GB1245974A - Apparatus for arranging bales delivered by an agricultural baling machine - Google Patents

Abstract

1,245,974. Bale sledges. J. R. CLARK. 17 June, 1969 [16 March, 1968], No. 12865/68. Heading B5F. An open bottomed bale sledge includes a pair of side guiding members 8 defining a bale receiving zone 9 which converges so as to enable bales 78, 79, 80 to pass therethrough in end-toend succession, further side guiding members 13, 14 defining at least two longitudinally extending side-by-side passageways 15, 16, combined gate and deflector means 21 to control entry of bales alternatively into the passageways, means for lifting a block of two or more bales arranged side-by-side in the delivery region 20 to permit a like number of bales to be slid underneath the raised bales, and a tail gate 32 at the trailing end of the sledge, through which a stack of at least two tiers of bales can be released to remain stationary on the ground. The combined gate and deflector means 21 is operated by trip means 30 actuated by a bale so that the following bale is diverted to the other or the next passageway. The trip means 30 is connected to the deflector means 21 through pivoted linkage 25, 26, 27. The bale lifting means comprises gripping members 69, 70 attached to arms 53, 54 which are pivoted on beams (55), 56. The gripping members are moved to bale gripping position by a ram 73 against the action of springs 75, 76. The beams (55), 56 and therefore the gripping means can be raised against the action of springs 67, 68 by rams 59, 60. The tail gate 32 is pivoted at 37, 38 and is self-closing under its own weight. It is held closed by a latch 39 which can be released by the operator. Alternatively, trip members may be provided for automatic control of the rams 73, 59, 60 and the gate 32. Fig. 9 (not shown), shows alternative bale deflector gate mechanism in which the gate 21 is urged into either of two operative positions by over-centre spring means.