Abstract:
A bale loading apparatus, which includes a wheeled undercarriage having front and rear ends; a deck pivotally mounted by a pivot mount to the rear end of the undercarriage for supporting a row of bales thereon; and actuating component driven by a first drive to pivot said deck between a first generally horizontal position and a second generally vertical position. The apparatus also includes forks mounted to the rear of the deck, with the forks preferably composed of tines. The forks are positionable at substantially ground level and in a generally horizontal orientation when the deck is generally vertical. A conveyor is incorporated within the deck to convey a bale from the rear end of the deck to the front end thereof. A drive component is provided to drive the conveyor.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to farm equipment for handling, transporting and processing large square bales of hay or straw. In particular, it relates to an apparatus for handling large bales having a square or rectangular cross-sectional profile, which are equally arranged in a stacked array on a farmer&#39;s field. The invention also relates to an apparatus for transferring such bales onto the flat bed of a trailer, for transport and subsequent separation or chopping by a processor integral with the apparatus. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In modern farming, hay and straw is often harvested in large bales, which may be square or rectangular in section. These are typically left in place on the field after the baling operation and are often stacked two or more high. Typically, the stacked array of bales left on the field, or in a storage yard, be retrieved periodically, as required, and delivered to a cattle feeding station or the like. At the delivery end, the bales are then either chopped or separated to distribute the hay or straw to cattle or other livestock for feed or bedding. It is preferable that the entire operation be carried out with a single piece of equipment which picks up the bales from the field, places the bales on a towable flatbed trailer or the like for transport, and separates or chops the bales at the delivery point and discharges the hay or straw with sufficient force to emplace a suitable bed at a point remote from the device. Conveniently, such an apparatus is operable by a single operator, and is desirably readily towed behind and powered by a conventional tractor. 
     Conventionally, farmers transfer large hay bales from the field onto a flatbed trailer by means of a fork lift. A conventional fork lift, whether integrated into a tractor or otherwise, is not well suited for handling of stacked large bales, which may be stacked too high for a fork lift to safely and easily handle. In order to address this and other drawbacks of operating a separate lift, a forklift-type hoist may be integrated into a towable flatbed trailer or bale processor: Examples of an integrated fork lift/flatbed trailer arrangement are disclosed in patent numbers: 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,630 (Kopecky et al.) 
     Soviet Union 1704694 A1 (Lith Agic Acad) 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,703 (Bartolini) 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,672 (Morlock et al.) 
     It has been proposed to provide a combination fork/trailer combination which is uniquely suited for handling stacked bale arrangements. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,345 (Siebenga) discloses a trailer undercarriage, which supports a long deck hinged to the rear end of the undercarriage. A bale processing means such as bale chopper is mounted at the front of the undercarriage. The deck is tiltable on the undercarriage by means of fluid driven rams, between a generally vertical position and a horizontal position. An array of prongs or forks extends from an end of the deck. When the deck is tilted into a substantially vertical position, the forks point rearwardly. The trailer in this position may be backed into a stacked array of bales, whereby the forks engage the base of the stack of bales. The deck when thus oriented must be longer than the height of the bale stack being loaded. As the deck is tilted downwardly, the forks lift and tilt the bale stack rearwardly towards the deck. The stack is brought to bear on the deck as the same reaches its horizontal position. When the trailer is towed to a feeding station or the like, the bales may transferred from the tiltable deck to the processor, by tilting the deck forwardly to permit the bales to slide onto the processor. A drop between the deck and the processor causes the bales to tumble by one turn (90°) as they drop from the deck of the trailer bed onto the processor deck, to expose a selected face of a bale to the processing means. The bales may then be chopped by means of the integral bale processor. 
