CA1160580A

CA1160580A - Hay handling device

Info

Publication number: CA1160580A
Application number: CA000403595A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Joseph Halak
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-05-21
Filing date: 1982-05-21
Publication date: 1984-01-17

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A method and apparatus for handling and storing baled hay.
Baled hay is collected on a rigid transportable pallet having a horizontal platform and means extending vertically therefrom to support a rigid roof spaced above that platform. The pallet is of a size that is readily transportable on the frame of a truck or trailer. Rectangular bales of hay are stacked to a predetermined height on the pallet. These stacked rectangular bales of hay are stored for future use on the pallet with a rigid roof supported by the support means to protect the hay from rain or snow. The pallet itself has a horizontal platform and side and end braces extending in vertical planes upwardly from the edges of the platform. One or more rigid flat roof panels are supported by the end braces in spaced parallel relationship to the platform. The surface area of the roof panels when in position covers and overhangs the surface of the platform whereby hay stacked on the platform is sheltered from rain or snow. The system and apparatus of the present invention enables farmers with handling smaller amounts of hay to readily retrieve from the field and store such bales of hay without the need of expensive machinery. The hay may be stored in such a pallet in the open, thereby avoiding the need for a barn.

Description

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for handling and storing baled hay, and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus for a farmer with, for example, a few head of cattle or a few horses, who therefore requires smaller amounts of hay in a size managable by hand, e.g. bales of hay weighing approximately 50 pounds each.
Presently retrieval of bales of hay which have been formed in the field is carried out, for example, by hand where a tractor pulls a hay wagon alongside a row of bales on the ground. A person picks up the bales and throws them onto the hay wagon. Alternatively a pop up loader (attached ~o the side of the hay wagon) is used to pick the bales up and drop them onto the hay wagon. When full, the hay wagon is pulled to the barn where its is unloaded usually with the help of a mechanical elevator. The unloaded hay bales are restacked in the barn for drying and storage.
Alternatively, a hay wagon may be attached to the rear of a baler being pulled by a tractor, and the bales are dropped onto the hay wagon which, when full, is ~mloaded in the barn as described above. Yet another method of retrieving bales of hay from the field is through the use of an automatic bale wagon. This device is pulled by a tractor or self-propelled, and mechanically picks up the bales of hay from the ground and stacks them on its own hay bale rack.
While this method is increasing in use because of the minimal labour required, it is very expensive and slow (e.g. such a machine which ~60S80 will load 2,000 bales of hay a day may COSt $20,000 dollars). The automatic bale wagon when filled proceeds to the barn and unloads its whole load automatically.
Present day methods of storage of hay largely involve storage in barns. A minimal amount of hay is stored in the field.
With field storage of hay, the hay is piled and covered by a tarpaulin or plastic sheeting to prevent rain and snow from soaking into the hay and causing it to rot. This method is unreliable in wind, and provides short lasting protection for the hay.
As well, it should be noted that racks for carry~ng hay have been described and illustrated in the prior art. For example, U.S. Patents Nas. 1,043,469 of Schroeder issued November 5, 1912, 1,046,069 of Hunt issued December 3, 1912, 1,163,820 of Hetzner issued December 14, 1915, 1,259,403 of Hunt issued March 12, 1918, and 2,514,785 of Nechville et al issued July 11, 1950 all describe hay racks on which hay to be transported to a barn may be placed for transportation on a wagon. Such racks have comprised floor sections and upright ends. None of these prior art references however has provided a rack which was also suitable for storing of hay in open areas, where the hay would otherwise be exposed to the elements.
Another reference of background interest is Canadian Patent No.
1,099,235 of Zimmerman issued April 14, 1981 in which a hay bale skid for dragging along the ground is described and illustrated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a relatively inexpensive, efficient method and apparatus for handling and storing baled hay or other similar products which will avoid the need for a barn. It is a further object of the present inventior. to provide such a method and apparatus which will be particuarly useful for handling and storing smaller amounts of hay.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided a method and apparatus for handling and storing baled hay. Baled hay is collected on a rigid transportable pallet having a horizontal platform and means extending vertically therefrom to support a rigid roof spaced above that platform. The pallet is of a si~e that is readily transportable on the frame of a truck or trailer, with stacking rectangular bales of hay to a predetermined height on the pallet. These stacked rectangular bales of hay are stored for future use on the pallet with a rigid roof supported by the support means to protect the hay from rain or snow. The pallet itself has a horizontal platform and side and end braces extending in vertical planes upwardly from the edges of the platform. One or more rigid flat roof panels are supported by the end braces in spaced, preferably paralle], relationship to the platform. The surface area of the roof panels when in position covers and overhangs the surface of the platform whereby hay stacked on the platform is sheltered from rain or snow.
The pallets are designed for alignment adjacent similar pallets, with adjacent roof panels of the plurality of aligned pallets being supported in abutting relationship. Overlapping roof panels are provided to seal the joint between adjacent panels to make 1~0S8~

