NZ243169A - Towed round hay bale loader and transporter with transverse tined conveyor for feeding out hay - Google Patents

Description

24 3 1 S PATENTS FORM NO. 5 Fee No. 4: $260.00 PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION After Provisional ^ s Nol 243169 |'^ ^ Dated: 16th June 1992 we JUet 1993k No */j ;V:?/ y r V> s/' ;ROUND HAY BALE HANDLING APPARATUS ;We Geoffrey James Easton and Bryce Thompson Easton, both New Zealand citizens and both of Easton Street, Dannevirke, New Zealand hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: ;K "V ;0 10 ;This invention relates to round hay bale handling apparatus and in particular to a round hay bale handling apparatus for transporting round hay bales and feeding out fodder therefrom. ;A number of round hay bale handling apparatus for feeding out fodder have 5 been proposed. These devices generally comprise a device for rotating the round hay bale and some means for peeling off the fodder from a bale allowing it to drop to the ground. The device is usually towed around a field by a farm vehicle with the fodder being peeled of while the device is moving, thereby enabling the fodder to be distributed around the field. ;10 Generally the above mentioned round hay bale handling apparatus involve complicated mechanisms so that they are expensive to make and require costly maintenance. Furthermore they are often difficult to load and suffer from various other operating problems. ;It is an object of the present invention to provide a round hay bale handling 15 apparatus which addresses various problems and difficulties experienced with existing round hay bale handling apparatus, or at least offers a useful choice. ;Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only. ;According to one aspect of the present invention there is pi-ovided a round hay 20 bale handling apparatus comprising: ;(a) a chassis provided with wheels for towing behind a vehicle, ;(b) a conveyor suppoi-ted between first and second support members which are rotatably mounted on said chassis with axes of rotation disposed substantially perpendicular to an axis or rotation of said ;2 ;243169 ;wheels, and with said second support member disposed at a higher level than said first support member with respect to a horizontal plane of said chassis, said conveyor comprising two looped chain members which are spaced apart by spacer members and which are wrapped around respective sprockets mounted on said first and second support members, and ;(c) driving means for transmitting a driving force from one of said wheels to one of said rotatably mounted support members for driving said conveyor in a direction so that hay carried thereon is fed out over said second support member. ;According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a round hay bale handling apparatus as aforesaid, wherein said chassis comprises a towing arm with means for pivotally mounting said towing arm relative to said chassis such that an angle of said towing arm relative to a plane of said chassis may be varied. ;According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a round hay bale handling apparatus as aforesaid, wherein said first support member comprises a drive shaft with said sprockets for carrying said conveyor chain fixedly attached thereto, and said drive shaft is rotatably mounted on said chassis by bearing means, said bearing means being mounted on said chassis in close proximity to said sprockets so as to support said drive shaft with minimum bending moment. ;According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a round hay bale handling apparatus as aforesaid, wherein said driving means comprises a 90° gearbox with an output therefrom driving through a dog clutch to said drive shaft, and a drive sprocket and chain mechanism fojr transmitting a rotating drive from one of said wheels to said 90° gearbox, said ' ;2 AUG 1934 ;3 ' , ;24 3 1 ;dog clutch being arranged such that reverse rotation of said wheel disengages said dog clutch. ;According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a round hay bale handling apparatus as aforesaid, further comprising a hay guiding means for guiding and supporting a round hay bale when it is resting on said conveyor such that hay from said round hay bale is prevented from dropping onto said sprockets and drive shaft. ;According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a round hay bale handling apparatus as aforesaid, wherein said hay guiding means is disposed and configured such that a force is exerted on the surface of a hay bale when said hay bale is being rotated on said conveyor, said force deflecting the surface of said hay bale, said guiding means being positioned such that as said force is released, the surface hay comes into contact with tynes on said conveyor spacer members, thereby facilitating penetration of the tynes into the surface of said hay bale. ;According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a round hay bale handling apparatus as aforesaid, further comprising bale loading means for loading a hay bale onto said conveyor. ;According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a round hay bale handling apparatus as aforesaid, further comprising support means for supporting said apparatus when a hay bale is being loaded onto said conveyor. ;In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the chassis may comprise a rectangular structure made of steel structural members such as rectangular hollow section members. However any suitable structural ;24 3 1 ;members may be used, and the structure may be made from any other suitable material such as for example bent piping. ;The wheels may be preferably mounted substantially mid way between front and rear ends of said chassis so that the load on the apparatus is 5 approximately balanced about an axis of the wheels. This ensures that excessive vertical loadings are not transmitted to the towing vehicle. The wheels may be mounted on individual stub axles which are cantilevered from respective longitudinal chassis members on each side of the chassis. The cantilevered structure may be stiffened by stiffening plates to provide 10 optimum distribution of the load to the main chassis members. The mounting support for the drive wheel may be provided with additional stiffening so that the drive wheel stub axle may be extended to enable the drive sprocket to be suitably positioned. This additional stiffening may comprise triangular flat plate members with edges bent through 90°, edges of 15 said triangular members being welded to longitudinal chassis members and vertical stub axle support members, and