AU728561B3

AU728561B3 - Hay bale device

Info

Publication number: AU728561B3
Application number: AU18485/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Gavin Andrew John Ross
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-02-22
Filing date: 2000-02-22
Publication date: 2001-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 2006-02-22

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: GAVIN ANDREW JOHN ROSS Actual Inventor: GAVIN ANDREW JOHN ROSS Address for Service: CALLINAN LAWRIE, 711 High Street, Kew, Victoria 3101, Australia Invention Title: HAY BALE DEVICE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 22O2/00,tdappl01 .cs,l This invention relates to a device for loading and unloading round hay bales.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that can be readily fitted to a vehicle, or incorporated into the design thereof, which is simple to manufacture and easy to use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device that can be used to load and unload hay bales which does not unbalance the vehicle when in use.

With these and other objects in view the present invention provides a device for loading and unloading round hay bales from a vehicle, said device including bale support means for supporting at least one bale on said vehicle, a tilting means to tilt said bale support means from a rest position to a raised position where said at least one bale can be rolled off said vehicle and bale lifting means to lift said at least one bale onto said bale support means, said bale support means being tilted from underneath by at least one set of folding arm members pivotally connected together about a coaxial shaft, one of said folding arm members being pivotally attached to said bale support means and the other of said folding arm members pivotally attached to said vehicle, a plate member pivotally attached to said shaft with a roller means at one corner and cable attachment means at another corner, said roller means cooperating with a ramp means on said vehicle to assist in unfolding and extending said folding arm members, in use, when a cable is attached to said cable attachment means and pulled, allowing said bale support means to be tilted.

Preferably said bale lifting means includes a pair of arm members pivotally coupled to said vehicle, said arm members cooperating with opposing sides of said at least one bale whereby said arm members can be swung upwardly to load said at least one bale onto said bale support means and can control placement of said at least one bale when said at least one bale is rolled off said vehicle.

In a practical embodiment a guide arm is pivotally connected to said vehicle and when raised from said vehicle, provides at its free end, a guide for a cable attached to one of said arm members, said cable allowing said bale to be lifted onto said vehicle.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a side view of a device for loading and unloading a hay bale made in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar view to that of Fig. 1 showing the loading of a hay bale; Fig. 4 is a similar view to that of Fig. 1 showing the hay bale being unloaded and being rolled out along the ground; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view along and in the direction of arrows in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view along and in the direction of arrows 6-6 in Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view along and in the direction of arrows 7-7 in Fig. 2; Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of Fig. 7 showing the initial step of unloading the hay bale; Fig. 9 is a similar view to that of Fig. 8 showing a further step of unloading the hay bale; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the device after the hay bale has been loaded; and Fig. 11 is a similar view to that of Fig. 10 after the hay bale has been unloaded.

In the drawings there is shown a truck 10 having a tray 12 on which the hay 22/02/00,tdapp101.spe,3 bale device 14 is fitted. Although the preferred embodiment describes a device that is retrofitted to a truck the device could also be incorporated into the design of the tray if required. A pair of lifting arms 16,18 are secured to the ends of shaft 20 which is rotatable in bracket 22. Bracket 22 is fastened to frame member 24 for additional stability. Spikes 26 are perpendicularly located at the ends of lifting arms 16,18 and, in use, penetrate a round hay bale 28 along the central axis thereof. Lifting arms 16,18 preferably have a long section 30 and a short section 32 which is angled to long section The angling of the lifting arms 16,18 will assist in the lifting action required.

Arm 18 has an attachment point 34 for the end of a winch cable 36 for coupling to a winch (not shown). As can be seen from Fig. 3 lifting arms 16,18 will lift bale 28 from the ground onto the tray 12.

A guide arm 38 is pivotally coupled to a pivot pin 40 on a bracket 42 mounted to tray 12. A pin or roller 44 acts as a guide for winch cable 36. Guide arm 38 can be in one of two positions, vertical as shown in Fig. 3, or horizontal as shown in Figs. 10 or 11.

A bale tilting device 46 has a main base plate 48 which is pivotally mounted to bracket 22 by pivot pins 50. In order to hide the tilting mechanism 54 for the bale tilting device 46 when not in use, a further base plate 52 forms a step with main base plate 48. Both plates 48,52 form an open shell which in the position shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 10 will cover tilting mechanism 54 and protect same from damage and the environment. Strengthening ribs 56 provide rigidity for plates 48,52 and prevent warpage thereof from the weight of bale 28. Tilting mechanism 54 has a pair of upper arms 58 and a pair of lower arms 60. Upper arms 58 are pivotally attached to brackets 62 at one end and to a shaft 64 at the other end. Lower arms 60 are also pivotally attached to shaft 64 at one end and to brackets 66 on cross strut 68 between rails 70 on tray 12. A sleeve 72 is also fitted to shaft 64 and a substantially triangular plate 74 is welded thereto. At one corner of plate 74 is an attachment point 76 for a cable 78 and at the other corner is a pair of rollers 22/02/00,tdappl01 .spe,4 fitted to a bracket 82. A pair of ramps 84 are welded to a strip 86 which is attached to cross strut 68. It is clear to the man skilled in the art that the number of rollers 80, ramps 84 and arms 58-60 can be adapted to suit various constructions and are not limited to the construction shown.

