GB2154538A - Improvements in and relating to bale handling - Google Patents

Abstract

A bale collector is adapted for connection to a conventional tractor. The bale collector comprises a substantially horizontal bale carrying platform 3 mounted on wheels, an elevating ramp which in use extends downwards from the front of the platform to the ground, the elevating ramp including a toothed conveyor belt adapted to propel a bale therealong from the ground into a first position on the platform. The collector also includes driven rollers which serve to move a bale from the first position on the platform to a second position adjacent the first position so that a further bale may be deposited in the first position. At least part of the platform may be rotated about a substantially horizontal axis so that the bales may be deposited on the ground. The collector is foldable into a much smaller size, the operation of the collector being achieved by hydraulic means connected via leads 9 to the tractor. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to bale handling This invention relates to improvements in bale handlers.

Conventionally, in this country hay is baled into relatively small bales in a field and these then have to be collected by a farmer. Many different methods have been developed to gather up all these bales. A new method of baling has now been developed in the USA. This entails the formation of bales of a much larger size. These are conventionally eight feet long which is conveniently the width of a lorry.

These are much bigger than the conventional small bales used in this country being about thirty times as large. Also some bales have been developed which are about fifteen times the size of the small bales.

Such large bales are clearly very convenient since there are fewer bales to be handled and since the bales are much bigger they are more stable to stack in a field or on a lorry. But the size of the bales causes major problems on how to collect these bales from the field. The methods developed for collecting smaller bales are simply not applicable merely because of their size.

According to this invention there is provided a bale collector comprising a substantially horizontal bale carrying platform mounted on wheels an elevating ramp which in use extends downwards from the front of the plafform to the ground, the elevating ramp including means to propel a baletherealong from the ground into a first position on the platform, the collector also including means to move a bale from the first position on the platform to a second position adjacent the first position so that a further bale may be deposited in the first position.

Preferably at least part ofthe platform is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis so that the bales may be deposited on the ground.

Most preferably the axis of rotation is substantially parallel to the direction in which the collector is moved.

The bale collector may include its own power supply to propel it across the ground and to propel the bale on to the platform but it is preferably powered by a conventional tractor by connecting the drive shaft of the bale collector to the power take-off (PTO) of the tractor. A hydraulic supply is provided by connecting the bale collector to the hydraulic system of the tractor.

Preferably the means to move the bale on the platform is by means of hydraulic rams powered by the hydraulic system of the tractor.

The means to move the bale may move the bale from the front towards the rear of the platform so that the pile of bales produced by rotating the platform would be one bale high and two bales long or the direction may be sideways so that the pile of bales produced is two bales high and one bale long.

Preferably the load carrying platform includes means to push the bales in two perpendicular directions so that more than two bales may be collected by the collector.

Most preferably the collector is able to carry six or eight bales which are convenient to handle.

Preferably these bales are collected so that a pile of bales three or four bales high is produced. If a pile of bales produced is higher then this could be dangerous, since children often play on hay bales.

Preferably beneath the rotatable bale carrying platform is a stabilising framework which helps to stabilise the collector when the platform is rotated.

In order to accommodate eight bales of hay on the platform the collector is required to be very wide.

Preferably the collector is foldable into a much smaller size so that the collector may be pulled along by a tractor along narrow country lanes.

According to the present invention there is further provided a method of collecting bales comprising moving a bale collector to a position close to a bale to be collected, said bale collector comprising a substantially horizontal bale carrying platform mounted on wheels an elevating ramp which in use extends downwards from the front of the platform to the ground, the elevating ramp including means to propel a bale therealong from the ground into a first position on the platform, the collector also including means to move a bale from the first position on the platform to a second position adjacent the first position, positioning the collector so that the elevating ramp slips under the bale and propels the bale therealong from the ground into the first position on the platform, moving the bale to a second position on the platform, moving the bale to a second position adjacent the first, picking up a second bale in an identical manner and placing it in the vacated first position.

The method may also comprise rotating at least a part of the platform about a substantially horizontal axis and so depositing the bales on the ground.

Preferably the platform is rotated about an axis which is substantially parallel to the direction in which the collector is moved.

