GB2136766A - Bale carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

A bale carrier suitable for carrying cylindrical bales (70,71) and for mounting on an agricultural tractor comprises a support part (10) from which extends a pair of arms (11, 12) having a length enabling two bales (70,71) to be carried juxtaposed with each other. The arms (11,12) may be secured to the support part (10) in different positions to enable relative lateral adjustment of the arms (11,12) to accommodate different sizes of bale. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bale carrier The present invention relates to a bale carrier of the type, for securing to a vehicle, such as an agricultural tractor, so as to be at least partially supported thereby, the bale carrier being capable of carrying bales of hay, straw or the like.

It is becoming incresingly common for bales of hay and straw to be baled in cylindrical form having a typical diameter of about between one and two metres and an axial length of between about one and one and three quarter metres.

Such bales, in particular those of a size in the upper range of dimensions, are far too heavy to be handled manually and must be picked up and carried by mechanical means normally associated with agricultural tractors.

It is known to provide both on the front and rear of an agricultural tractor an elongate spike, the tractor is then driven towards the bale so as to drive one or the other spikes into the bale, the spike together with the bale then being lifted from the ground by operation of the lifting arms on the front of the tractor, or three point linkage normally associated with the rear of the tractor.

Such an arrangement enables an agricultural tractor satisfactorily to carry two bales. However, such a carrying means may give rise to problems, for example if the bale is not on even ground the impact between the spike and the bale may cause the bale to fall over making recovery of the bale considerably more difficult. Furthermore, insertion of the spike into the bale may cause damage to the bale.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new or improved bale carrier for attachment tio an agricultural tractor.

According to one aspect of the present invention, we provide a bale carrier comprising a support part capable of attachement to a lifting arm at the front of an agricultural tractor, or to a three point linkage provided at the rear of the tractor, said support part carrying a pair of arms laterally spaced from each other and, when in use, extending in a direction away from the tractor, said arms being of a length to enable two cylindrical bales to be carried by said bale carrier.

According to another aspect of the present invention, we provide a bale carrier comprising a support part capable of attachment to a lifting arm at the front of a n an agricultural tractor, or to a three point linkage provided at the rear of the tractor, said support part carrying a pair of arms laterally spaced from each other and extending when in use in a direction away from the tractor, at least one of said arms being secured to said support part in a manner to enable relative adjustment of the lateral spacing between said arms, and securing means enabling securement of the arm to the support part in any one of a plurality of positons.

Preferably the length of said arms, that is the dimension of said arms between their outer ends and their inner ends, is such that two bales may be carried by said bale carrying means, said arms supporting said bales at positions spaced around their circumference, said bales being juxtaposed on said carrier with a respective end of each bale adjacent each other.

Preferably, said support part comprises a framelike structure, said structure defining an upper and a lower boundary and, each of said arms comprises at least a first elongate member extending from said frame and being secured thereto adjacent said lower boundary, and an upper member secured to said frame, the structure extending therefrom at a position adjacent the upper boundary.

Preferably, said upper and lower arm members are secured to each other either directly or through an intermediary member adjacent their outer ends, that is their ends remote from said support part.

Each of said arms may comprise a third arm member, also secured adjacent the lower boundary of said framework, at a position laterally inwardly from said lower arm member.

Conveniently said third arm member is also secured to either of, or both, said upper and lower arm members at a position adjacent the outer ends thereof, or at least a position nearer said outer end than said inner end.

Preferably, the inner ends of the or each of said arm members is secured to a sub-frame and means are provided for securing said sub-frame to said support part. Where such a sub-frame is provided, the upper and lower boundaries of said sub-frame, when in its in use position mounted on an agricultural tractor, define said upper and lower boundaries.

Preferably, said arms have a length of at least two metres and conveniently said length is at least three metres.

Conveniently, where said sub-frames are provided, said securing means enables securing of said sub-frames to said support part in any one of a plurality of desired positions.

Conveniently, the positions of relative lateral adjustment between said arms accommodates different diameters of a cylindrical bale, the set positions being provided to accommodate known sizes of bale.

In use of the bale carrier, when affixed to the three point linkage at the rear of a tractor, the tractor is reversed with the bale carrier in a lowered position, the arms of the bale carrier pass on either side and underneath a bale until the bale is as near the inner ends of the bale carrier as is possible, the bale carrier is then lifted by the three point linkage and subsequently lowered to collect a further bale. When the arms of the carrier are in positon either side of said further bale and the bale is juxtaposed with the bale already on the carrier the carrier may then be lifted thus lifting both bales from the ground.

It is envisaged that as an alternative to lifting the carrier, the carrier may be provided with groundengaging wheels, relative movement between the wheels and the carrier being possible to enable the carrier to be in a lowered/collecting position our a raised bale carrying position.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, whrein: Figure lisa perspective view of the carrier and of the three point linkage at the rear of an agricultural tractor; Figure 2 is a view of the carrier shown in Figure 1 but in disassembled relationship.

Referring to the drawings, the bale carrier comprises a support part generally indicated at 10 and a pair of laterally spaced arms generally indicated at 11 and 12.

The support part 10 comprises an upper member 13, lower member 14, side members 15 and 16 and intermediate bracing members 17, 18 and 19.

The lower member 14 is provided with a pair of brackets 20 and 21 to enable securementofthe frame to the lower arms 22 and 23 respectively of the three point linkage at the rear of an agricultural tractor.

The upper member 13 is provided with a bracket 24 for attachment to the upper link of the three point linkage.

The upper member 13 carries mounting plates 27 and 28 at one end and 29 and 30 at the other end, the plates being fixed to the upper member by welding, bolts or in any other convenient manner. The lower member 14 is provided with mounting plates 31 at one end and 32 at the other end.