     The above prior art arrangement suffers several potential drawbacks. First, the means by which bales are conveyed along the tiltable deck to transfer the bales from the deck onto the processor, relying on gravity to slide the bales along the deck, renders this aspect unreliable. It is desirable to provide a reliable, positive means to convey the bales along the deck into the processor. Second, it is not always desirable to cause the bales to tumble as they drop onto the processor deck. In some circumstances, the farmer may wish to directly transfer the bales onto the processor deck, in the same orientation as they rest on the tiltable deck. It is thus desirable to provide an arrangement whereby a farmer may select whether or not to tumble the bales in the transfer step. Further, there is no means provided in the prior art to prevent a stacked array of bales from toppling backwards, as the fork lift arrangement backs into the stack and engages the stack onto the tiltable deck. It is thus desirable to provide a means to temporarily fasten the bales to the deck as the same is tilted away from the vertical. Rearward toppling of the stack can be inconvenient, as it renders pickup of the bales difficult and may cause the bales to break; it is also dangerous, since the bales could injure a worker when they topple. 
     It is also desirable to provide a component of the bale handling apparatus for cutting the baling twine or wire as the bales are transferred onto the tiltable deck. The cutting operation should be performed in the same operation as the transfer of the bales from the field stack onto the trailer deck. This is a useful function in light of the tendency of baling twine on the lowermost bale to tangle as the bale shifts relative to the ground during the transfer. Finally, the bale processors of the prior art appear to be suitable only for grinding or chopping of bales. It is desirable to provide a means for separating rather than chopping of bales, in order to preserve relatively long lengths of straw, in an arrangement of the type characterized above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of certain embodiments of the invention is to provide an improved bale handling apparatus for picking up rectangular bales that are resting in a field in a stacked pile, transporting same and processing the bales by way of chopping or separating the bales. More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a means for retrieving a stacked array of square bales, tilting the stack onto a trailer for carrying the bales in a row on the trailer bed, and subsequently conveying the bales along the trailer bed towards an integral bale processor, where the bales may be readily and reliably conveyed along the trailer bed. It is a further objective in certain other embodiments to provide a reliable means for releasably fastening the bale stack as the same is tilted onto the trailer bed, to reduce the risk of the stack toppling rearwardly. It is a further object in other embodiments to provide in such an apparatus a convenient means for severing the baling twine on at least one of the bales as the bales are transferred from the field stack onto the trailer bed. 
     The invention consists in one aspect of a bale loading platform, comprising: 
     a wheeled undercarriage having front and rear ends; 
     a deck pivotally mounted by a pivot mount to the rear end of said undercarriage for supporting a row of bales thereon; 
     actuating means such as a fluid-driven ram to pivot the deck between a first generally horizontal position and a second generally vertical position; 
     fork means such as an array of fork members mounted to a rear end of said deck, said fork means positioned generally horizontally at ground level when said deck is generally vertical; 
     conveyor means, associated with said deck such as by being incorporated within said deck, to convey a bale from a rear end of said deck to a front end thereof, and drive means to drive the conveyor and actuator means. 
     Conventional drive means, such as a power take off(“PTO”) conveniently power the actuator and conveyor means. 
     Preferably, the apparatus further includes bale processing means mounted to the front end of the undercarriage. The processing means includes a processor deck for receiving bales from the conveyor. Preferably, the processor means comprises a rotatable drum having an array of flails pivotally mounted thereto for separating strands from the bale as an alternative to chopping the bale. The drum is mounted directly above the processor deck, whereby the bale may be confined between the processor deck and the drum. A pusher plate or other bale conveyor pushes the bale towards the drum such that the flails may act on a vertical face of the bale. 
     Preferably, the deck may be titled relative to the undercarriage by more than 90°, such that the deck may be positioned to angle downwardly and forwardly to effectively lower the front of the deck relative to the normal horizontal position of the deck. The lowering may be achieved by a lever arm actuated by a ram or the like, which raises or lower the front end of the deck relative to said frame about the deck pivot mount. In the position in which the front of the deck is lowered, the bales are carried directly onto the conveyor bed in the same general orientation as the bales sit on the deck. In the raised position, the bales drop from the main deck onto the conveyor onto said processor and will tend to tumble or rotate by about 90°. 