the edge of bent over support portions being welded to stub axle members and the chassis. Additional flat plate stiffening members may be provided between extensions of the stub axle and the vertical support member. The drive sprocket may be mounted 20 on the drive wheel by means of a cylindrical member which spaces the sprocket from the drive wheel, and through the centre of which the stub axle may pass. ;The conveyor may comprise two loops of roller chain which are spaced apart by spacer members. The spacer members may be fixedly attached to 25 suitable projections on the roller chain at suitably intervals apart. The spacers may be made of any suitable material such as rectangular hollow section steel. Tynes may be welded to the spacer members for gripping ;5 ;24 3 1 89 ;against the surface of a round hay bale loaded thereon and for tearing the round hay bale surface as the spacer members pass around the sprocket, thereby facilitating the spreading of the hay from the round hay bale. ;The second support member may comprise a large diameter pipe member 5 such as a steel pipe. Sprockets may be mounted on this pipe by boring out the central portion of a standard sprocket, sliding the sprocket into position, and welding it in place to the pipe. The support member may be rotatably supported on the front and rear upper extremities of the main chassis by means of bearings. Bearings may be fixedly mounted to closing plates fitted 10 to the end of said pipe member. The pipe member may be rotatably supported by stub axles fitted to the upper fore and aft extremities of the main chassis. The stub axles may be mounted on the front and rear extremities by means of mounting plates. The mounting plates may be clamped to the front and rear extremities and be fitted with some tensioning 15 device so that the stub axles may be moved relative to the chassis. The tension of the conveyor chain may thus be adjusted by moving the stub axles and clamping in position. ;The first support member may comprise a shaft rotatably mounted to a longitudinal chassis member with bearings. The bearings may be supported 20 on the chassis member so that the shaft is spaced apart from the chassis member, thereby providing sufficient clearance for sprockets to be mounted on the shaft, adjacent to the bearings. With this arrangement, the shaft may be supported so that bending moment is minimal. The shaft need therefore only carry tortional loading and hence may be of a smaller diameter than 25 would be the case for a shaft required to also carry bending moments. ;A tray may be provided between upper and lower sections of the conveyor. This tray may be supported by longitudinal chassis members and may span ;6 ;4 3 18 ;sufficient distance so as to prevent hay from dropping onto the lower span of the conveyor. An upper edge of the tray may preferably be positioned close to the second support member. Furthermore, the second support member may be of sufficient diameter to prevent hay from dropping onto the lower portion 5 of the conveyor. Chafing strips may be provided on the tray to act as tracks for the rollers of the conveyor chain. ;The drive means may comprise a sprocket as before mentioned mounted on a cylindrical member which is fixedly attached to the drive wheel. This sprocket may be connected by means of a chain element to a second sprocket mounted 10 on a 90° gear box. The 90° gear box may be mounted on a forward portion of the chassis and the output shaft from the gear box may be aligned with the shaft of the first support member. Drive from the gear box may be transmitted to the drive shaft through a dog clutch. This dog clutch may be operated by a lever which may be operated from a towing vehicle by a 15 suitable means such as a cord connected to a lever arm and passing through a loop on the chassis and forward to the towing vehicle. The dog clutch may comprise parallel sets of driving faces with an inclined face on the rear of one of the driving faces. With this arrangement, the dog clutch may disengage when the drive wheel is turned in reverse. Disengagement of the dog clutch 20 may cause the operating arm to swing over centre about a pivot so that the dog clutch may be held by means of an over centre spring in either the operating condition or the disengaged condition. ;The chain drive between the first and second drive sprockets may be encased in a casing such as a sheet metal casing. This casing may be provided with 25 drain holes to ensure the casing does not accumulate moisture. A tensioning means may be provided for maintaining a suitable tension in the chain. This may comprise a sprocket mounted on the chassis and meshing with the ;7 ;24 3 1 6 ;chain, the position of the sprocket being adjustable with respect to the chassis. ;The chassis may be provided with a means for towing the hay bale handling apparatus behind a towing vehicle. This may comprise a towing arm 5 pivotally connected to a central portion of a front member of the chassis. The towing arm may be held in position by side stay members extending forward from outer members of the chassis and converging on the towing arm such that the forward ends of the stay members may be bolted together with the towing arm sandwiched therebetween. The connection between the towing 10 arm and the side stay members may incorporate plate elements having several holes drilled therein so that the position of the towing arm may be set at different angles with respect to a plane of the stay members. ;A hay guiding means comprising a deflector plate may be provided on the chassis above the drive shaft. This hay guiding means may comprise a flat 15 sheet spanning longitudinally above the drive shaft and mounted on the chassis so as to be inclined to conform to the surface of a hay bale resting on the conveyor. The lower edge of the sheet may be positioned in close proximity to the upper span of the conveyor so that hay which has been compressed by the surface of the sheet will spring out as it clears the edge of 20 the hay guiding means and will thus be more easily penetrated by the tynes on the spacer members of the conveyor. This will facilitate peeling of the hay away from the round hay bale as the spacer member passes over the second support member. The hay guiding means may also be of sufficient size to ensure that hay does not drop down onto the drive shaft and sprockets. 