Thus the bales are placed in a pile on the ground adjacent each other. This is important since the faces of the bales touching each other will be kept dry while the bales are standing in the field.

The method may further comprise loading a first bale onto the platform in a first position at the front of the platform, moving said first bale into a second position on the platform adjacent the first position, loading a second bale into the vacated first position, pushing both bales sideways, and repeating this procedure until six or eight bales have been loaded onto the platform.

Preferably these bales are deposited so that a pile of bales three or four bales high is produced. If a pile of bales produced is higher then this could be dangerous, since children often play on hay bales.

An example of a bale collector in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa perspective view of the bale collector in its folded position; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bale collector starting to unfold; Figure 3 is a side view of the bale collector with the load carrying platform holding these bales ready to accommodate a fourth bale; and, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the collector rotated through almost 90 degrees and the pile of bales.

A bale collector 1 is adapted for attachment to any conventional tractor 2. In its folded state it is approximately 2900mm wide which means that the tractor and collector can be travelled along the road.

In its unfolded state the collector is approximately 5480mm wide and will accommodate a maximum of eightbalesofasize2438mm x 1219mm x 1270mm such as produced by the Hesston Big Bale System.

The collector comprises a bale carrying platform 3 comprising a roller section 4 and a solid section 5.

An elevator ramp 6 extends forwards and downwards from the front of the platform 3 to the ground.

The ramp 6 is rotatable with respect to the roller section 4 which itself is rotatable with respect to the solid section 5. The solid section 5 also folds in half to bring the collector 1 into its fully folded state. The platform 3 is supported by two wheels 7 underneath the platform 3. The collector 1 is connected to the power take off of the tractor. An hydraulic lead 9 leads from collector 1 to the tractor's hydraulic supply. A control handle is connected to lead 9.

When the collector 1 is connected to the tractor 2 the control handle is placed in the cab of the tractor 2 so that the operation of the collector 1 can be controlled from the tractor cab by the driver of the tractor 2.

Hydraulic rams 12 are used to control the movement of elevator ramp 6 with respect to platform 3 and hydraulic rams 13 control the folding of the platform 3. The unfolding of the collector 1 is controlled by the control handle in the tractor cab through the hydraulic supply of the tractor On the elevator ramp 6 are included rollers 14 and a toothed conveyor belt 15. The rollers 14 and conveyor belt 15 are driven by the power take off of the tractor. The platform 3 includes a roller section 4.

The front three rollers 17 are driven via the power take off but the remaining rollers are not driven.

The bale collector is used by pulling the collector forwards until a bale 18 is just in front of the base of the ramp 6 the edge of the ramp 6 is driven under the bale 18 and the rollers 14 propel the bale upwards, the toothed conveyor belt 15 taking a grip of the bale 18. The bale is brought into a first position at the front left hand corner of the platform 3 and subsequently moved backwards by rollers 17 to a second position behind the first position. The collector is then brought to a position adjacent a second bale.

The rollers 14and 17 propel the second bale upwards along the ramp 6 into the vacated first position at the front left hand corner of the platform 3. A sliding pusher 20 is slidably mounted with respect to the collector 1 such that the supports of the pusher 20 are beneath the rollers 17. The pusher 20 is rotatably mounted with respect to its supporting slides 21 which are controlled by hydraulic rams via the control handle inside the tractor cab. The pusher 20 is slidable from a position at the edge of the roller section of the platform 3 to the edge of the solid part of the platform 5. This movement of the pusher pushes the two bales into a central position on the bale collector 1. The pusher 20 is then retracted to its original position and two further bales are loaded on to the platform 3.The pusher 20 is again operated to move the last two bales into the central position thus pushing the original bales to the furthest edge of the platform 3. Flanges 22 are upturned and serve to hold the bales in position.

Afurtherfour bales are then loaded two at a time on to the platform 3 thus completing the load of the collector 1.

The pusher 20 includes a ribbed bar which can be brought into a gripping position penetrating the top of the bale of hold the bales firmly on the platform.

