APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ROUND BALES

Abstract: An apparatus for handling round bales (8) has a so-called A-frame (1) which is connectible to the hitch of a tractor or the like and carries a transporting and unrolling device (4) rotatably mounted thereon. The said device comprises one or more pins (7) extending substantially horizontally and insertable in the round bale (8) within the area of its center, and is drivably connectible to the tractor power transmission for transporting and unrolling the round bale (8).

Description: APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ROUND BALES The present invention relates to an ' apparatus for handling round bales, i.e. circular bales of straw or hay, having a diameter between about 800 and 1,700 ram and a total length of about 1,700 mm. Such round bales may have a bulk in the order of 1 ton. Because of their large size and bulk, these round bales cannot be handled manually, and handling must be effected by mechanical means. Present-day equipment for handling round bales after pressing comprises a gripping device which grips the bale for transport there¬ of. However, it is not possible with such gripping- de¬ vices to roll out or reel off the round bale for use,, and such unrolling must be carried 'out by rolling the bale on the base either by hand or by mechanical means. The present invention has for its object to pro¬ vide an apparatus for handling round bales of the above- mentioned type, which apparatus can be used both for transporting and unrolling the bales. According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the apparatus comprises a frame connectible to a tractor or the like and carrying a device which is movable into engagement with a round bale and is rotatably mounted on the frame for transporting and unrolling the bale. The invention will be described in more detail in the following, reference being had to the accompany¬ ing drawings which illustrate an especially preferred embodiment. Fig. 1 is a lateral view of the apparatus according to the invention and shows in dash-dot lines a round bale which is being handled by the apparatus according to the. invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are respective¬ ly a top plan view and a front view in the direction of the arrow II in Fig. 2, of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. .1. The apparatus illustrated in the drawings has a frame 1 which is connectible to. the hitch (not shown) , preferably a three-point hitch, of a tractor (not shown) or the like and which is in the shape of an A (see Fig. 3) , and therefore is frequently called an A-frame. The frame 1 has two lower connections 2 for connection to the drawbars of the three-point hitch and an upper connection 3 for connection to the pressure bar of said hitch. A combined transporting and unrolling device 4 is rotatably mounted on the frame 1 in a bearing 5 and has two essentially horizontal pins 7 which are secured to a head 6 and can be inserted, by reversing the trac¬ tor, in a round bale 8 within the area of the bale cen- ter, as will appear from the drawings. To facilitate insertion of the pins 7 in the round bale 8 , the pins are of different lengths, as will appear from Fig. * 1. At its end opposed to the pins 7, the transporting and unrolling device 4 is drivably connectible, via a reduction gear 9, a clutch 10 and a transmission shaft 11 with a torque limiting clutch, to the power transmis¬ sion (not shown) of the tractor or the like, i.e. the conventional mechanical power takeoff of the tractor. The reduction gear 9 may be formed in different ways and, in the embodiment illustrated, is in the form of a gear transmission fixedly mounted on the frame 1. To protect the components mounted on .the frame 1, i.e. the bearing 5, the gear transmission 9 and the clutch 10 from dirt and dust, to guard plates 12 are mounted on the sides of the frame, as will appear espe¬ cially from Fig. 3. When a round bale- 8 is to be transported from one location to another, for instance from the baling press, to a location of use or storage, the tractor is reversed against the round bale 8 in such a manner that the pins 7 will penetrate into the bale within the area of its center. The three-point hitch of the tractor is then 3 activated to raise the frame 1 and thus the transport¬ ing and unrolling .device 4 with the round bale 8 stuck thereon, whereupon the bale is transported to the de¬ sired location where the bale 8 can either be set down again on the base or, if it- is to be used, unrolled with the three-point hitch in- raised position. In the latter case, the transporting and unrolling device 4 is caused, via the gear transmission 9 and the tractor power transmission, to rotate in the desired direction for unrolling the round bale 8. The hitch of the tractor or the like need not be a three-point lift; it may also be in the form of, for example, a front-mounted lifting frame or the like. In the above description, the conventional mecha- nical power takeoff of the tractor has been used as the power transmission. However, there is nothing to prevent for use of a different type of power transmis¬ sion, for example a motor-driven pump which is mounted on the tractor or the like and which, via hydraulic hoses, is connected to a hydraulic motor, with or with¬ out reduction gear 9, mounted on the frame 1 for driv¬ ing the transporting and unrolling device 4. Naturally, the invention is not restricted to the ' embodiment described above and illustrated in the draw- ings, but can be modified in different ways within the scope of protection claimed.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An apparatus for handling round bales (8) , c h a r a c t e r i s e d by a frame (1) connectible to a tractor or the like and carrying a device (4) which is movable into engagement with a round bale (8) and is rotatably mounted on the frame (1) for transporting and unrolling the bale (8). 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ e r -i s e d in that the frame (1) is connectible to the hitch of the tractor or the like, preferably the three-point hitch thereof. 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i s e d in that the transporting and unroll¬ ing device (4) is drivably connectible to the power transmission of the tractor or the like, preferably via a reduction gear (9) . 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, c h a r a c ¬ t e r is e d in that the reduction gear is formed by a gear transmission (9) fixedly mounted on the frame (1). 5. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the pre¬ ceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the - transporting and unrolling device (4) has one or more pins (7) extending substantially horizontally and in¬ sertable in the round bale (8) within the area of its centre. 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, ch a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d in that the pins (7) are of different length.

Inventors: CARLSSON LENNART, CARLSSON, LENNART
Applicants: ANDRENVERKEN AB, ENSI SYSTEM HB, ANDREN-VERKEN AB, ENSI-SYSTEM HB
Application year: 1982
Main classification: A01D87
IPC codes: A01D87