GB2204826A - Bale accumulator - Google Patents

Abstract

A bale accumulator, normally drawn by a tractor, has a body unit which includes path members defining a bale supporting path passing from a loading end of the unit by way of a storage region to an outlet end. The storage region in the vicinity of the loading end is at a higher level than the loading end with the path sloping downwardly from the storage region towards the outlet. At the front of the unit there is provided a displacable section S formed by path members and powered by hydraulic drive means 22 which serves to elevate a bale from the path at the loading end onto the path at the storage region in the vicinity of the loading end. A gate 20 disposed at the outlet end serves either to retain a bale at or near the outlet end or to regulate the passage of a bale from the path at the outlet end and so from the unit. <IMAGE>

Description

BALE ACCUMULATOR This invention relates to a bale accumulator.

In recent years it has become a common in farming practice to store cereal stalks or other fibrous material in the form of drum shaped bales. The bales are generated by means of a baler unit drawn across a field behind a tractor. In being drawn over the field the baler is caused to draw in the stalks, forms them into bales and thereafter release the formed bale. Drum shaped bales of four and five feet diameter are common and such bales being of substantial size and weight require handling by machinery. It has been found advantageous to collect widely disposed bales by way of a bale accumulator from which they can be deposited in a location where they can be manipulated by fork lift devices or cranes for subsequent transfer and use or storage.Collection by way of an accumulator has been found to be preferable to moving a fork lift device or crane over a wide area to recover individual bales from wherever they have been formed and dropped.

According to the present invention there is provided a bale accumulator comprising: 1) a body unit adopted for incorporation in or for attachment to a prime mover; the body unit including 2) path members defining a bale supporting path passing from a loading end of the unit by way of a storage region to an outlet end; the storage region in the vicinity of the loading end being at a higher level than the loading end and sloping therefrom downwardly towards the outlet end; 3) a displacable section formed by path members and adapted to elevate a load, such as a bale, from the path at the loading end onto the path at the storage region in the vicinity of the loading end; 4) drive means enabling the displacable section to be moved from an initial position where it forms the final part of the loading end and a second position where it forms the opening part of the storage region; 5) a gate serving either to retain a bale at or near the outlet end or to regulate the passage of a bale from the path at the outlet end and so from the unit.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a side view of a train of vehicles; and Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a part of Figure 1 with component parts shown in different working positions.

Figure 1 shows a bale accumulator 10 forming with a baler 11 a train drawn by a tractor 12.

Figure 2 shows accumulator 10 in more detail. The accumulator 10 is made up of a body unit 13 which is supported on a pair of road wheels 14. The unit 13 incorporates path members serving to define a bale supporting path P (shown as a chain dotted outline) passing from loading end 15 of the unit by way of storage region 16 to an outlet end 17. Leading end 18 of the storage region 16 is higher than rear end 19 of the loading end 15. From leading end 18 of the storage region 16 the path members slope downwardly towards the outlet end 17 to enable a bale placed on leading end 18 to roll under its own weight towards outlet end 17 where gate 20 enables the bale to be either retained (accumulated) or to be released from the unit 13.

Some or all of the path members at rear end 19 of the loading end 15 form a displacable section S adapted for pivoting about axis L by means of a ram 22, at least while carrying a bale B, between an initial position (shown in Figure 1 in full outline) to a second position B' (shown in broken outline in Figure 2) where it is shown entering the leading end 18 of the storage region 16. The ram 22 is hydraulically operated from a conventional hydraulic supply regulated by the driver of tractor 12.

In use the tractor 12 draws the train incorporating accumulator 10 and baler 11 across a field bearing baleable fibrous material (such as for silage). The baler 11 operates in a known manner to collect fibrous material and form bales which are subsequently released, as shown by bale B in Figure 1, onto the lowered section S of the accumulator 10. Figure 2 shows the bale B' having been elevated by the raising os section S for transfer onto the leading end 18 of the storage region 16. The bale thereafter passes to the outlet end 17 of the unit for retention by the gate 20 as described above. The depositing of a bale directly onto the accumulator 10 rather than onto the ground minimizes the chances of the bale, or the baling thread serving to retain the bale shape, being damaged.

When fully loaded the accumulator 10 retains two bales in the storage region 16 as well as a further bale in the loading region 15. When so loaded the train is driven to a dumping location and the gate 20 is operated to release bales from the storage region 16. The displacable section S is then operated to lift the remaining bale up to the front section 18 of the storage region 16 from which the bale rolls backwardly to pass out of the unit by appropriate operation of the gate 20. The tractor then draws the train to the next work location to generate and temporarily accumulate further bales as previously described.

Claims (5)

1a bale accumulator comprising: a) a body unit adopted for incorporation in or for attachment to a prime mover; the body unit including b) path members defining a bale supporting path passing from a loading end of the unit by way of a storage region to an outlet end; the storage region in the vicinity of the loading end being at a higher level than the loading end, the path sloping downwardly from the storage region towards the outlet end; c) a displacable section formed by path members and adapted to elevate a load, such as a bale, from the path at the loading end onto the path at the storage region in the vicinity of the loading end; d) drive means enabling the displacable section to be moved from an initial position where it forms a final part of the loading end and a second position where it forms an opening part of the storage region; e) a gate serving either to retain a bale at or near the outlet end or to regulate the passage of a bale from the path at the outlet end and so from the unit.

2 A bale accumulator as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the displacable section is composed of path members in the form of arms pivotable attached at their trailing end to an entry to the storage region, the arms having leading ends which, in the initial position, are below the normal working level of the entry to the storage region and which, in the second position are above said normal working level.

3 A bale accumulator as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the drive means are motivated by hydraulic rams.

4 A bale accumulator as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5 A bale accumulator as claimed in any preceding claim adapted for direct, or indirect, towing by a prime mover in the form of a tractor.