     In a further aspect, the invention comprises a tilting bale loading platform of the general type characterized above, including a retractable bale engaging means such as hook means mounted to the bale deck for temporarily engaging bales to the deck when the deck is tilted vertically so as to prevent toppling of the bale array during the bale engagement operation. The hook means may be retracted after the deck is returned to its horizontal position to release the hook means from the bales. When retracted, the hook means is fully out of the path of the bales on the deck. Preferably, the hook means is pivotally mounted to the deck. 
     In a further aspect, the bale loading platform includes a cutting means on at least one of the fork members for cutting bale twine from a lower face of at least one of the bales. Preferably the cutting means includes a sleeve member for slidable engagement on the fork means, plus a lock means to fix the position of the sleeve member on the fork member. The cutting means may comprise an elongate blade member spaced apart from and parallel to the fork member, the sharp edge of the blade member extending upwardly when the fork member is in its horizontal use position. 
     Preferably, the fork means are pivotally joined to the deck or undercarriage so as to permit the fork members to accommodate irregularities in the ground as the fork means engages a stack of bales. As well, the pivotal mount permits the fork means to rotate forwardly, towards the front end of the apparatus, as the bales are conveyed forwardly. Preferably, this forward rotation is gravity actuated. In this aspect, the cutting of the bale twine is achieved as the cutting means slices across a face of the bale during forward rotation of the fork means. 
     Having thus generally characterized the invention, the invention will now be described by reference to a detailed description of a preferred embodiment, having regard to the description and the accompanying drawings set out below. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, showing the present invention in position to engage a stacked array of bales; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, with the deck in elevated, horizontal position; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, showing the deck in a lowered, generally horizontal position; 
     FIG. 4 is top plan view of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevational view, showing the deck in an elevated, horizontal position; 
     FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view; 
     FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a fork member, illustrating the cutting member component on the fork member; 
     FIG. 8 is plan view of the member shown in FIG. 7; and 
     FIG. 9 is a sectional view, along line A—A, of the cutting member. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning to FIGS. 1 through 6, a towable trailer  10  incorporating the present invention is provided. The trailer comprises a subframe  12 , having at its front end (i.e., facing the tractor) a conventional hitch  14 . The trailer is supported by a pair of wheels  16  which are mounted on respective sides of the subframe  14 . The subframe is a conventional towable trailer frame, suitable for towing behind a tractor or the like. Typical trailer elements of brakes, lights, etc. are provided if required. A bale processor  20 , which will be described in greater detail below, is mounted to the front end of the subframe. The subframe supports a superstructure composed of an elongate tiltable deck  22 , which is pivotally mounted to a rear end of the frame, by way of a pivot mount  23 . The deck  22 , which is formed from an open framework composed of steel members, substantially covers a rearward portion of the subframe. The deck is supported at its front end on the subframe by means of a tiltable post  24  pivotally mounted at its lower end to the subframe  12 . The post  24  extends upwardly from the subframe to contact the front region of the deck when the deck is fully lowered, as seen in FIG.  3 . The post terminates in a sliding contact member  26 , which engages a plate  28  within the deck when the same is lowered onto the post  24 . A hydraulic ram  30  pivotally joins the post and the subframe and when actuated, selectively angles the post to effectively raise or lower the height of the post  24  relative to the subframe  12 , which in turn raises or lowers the front end of the deck  22  relative to the subframe  12 . It will be seen that positioning of the post in a relatively steeply angled position (FIG. 2) supports the deck such that it is generally parallel to the subframe and thus horizontal when the trailer is resting on level ground. Angling of the post more shallowly (FIG. 3) effectively permits the front of the deck  22  to lower, tilting the deck downwardly and forwardly. 
