A two-wheeled trailer has a V-shaped hay-bale-holding cradle pivoted about an axis closely above and parallel to the wheel axle. In its bale-loading position, parallel arms of the cradle extend rearwardly from the trailer and close to the ground for sliding under a large cylindrical bale when the trailer is backed-up by a tractor. The then-upright part of the cradle is tiltable forwardly and downwardly into its upright-V bale-carrying position in which it is automatically latched. The trailer is hitch-connected to a tractor by a tow-bar which is longitudinally extendably attached to the trailer chassis. A cable connects the cradle to the front end of the tow bar so that an extending pull thereon (when the wheel brakes are set) causes the cradle to tilt to its latched bale-carrying position. A latch normally holds the tow bar in its slightly extended hauling position. A brake-operating lever, and another lever for controlling the cradle and the tow-bar latches, are conveniently located within easy reach of the seated driver of a farm-type tractor.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
There are known tiltable-cradle bale-carrying trailers which are made 
self-loading by complicated linkage systems operable by alternate backing 
and pulling thrusts by a tractor (e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,938,682 and 
4,062,454). But no tiltable-cradle bale-carrier is known in which a sturdy 
triangular trailer chassis has a longitudinally limitedly movable tow bar 
and a cable operatively connecting the bar's forward end to a 
tiltable-cradle, to provide a very simple, sturdy, inexpensive and easily 
maintained bale-carrier, the provision of which bale-carrier is the 
principal object of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
With reference now to the drawings, the numeral 11 generally designates the 
self-loading bale-carrying trailer, which is adapted for quick and easy 
coupling to a farm-type tractor T having a conventional hitch member H. 
The tractor has a rigid (triangular-in-plan) chassis 12 formed of metallic 
side bars 13 and 15, a front bar 16, and a transverse rear axle assemblage 
17. The axle assemblage includes two pneumatic-tired wheels 19 each having 
conventional brakes (not shown) controlled by cables 21. A brake lever 23, 
which is pivotedly connected to the front end of the chassis 12, is shown 
(for clarity) as having an extended lower end connected to the brake 
cables 21, which lower end would in practice be better omitted, with the 
cables 21 being connected above the lever's pivot. 
A bale-holding cradle 25 is formed of an upright angle-bar frame 27 which 
is pivotally connected to a rear transverse chassis bar 30 for swinging 
forwardly and downwardly through about 45.degree. where it is stopped and 
held by a frame-triggered cam-tipped latch element 31 (FIG. 5) which 
engages a frame bar 29. The latch element 31 is mounted by a hinge 33 on a 
transverse bar 34 which is fixed to the chassis bars 13 and 15 by two 
pairs of inverted-V-shaped members, each formed of a pair of angle-bars 35 
welded (or bolted) at their ends to the bar 34 and to the chassis bars 13 
and 15. A leaf or equivalent spring 36 insures latching. 
The lower horizontal angle-bar of the cradle frame 27 has a plurality of 
parallel rearwardly extending flat rods 37 welded thereto at right angle 
to the plane of the frame 27 so as to lie against the ground when the 
frame 27 is upright and so as to be slidable under a hay bale when the 
trailer is backed toward it for loading. A tensioned coil spring 38 biases 
the cradle downwardly. 
The upright cradle frame 27 has an upper extension formed by converging 
bars 39 which are joined at their apex by a member 41. The member 41 
carries a swivelled hook 43 for attachment of a cable 45 by which the 
cradle 25 is tilted to its FIG. 7 position by forward movement of the 
tractor T relative to the trailer with its brakes set. The cable-pulling 
action is made possible by the novel use of an extensible (squared) 
tow-bar 47 which is telescopically held and guided in a tube 48 (or 
equivalent means) medially and longitudinally fixed to the chassis 12. The 
cable 45 is fastened to the front end of the tow-bar 47, as by a welded-on 
short bar 49. The lower end of the short bar 49 also helps (by welding) to 
anchor the trailer part 51 of the conventional tow-hitch H to the tow-bar 
47. A latch 53 hinged at 55 retains the tow-bar in its normal retracted 
position of FIGS. 1,2 and 6. 
The cable 45 is guided for horizontal pulling by a pulley 57 which is 
mounted on a horizontal axis transverse of the chassis. The pulley axis is 
fixed between the upper ends of bars 59, which are braced by rods 61. 
Slack in the cable 45 during the hauling phase is taken up by a pulley 63 
mounted between arms 65. The arms 65 are pivotally connected at 66 to the 
chassis bars 13 and 15 and are pulled downwardly toward their 
phantom-shown positions of FIG. 1 by a coil spring 67. 
A second lever 69 (also conveniently within reach of the seated tractor 
operator) is pivotally connected to the front of the chassis 12 for 
controlling the cradle-locking latch 31 and the two-bar-locking latch 53. 
A flexible element (chain 71) couples the lever 69 to the tow-bar latch 
53, while a cable 73 connects the lever 69 to the self-setting cradle 
latch 31. 
MODE OF OPERATION 
The full-line disclosure of FIG. 1 shows the trailer 11 with its parts in 
storage or empty transporting condition. A pull on the lever 69 (and thus 
the latch 31) will release the cradle 25 for movement as by a biasing 
spring 38 to its phantom-shown position of FIG. 1 so that the trailer can 
be backed into the bale-engaging condition of FIG. 6. Next the lever 23 is 
moved to set the wheel brakes, the lever 69 is pushed rearwardly to 
release the tow-bar latch 53, and the tractor T is driven to its FIG. 7 
position relative to the trailer, in which position the latch 31 
automatically locks the bale-holding cradle. Finally, the tractor is 
backed to bring it and the trailer into the parts-conditions shown in FIG. 
4 and in phantom in FIG. 1 for transporting (after releasing the wheel 
brakes) the hay-bale B.