25 Hence the shaft and sprockets may be kept free of hay and other contaminating particles, thereby improving the operating life thereof. ;8 ;24 3 1 ;The bale hay handling apparatus may be provided with a gate at a rear end thereof which may be swung open to enable a bale to be loaded onto the conveyor from the rear end. In this case the bale may be loaded by a suitable machine such as a forklift or a tractor fitted with suitable forks. Once the 5 bale has been loaded onto the conveyor, the gate may be closed, thereby preventing the bale from coming off the conveyor. The gate may also act as a structural member when locked in the closed position. ;Alternatively a bale loading means may be provided to facilitate the loading of a bale from the side. The bale loading mean's may comprise a fork structure 10 pivotally connected to the main chassis. This fork structure may be turned about the pivot so that a round hay bale supported on the forks may be lifted until it can roll onto the conveyor. The loading means may be pivoted by a suitable actuating means such as a hydraulic ram, or cables operated by a winch. In the case of a hydraulic ram, hydraulic oil may be supplied by a 15 suitable hydraulic unit mounted to the chassis. This may comprise a hydraulic pump driven by an electric motor powered by a battery. Alternatively hydraulic pressure may be supplied from a hydraulic unit on the towing vehicle. ;The hay guiding means may be mounted on the bale loading means so as to 20 provide support for a hay bale when being picked up by the forks, and may be arranged so as to ensure hay does not drop onto the drive shaft and sprockets as the bale loading means is being pivoted to a position where the bale rolls off onto the conveyor. The fork elements may be provided with outwardly deflected end portions so that a round hay bale may be guided into the region 25 between the forks as the round hay bale handling apparatus is being towed forward to pick up a round hay bale resting on the ground. The distance between the forks may be adjustable so that round hay bales of different ;9 ;v $ ;diameters may be picked up. The adjustment may be effected by a telescopic arrangement at the base of the outer fork. Alternatively, a suitable member may be attached to one of the forks to decrease the space therebetween. ;Support means may also be provided to provide additional support to the hay 5 bale handling apparatus when a bale is being loaded. The support means may comprise an outrigger which may be swung from a stowed position to an open position where an outer end thereof may contact the ground. The outer end may be provided with a pad member to spread the load on the ground. This pad member may be connected to the outer end of the outrigger by an 10 adjustment means whereby the height of the pad may be adjusted to suit uneven ground surfaces. The outrigger may be connected by suitable means to the bale loading means so that operation of the bale loading means causes the outrigger to swing to either the open or stowed position. ;An additional outrigger member may also be provided at an opposite end of 15 the chassis for additional support. The outrigger may comprise an upper and lower leg member. In the extended position, the outer end of the lower leg member may rest on the ground, and the outer end of the upper leg member may fit into suitable engaging means on the lower leg member so as to provide a rigid support when a vertical force is exerted on the lower leg member. The 20 outer end of the lower leg member may be fitted with a suitable pad for spreading the load thereon. In the stowed position, the upper and lower leg members may be swung upward, and the outer pad of the lower leg member may be suitably attached to a fitting intermediate along the upper leg member thereby locking the two members in an upper stowed position. ;25 A grapple means may also be provided for use in situations where the round hay bale is loaded the wrong way round, that is to say where rotation of the conveyor would tend to roll up the round hay bale instead of unrolling the ;10 ;20 ;24 3 169 ;round hay bale. In this case, the grapple may be hooked into an outer surface of the round hay bale and a rope connected between the grapple and the outer fork of the bale loading means. Operating the bale loading means actuator so as to move the bale loading means towards the pick up position will roll the round hay bale out of the conveyor and back onto the bale loading means forks on the ground. The round hay bale handling apparatus may then be turned around to face the opposite direction and may again be driven forward so that the forks lie on either side of the round hay bale and the loading operation repeated. ;Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: ;Figure 1: is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, and ;Figure 2: is a sectional front view showing the drive wheel support, and Figure 3: is a side view of Figure 2. ;With respect to figure 1 there is provided a round hay bale handling apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprising a generally rectangular shaped chassis indicated by arrow 1 supported on left and rights wheels designated as 2a and 2b respectively (left and right related to forward motion of the apparatus). The wheels 2a, 2b are mounted substantially mid way between front and rear ends of the chassis 1 so that the load on the apparatus is approximately balanced about an axis of the wheels 2a, 2b. The wheels 2a, 2b are mounted on individual stub axles 3a. 3b ;11 ;"=y jfi .0*. o 1 h respectively which are cantilevered from respective longitudinal chassis members 4a, 4b on each side of the chassis 1. The cantilevered structure is stiffened by stiffening plates 5 (left side stiffening plates not shown in Fig. 1 for clarity). These stiffening plates 5 are designed to provide optimum 5 distribution of the load from the wheels to the left and right longitudinal chassis members 4a, 4b. The mounting support for the drive wheel 2a is provided with additional stiffening 6 (see Figs. 2, 3) to enable the drive wheel stub axle 3a to be extended so that a drive sprocket 7 may be suitably positioned. The additional stiffening 6 comprises triangular flat plate 10 members with the edge portion 6a bent through 90°. The edges of the stiffening members 6 are welded to the longitudinal chassis member 4a and the vertical stub axle support member 10a, and the ends of the edge portion 6a are also welded to the stub axle 3a and the longitudinal chassis member 4a. Additional flat plates stiffening members 11 (Fig. 2) are provided between 15 the extension of the stub axle 3a and the vertical support member 10a. The drive sprocket 7 is mounted on the drive wheel 2a by means of a cylindrical member 12 which spaces the drive sprocket 7 from the drive wheel 2a. The stub axle 3a passes through the centre of the cylindrical member 12.