     The deck pivot mount  23  permits the deck to pivot between a first, generally vertical position for engaging a stacked array of hay bales, for example at a bale storage site, and a range of substantially horizontal positions as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, for transporting and processing the bales. Pivotal movement of the deck is actuated by a fluid-driven ram  34 , which pivotally joins the deck  22  to the frame  12 . The pivot mount permits the deck to rotate about a vertical plane by greater than 90°, permitting the deck to angle forwardly an downwardly when the post  24  is lowered. 
     The deck  22  incorporates bale transport means  36 , which consists of a pair of continuous conveyor chains  38 , on either side of the deck, each rotatably driven between front and rear pulley members  40  and  42 . The rear pulley members  42  are each rotatably journaled on an axle  44 , for free rotation. The front pulley members  40  are fixedly mounted to a common transverse axle  46 , which in turn is journaled for free rotation within bearing blocks  48  mounted to the deck  22 . The axle  46  is rotatably driven by a motor  50  linked to the axle by conventional drive linkage means. Conveniently, the upper length of chain bears on a support surface such as a trough  52  or the like lined with a material such as nylon to present a low-friction bearing surface for the chains  38 . The conveyor chains incorporate bale-engagement means, for example cross slats  54 , to engage the bales in order to advance them forwardly along the deck, towards the bale processor when the chain drive is activated. 
     Pivotally mounted to the rear end of the deck is a bale fork assembly  56 . The fork assembly  56  is rotatable between a storage position wherein the assembly lies generally flat on the deck, and a bale pick-up position, wherein the assembly joins the deck at an approximately 90° angle. The fork assembly consists of an array of elongated tines  60  each having a chisel-shaped and tapered exposed end  62 . The bases  64  of the respective tines are fastened to a shaft  66 , which in turn is rotatably journaled within bearing blocks  68  mounted to the deck  22  for free rotation of the shaft. The free rotation of the shaft permits the fork assembly to accommodate irregularities of the ground surface. Further, when the deck is positioned horizontally, the fork assembly will pivot forwardly to lie flat on the deck surface during transport. A stop member  70  prevents the fork assembly from tilting downwardly past a generally horizontal position, when the deck is vertical. 
     A retractable bale hook  72  is mounted to the middle region of the deck. The bale hook consists of a curved hook arm  74 , joining a support  76 . The support is pivotally mounted to one of the deck members. The hook is driven between a retracted position, wherein the hook is withdrawn from the deck surface (seen in FIG.  2 ), and an extended position as seen in FIG. 1 wherein the hook extends outwardly past the deck surface in a direction which is rearward when the deck is vertical. A hydraulic ram  78  pivotally joins the support to the deck, for actuating the retractable hook between the respective positions. In the extended position seen in FIG. 1, the bale hook may be plunged into the interior of a bale  80 , in order to secure the bale to the tiltable deck to prevent toppling of the bale stack as the device retrieves a bale array. Conveniently, the bale hook  72  will be driven into the bale stack during the pickup process, at a stage when the bales are supported on the forks in a vertical stack before the deck is tilted away from the vertical. The bale hook may then be retracted below the deck level when the deck  22  tilts back to the horizontal. 
     The various hydraulic rams described herein are actuated by a source of hydraulic fluid, connected by conventional hydraulic lines to the rams. Control means such as one or more hydraulic pressure regulators control the operation of the various motor-driven and hydraulic components. 