The arm assemblies 11 and 12 will now be described in more detail. The arm assembly 11 comprises a sub-frame 35 comprising a lower member 36, upper member 37, lateral members 38 and 39, the upper member 37 has secured thereto a mounting plate 40 formed with through bores 41 to enable botls 42 to pass through the through bores 41 and through through bores, such as the through bore 44 in the mounting plate 29 to enable attachment of the sub-frame 35 to the mounting part 10.

The lower member 36 of sub-frame 35 is provided with a similar mounting plate 46 provided with through bores through which bolts 47 may pass, the bolts also passing through through bores such as the one shown at 48 in mounting plate 32.

Extending from the sub-frame 35 are three elongate arm members, an upper member 50 having its inner end 51 secured to the upper member 37 of sub-frame 35, a lower outer member 52 having its inner end 53 secured to lower member 36 and an inner lower member 54 having its inner end 55 secured to lower member 36.

The outer end regions of the three arms 50, 52 and 54 are secured to each other and may be reinforced in the region of their outer ends by a plate member 56. The outer end 57 of inner lower arm 54 is bent outwardly to enable the bale carrier to more easiiy be aligned realtive to a bale without impact of the end of the lower arm member 54 with the bale.

The arm 12 is constructed in similar fashion to the arm 11 and comprises upper member 60, lower outer member 61 and lower inner member 62. The arms 60, 61 and 62 are secured to a sub-frame 63 to which is secured to the supprt member 10 by upper bolts 64, and lower bolts 65.

Each of the arms 11 and 12 provide a support for the bales to be carried and in addition to supporting the bales, such as the bales shown in outline at 70 and 71, by contact with the lower half of the bales, the provision of both upper and lower arm members ensures that the supporting arms provide lateral support to the bales, which is of prime importance when the tractor is likely to be travelling over hilly and bumpy ground. It may well be that the ground on which the tractor is travelling is inclined by a considerable angle to the horizontal.

The provision of attachment plates 27,28, 29 and 30,31 and 32 on the support part, each plate having a plurality of through bores and the mounting plates on the sub-frames 35, 63 of arm assemblies 11 and 12, such mounting plates also having a plurality of through bores, enables the arm assemblies 11 and 12 to be secured to the support part in a plurality of different laterally spaced positions to accommodate and satisfactorily carry and support bales of different sizes.

Such a provision is of prime importance since it necessitates manufacture of only one support frame to accommodate different size bales and also allows the user to change his baling equipment or use different baling equipment and still utilise the same bale carrying means.

The construction of the supporting arms 11 and 12 enables the arms to be of a length sufficient to carry two bales without themselves being unduly heavy, in particular the positioning and configuration of the upper arms 50 and 60 which, when carrying bales will be in tension, contributes significantly to the strength of the supporting arm assemblies 11 and 12.

Claims (17)

1. A bale carrier comprising a support part capable of attachment to a lifting arm atthe front of an agricultural tractor, orto a three point linkage provided at the rear of the tractor, said support part carrying a pair of arms laterally spaced from each other and, when in use, extending in a direction away from the tractor, said arms being of a length to enable two cylindrical bales to be carried by said bale carrier.

2. A bale carrier according to Claim 1 wherein at least one of said arms is secured to said support part in a manner to enable relative adjustment of the lateral spacing between said arms, and wherein securing means are provided enabling securement of the arm to the support part in any one of a plurality of positions.

3. A bale carrier according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the length of the arms, that is the dimension of said arms between their outer ends and their inner ends, is such that two bales may be carried by said bale carrying means, said arms supporting said bales at positions spaced around their circumference, said bales being juxtaposed on said carrier with a respective end of each bale adjacent each other.

4. A bale carrier according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said support part comprises a frame-like structure, said structure defining an upper and a lower boundary and, each of said arms comprises a lower member extending from said frame and being secured thereto adjacent said lower boundary, and an upper member extending from said frame and being secured adjacent said upper boundary.

5. A bale carrier according to Claim 4 wherein said upper and lower arm members are secured to each other either directly or through an intermediary member adjacent their ends remote from said support part.

6. A bale carrier according to Claim 4 or Claim 5 wherein each of said arms comprises a third arm member, said third arm member being secured adjacent the lower boundary of said frame-like structure at a position laterally inwardly from said lower arm member.

7. A bale carrier according to Claim 6 wherein said third arm member is secured to either of, or both, said upper and lower arm members at a position adjacent the outer ends thereof, or at a position nearer the outer ends of said members than said inner ends.

8. A bale carrier according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the inner end or ends of the or each of arm member is secured to a sub-frame wherein means are provided for securing said sub-frame to said support part.

9. A bale carrier according to Claim 8 when dependant on Claim 4 wherein said upper and lower boundaries are defined by the upper and lower boundaries of said sub-frame when secured to said support part.

10. A bale carrier according to Claim 8 or Claim 9 wherein securing means are provided to enable securing of said sub-frames to said support part in any one of a plurality of positions.

11. A bale carrier according to Claim 2 or any one of Claims 3 to 10 when directly or indirectly appendant to Claim 2 wherein the positions of relative lateral adjustment between said arms accommodates different diameters of a cylindrical bale, said positions of relative lateral adjustment being provided to accommodate known sizes of bale.

12. A bale carrier according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said arms have a length of at least two metres.

13. A bale carrier according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the length of said arms is at least three metres.

14. A bale carrier according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said carrier is provided with one or more ground-engaging wheels.

15. A bale carrier according to Claim 14 wherein said wheels are mounted on said carrier in a manner to permit of relative movement in a direction to enable the carrier to move between a lowered collecting position or a raised bale carrying position.

16. A bale carrier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

17. A bale carrier including any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.