GB2141098A - Bale handling equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

A bale handling equipment comprising a frame 10, means 16 releasably to connect the frame to a vehicle, a bale carrying spike 17, having a longitudinal axis, mounted on the frame, a bale remover member 25 movable relative to the spike to displace a bale out of carrying relationship with the spike, fluid operated piston and cylinder ram means 30 mounted on the frame for relative movement between the piston and cylinder in a direction lying in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the spike and a linkage 34-41 to connect the ram means to the bale remover to cause said bale removing movement thereof. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bale handling equipment This invention relates to bale handling equip ment for attachment to a vehicle such as a tractor.

According to the invention, we provide a bale handling equipment comprising a frame, means reieasably to connect the frame to a vehicle, a bale carrying spike, having a longitudinal axis, mounted on the frame, a bale remover member movable relative to the spike to displace a bale out of carrying relationship with the spike, fluid operated piston and cylinder ram means mounted on the frame for relative movement between the piston and cylinder in a direction lying in a plate which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the spike and a linkage to connect the ram means to the bale remover to cause said bale removing movement thereof.

The frame may lie in a plane generally perpendicular to the spike.

The cylinder of the ram means may be translatorily fixed relative to the frame and the piston being connected to the linkage.

The linkage may comprise a member mounted on the frame for pivotal movement about a first axis, said member being connected to the ram means for pivotal movement about a second axis substantially lying in said plane perpendicular to the axis of the spike, and said member being connected to a second member for pivotal movement about a third axis spaced from the first and second axes, said second member being pivotally connected to said bale remover which is mounted for movement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of ths spike.

The ram means may be translatorily fixed to the frame at a position adjacent the position of mounting of the spike on the frame, the second axis being substantially disposed in a vertical plane containing said position, the first axis substantially lying in a horizontal plane containing the first axis and extending from said vertical plane towards the free end of the spike, the third axis, in a retracted position of the bale remover, substantially lying in said vertical plane and being substantially vertically aligned with said position of connection of the ram means to the frame, and said second member extending generally forwardly and downwardly from the third axis to the bale remover.

The bale remover may be slidably mounted on the spike.

The frame may carry at least one additional spike to engage a bale and the or each additional spike may lie in the same horizontal plane as said bale carrying spike.

The or each spike may extend forwardly from a lower part of the frame.

The means releasably to connect the frame to a vehicle may be above the or each spike when the frame is disposed in a vertical plane, said spikes extending perpendicular to said frame.

Bale handling equipment embodying the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of a bale handling equipment embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig.

1; and Figure 3 is a plan view of the equipment of Fig. 1.

Referring to the Figures, a bale handling equipment comprises a frame 10 comprising an upper horizontal member 11 and two main spaced apart vertical members 1 2 connected together at their lower ends by a main lower horizontal member 1 3. Extending downwardly from the ends of the upper horizontal member 11 are further vertical members 14 connected by further horizontal members 1 5 to the main vertical members 1 2. Channel section connecting members 1 6 extend between the upper horizontal member 11 and the further horizontal members 1 5 and are provided with a suitable pattern of apertures, as shown in Fig. 2, to enable the frame-to be connected to a vehicle.For example, to a three point linkage on the rear of a tractor or to loader arms on the front of a tractor.

In the drawings, the connecting members 1 6 are shown in chain dotted outline since they may be of any desired configuration to suit the vehicle to which the equipment is to be connected.

The main lower horizontal member 1 3 is of channel configuration, as best shown in Fig.

2, and has mounted thereon a main, tapered, bale carrying spike 1 7 which is received in an aperture 1 8 in one limb 1 9 of the member 1 3 and has a threaded end 20 received in an aperture 21 in the other limb 22 of the member 1 3 and which receives a nut 23 to secure the spike 1 7 in position, so as to project perpendicularly from the general plane P-P off the frame 10. Two additional spikes 24 are secured to the frame 10 one on either side of the spike 1 7 and in the same horizontal plane, in similar manner but are of smaller size than the spike 1 7 and are provided only to stabilise a bale which, in use, is impaled upon the bale carrying spike 1 7.

A bale remover 25 is provided with an aperture 26 which surrounds the spike 1 7 and thus is slidably mounted on the spike 1 7 for movement between a retracted position 27, shown in full line in Fig. 2, and an extended position 28, shown in dotted line in Fig. 2.