A conveyor generally indicated by arrow 20 comprises front and rear loops of 20 roller chain 21 and 22 respectively (shown in dotted outline). The loops of roller chain 21, 22 are spaced apart by spacer members 23 (only one shown for clarity). The spacer members 23 are welded to lugs (not shown) which are provided at even intervals along the roller chains 21, 22. The conveyor 20 is supported between first and second support members generally indicated by 25 arrows 30, 31 respectively which are rotatably mounted on the chassis 1 with axes of rotation substantially perpendicular to the axis of the stub axles 3a, 3b. The second support member 31 which consists of a large diameter steel pipe 31a is supported at a higher level than the first support member 30 with 12 3 1 & w" i respect to a horizontal plane of the chassis 1. The front and rear roller chains 21, 22 are wrapped around respective sprockets 35a, 35b on first support member 30 and around sprockets 36a, 36b on second support member 31.

Tynes 25 are welded to the outer surface of the spacer members 23 so that 5 they grip against the surface of a round hay bale loaded on the conveyor 20 and tear the surface of the round hay bale as the spacer members 23 pass around the sprockets 36a, 36b, thereby facilitating the spreading of hay from the round hay bale. The sprockets 36a, 36b are mounted on the pipe 31a by boring out the central portion of a standard sprocket, and sliding the 10 sprockets 36a, 36b into position, and welding in place to the pipe 31a. The second support member 31 is rotatably supported on front and rear extremities 40, 41 respectively of the chassis 1 by means of bearings 42, 43 respectively (not visible in Fig. 1). The bearings 42, 43 are fixedly mounted to closing plates 44, 45 which are fitted into the end of the pipe. The pipe 31a is 15 rotatably supported by stub axles 46, 47 (not visible in Fig. 1) which are fitted to the front and rear extremities 40, 41 by means of mounting plates 48, 49 respectively. The mounting plates 48, 49 are clamped to the front and rear extremities 40, 41 with bolts 50, 51 (rear extremity bolts not shown) and fitted with a tensioning bolt (not shown) so that the stub axles 46, 47 may be 20 moved relative to the chassis 1. In this way the tension of the front and rear roller chains 21, 22 may be adjusted by moving the stub axles 46, 47 and clamping in position.

