Abstract:
A bale mover with self-adjusting spinners for loading/unloading bales and unrolling bales. The bale mover includes a cross member and a pair of opposing arms that extend generally orthogonally to the cross member. The cross member is pivotable about an axis extending transverse to the bale mover to move the arms to extend away from the bale mover. The arms are pivotable toward one another to pinch a bale between distal ends thereof. A spinner is provided at the distal end of each arm. The spinners include axles secured to the arms and spinner bodies which are rotatable about the respective axles to facilitate rotation of a bale engaged by the spinners. The spinners are also pivotable relative to the axles to enable alignment of the spinners with surfaces of the bale.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to bale handling equipment for moving large round bales of hay, and in particular to a bale mover having pivotally mounted gripping arms with self-adjusting spinners. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Bale movers of various configurations are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,325 to Ackerman describes a bale-lifting device for use with flat-bed trucks. The device includes a pair of arms that is pivotable longitudinally with respect to the length of the truck to move a bale onto the truck bed or to lower the bale from the bed to the ground. The arms are also pivotable transversely toward one another to pinch the bale therebetween for lifting. Attached to each of the arms is a respective spinner which extends inwardly from the respective arm toward a bale captured between the arms and which forms the primary point of contact between the arm and the bale. The spinners each include an axle rotatably mounted to the respective arm in an orientation perpendicular to the arm and a plate fixedly mounted to the axle in an orientation perpendicular to the arm. The plates bear against the end of the bale and hold the bale in a position to rotate about the axles. The spinners are used during unrolling of the bale for feeding and provide an axis of rotation for the bale. 
     A problem occurs if the spinners are not properly aligned with the axis of the bale during unrolling. This can cause the bale not to rotate properly and to bind or wobble during unrolling results in the hay not being distributed evenly. Misalignment of the spinners with the bale is often due to the angle between the spinner axle and the respective arm not being correct for the length of the bale. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,228 to Krogmann teaches that the spinners can be mounted at an oblique angle to the arms, the angle being selected to align the axis of the spinner with axis of the bale so that the bale will unroll effectively, and suggests that the preferred angle between the arm and the spinner axis is 130 degrees. This arrangement works reasonably well if the bales are of uniform length and if that length is appropriate for the bale mover. 
     Ranchers feeding hay, however, often encounter variation in the lengths of bales. This variation can be due to acquiring hay from different sources using different equipment to bale the hay or even due to weathering of the bales during storage. It would, therefore, be preferable to provide a bale moving apparatus with spinners which self-adjust to variations in the size of the bales to provide a proper axis of rotation for unrolling the bales, no matter the length of the bale. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the invention are defined by the claims below, not this summary. A high-level overview of various aspects of the invention is provided here to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described in the Detailed-Description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. In brief, this disclosure describes, among other things, a bale mover with self-adjusting spinners that self-align with ends of a hay bale. 
     The bale mover includes a base frame disposed on a flatbed truck. A cross-member is coupled along a rear end of the base frame and is pivotable about an axis that is transverse to the truck. The cross-member may also be moveable vertically to raise and lower the cross-member relative to the vehicle. An arm is pivotably mounted on each end of the cross-member and is pivotable toward and away from the centerline of the truck. A spinner is disposed proximate the distal end of each arm and includes a spinner axle oriented in a fixed orientation and a spinner body pivotably mounted thereon. The spinner is configured to pivot relative to the axle to align with the respective end of a bale when brought into contact therewith. The spinner also includes one or more bale gripping features extending from the spinner body that pierce the bale to aid gripping and lifting of the bale. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bale mover engaged with an unloaded bale depicted in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the bale mover of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the bale mover of  FIG. 1  depicting a range of motion of the arms in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of a spinner rotatably and pivotably mounted on an arm of the bale mover of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The subject matter of select embodiments of the invention is described with specificity herein to meet statutory requirements. But the description itself is not intended to necessarily limit the scope of claims. Rather, the claimed subject matter might be embodied in other ways to include different components, steps, or combinations thereof similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Terms should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individual steps is explicitly described. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , a bale mover  10  is described in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The bale mover  10  is depicted and described herein as being a flatbed-type bale mover for mounting to the frame of a truck (not shown). However it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to a particular type of bale mover and it is foreseen that elements of the invention can be incorporated into other types or styles of bale handling equipment. For example, the self-adjusting spinners to be described below can be used with tractor-mounted hay handling equipment or with bale movers designed for mounting in the bed of a pick-up truck. Additionally, the bale mover  10  is described with respect to loading/unloading and spreading of cylindrical or round bales, but other types of bales might be moved or spread by the bale mover  10  without departing from the scope of embodiments of the invention described herein. 
