AU6963200A

AU6963200A - Stock feed bale dispenser

Info

Publication number: AU6963200A
Application number: AU69632/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Kevin Mervyn Webb
Original assignee: LYNCH JOHN ALFRED; MALCOLM COLIN JAMES
Current assignee: Malcolm Colin James
Priority date: 1999-11-01
Filing date: 2000-10-31
Publication date: 2001-05-03
Anticipated expiration: 2020-10-31
Also published as: AU761887B2

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT SQUARE BALE DISPENSER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THIS INVENTION, INCLUDING THE BEST METHOD OF PERFORMING IT KNOWN TO ME: SQUARE BALE DISPENSER THIS INVENTION RELATES TO IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD FOR HANDLING LARGE SQUARE, RECTANGLE OR SIMILAR SHAPED BALES.

THE SQUARE BALE DISPENSER IS A MACHINE DEVICE DESIGNED TO FACILITATE THE MECHANICAL DISTRIBUTION, DISPENSING OR SPREADING OF SILAGE/ENSILAGE, HAY OR OTHER STOCKFOOD OR BALED COMMODITY. THESE COMMODITIES ARE NORMALLY STORED IN RECTANGULAR, SQUARE OR SIMILAR

BALES.

THIS MACHINE DEVICE ELIMINATES THE PHYSICAL LABOUR TRADITIONALLY -USED TO CARRY OUT THE OPERATION OF FEEDING OUT OR SPREADING SUCH •TYPES OF PRODUCT. IT UTILISES ONE OR MORE TRACKS, SLIDEWAYS, RAMPS OR o ••SIMILAR GUIDES ON OR IN WHICH ARE PLACED THE PRODUCT TO BE DISPENSED, DISTRIBUTED, SPREAD, UNLOADED OR DISPOSED OF. A MECHANICAL AND/OR *o* HYDRAULIC SYSTEM IS THEN ENGAGED TO MOVE THE PRODUCT ALONG OR THROUGH THE TRACKS, SLIDEWAYS, RAMPS OR GUIDES OR BELT UNTIL IT REACHES A PREDETERMINED POINT OR THE END OF THE MACHINE DEVICE.

AT THAT POSITION A SET OF FORKS OR A BLADE OR OTHER CONTRIVANCE ENTERS AND DETACHES THE SECTION OF PRODUCT TO BE PARTED FROM THE MAIN BODY OF PRODUCT. THE SIZE OF THE PORTION TO BE PARTED FROM THE MAIN BODY ON EACH OCCASION CAN BE VARIED BY CONTROLLING THE SPEED OF THE MOVEMENT OF THE PRODUCT ALONG THE TRACKS, SLIDEWAYS, AND RAMPS OR SIMILAR GUIDES.

THE SIZE OF THE PORTION CAN ALSO BE CONTROLLED BY THE TIMING AND AMOUNT OF MOVEMENT OF THE FORKS, BLADE OR SIMILAR APPARATUS OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH METHODS. THE MACHINE DEVICE CAN BE ADJUSTED TO "DISPENSE ONE OR MORE FULL BALES INTACT DEPENDING ON THE LENGTH OF TRACKS, SLIDEWAYS, RAMPS OR SIMILAR GUIDES BY DISCONNECTING THE SPRINGS ON THE FORKS AND ROTATING THEM UPWARDS THROUGH 270

DEGREES.

THE MACHINE DEVICE MAY BE TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY MOUNTED ON A TRUCK OR TRAILER AND MAY BE OPERATED WITH A REMOTE CONTROL

PENDANT.

THIS METHOD OF DISPENSING BALES IS UNIQUE IN THAT UP TO THIS POINT IN TIME THIS TASK HAD TO BE CARRIED OUT MANUALLY IN THE CASE OF SILAGE/ENSILAGE IT WAS A BACKBREAKING SMELLY JOB. SILAGE/ENSILAGE IS HARVESTED WHILE THE CROP IS STILL GREEN AND SEALED UNDER AIRTIGHT TARPAULINS OR UNDERGROUND FOR, IN SOME CASES, SEVERAL YEARS.

DURING THIS TIME IT TENDS TO FOMENT WHICH CAUSES IT TO HAVE AN OBNOXIOUS SMELL WHEN EXPOSED TO THE AIR. WHEN FEEDING STOCK WITH THIS STORED PRODUCT IT IS DESIRABLE TO FEED OUT SMALL PORTIONS WHICH ENTAILS BREAKING THE BALE BY HAND AND PUSHING THESE PORTIONS OFF THE VEHICLE MANUALLY.