     These control and drive means are not illustrated, as they are conventional and drawn to those skilled in this act. The procedure for loading a stack of bales  80  onto the deck  22  comprises the initial step of rotating the deck into the generally vertical position seen in FIG. 1, wherein the fork assembly  56  drops into a horizontal position. The trailer  10  may be then backed into a stacked array of bales  80 , such that the fork assembly  56  slides under the bale stack. The bale hook  72  is then plunged into the stack to fasten the bale stack to the deck. The deck  22  is then tilted rearwardly, such that the stack is tilted rearwardly and is brought to bear on the deck, until the deck reaches a generally horizontal position, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this position, the stack of bales now rests onto its side and forms a row of bales extending along and resting on the deck. The horizontal deck position may be selected as either the fully horizontal position of FIG. 2, wherein the there is provided a substantial drop between the front of the deck and the bale processor  20 , and the downwardly-tilting position of FIG. 3, wherein the front edge of the deck is generally level with the bale processor, although a slight drop down to the processor is acceptable. In the first position, the bales will tumble as they drop to the processor and land in a position 90° rotated from their position. In the second position, the tumbling will not occur. A 90° rotation may be desirable in order to expose a face of the bale which is not bound by twine to the processor drum. Alternatively, the farmer may elect to expose a bale in either an end-on (i.e. cross grain) position or parallel to the grain of the bale, depending on the extent of chopping or separating desired. The farmer may also elect to tumble the initial bales, but not rotate the final bale if the baling twine has been severed in the lowermost bale. 
     The outermost tines of the bale fork assembly are each provided with a blade member  90  which serves as a twine cutter, the purpose of which will be further described below. The blade member, seen more particularly in FIGS.  7 - 9 , comprises a pair of sleeves  92  for slidable engagement with the corresponding tine. A set screw  94  within each of the sleeves locks the sleeve into position on the tine. A blade  100  extends between the two sleeves, and consists of a generally U-shaped band, the sides of which each form a sharpened edge  102 . The blade member serves to slice the bale twine on the lowermost bale, which may become entangled as the bale is deposited on the ground during the baling or bale stacking processes. The cutting operation may be performed as the fork assembly slides under the lowermost bale during the bale pick-up process. 
     Forward rotation of the fork assembly is gravity-actuated. Since a portion of the fork assembly remains in contact with the bale array, a forward rotary motion occurs as the bales are conveyed or slide forwardly along the deck. The resulting sliding contact between the fork assembly and the rear most bale in the supported array, causes a sliding contact of the bale with the blade member  90 , thereby causing the blade member to slice twine from the rear most bale. As well, the forward rotary motion of the fork assembly will serve to prevent rearward motion of the bale stack, once the fork assembly has dropped fully below the bale stack. 
     The bale processor  20  comprises a generally flat processor platform  110 , having conveyor means incorporated therein to convey a bale deposited thereon, in a direction transverse to the trailer axis, towards a bale separator arrangement. The conveyor may comprise a chain-driven pusher plate  112 , which engages a side of the bale and pushes the bale towards the separator. A continuous chain  113 , driven by a motor (not shown) is fastened to the plate  112  to drive the plate from a first side of the platform  110  to a second side. The chain is supported on the platform surface by a recessed trough  115 . Mounted along the second side of the processor is an elongate drum  114 , mounted to an axle  116  which is journaled for rotation within bearing blocks  118 . The drum axis is transverse to the direction of travel of the bales on the processor platform. The drum  114  is mounted directly above the processor deck such that there is a space between the level of the processor platform and the bottom of the drum to confine a portion of a bale therebetween. The drum is rotatably driven by conventional drive means such as a motor (not shown). An array of hinged flails  120  is mounted to the drum. The flails act on the vertical face of the bale  80  as the same is pushed against the drum, in order to separate the strands of straw from the face of the bale and discharge same from the processor, between the drum and the processor deck. A processor of this general type is described in Canadian Patent No. 2,167,664 (Vandenberg). 
     It will be seen that the bale processor may alternatively comprise a bale chopper for both separating and cutting the hay or straw strands of the bale. In this version, cutter means may be provided either on the drum (eg. U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,241 (Brewster)) or separately from the flail-carrying drum (eg. Canadian Patent No. 2,191,692 (Vandervalk)). 
     It will be seen by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains that although the invention has been described by way of a detailed description of a preferred embodiment, departures from and variations to this arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as the same is fully set out and characterized in the accompanying patent claims.