GB2206526A

GB2206526A - Bale handling implement

Info

Publication number: GB2206526A
Application number: GB08815825A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leslie William Moseley
Original assignee: Lawrence Edwards & Co
Current assignee: Lawrence Edwards & Co
Priority date: 1987-07-04
Filing date: 1988-07-04
Publication date: 1989-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 2008-07-04
Also published as: GB2206526B; GB8715772D0; GB8815825D0

Abstract

A bale handling implement comprising a frame having mounted thereon to project outwardly thereof two elongate bale supporting members 12 each bale supporting member being mounted on the frame for rotation about or substantially about the longitudinal axis of the member and at least one of the bale supporting members being mounted on the frame for translational movement to vary the space between the members, wherein each bale support member comprises a bale engageable part and a mounting part 11 at least the bale engageable part throughout a transverse cross-section thereof taken at any position over a majority of the longitudinal extent of the bale supporting member being rotatable about said axis. <IMAGE>

Description

"Bale Handling Implement" Description of Invention This invention relates to a bale handling implement for attachment to a vehicle such as a tractor. Bales of, for example, hay are frequently, today, of cylindrical shape and it is becoming increasingly common to cover bales with a protective sheet material such as polythene. Accordingly, a bale handling implement is required which does not penetrate the bale but which carries the bale on at least two bale supporting members. When it is desired to unload a bale the separation between the bale supporting members is increased so that the bale can fall therebetween.It is important, to avoid damage to the bale and/or its covering, to provide the bale supporting members with a rotatable bale engageable surface so that as the separation between the bale supporting member increases and the weight of the bale starts to cause it to fall therebetween the surface of the bale engageable members which are in engagement with the bale rotate thereby avoiding damage to the bale and/or its covering.

It is important to ensure that the bale engageable surfaces of the bale supporting members are free to rotate at all times irrespective of the service conditions.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a new and improved bale handling implement whereby the above is achieved.

According to the present invention we provide a bale handling implement comprising a frame having mounted thereon to project outwardly thereof two elongate bale supporting members, each bale supporting member being mounted on the frame for rotation about or substantially about the longitudinal axis of the member and at least one of the bale supporting members being mounted on the frame for translational movement to vary the space between the members.

Each bale support member may comprise a bale engageable part and a mounting part, at least the bale engageable part throughout a transverse cross-section thereof taken at any position over a majority of the longitudinal extent of the bale supporting member being rotatable about said axis.

The mounting part may be rotatable with the bale engageable part and be carried in a bearing means provided on the frame.

Alternatively, the mounting part may comprise a part fixed from rotation relative to the frame and connected to the bale engageable port by a bearing means which is disposed substantially at the Junction between the bale engageable part and mounting part.

Each bale engageable part may be of relatively large diameter for example, a diameter than not less than 2.5cm and preferably not less than 5cm and still more preferably not less than 7.5cm.

Each bale support member may have a free end of substantially part-spherical configuration.

Each bale supporting member may be removably mounted on the support frame so as to be replaceable by a non-rotatable bale spike.

Both bale supporting members may be mounted on the frame for translational movement so that they may be moved towards or away from each other.

The frame may be provided with means to cause relative movement between the bale supporting members and said means may comprise a fluid operated ram.

The bale supporting members may be carried arms pivotally carried by the frame.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein, FIGURE I is a diagramatic plan view of a bale handling implement embodying the present invention and FIGURE 2 is a diagramatic side elevation of an arm of the implement of Figure 1, FIGURE 3 is a diagramatic side elevation of a bale supporting member of the implement of Figure 1, FIGURE 4 is a diagramatic side elevation of a bale spike for use with the implement of Figure 1, and FIGURE 5 is a cross-section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, a bale handling implement comprises a frame 10 adapted for mounting on a vehicle for example on the arms of a conventional front loader of an agricultural tractor or on the conventional rear three point linkage of such a traotor.

The frame 10 has pivotally mounted thereon a pair of downwardly depending box section arms 11 each of which carry a their lower ends a bale support member 12. The arms 11 are pivoted to a horizontally extending top member 13 of the frame II by a pivot pin 14 received in a bearing 13a carried by the arm I I. A hydraulic ram 15 is connected between the arms I as shown at I So.

At their lower ends each of the arms 11 have welded to each of their front and rear faces I la, I Ib respectively a cylindrical collar, 16a, 16b eoch of which houses a taper roller bearing 17a, 17b which rotatably journal a mounting part 20 which projects rearwardly from a respective bale supporting member 12 so that the bale supporting member 12 is rotatable relative to its associated arm Il about a longitudinal axix X-X of the member 12.