that joint waterproof. In this arrangement, the roof panels provide waterproof shelter for all of the hay stored on the pallet platform.
Thus the system and apparatus according to the present invention enables hay to be dried and stored in open areas avoiding the need for expensive and large barns. As well, since hay may be stored on the pallet platforms themselves, signiicant reduction of labour and expensive machinery requirements in handling and trans-porting the hay is accomplished. These advantages apply particularly to the handling and storage of smaller amounts of hay. Since the roof panels may be placed in position as soon as the pallets are filled, the time taken to place hay under cover is significantly reduced over traditional methods of handling hay.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon referring to the drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a filled pallet, according to the present invention, being unloaded from a wagon for transportation to a storage area;
Figure 2 is a plan view from the top of a number of pallets according to the present invention aligned with roof panels in position;
Figure 3 is a side view of the aligned pallets of Figure 2 with roof panels in position; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a roof panel according to the present invention.

1~60S80 While the invention will be described in connection with an example embodiment, it will be understood that it is no~ intended to limit the invention to such embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
In the following description, similar features have been given similar reference numerals.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning to Figure 1, there is shown a plurality of hay bales 2 stacked on a rigid, transportable pallet 4. The pallet is preferably of a size which will readily fit on the back of a flatdeck truck or on a hay wagon 6. Pallet 4 comprises a horizontal platform 8 constructed out of an appropriate material such as sheet iron. It is preferable that this platform be of rectangular shape, and it may be of dimensions for example in the order of 16 feet long and 8 feet wide. End braces 10 and side braces 12 are preferably made of angle iron and welded to platform 8. End braces 10 and side braces 12 extend upwardly in vertical planes about the periphery of platform 8.
End braces 10 may have a height for example of about 10 feet, and are provided with an end bar 13 extending horizontally across the upper ends of vertical members as shown.
To cover hay bales 2 stacked and stored on pallets 4, rigid flat roof panels 14 (Figures 2, 3 and 4~ are provided. These panels may be constructed from galvanized tin roofing or plywood, and :1~60~30 reinforced with a frame 15 of wood or other material as illustrated, and are of a surface area to cover and overhang the surface of platform 8 when in position as shown in Figure 2. For ease of handling, it is preferable that a plurality of roof panels 14 be provided for covering a pallet. The space 18 which is formed between two abutting panels 14 when in position on one or more (aligned) pallets 4 is covered by overlap section 16 of one of the panels 14 so as to be watertight and to prevent seepage of moisture from the roof panels into the hay stored therebeneath. Platform 8, as illustrated in Figure 3, when loaded and covered for storage, is preferably oriented longitudinally at a slight incline, and the roof panels 14 are aligned similarly on end bars 13, with overlap section 16 of each panel 14 positioned at the downhill side of that panel, in shingle fashion. In this way, rainwater falling on the roof sections will run down the incline of the panels and off, without falling through spaces 18 onto the hay stored beneath.
Supports 24 (Figures 1 and 3) beneath platform 8 are provided, preferably of fir or other wood, to elevate the platform above a supporting surface, and enable forklift means 26 (Figure 1) to slip beneath the platform for lifting.
