IE85594B1

IE85594B1 - Bale pull-down

Info

Publication number: IE85594B1
Application number: IE2009/0438A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Donnelly Malachy
Original assignee: Donnelly Malachy
Filing date: 2009-06-04
Publication date: 2010-09-15

Abstract

ABSTRACT The bale pull-down pulls down a silage bale from its end onto a bale carrier. The ram ofthe bale pull-down pushes out a rake with six teeth on a swivel head over the top ofthc bale. When the rake reaches across the top of the bale, the rake swivels down and the teeth catch the bale. The hydraulic arm is pulled back pulling the bale onto its side and onto the bale carrier.

Description

Bale Pull—Down Introduction The invention relates to a device that will pull down a silage bale onto its side, onto a bale carrier.

A silage bale is put up on its end for storage. The problem is that a bale carrier cannot go under the bale to lift it when it is on its end. At present, the bale has to be pulled down on its side manually by rope or otherwise for the bale carrier to get under it before it can be lifted off for transport.

Statements of Invention According to the invention there is provided a Bale Pull-Down device for attaching to a bale carrier of a tractor comprising an inverted Y frame and a pivotal arm wherein the pivotal arm comprises a ﬁrst box iron; at second box iron; and a swivel head rake.

In one embodiment of the invention the pivotal arm is a telescopic arm.

In one embodiment of the invention the second box iron is contained within the ﬁrst box iron.

Preferably the second box iron comprises a hydraulic ram at one end.

In another embodiment of the invention the swivel head rake is attached to the second box iron at an end remote ﬁom the hydraulic ram. The swivel head rake is curved and ‘comprises a number of teeth to catch a bale.

In one embodiment of the invention the Y ﬂame is attached to a bale carrier and the pivotal arm is attached to the Y frame using a pin and pivot means.

According to the invention there is also provided a method of loading a bale onto a bale carrier using the Bale Pull—Down device of the invention comprising the steps of reversing a tractor having a Bale Pull~Down device attached up to the side of a bale; extending a pivotal arm having a swivel head rake attached across the top of the bale; allowing the rake with the swivel head to drop down so that the teeth of the rake catch the side of the bale; and retracting the pivotal arm pulling the bale onto the bale carrier for transport.

Preferably the pivotal arm is extended using a hydraulic ram.

Brief Description of the Invention The invention will be more clearly understood ﬁom the following description thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Fig. 1 is a side perspective View of the device of the invention attached to a bale carrier which is attached to the rear end of a tractor; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the Bale Pull-Down of the invention with the second box iron retracted within the first box iron and the swivel rake folded in an upward position as it would be passing across the top of a bale; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the Bale Pull-Down of the invention with the second box iron extended within the ﬁrst box iron and the swivel rake in a downward position; Fig. 4 is a side perspective view of the second box iron and the swivel rake in a downward position gripping the side of a round silage bale; Fig. 5 is a side perspective view of the Bale Pull-Down of the invention with the second box iron extended the ﬁrst box iron and the swivel rake in a downward position gripping the side of a round silage bale; and Fig. 6 is a side perspective view of the Bale Pull-Down of the invention with the second box iron retracted within the ﬁrst box iron so that the round silage bale is pulled onto its side and onto the bale carrier.

Detailed description The Bale Pull-Down comprises a frame that ﬁts onto part of a bale carrier that is attached to a tractor by the top-link. The frame is 100mm squared. Its height is 1380mm ﬁom ground level. Through the top of the frame sits an 80mm square box iron. The box iron is attached to the frame by means of a pin which allows the box iron to pivot on the ﬂame. An iron pipe or tube of approximately 20mm diameter is welded to the bottom of the 80mm square box iron. A hole is bored through the ﬂame approximately 20mm in diameter. An iron pin is inserted through the 20mm hole in the frame through the iron pipe attached to the bottom of the 80mm square box iron and through to the other side of the frame and secured in position. Any well known methods may be used to secure the iron pin in place. For example the iron pin may be a pivot pin which is secured by inserting a pin through a hole in the end of the pin or the iron pin may be a bolt with threading which is seemed by threading a nut onto the end of the shank of the bolt.

Inside the 80mm square box iron is placed a 70mm square box iron, 1400mm in length.

Inside the 70mm box iron is a double acting hydraulic ram that pushes the 70mm box iron in and out of the 80mm box iron. The hydraulic ram is connected to a valve chest to operate the hydraulic ram. The valve chest may be placed in the tractor or alternatively secured on top of the 80mm square box iron. The hydraulic ram pushes the 70mm box iron to a length of 1220m. At the end of the 70mm box iron is a swivel-head rake. It consists of a 20mm round bar 490m in length curved to ﬁt around a round silage bale.

Attached to the round bar, at 80mm intervals, are six teeth. The teeth are preferably 90mm in length and 10mm in diameter. The swivel action of the head is restricted to form a substantially right angle with the second 70mm box iron.