2.

TO ASSIST WITH UNDERSTANDING THE INVENTION, REFERENCE WILL NOW BE MADE TO THE ACCOMIPANYING DRAWING WHICH SHOWS ONE EXAMPLE OF THE

INVENTION.

THIS PARTICULAR EXAMPLE OF THE BALE DISPENSER IS BUILT TO HANDLE BALES MEASURING 7' (2.140m) x 3' (.915m) x 4' (1.2m).

IN THIS INSTANCE THE DRAWING SHOWS A COMPLETE ASSEMBLY OF THE SQUARE BALE DISPENSER CONSISTING OF TWO TRACKS ON WHICH THE BALES ARE PLACED. THE FLOOR OF EACH TRACK CONSISTS OF SHEET METAL OR SIMILAR MATERIAL EACH TRACK HAS A 1 O0mI PITCH SOLID PIN CHAIN RUNNING THE LENGTH OF THE TRACKS.

ON EACH TRACK IS MOUNTED A PUSHER THE DRAWING SHOWS THE LOWER PUSHER PART WAY ALONG THE TRACK. EACH PUSHER HAS A MECHANICALLY/HYDRAULIC DRIVEN SPROCKET AND A SNUBBER SPROCKET WHICH DRIVES THE PUSHER ALONG THE CHAIN. THE PUSHERS ARE FITTED WITH FOUR ROLLERS ONE ON EACH CORNER WHICH RUN INSIDE THE CHANNEL COMBING TO PREVENT THE BALES NOT LOCATING PROPERLY ON THE TRACK GUARD CHANNELS (11) ARE FITTED ABOVE THE TRACK AT THE CENTRE OF THE DEVICE.

THESE GUAR(D CHANNELS SUPPORT AND PROVIDE SLIDEWAYS FOR THE RECIPROCATING FORK ASSEMBLY AT ONE END. THE RECIPROCATING MOTION TO THE FORK ASSEMBLY IS PROVIDED BY HYDRAULIC CYLINDER (12).

AS THE FORK ASSEMBLY TRAVELS BACK AND FORTH THE LENGTH OF TRAVEL IS ADJUSTABLE. WHEN THE FORK ASSEMBLY RETRACTS THE FINGERS HIT THE BALE AND ROTATE ABOUT PIVOT POINT UNTIL THE FORK ASSEMBLY HAS REACHED THE EXTREMITY OF iT'S TRAVEL. IT THEN REVERSES DIRECTION AND SPRING FORCES THE FINGERS INTO THE BALES AS THE FORK ASSEMBLY REVERSES THEREBY DISPLACING A PREDETERMINED PORTION OF THE BALE.

Claims

1. THE SQUARE BALE DISPENSER IS A MECHANICAL/HYDRAULIC DEVICE WHICH PUSH BALES ALONG TRACKS, SLIDEWAYS, RAMPS OR SIMILAR GUIDES.

2. THE SQUARE BALE DISPENSER OF CLAIM 1. INCORPORATES A MECHANICAL/HYDRAULIC DEVICE CAPABLE OF ADJUSTMENT TO PART PREDETERMINED SECTIONS FROM THE BALES OR PERMIT FULL BALES TO BE OFFLOADED. THE DEVICE HAS POSITIVE PUSHING ACTION.

3. THE SQUARE BALE DISPENSER OF CLAIMS 1. 2. CAN BE ADJUSTED BY DISCONNECTING THE SPRINGS FROM THE FORKS AND ROTATING THE SAID FORKS UPWARDS THROUGH 270 DEGREES TO ENABLE FULL BALES TO BE OFFLOADED IN ONE PIECE.

4. THE SQUARE BALES ARE PLACED ON EDGE IN ORDER THAT TWINE CAN BE ENDS TIED TO A FIXTURE SO THEY ARE AUTOMATICALLY REMOVED.

5. BY HAVING THE BALES ON THEIR EDGE TWO BALES CAN BE PLACED ON THE MACHINE SIDE BY SIDE THEREBY KEEPING THE OVERALL MACHINE WITHIN R.T.A. LIMITS. CONSEQUENTLY NO WIDE LOAD PERMITS ARE REQUIRED. SIX BALES CAN BE CARRIED AT A TIME DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE TRUCK OR TRAILER.

6. THE SMOOTH FLOOR OF THE TRACKS ELIMINATES POSSIBLE BINDING OF LOOSE STRAW. 0 ooo0.