The first support member in the form of a shaft 30a is rotatably mounted to an intermediate longitudinal chassis member 51 by means of front and rear 25 bearings 52, 53 respectively. The bearings 52, 53 are fixed to the chassis member 51 in a position such that the shaft 30a is spaced apart from the chassis member 51, thereby providing sufficient clearance for the sprockets 13 35a, 35b to be mounted on the shaft 30a, adjacent to the bearings 52, 53. In this way, the shaft 30a is supported so that bending moment is minimal.

A tray 60 is provided between upper and lower sections of the conveyor 20. This tray 60 is supported by longitudinal chassis member 51 and an upper longitudinal chassis member 51a. The tray 60 prevents hay from dropping onto the lower span of the conveyor 20. The upper edge of the tray 60 is positioned close to the second support pipe 31a. This pipe 31a is of sufficient diameter to prevent hay from dropping onto the lower portion of the conveyor 20. Chafing strips 61, 62 are provided on the tray 60 to act as tracks for the rollers of the roller chains 21, 22 respectively.

The drive sprocket 7 of the drive means is connected by means of a chain 72 to a second sprocket 70 mounted on a 90° gear box 71. The gear box 71 is mounted on a forward portion of the chassis 1 and the output shaft (not shown) from the gear box 71 is aligned with the shaft 30a of the first support member 30. Drive from the gear box 71 is transmitted to the drive shaft 30a through a dog clutch (not shown) to drive the conveyor 20 in a direction such that hay carried thereon is fed out over the second support member 31. The dog clutch is operated by a lever 73 which is operated from a towing vehicle by a cord 74 connected to the lever 73 and passing through a loop 75 and forward to the towing vehicle (not shown). The dog clutch comprises parallel sets of driving faces with inclined faces on the rear of one of the sets of driving faces. Hence the dog clutch may be disengaged when the drive wheel 2a is turned in reverse (i.e. in an opposite direction to that for driving the conveyor). Disengagement of the dog clutch causes an operating arm (not shown) to swing over centre about a pivot so that the dog clutch majr be held by means of an over centre spring.in either the operating condition or the disengaged condition.

The chain 72 between the drive sprocket 7 and second sprocket 70 is encased in a sheet metal casing 72a see figs. 2, 3. The casing 72a is provided with drain holes to 243169 ensure the casing does not accumulate moisture. A tensioning sprocket 76 is mounted on the chassis 1 and meshes with the chain 72. The position of the tension sprocket 76 is adjustable with respect to the chassis 1.