In use the Bale Pull—Down device of the invention is attached to a bale carrier which is attached to a tractor. The tractor with the bale carrier and the Bale Pull—Down attached is reversed up to the side of a bale (bales are typically stored in an upright position on their end). The hydraulic ram on the second box iron pushes out the second box iron with the swivel—head rake over the top of the bale. When the rake reaches across the top of the bale it falls down to catch the edge of the bale. The hydraulic ram is then retracted to pull the rake back pulling the bale onto its side and onto the bale carrier.

Referring speciﬁcally to the drawings Fig. 1 shows the Bale Pull—Down device of the invention which comprises a 100mm square ﬁ'arne 1, a ﬁrst square box iron 2, a second square box iron 3 and a swivel head rake 4. The first box iron 2 is attached to the frame 1 by means of a pin 5 which allows the ﬁrst box iron 2 to pivot on the frame 1.

The frame 1 is attached to a bale carrier 6. The frame I typically sits over an upper arm of a bale carrier like a sleeve and is secured in place using an iron pin 7. The pin 7 also passes through the top-link of the tractor 10.

The bale carrier is typically attached to a tractor 10. Any tractor having a conventional three-point hitch apparatus mounted on the rearward end thereof may be used with the Bale Pull-Down of the invention. The three—point hitch includes a top-link 9 and lifting arms 8 which extend rearwardly from the tractor and which are typically operated by a tractors hydraulic system.

Fig. 2 shows the bale Pull—Down device of the invention with the second box iron 3 retracted within the first box iron 2 and the swivel head rake 4 folded in an upward position. Fig. 3 shows the bale Pull Down device of the invention with the second box iron 3 extended within the first box iron 2 and the swivel head rake 4 in a downward position.

Fig. 4 shows the second square box iron 3 extended across the top of a bale 11 allowing the rake 4 to swivel downward and grip the edge of a round silage bale 11. Fig. 5 shows the Bale Pull-Down as shown in Fig. 4 in use with a bale carrier 6 attached to the rear of a tractor 10. Fig. 6 shows the Bale Pull Down with the second box iron 3 retracted within the ﬁrst box iron 2 so that the round silage bale 11 is pulled onto its side and onto the bale carrier 6 for transport.

The following are details of the Bale Pull Down device of the invention.

Frame The frame of the device comprises a 100mm squared of ﬂat iron. It ﬁts into the part of the bale carrier that is attached to the tractor by the top-link. The fran1e’s height is 1380mm from the ground level. mmbox iron — First Box iron The box iron measures 80mmsquare, 1450mm in length leaving both ends open. A 20mm iron tube (pipe) is welded to the bottom side of the 80mm box iron, 480mm from the end of the box iron (tractor side). The 80mm box iron is attached to the frame by placing a pin through the iron tube through the hole bored in the frame. The box iron pivots on this pin. It pivots 1220mm from ground level. mm box iron with ram - Second Box iron Inside the 80mm box iron is placed a 70mm box iron, 1400mm in length. Inside the 70mm box iron is a hydraulic ram which pushes the 70mm box iron out of the 80mm box iron. The ram pushes out the 70mm box iron to a length of 1220mm.

Swivel rake At the end of the 7 0mm box iron is a rake. It consists of a 20mm round iron bar, 490m in length curved to suit the round bale. Attached to the round bar at 80mm intervals are six teeth. The teeth are 90mm in length and 10mm in diameter. The hydraulic ram pushes out the rake with six teeth on a swivel head over the top of the bale. When the teeth of the rake get across the top of the bale, the rake swivels down and the teeth grab the bale. The hydraulic arm pulls back the bale hence pulling the bale onto its side and onto the bale carrier.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments herein before described which may be varied in detail.

Claims

1. A Bale Pull-Down device for attaching to a bale carrier of a tractor comprising an inverted Y frame and a pivotal arm wherein the pivotal arm comprises a a first box iron; a second box iron; and a swivel head rake.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pivotal arm is a telescopic arm.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 and 2 wherein the second box iron is contained within the ﬁrst box iron.

4. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the second box iron comprises a hydraulic ram at one end.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the swivel head rake is attached to the second box iron at an end remote ﬁ‘om the hydraulic ram.

6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the Y frame is attached to a bale carrier and the pivotal arm is attached to the inverted Y frame using a pin and pivot means.

7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the swivel head rake is curved and comprises a number of teeth to catch a bale.

8. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

9. A method of loading a bale onto a bale carrier using the bale pull-down device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 comprising the steps of reversing a tractor having a Bale Pull-Down device attached up to the side of a bale; extending a pivotal arm having a swivel head rake attached across the top of the bale; allowing the rake with the swivel head to drop down so that the teeth of the rake catch the side of the bale; and retracting the pivotal arm pulling the bale onto the bale carrier for transport.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the pivotal arm is extended using a hydraulic ram.