8710890D0

Abstract

Bale handling apparatus adapted for attachment to the front end loader (10) of a tractor, comprising a frame (12) pivoted to the loader about axis (14) and providing a normally horizontal fore-aft pivot axis (20) for a beam (22) which carries a plurality of forwardly projecting bale-spearing spikes (24,26). The beam can be selectively tilted in a vertical plane successively to pick up a first bale and then a second bale without damaging the already picked-up first bale. The outer spikes (24) are longer than the inner spikes (26) and the beam is tilted by a ram (30) mounted on an upward extension from one end of the (12). The normal loader ram (16) is used to pivot the frame about axis (14). The beam may be telescopic to vary the spacing of the spikes to accommodate bales of different diameter. <IMAGE>

Description

Bale Handling Apparatus This invention relates to apparatus for handling bales of hay or straw, more particularly the cylindrical bales of straw which are increasingly being produced on farming land in the U.K.

Cylindrical bales of straw are produced by a baling machine which travels over the field scattered with straw to be baled. This machine shapes the bale, secures it with string or netting or like material, and then ejects the completed bale at the point of the field where the machine is sited at that particular time. - At the end of straw baling, the field is scattered with bales of straw which then have to be collected and often transported for storage. Collecting the straw bales can be a costly and time-consuming occupation.

It is an object of this invention to provide bale handling apparatus which assists in the collection of straw bales.

According to the invention, there is provided bale handling apparatus comprising an attachment for a tractor or like machine having front end loading or lifting arms, said attachment comprising a frame adapted to be secured to the loading or lifting arms, a beam pivotally mounted to the frame on the forward side thereof, the pivot axis being disposed approximately horizontally in normal use, a plurality of spaced bale-spearing spikes attached to the beam to project forwardly therefrom, and power means for tilting the beam about its normally generally horizontal axis, thereby to enable a bale which is initially speared to be lifted clear of the ground by tilting the beam prior to spearing a second bale.

Hitherto, the usual practice has been to collect the bales individually by use of.a suitable spearing means. The spearing of a second bale requires that the first collected bale is not pushed along the ground during the act of spearing said second bale, because this would result in damage to said first collected bale. The present invention provides a solution to this problem. Moreover, in contrast to most bale collectors known hitherto, the present apparatus, being a front end attachment for a machine with loading or lifting arms, enables the collected bales to be taken to a storage site or to a lorry or trailer, and directly stacked by using the lifting means to raise the bales to the appropriate height and then withdrawing the spears by backward movement of the tractor or like machine to which the bale handler is attached.

Bale handling apparatus in accordance with the invention is exemplified in the following description, making reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 to 3 respectively show three stages of operation when the apparatus is in use; and Figure 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view of the bale handling apparatus.

The apparatus in accordance with the invention takes the form of an attachment for a tractor or like machine equipped with front end loading and/or lifting arms. The drawings show the case when the apparatus is adapted for attachment to a tractor equipped with front end loading arms in a conventional manner. However, the bale handling apparatus may be adapted for attachment to any of a range of machines from fork-lift trucks to mechanical diggers, including material handling machines having telescopic booms.

Referring first to Figure 4, reference 10 denotes the lifting arms of a front end loader.

The bale handling attachment comprises a frame, generally designated 12, which is mounted between the lifting arms 10.

A pivotal mounting 14 is preferably employed, whereby the tilt ram 16 with which the front end loader is conventionally equipped can be employed to tilt the frame 12 about a generally horizontal transverse axis.

The frame 12 includes a central box-shaped part 18 to which the tilt ram 16 is attached. The box 18 also contains a bearing for a shaft 20 extending in the fore/aft direction and which has a beam 22 secured on its forward end. The shaft 20 is free to rotate in the bearing box 18 about a generally horizontal longitudinal axis. Fixedly mounted to the beam 22 to project forwardly therefrom are a pair of spaced long spearing spikes 24 and a pair of spaced shorter spearing spikes 26 disposed between the long spikes 24.