The chassis 1 is provided with a towing arm 80 which is pivotally connected by a pin 81 to a front member of the chassis 1. The towing arm 80 is held in position by side stay members 82, 83 which extend forward from chassis members 4a, 4b of the chassis 1 and converge on the towing arm 80. The forward ends of the stay members 82, 83 are provided with location plates 84, 85 with several holes drilled therein. The towing arm 80 may thus be sandwiched between the side plates 84, 85 with a bolt passing through the desired holes to set the towing arm 80 at the required angle with respect to a plane of the stay members 82, 83.

A bale loading means generally indicated by arrow 90 comprises outer and inner fork elements 91, 92 which are pivotally connected to longitudinal chassis member 4a. The fork elements may be pivotally turned about the pivot so that a round hay bale supported in the forks 91, 92 may be lifted until it can roll onto the conveyor 20. The loading means 90 is pivoted by a hydraulic ram 95. Hydraulic oil is supplied to the hydraulic ram from a hydraulic unit 96 which comprises a hydraulic pump driven by a battery powered electric motor.

A deflector plate 100 is mounted on the inner fork element 92 by means of triangular side supports 100' at each end thereof, so as to provide support for a hay bale when being picked up by the forks 91, 92. The deflector plate 100 is arranged so as to ensure hay does not drop onto the drive shaft 30a and sprockets 35a, 35b as the bale loading means 90 is pivoted to a position where the bale rolls onto the conveyor 20. The fork elements 92 are provided with outwardly deflected end portions 91a, 92a. These end elements 91a, 92a assist in guiding a round hay bale between the forks 91, 92 as the 3 1 6 round hay bale handling apparatus 1 is towed forward to pick up a round hay bale resting on the ground.

An outrigger 110 is pivotally mounted on a rear frame 111 of the chassis 1, by upper and lower pivots 112, 113. The upper and lower pivots 112, 113 are 5 aligned so that the outer end of the outrigger 110 swings around and down. The outer end is provided with a pad 114 which rests on the ground. The pad 114 is adjustable relative to the end of the outrigger 110 so that the height of the pad 114 may be adjusted to suit uneven ground surfaces. A forward outrigger generally indicated by arrow 120 is provided on a front support 10 member of the chassis 1. The forward outrigger comprises an upper leg 121 and a lower leg 122. In the extended position, the outer end of the lower leg 122 rests on the ground, and the outer end of the upper leg 121 fits into engaging ribs on the lower leg 122 so as to provide a rigid support when a vertical force is exerted on the lower leg 122. The outer end of the lower leg 15 122 is fitted with a pad 123 for spreading the load. In the stowed position, the upper and lower legs 121, 122 are swung upward, and the outer pad 123 is attached to a fitting 124 which fits into a hole 125 on the pad 123 thereby locking the upper and lower legs 121, 122 in an upper stowed position.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only 20 and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims. 16 243169

Claims (17)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS;

1. A round hay bale handling apparatus comprising: (a) a chassis provided with wheels for towing behind a vehicle, (b) a conveyor supported between first and second support members which are rotatably mounted on said chassis with axes of rotation disposed substantially perpendicular to an axis of rotation of said wheels, and with said second support member disposed at a higher level than said first support member with respect to a horizontal plane of said chassis, said conveyor comprising two looped chain members which are spaced apart by spacer members and which are wrapped around respective sprockets mounted on said first and second support members, and (c) driving means for transmitting a driving force from one of said wheels to one of said rotatably mounted support members for driving said conveyor in a direction such that hay carried thereon is fed out over said second support member.

2. A round hay bale handling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said chassis comprises a towing arm with means for pivotally mounting said towing arm relative to said chassis such that an angle of said towing arm relative to a plane of said chassis may be varied.

3. A round hay bale handling apparatus as claimed in either one of claim 1 and claim 2, wherein said first support member comprises a drive shaft with said sprockets for carrying said conveyor chain fixedly attached thereto, said drive shaft being rotatably mounted on said chassis by bearing means, said bearing means being mounted 17 243169 on said chassis in close proximity to said sprockets so as to support said drive shaft with minimum bending moment.