The mounting part 20 comprises a rod welded to two collars 18a, 18b which are welded within a tubular bale engageable part 22 of the supporting member 12 through three equally angularly spaced radial openings formed therein.

The mounting part 20 h6s a threaded bore at its free end which receives a set screw 24 which urges a washer 19 against the rear bearing 17b to clamp the bearing 17b against an apertured part I Ic of the arm II whilst the outer collar 18b of the bale supporting member 12 is urged against the other bearing 17a to clamp the bearing 17a against an apertured part I Id of the arm II.

If desired, another form of bearing may be provided between the arm 11 and mounting part 20. For example, a plain journal bearing may be provided.

In a further alternative, the mounting part 20 may comprise a portion which is adapted to be fixed to the arm II and suitable bearing means provided between the bale engageable part 22 and said fixed portion. For example, by providing a spigot projecting axially outwardly from the end of the bale engageable part 22 into the interior of the mounting part 20 with suitable bearing means provided therebetween or, alternatively, by providing a spigot projecting axially outwardly from the mounting part 20 and received within a portion of the bale engageable part 22 adjacent the mounting part 20 with suitable bearing means therebtween. In this latter example, the extent of penetration of the spigot into the bale engage able part 22 is such that the penetration extends over only a minority of the axial length of the bale engageable part 22.

The bale supporting member 12 can be easily removed from engagement with the associated arm II simply by undoing the set screw 24 so that if it is desired to operate the bale handling implement with conventional bale spikes, which are able to penetrate bales in such circumstonces when this is required, then it is a simple matter to replace the bale supporting members 12 described hereinbefore by bale spikes.

Such a spike is illustrated at 30 in Figure 5 and is of conventional configuration and is provided with a spigot 31 for passage through the bearings 17a, 17b to receive a washer 32 and the set screw 24. The spike 30 has a radially outwardly and circumferentially extending flange 33 adapted to be clamped against an annular end surface 35 of the collar 16a so that when the set screw 24 is tightened the flange 33 is clamped against the surface 35 whilst the washer 32, which is of larger diameter than the washer 19, is clamped against an annular end surface 36 of the collar 16b.

By providing that the bole engageable part 22 of the bale support member is rotatable throughout its transverse cross-section over at least a majority of its axial length free rotation is ensured.

In use, the hydraulic ram 15 is connected to the normal hydraulic circuit of the tractor and is extended to separate the bale supporting members 12. The implement is then manoeuvred to position the bale supporting members 12 beneath a bale and the ram 15 is then retracted to move the bale supporting members 12 towards each other until they engage the surface of the bale. The bale is then lifted by elevating the frame 10 using the front loader or three point linkage of the tractor and the bale is transported to a desired location.

When it is desired to deposit the bale, without the bale being previously lowered into contact with a support surface, the ram 15 is extended to move the bale supporting members 12 away from each other and as the bale slips downwardly between the bale supporting members damage to the bale or its covering is avoided by virtue of the above described free rotation of the bale engageable part 22.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawing, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a metal or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A bale handling implement comprising a frame having mounted thereon to project outwardly thereof two elongate bale supporting members, each bale supporting member being mounted on the frame for rotation about or substantially about the longitudinal axis of the member and at least one of the bale supporting members being mounted on the frame for translational movement to vary the space between the members.

2. An implement according to Claim I wherein each bale support member comprises a bale engageable part and a mounting part, at least the bale engogeable part throughout a transverse cross-section thereof taken at any position over a majority of the longitudinal extent of the bale supporting member being rotatable about said axis.

3. An implement according to Claim I or Claim 2 wherein the mounting part is rotatable with the bale engageable part and is carried in a bearing means provided on the frame.

4. An implement according to claim I or Claim 2 wherein the mounting part comprises a part fixed from rotation relative to the frame and connected to the bale engageable part by a bearing means which is disposed substantially at the junction between the bale engageable part and mounting part.

5. An implement according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each bale engageable part has a cylindrical part having a diameter of not less than 2.5cm.

6. An implement according to Claim 5 wherein the diameter is not less than 7.5cm.

7. An implement according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each bale support member has a free end of substantially part-spherical configuration.

8. An implement according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each bale supporting member is removably mounted on the support frame so as to be replaceable by a non-rotatable bale spike.

9. An implement according to any one of the preceding claims wherein both bale supporting members are mounted on the frame for translational movement so that they may be moved towards or away from each other.

10. An implement according to Claim 9 wherein the frame is provided with means to cause relative movement between the bale supporting members and said means comprises a fluid operated ram.

II. An implement according to Claim 9 or Claim 10 wherein the bale supporting members are carried on arms pivotally carried by the frame.

12. An implement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.