GB2335644A - Straw spreader - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for spreading straw comprises a platform 12 for supporting at least one bale of straw, an upright side member 14, (14A, Fig.1) at each of two opposed sides of the platform 12, means 24 for ejecting straw from the platform, and means 10, 30 at one end of the platform for mounting the apparatus on a vehicle. Preferably, one side is adjustable step by step and the other by a hydraulic ram 20. Preferably the ejector is a plate 26 moved by a ram. Preferably, a top support 22 moved by a ram 24 is provided for the bales of straw. Preferably the machine mount 30 is pivotally attached to an end wall 10 of the apparatus and moved from side to side to distribute the straw by ram 34.

Description

-1 j APPARATUS FOR SPREADING STRAW 2335644 This invention is concerned

with apparatus f or spreading straw and in particular to apparatus f or spreading straw into livestock pens or yards.

Livestock pens or yards require a layer of straw on the surface of the pen and this straw has to be replaced every few days as it becomes soiled. The present methods used for spreading the layer of straw vary considerably but generally, if the spreading is done manually, there is a considerable amount of work involved, and if it is done mechanically the straw layer can be very uneven and large amounts of dust can be generated.

An unevenly spread layer is also inefficient and wasteful in its use of straw and any dust generated is harmful to the health of both humans and livestock.

It Is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate these problems.

The present invention is apparatus for spreading straw, the apparatus comprising a platform for supporting at least one bale of straw, an upright side member at each of two opposed sides of the platform, means for ejecting straw from the platform, and means at said one end for mounting the apparatus on a vehicle.

Preferably at least one of the sides is movable towards and away from the other., drive means associated with each movable side for moving it.

1 -2 The ejector means may comprise an end member at one end of the platform movable along the platform between the sides, and 5 means for moving the end member.

The ejector means may comprise a moving surface and means for moving the surface.

Pref erably the drive means and the means for moving the end member are hydraulic rams.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:- Fig-1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of apparatus for spreading straw according to the present invention; Fig.1A is a plan view of a modified mounting means for the apparatus of Fig.1; Fig.2 is a side elevation of the embodiment of Fig.1; and Fig.3 is a side elevation of an ejector for use in the apparatus of Figs.1 and 2 in its semi extended form.

Referring now to Fig.1, apparatus according to the present invention for spreading straw comprises a rear' box frame 10 supporting a platform base 12 for supporting a stack of big square bales, in this embodiment two bales.

At each side of the platf orm is a rail or side panel 14, 14A. These are supported by a base frame 16 at each side and are pivotally mounted on the rear box f rame at 18. In this embodiment one side panel 14A is movable transversely by a hydraulic ram 20 while the side panel 14 is transversely adjustable in discrete 1 steps by a bolt or other stop member engaging one of a series of holes in the base frame 16.

In a modification of this embodiment both side panels are movable transversely by a ram.

As shown in Fig.2, a retaining member 22 is located at the top of the apparatus and is mounted on the rear f rame 10. The retaining member is height adjustable to allow for the number of bales required in the stack and is raised and lowered by a hydraulic ram 24 to allow loading. When the bales are loaded the retaining member engages the top of the top bale of straw and holds it on the platform when the bales are being transported to the point of distribution.

In this e diment of the invention ejector means for the straw is provided as a movable rear wall ejector 26, shown in Figs.2 and 3, mounted on a linkage arm pivoted on the base frame 16 at the rear frame 10, the rear wall ejector being driven by a hydraulic ram 28 along the entire length of the base 12.

It should be noted that the side walls do not extend for the whole height of the structure; all that is necessary is that the bottom edge of the uppermost bale is engaged at any time.

The rear frame 10 is secured to a mounting means 30 to enable the apparatus to be mounted on a vehicle such as a tractor via a loader or a tractor 3-point linkage or to a loader such as a JCB or a Matbro.

1 In Fig 1A the mounting means 30 is located on a pivot 32 on the rear frame 10 and a hydraulic ram 34 is connected between the mounting means 30 and rear frame 10 to allow the platform base 12 to be swung f rom side to side as the ran is extended and retracted.

All the hydraulic rams are connected to the hydraulic outlets on the mounting vehicle and are operated by using the normal hydraulic controls on the vehicle. In a modified embodiment the rams are operated via electrical spool controls.

In use the apparatus is mounted on a vehicle, the hydraulic connections are made and when the retaining member 22 is raised and the side panels 14 and 14A are moved apart the bales of straw are loaded onto the platform by driving the open end of the platform base 12 under the stack of bales. When the bales have reached the ejector plate the side wall 14 is moved inwardly to engage the sides of the bales which are then gripped between the side walls. The retaining member is then lowered onto the topmost bale and the front of the apparatus is raised to incline the platform upwardly for transport.

The vehicle is then driven to the pen or yard. The string around each bale is removed, the ejector is activated and, as the bales move f orward along the platf orm, straw f alls of f the f ront end into the pen or yard and is distributed onto the floor as the apparatus is moved around.

All or part of the load can be distributed and thus more than one pen can be covered per load.

If the embodiment shown in Fig. 1A is being used then the platform can be oscillated to increase the area over which the 5 straw is spread on each traverse of the vehicle.

In a modified embodiment the ejector plate 26 is replaced as the ejector means by a moving surface provided by a hydraulic chain and slats or belt drive extending along the platform 12 to move the bales out to the open end and eject them.

The mounting means could be at the side of the apparatus The apparatus could also be used for filling feeders with straw or for feeding silage from rectangular or big square bales, though a shorter platform would then be sufficient.

In the embodiment of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the ejector means has the form of an inverted V, but this could be replaced by an ejector means in which the ejector wall maintains a constant aspect throughout its travel from rear to front of the platform.

Both side panels could be adjustable transversely in discrete steps to allow for different sizes or numbers of bales.

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Claims (11)

1. Apparatus for spreading straw, the apparatus comprising a platform for supporting at least one bale of straw, an upright side me mbe r at each of two opposed sides of the platform, means for ejecting straw from the platform, and means at one end of the platform for mounting the apparatus on a vehicle.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which an upright frame is provided at said one end of the platform, the mounting means being secured to the frame.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which the mounting means is pivotally mounted on the frame to allow the platform to swing from side to side.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which drive means is provided between the mounting means and the frame to swing the platform.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which at least one of the sides is movable towards and away f rom the other, drive means being associated with each movable side for moving it.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which one side is movable and the other side is located in a selected one of a number of discrete positions.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or any of claims 3 to 6 when dependent on claim 2, in which the sides are pivotally mounted on the end frame.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the ejector means comprises an end member at said one end of the platform movable along the platform between the sides, and means for moving the end member.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, in which the ejector means comprises a moving surface and means for moving the surface.,

10. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the drive means and the means for moving the end member are hydraulic rams.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a retaining member is mounted on the rear frame and extends over the platform, the retaining member being height adjustable.

12 Apparatus for spreading straw substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.