A round hay bale handling apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said driving means comprises a drive sprocket mounted on one of said wheels being a drive wheel by means of a cylindrical member which spaces said sprocket from said drive wheel, and through the centre of which a stub axle of said drive wheel passes.

A round hay bale handling apparatus as claimed in either one of claim 3 and claim 4, wherein said driving means comprises a 90° gearbox with an output therefrom driving through a dog clutch to said drive shaft, and a drive sprocket and chain mechanism for transmitting a rotating drive from one of said wheels to said 90° gearbox, said dog clutch being arranged such that reverse rotation of said wheel disengages said dog clutch.

A round hay bale handling apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a hay guiding means for guiding and supporting a round hay bale when it is resting on said conveyor.

A round hay bale handling apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said hay guiding means is disposed and configured such that a force is exerted on the surface of a hay bale when said hay bale is being rotated on said conveyor, said force deflecting the surface of said hay bale, said guiding means being positioned such that as said force is released, the surface hay comes into contact with tynes on said conveyor spacer members, thereby facilitating penetration of the tynes into the surface of said hay bale. . > ■{* " 1 \\ 18 ' 243169

8. A round hay bale handling apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a bale loading means for loading a hay bale onto said conveyor.

9. A round hay bale handling apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said bale loading means comprises a fork structure pivotally connected to said chassis, said fork structure including two fork members, and an actuating means for pivoting said fork structure so that a round hay bale supported on said forks may be lifted until it can roll onto said conveyor.

10. A round hay bale handling apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said hay guiding means is mounted on said bale loading means.

11. A round hay bale handling apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising support means for supporting said apparatus when a hay bale is being loaded onto said conveyor.

12. A round hay bale handling apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said support means comprises an outrigger member pivotally mounted on the frame of said hay bale handling apparatus about an axis inclined to a vertical plane such that an outer end of said outrigger member moves downwards as said outrigger member is swung about said pivotal mounting.

13. A round hay bale handling apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said support means comprises an upper leg and lower leg, said upper and lower legs each being pivotally mounted on a frame member of said bale handling apparatus about respective horizontal axes, said lower leg comprising a plurality of engaging elements, the arrangement and construction being such that when said lower leg v.. ioii'-} 19 is in an extended condition, an outer en c^f^jjaij) uJpe^leQ may-engage with one of said engaging elements, thereby preventing said lower leg from swinging upwards about its pivotal connection.

14. A round hay bale handling apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said lower leg is provided with a pad member and said upper leg is provided with a fitting member which engages with an ^ engaging portion of said pad member when said lower leg is raised to an upper stowed position.

15. A round hay bale handling apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 14, further comprising a grapple and flexible member attached thereto, which is removably mounted on said apparatus.

16. A method of loading a round hay bale onto the round hay bale handling apparatus of any one of claims 9 through 15, comprising the steps of: (i) towing said round hay bale handling apparatus forward to position a round hay bale between said fork members, and (ii) turning said fork structure about said pivot so that said round hay bale supported on said fork members is lifted until it rolls onto said conveyor.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 farther comprising the steps of: (i) hooking said grapple onto an outer surface of a round hay bale resting on said conveyor, with said gapple connected by said flexible member to an outer fork member of said bale loading means, and 20 (ii) operating said acutating means so as to move said bale loading means towards a pick up position, thereby rolling said round hay bale out of said conveyor and back onto the fork members of said bale loading means. A method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising the step of positioning said hay guiding means such that a force is exerted on the surface of a round hay bale when said round hay bale is being rotated on said conveyor such that as said force is released, the surface hay comes into contact with the tines on said conveyor spacer members, thereby facilitating penetration of the tines into the surface of said hay bale. A round hay bale handling apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. A method of feeding out fodder from a round hay bale using a round hay bale handling apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. GEOFFREY JAMES EASTON & BRYCE THOMPSON EASTON by their Attorneys JAMES & WETJ,S ?')94 21