The bale remover 25 is movable between the retracted and extended positions 27, 28 in order to remove a bale from the spike 1 7 by means of a fluid operated, in the present example hydraulically operated piston and cylinder ram means 30. The ram means 30 comprises a cylinder 31 pivotally connected to the frame 10 at a position 32 substantially lying in said plane P-P and a piston 33 pivotally connected to a limb 34a of first member 34, which is pivotally connected about a first axis 35 to trunnions 36 provided on the frame 10, about a second axis 37. The member 34 is of bell crank lever configuration, a second limb 38 of the lever being pivotally connected about a third axis 39 to a second member 40 which extends forwardly and downwardly from the third axis 39 to be pivotally connected, as shown at 41, to the bale remover 25.When the bale remover 25 is in the retracted position 27, the third axis 39 lies in the plane P-P.

The cylinder 31 is connected to the conventional hydraulic power supply of the tractor.

In use, when it is desired to remove a bale impaled on the spike 17, hydraulic fluid is fed to the interior of the cylinder 31 to cause the piston 33 to be retracted therewith in causing the member 34 to pivot in a clockwise direction about the first axis 35 and thus causing the bale remover 25 to be removed from the retracted position 27 to the extended position 28.

When the bale has been removed, the directional movement of the piston 33 is reversed to return the bale remover to the retracted position.

Because the direction of relative movement between the piston 33 and cylinder 31 extends substantially vertically and substantially lies in the plane P-P, the depth required, in the fore and aft direction, to accommodate the cylinder and linkage is substantially equal to the thickness of frame which would in any case have to be provided. This is to be contrasted with an arrangement in which the piston and cylinder arrangement is axially aligned with the spike which would require a correspondingly greater distance in the fore and aft direction to accommodate the bale removing arrangement.

Although in the present example, the piston and cylinder ram means has been described so that said direction of relative movement lies in a substantially vertical direction, the piston and cylinder device may be arranged so that said direction of relative movement is inclined to the vertical, fo example is in a horizontal direction, and a corresponding linkage is provided.

Claims (11)

1. A bale handling equipment comprising a frame, means releasably to connect the frame to a vehicle, a bale carrying spike, having a longitudinal axis, mounted on the frame, a bale remover member movable relative to the spike to displace a bale out of carrying relationship with the spike, fluid operated piston and cylinder ram means mounted on the frame for relative movement between the piston and cylinder in a direction lying in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the spike and a linkage to connect the ram means to the bale remover to cause said bale removing movement thereof.

2. A bale handling equipment according to claim 1 wherein the frame lies in a plane generally perpendicular to the spike.

3. A bale handling equipment according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the cylinder of the rams means is translatorily fixed relative to the frame and the piston is connected to the linkage.

4. A bale handling equipment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the linkage comprises a member mounted on the frame for pivotal movement about a first axis, said member being connected to the ram means for pivotal movement about a second axis substantially lying in said plane perpendicular to the axis of the spike, and said member being connected to a second member for pivotal movement about a third axis spaced from the first and second axes, said second member being pivotally connected to said bale remover which is mounted for movement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spike.

5. A bale handling equipment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the ram means is translatorily fixed to the frame at a position adjacent the position of mounting of the spike on the frame, the second axis being substantially disposed in a vertical plane containing said position, the first axis substantially lying in a horizontal plane containing the first axis and extending from said vertical plane towards the free end of the spike, the third axis, in a retracted position of the bale remover, substantially lying in said vertical plane and being substan tially vertically aligned with said position of connection of the ram means to the frame, and said second member extending generally forwardly and downwardly from the third axis to the bale remover.

6. A bale handling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the ram means is disposed so that relative movement between the piston and cylinder occurs in a direction inclined to the vertical.

7. A bale handling equipment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the bale remover is slidably mounted on the spike.

8. A bale handling equipment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the frame carries at least one additional spike to engage a bale and the or each additional spike lies in the same horizontal plane as said bale carrying spike.

9. A bale handling equipment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the or each spike extends forwardly from a lower part of the frame.

10. A bale handling equipment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means releasably to connect the frame to a vehicle is above the or each spike when the frame is disposed in a vertical plane, said spikes extending perpendicular to said frame.

11. A bale handling equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

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