The collector 1 is then driven to a position in the field required to be a depositing station and is driven along side the position where the bales are to be stored. The whole of the solid platform 5 and the pushers and rams 20 and slides 21 are rotatable about an axis parallel to the forward direction of the tractor. This rotation is controlled by hydraulic rams 25. The platform 5 when rotated through 90 degrees clears the wheel 7.

When the platform 5 rotates the bales are gripped between the upturned flanges 22 and the pusher 20 including the ribbed bar to hold them steadily. The axis of rotation is such that when the platform 5 is rotated through 90 degrees the flanges 22 and thus the base of the bales is level with the ground. The pusher 20 is then retracted and the tractor 2 is propelled forwards pulling the collector 1 forwards and away from the depositing station for the bales.

The bales are thus stored in a compact pile so that they are kept dry and protected from the weather and can then be conveniently picked up from one position in a field by a fork-lift truck.

Claims (23)

1. A bale collector comprising a substantially horizontal bale carrying platform mounted on wheels, an elevating ramp which in use extends downwards from the front of the platform to the ground, the elevating ramp including means to propel the bale therealong from the ground into a first position on the platform, the collector also including means to move a bale from the first position on the platform to a second position adjacent the first position so that a further bale may be deposited in a first position.

2. A bale collector according to claim 1 wherein at least part of the platform is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis so that the bales may be deposited on the ground.

3. A bale collector according to claim 2 wherein the axis of rotation is substantially parallel to the direction in which the collector is moved.

4. A bale collector according to claim 1, claim 2 and claim 3 which includes its own power supply to propel it across the ground onto propel the bale onto the platform.

5. A bale collector according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3 which is powered by a conventional tractor by connecting the drive shaft of the bale collector to the power take off of the tractor.

6. A bale collector according to claim 5 which is provided with a hydraulic supply by connecting the bale collector to the hydraulic system of the tractor.

7. A bale collector according to any other preced ing claims in which the means to move the bale on the platform is by means of hydraulic rams powered by the hydraulic system ofthetractor.

8. A bale collector according to claim 7 in which the means to move the bale may move the bale from the front towards the rear of the platform so that the pile of bales produced by rotating the platform would be one bale high and two bales long.

9. A bale collector according to claim 7 in which the means to move the bale may move the bale sideways so that the pile of bales produced is two bales high and one bale long.

10. A bale collector according to any of the preceeding claims including means to push the bales in two perpendicular directions so that more than two bales may be collected by the collector.

11. A bale collector according to claim 10 which is able to carry six or eight bales.

12. A bale collector according to claim 11 which is capable or producing a pile of bales three or four bales high.

13. A bale collector according to any of the preceeding claims including a stabilising framework beneath the rotatable bale carrying platform which helps to stabilise the collector when the platform is rotated.

14. A collector according to any of the preceeding claims which is foldable into a much smaller size.

15. Amethodofcollecting bales comprising moving a bale collector to a position close to a bale to be collected, said bale collector comprising a substantially horizontal bale carrying platform mounted on wheels, an elevating ramp which in use extends downwards from the front of the platform to the ground, the elevating ramp including means to propel a bale therealong from the ground into a first position on the platform, the collector also including means to move a bale from the first position on the platform to a second position adjacent first position, positioning the collector so that the elevating ramp slips underthe bale and propels the bale therealong from the ground into first position on the platform, moving the bale to a second position adjacent the first, picking up a second bale in an identical manner and placing it in the vacated first position.

16. A method according to claim 15 including rotating at least a part of the platform about a substantially horizontal axis and so depositing the bales on the ground.

17. A method according to claim 16 in which the platform is rotated about an axis which is substantially parallel to the direction in which the collector is moved.

18. A method according to claim 15, claim 16 or claim 17 including loading a first bale onto the platform in a first position at the front of the platform, moving said first bale into a second position on the platform adjacent the first position, loading a second bale into the vacated first position, pushing both bales sideways, and repeating this procedure until six or eight bales have been loaded onto the platform.

19. A method according to claim 18 in which the bales are deposited so that a pile of bales three or four bales high is produced.

20. A bale collector according to claim 1 and substantially as herein described.

21. A bale collector substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

22. A method according to claim 15 and substantially as herein described.

23. A method of collecting bales substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.