Cable 78 is fitted to attachment point 76 on plate 74 and has a tortuous path before it is coupled to winch cable 36. Cable 78 travels around vertically oriented pulley 86 at the front end of tray 12 and returns to the rear of tray 12 to pass over horizontally disposed pulley 88. Cable 78 passes to the front of tray by passing over a further horizontally disposed pulley 90. Cable 78 passes over a final horizontally disposed pulley 92 and terminates in a loop or attachment member 94. Loop or attachment member 94 is prevented from being pulled past pulley by an aperture (not shown) that cable 78 may pass through but not loop or attachment member 94.

Operation of the hay bale device 14 will now be described. In order to pick up hay bale 28 and place it on tray 12 of truck 10 the hay bale device is set up as shown in Fig. 1. Winch cable 36 is not attached to any point. Lifting arms 16,18 are swung up and over from their horizontal position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 3. Spikes 26 are adjusted to pass through the central axis of bale 26 and locked into position. Guide arm 38 is swung from its horizontal position in Fig. 1 to the near vertical position shown in Fig.

3. Winch cable 36 is passed over pin or roller 44 and hitched to attachment point 34 on lifting arm 18. The winch (not shown) is activated and the bale 28 is lifted onto bale tilting device 46 as indicated by the arrows shown in Fig. 3. Guide arm 38 will again be horizontally disposed as shown in Fig. By not releasing winch cable 36 bale 28 cannot roll off tray 12. Truck 10 is then driven to the site where the bale 28 is to be placed on the ground.

On reaching the site winch cable 36 is disconnected from attachment point 34 and coupled to loop or attachment member 94 of cable 78 whose other end is attached to attachment point 76 on plate 74 as seen in Figs. 5, 7 and 22/02/00,tdapp101. -6- 8. Activation of the winch (not shown) will cause cable 78 to be pulled in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 8. In view of the weight of bale 28 on base plates 48,52 the tension on cable 78 will pivot triangular plate 74 about shaft 64 to cause rollers 80 to move towards ramps 84 and ride up ramps 84 as shown in Fig. 9. The ramps will raise base plates 48,52 through an over centre action to break the acute angle scissor action of arms 58,60 and allow a scissor action lifting method to provide further raising of base plates 48,52.

Cable 78 will then lift rollers 80 off ramps 84 to the position shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 11. Bale 28 will roll off base plates 48,52 and fall to the ground as shown in Fig. 4. If truck 10 is driven forward in that position the bale can be unrolled for feeding by stock animals. By reversing the winch bale tilting device 46 will be returned to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 8.

The invention provides a simple but very effective method of loading, transporting and unloading round hay bales. It is clear that many of the mechanisms can be substituted by analogous mechanisms to suit requirements.

The invention will be understood to embrace many further modifications as will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art and which will be deemed to reside within the broad scope and ambit of the invention, there having been set forth herein only the broad nature of the invention and a certain specific embodiment by way of example.

22/02/00,tdappl101 .spe.6

Claims

1. A device for loading and unloading round hay bales from a vehicle, said device including bale support means for supporting at least one bale on said vehicle, a tilting means to tilt said bale support means from a rest position to a raised position where said at least one bale can be rolled off said vehicle and bale lifting means to lift said at least one bale onto said bale support means, said bale support means being tilted from underneath by at least one set of folding arm members pivotally connected together about a coaxial shaft, one of said folding arm members being pivotally attached to said bale support means and the other of said folding arm members pivotally attached to said vehicle, a plate member pivotally attached to said shaft with a roller means at one corner and cable attachment means at another corner, said roller means cooperating with a ramp means on said vehicle to assist in unfolding and extending said folding arm members, in use, when a cable is attached to said cable attachment means and pulled, allowing said bale support means to be tilted.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said bale lifting means includes a pair of arm members pivotally coupled to said vehicle, said arm members cooperating with opposing sides of said at least one bale whereby said arm members can be swung upwardly to load said at least one bale onto said bale support means and can control placement of said at least one bale when said at least one bale is rolled off said vehicle.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein a guide arm is pivotally connected to said vehicle and when raised from said vehicle, provides at its free end, a guide for a cable attached to one of said arm members, said cable allowing said bale to be lifted onto said vehicle. Dated this 2 0th day of October, 2000. GAVIN ANDREW JOHN ROSS By his Patent Attorneys: CALLINAN LAWRIE