     The bale mover  10  is generally mounted on a base unit  12  configured for mounting on the frame or in the bed of a truck. The base unit  12  includes a generally flat loading surface  14  and a horizontal cross-member  16  moveably mounted along a rear end thereof. The cross-member  16  is typically connected to the base frame  12  by an articulated linkage  18 . The linkage  18  allows the cross-member  16  to rotate about a horizontal axis and may also allow for vertical displacement of the cross-member  16 . 
     Movement and actuation of the linkage  18  and cross-member  16  is preferably provided by one or more hydraulic actuators (not shown) but pneumatic, mechanical, electrical, or other apparatus can be used. Controls for operation of the actuators may be provided inside the cab of the vehicle and/or located on, for example, the base frame  12  of the bale mover  10 . Remote control systems might also be employed. 
     An arm  20  is pivotally attached to each end of the cross-member  14 . Actuators  22  disposed in the cross-member  16  couple to the arms  20  and are configured to pivot distal ends of the arms  20  toward and away from one another for engaging and disengaging a bale  24  therebetween. 
     A riser  26  is disposed at or near the distal end of each arm  20  and carries a spinner  27  having a spinner axle  28  upon which a spinner body  30  is mounted. The riser  26  displaces the spinner  27  laterally away from the arm  20  a sufficient distance to enable the arm  20  to assume a stowed position in which the arm  20  rests on the loading surface  14 , e.g. without the spinner body  30  obstructing the arm  20  from achieving the stowed position. The riser  26 , and thus the spinner  27  may be removable from the arm  20  when desired, such as when the vehicle carrying the bale mover  10  is not in use for unrolling bales  24 . In another embodiment (not shown), the axle  28  may be coupled to the arm  20  directly without the use of the riser  26 . 
     The axle  28  is rotatably coupled to the riser  26  via one or more bushings, bearings, or the like and has a fixed orientation relative to the arm  20 —preferably perpendicular to the arm  20  and extending toward the opposite arm  20 , however other orientations might be employed. In another embodiment, the axle  28  is fixedly coupled, e.g. not rotatably coupled, to the riser  26 . The axle  28  includes a sharpened or pointed end to aid insertion thereof at least partially into ends of the bale  24 . The axle  28  might alternatively have a blunt end or another desired configuration. 
     The spinner body  30  is rotatably and pivotably mounted on the axle  28  via a coupler  32  to enable the spinner body  30  to rotate relative to the axle  28  about an axis  34  extending parallel to the length of the axle  28  and to pivot relative to the axis  34 ; pivoting of the spinner body  30  relative to the axis  34  also pivots a rotational axis  35  of the spinner body  30  away from the axis  34 . The coupler  32  comprises a ball-swivel, ball-and-socket, or heim-joint style coupling between the spinner body  30  and the axle  28 , but may take other forms without departing from the scope of embodiments of the invention described herein. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the coupler  32  includes a ball-swivel  36  disposed in a casing  38 . The ball-swivel  36  includes an aperture extending therethrough in which the axle  28  is received. A bushing or bearing  37  can be provided between the ball-swivel  36  and the axle  28  to facilitate relative rotational motion therebetween. An exterior of the casing  38  is affixed to the spinner body  30  while an interior of the casing  38  receives and retains engagement with the ball-swivel  36 . The engagement between the ball-swivel  36  and the casing  38  is configured to enable rotation of the ball-swivel  36  within the casing  38  in any angular direction. Such rotation may only be limited by interaction between the axle  28  and the casing  38  when the coupler  32  is disposed thereon. One or more lubricants or bushings might be provided between the ball-swivel  36  and the casing  38 . A dust-shield (not shown) might also be mounted over the coupler to prevent debris from entering between the ball-swivel  36  and the casing  38 . 
     As indicated previously, the spinner  27  includes a body  30  comprising a generally planar center section  40  and a plurality of gripping elements  42 . The center section  40  can take any form, but typically extends radially outward from the coupler  32  to provide a circular or polygonal plate. The gripping elements  42  extend outwardly from the spinner body  30  in a direction generally perpendicular to the center section  40  and toward the opposite arm  20  so as to be engagable with ends of the bale  24 . The gripping elements  42  may comprise flanges, fingers, pins, plates, teeth, rods, or other features configured to at least partially penetrate the ends of the bale  24  when engaged therewith. Engagement of the gripping elements  42  with the bale  24  should provide sufficient resistance to movement of the bale  24  relative to the spinner  27  to enable lifting and loading/unloading of the bale  24  on the loading surface  14 . 