In operation, a pallet 4 is for example set onto a hay wagon 6 by means of a fork lift means 26. The wagon with a pop up loader (not shown) attached to it is pulled by a tractor. The pop up loader picks up bales of hay from the ground and drops them on the device where they are stacked manually until the pallet is filled with bales of hay (for the sizes envisaged by this invention, 200 ~60S80 bales of hay, usually 14 inches by 16 inches by 42 inches, weighing approximately 50 pounds each, are stacked on an 8 ~ 16 foot platform to a level of 8 layers with 25 bales per layer). The full container is then taken to a depot area on the field or to a storage area where it i9 set on a slightly sloping section of ground. An appropriate roof panel or panels 14 are seated on the top of the full pallet and, if necessary, secured in position. For storage, where more than one pallet is used, the next full pallet is placed adjacent the first one, as can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, so that the sides of roof panels 14 are abutting and overlap sections 16 extend across space 18 between adjacent panels. In this way no rain can penetrate the roof panels 14. Roof panels 14 permit increased speed in placing hay under cover even in the filed where unstable weather conditions might require. The size and ease of handling of pallets 4 also assist in further handling of hay, for example in delivering of hay by a hay farmer to a customer. When hay stored on a pallet is to be used or delivered to a customer, the roof sections are removed (likely with the aid of fork lift means 26) and the pallet 4 is lifted on to a truck or wagon for delivery. The pallet and method of the present invention work very well ~or their intended purpose, with tremendous labour savings, greatly enhanced speed and no requirement for a formal expensive barn.
Thus, is is apparent that there has been provided in accordance with the invention a method and apparatus for handling and storing baled hay that fully satisfies the objects, aims and advantages set forth above. While the invention has been described in conjunction with a specific embodiment thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description.
Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall witin the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A method for handling and storing baled hay which comprises the steps of collecting baled hay on a rigid, transportable pallet having a horizontal platform and means extending vertically therefrom to support a rigid roof spaced above that platform, the pallet being of a size that is readily transportable on the frame of a truck or flatdeck truck or trailer, stacking rectangular bales of hay to a predetermined height on the pallet and storing for future use the stacked bales of hay on the pallet with a rigid roof supported by the support means to protect the hay from rain or snow, a plurality of similar such pallets being used, the pallets when filled with hay being stored in aligned adjacent relationship with adjacent roofs overlapping in watertight fashion whereby the stored hay is sheltered from rain or snow.

2. A pallet for handling and storing hay according to the method of claim 1 which pallet comprises:
(a) a horizontal platform;
(b) side and end braces extending in vertical planes upwardly from the edges of the platform;
(c) one or more rigid flat roof panels to be supported by the end braces in spaced parallel relationship to the platform, the surface area of the roof panels when in position covering and overhanging the surface of the platform whereby hay stacked on the platform is sheltered from rain or snow, when more than one roof panel is used adjacent roof panels being supported in abutting relationship by the end braces, the roof panels being provided with overlap means for covering the space between the adjacent panels to make the roof panels when in abutting relationship waterproof.

3. A pallet according to claim 2 wherein the pallet is de-signed for alignment beside similar panels, adjacent roof panels of the plurality of aligned pallets are supported at a similar height in abutting relationship, and the panels are provided with overlap means for covering the space between adjacent panels to make the panels when in abutting relationship waterproof.

4. A pallet according to claim 2 wherein the platform and roof panels are of rectangular shape.

5. A pallet according to claim 4 wherein the dimensions of the platform are about 16 by 10 feet.

6. A pallet according to claim 2 wherein the horizontal platform rests on support means raising its lower surface so that the pallet may be handled by a forklift.

7. A pallet according to claim 2 wherein the overlap means comprises an extension along the edge of each roof panel in the plane of the panel, which extension rests on the upper surface of an adjacent panel, when in position, to cover the space between them.