The frame 12 also includes a side pillar 28 supporting an hydraulic ram 30, powered from a tapping into the tractor hydraulics, and which is operable to tilt the beam 22 about the pivot axis defined by the shaft 20.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 3, a tractor 40 equipped with front end loader 42 to which the bale handler 44 is attached is shown approaching a cylindrical bale of straw 46.

The bale is speared with one of the long spearing spikes 24 shown in Figure 4, and rotation of the bale on the spike 24 due to non-central spearing is prevented by a shallow penetration into the bale of the adjacent short spike 26.

The ram 30 is then operated to tilt the beam 22 and thereby lift the collected bale clear of the ground, at the same time positioning the second long spearing spike 24 at an appropdate height for spearing a second bale. This second bale may then be speared and collected without scraping the first collected bale along the ground. The ram 30 is then again operated to tilt the beam so that the two collected bales are supported generally at the same level. As shown in Figure 2, the lifting arms of the front end loader 42 may then be operated to lift the bales 46, 48 well clear of the ground, thence to be taken to a lorry or trailer 50 (see Figure 3) at which the two bales can be simultaneously unloaded by combined manipulation of the front end loader 42 and forward/backward movement of the tractor 40.The tilt ram 16 of the front end loader may also be useful during such a bale unloading and stacking operation, such as that illustrated in Figure 3, for the purpose of engaging the collected bales with the base of the trailer or the top of the existing stack prior to withdrawal of the spearing spikes by rearward movement of the tractor. The front end loader tilt ram 16 is also useful, however, for manipulating the bale handler during collection of bales from the field.

Various modifications of the illustrated and described arrangement are possible within the scope of the invention hereinbefore defined. In particular, the frame of the attachment which secures to the loading and/or lifting arms of the tractor or like machine may be changed in a wide variety of ways to suit the machine to which the handler is to be attached and provide a convenient site and mode of action for the ram or other power means which tilts the spear-carrying beam. Another important possible modification concerns the said spear-carrying beam, which may at least in part be made telescopic or otherwise adjustable so that the spacing of the spearing spikes can be changed to suit the diametrical size of bale to be collected.

Claims

1. Bale handling apparatus comprising an attachment for a tractor or like machine having front end loading or lifting arms, said attachment comprising a frame adapted to be secured to the loading or lifting arms, a beam pivotally mounted to the frame on the forward side thereof, the pivot axis being disposed approximately horizontally in normal use, a plurality of spaced bale-spearing spikes attached to the beam to project forwardly therefrom, and power means for tilting the beam about its normally generally horizontal axis, thereby to enable a bale which is initially speared to be lifted clear of the ground by tilting the beam prior to spearing a second bale.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frame is adapted to be secured to the loading or lifting arms to be tiltable about a transverse horizontal axis.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pivot axis about which the beam is tiltable relative to the frame is generally normal to said transverse horizontal axis, and the beam about said pivot axis to move in a plane lying generally parallel to said transverse horizontal axis.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the spikes extend forwardly from the beam substantially parallel to the-said pivot axis of the beam.

5. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the beam carries at least two relatively longer balespearing spikes each having an associated relatively shorter spike extending parallel thereto and for entering a spiked bale to prevent rotation thereof about the longer spike.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the beam carries four spikes in line, two relatively longer spikes between which are provided two relatively shorter spikes.

7. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the frame includes a part carrying an hydraulic ram adapted to be powered through a tapping into the tractor or like machine hydraulics, the said hydraulic ram also being connected to the beam to effect tilting thereof about its pivotal mounting to the frame.

8. Apparatus according to claim 2 or any claim appendant thereto, wherein the frame includes a part providing a bearing for a shaft which defines the pivot axis of the beam, said part also being adapted for connection to a tilt ram on the tractor or like machine by which the frame is tiltable about said transverse horizontal axis.

9. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the spear-carrying beam is adjustable for varying the spacing between the spearing spikes.

10. Bale handling apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying- drawings.