     The body  30  of the spinner  27  is disposed along the length of the axle  28  such that a portion of the axle  28  extends beyond the body  30  of the spinner  27 . Accordingly, the axle  28  may also at least partially penetrate and engage the bale  24 . In another embodiment (not shown), the spinner  30  is disposed at the distal end of the axle  28 . It is also foreseen that a centrally located point or spear similar to the distal end of the axle  28  (as shown) could form a part of the spinner body  30  and rotate and swivel therewith rather than being integral with the axle  28 . 
     With continued reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , operation of the bale mover  10  is described in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Operation of the bale mover  10  is described with respect to loading of the bale  24  onto the loading surface  14 —unloading of the bale  24  follows the reverse process. Initially, the vehicle carrying the bale mover  10  is driven to position the bale mover  10  adjacent to the bale  24  to be lifted, e.g. the vehicle is backed up to the bale  24  to position the cross-member  16  a distance from the bale  24 . The cross-member  14  is actuated via the linkage  18  to move the arms  20  from a stowed position atop the loading surface  14  to a loading position extending rearwardly from the bale mover  10 , as depicted in  FIGS. 1-2 . The arms  20  may be pivoted outwardly away from one another to provide sufficient spacing for receiving the bale  24  therebetween. The orientation of the cross-member  14  may be further adjusted via actuation of the linkage  18  to locate the spinners  27  generally centrally on the ends of the bale  24 . 
     The arms  20  are pivoted toward one another to engage the spinners  27  with the ends of the bale  24 . As the gripping elements  42  contact the ends of the bale  24  the spinner body  30  on each arm  20  pivots about the coupler  32  relative to the axle  28  to maintain the body  30  of the spinner  27  generally parallel to the ends of the bale  24 . The gripping elements  42  are pressed against and/or at least partially into each end of the bale  24  to bring the central portion  40  of the spinner  27  into contact with the bale  24 . The axles  28  may also pierce the ends of the bale  24 . 
     The linkage  18  is again actuated to pivot the cross-member  16  and the arms  20  upwardly and toward the loading surface  14  to lift the bale  24  onto the loading surface  14 . 
     Once the bale  24  is in a desired position and is resting on the loading surface  14  the arms  20  are pivoted away from one another to disengage the spinners  27  and the griping elements  42  from the bale  24 . Depending on the size of the loading surface  14 , one or more additional bales  24  can then be loaded as desired. The arms  20  might be maintained in engagement with the bale  24  to secure the bale  24  during transportation thereof. 
     Unloading of the bale  24  follows the reverse process. Additionally, it may be desirable to employ the bale mover  10  to aid spreading of the bale  24  on the ground for ease of consumption by livestock of for ground coverage. Accordingly, following unloading of the bale  24  onto the ground the arms  20  and spinners  30  may remain engaged with the bale  24 . Any twine, netting, or other bindings on the bale  24  are removed manually. The vehicle carrying the bale mover  10  may then be driven while the bale  24  is engaged by the bale mover  10  to cause the bale  24  to be unrolled. The bale  24  is allowed to rotate via rotation of the spinner bodys  30  about the axles  28  and/or via rotation of the axles  28  within their couplings with the risers  26 . The pivotal and rotational motion of the spinners  30 , as enabled by the couplers  32 , prevents binding of the components during unrolling of the bale  24 . The pivotal and rotational motion of the spinner bodies  30  also maintains positive engagement with the bale  24  without wallowing out the ends of the bale  24  as might be encountered with a statically oriented engagement between the arms  20  and the bale  24 . Such may be advantageous when it is desirable to load a remainder of the bale  24  onto the loading surface  14 ; if the ends of the bale  24  had been wallowed out, the engagement therewith may not be sufficient to support the bale  24  and may create dangerous conditions that could result in dropping of the bale  24 , among other situations. 
     Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the scope of the claims below. Embodiments of the technology have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this disclosure after and because of reading it. Alternative means of implementing the aforementioned can be completed without departing from the scope of the claims below. Identification of structures as being configured to perform a particular function in this disclosure is intended to demarcate those structures as including a plurality of possible arrangements or designs within the scope of this disclosure and readily identifiable by one of skill in the art to perform the particular function in a similar way without specifically listing all such arrangements or designs. Certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims.