Abstract:
A hand cart adapted to lift and transport a single bale of hay or straw is disclosed. The cart is fabricated from metal stock pieces which are welded to form a rigid frame. The frame is designed with spaced apart wheels which will allow the cart to straddle the bale. Plural prong members impale and secure the bale for lifting and transporting.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/116,337, filed Jan. 19, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to land vehicles. More specifically, the present invention is drawn to a two-wheeled hand cart for transporting bales of hay. 
     2. Description of Related Art,i 
     On ranches and farms it is sometimes inconvenient, if not impossible, to bring livestock to a central place for feeding. In these instances, it becomes necessary to transport the feed to the livestock. Often, the transporting involves moving single bales of hay. For this and other reasons, an uncomplicated and efficient device for transporting single hay bales would be a welcome addition to the equipment inventory of the farmer or rancher. 
     There are numerous transporting devices known in the art that are adapted to load and transport bales of hay. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,095,706 (Schwien et al.), 4,573,846 (Willbanks et al.), 4,773,806 (Beaulieu), 5,639,198 (Pearce), and 5,769,587 (Gilfoil et al.) show devices for transporting bales of hay. However, unlike the present invention, the instant devices utilize complicated hydraulic mechanisms for manipulating the bales. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 145,505 (Beidelman, Jr.), 1,122,805 (Schertz), 4,549,743 (Shimon), and 5,474,312 (Starita) et al. disclose hand carts that may be used for transporting single bales of hay. The aforementioned patents however, do not disclose an uncomplicated device for impaling and lifting the single bales. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,368 (Berghoefer) shows a device for carrying animals. 
     None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to disclose the instant invention as will be subsequently described and claimed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a cart adapted to pick up single bales of hay or straw for easy transport. The cart is fabricated from metal stock material attached, by welding or the like, to form a rigid frame including a handle, two wheels, and plural bale impaling prongs. Two fixed prongs are positioned at the front of the cart and a single swinging prong is suspended adjacent the handle. 
     The cart is designed with an unobstructed space formed between the wheels so that the cart may straddle a bale of hay or straw. Manipulation of the cart, as will be later explained, will allow a user to lift a bale of hay or straw for transport to a desired location. 
     In a second embodiment, a pair of removable wheels are provided for the top of the cart at the front end thereof. The addition of wheels will allow the cart to be utilized as a dolly, if desired. Also, the second embodiment employs a rack which may be removably positioned on the top of the cart. The rack is used to transport small implements such as rakes, shovels etc. 
     Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a cart for transporting a bale of hay or straw. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a cart which has structure to facilitate lifting a bale of hay or straw. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a cart for transporting a bale of hay or straw, which cart may be utilized as a dolly. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which are inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing their intended purposes. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a first embodiment of a hay bale cart according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmented, partially exploded view of the hay bale cart of FIG. 1 according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is an environmental, perspective view of a second embodiment of a hay bale cart according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is an environmental, perspective view of the basic cart structure of a second embodiment of a hay bale cart according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a partial view of FIG. 4 taken at A which shows a rack fitting pocket according to the present invention. 
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the cart of the present invention is generally designated at  10  and is fabricated of four main structural parts which comprise a U-shaped member  12  having a handle  14 , a wheel mounting frame  16 , wheels  18 , and a swinging prong member  20 . 
     As best shown in FIG. 1, member  12  extends from handle  14  to form spaced apart front legs  12   a  and  12   b . Legs  12   a  and  12   b  extend a predetermined first distance perpendicularly downward from member  12 . Prong members  24  and  26  are integrally formed with respective front legs  12   a  and  12   b  and extend perpendicularly therefrom in a direction toward handle  14 . The space between prong members  24  and  26  is unobstructed. Prong members  24  and  26  resemble the tines of a fork, being adapted for piercing a bale of hay. 
     Wheel mounting frame  16 , FIGS. 1 and 2, also generally shaped as a U, is firmly attached to member  12  at a predetermined distance from handle  14 , by welding or the like, in such manner that the U shapes are perpendicular one to the other. Frame  16  is positioned such that the closed end of the U is above member  12  with legs  16   a  and  16   b  extending to positions beneath member  12 . Legs  16   a  and  16   b  are turned outward to form axles  16   c  and  16   d . Wheels  18  are rotatably mounted on axles  16   c  and  16   d  and are secured thereto by conventional means (cotter pins, locknuts, etc.)  22 . 
     A cross brace  28  is rigidly attached to member  12  adjacent handle  14 . Bracket  30  is fixed to cross brace  28  and is provided with holes to accommodate pivot pin  30   a . A swinging prong support member  20  depends from cross brace  28  and is pivotally attached thereto via bracket  30  and pivot pin  30   a . Prong support member  20  extends downward from cross brace  28  a distance approximately the same as the aforesaid first distance of legs  12   a  and  12   b . An integral prong  20   a  is formed at the end of member  20 . Prong  20   a  is oriented to face prongs  24  and  26 . 
     Structural braces  32   a  and  32   b  are rigidly secured at respective front ends  12   a  and  12   b . Braces  32   a ,  32   b  extend upwardly in spaced parallel fashion and are rigidly attached to the top of frame  16 . Structural brace members  34   a  and  34   b  are rigidly secured at the ends of respective legs  16   a  and  16   b . Braces  34   a ,  34   b  extend upwardly in spaced parallel fashion and are rigidly attached to member  12  and cross brace  28 . Structural brace members  36   a  and  36   b  are rigidly secured to respective brace members  34   a  and  34   b  at a predetermined point along each length thereof. Braces  36   a ,  36   b  extend upwardly in spaced parallel fashion and are rigidly secured to member  12  and frame  16 . 
     The dimensions of the above structural members may obviously be determined by one skilled in the art based on the projected size of the bale to be transported. 
     To lift a bale of straw or hay, the cart  10  is first centered to straddle the bale. Handle  14  is then tipped upwardly, moving fixed prongs  24 ,  26  adjacent to a front horizontal midline of the bale. The cart is then moved in a rearward direction which forces fixed prongs  24 ,  26  into the front of the bale. Next, handle  14  is tipped downward so that swinging prong  20   a  can be pushed into the rear end of the bale. The cart is now leveled, thereby hoisting the bale from the ground. The bale may then be transported to a desired point of use by pushing the cart. 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 3-5, a second, and preferred, embodiment of the cart comprises a frame of rectangular configuration and formed by side rail members  40  and end beam members  40   a . Integral with and depending from the side rail members are wheel supports  44   a ,  44   b , and  44   c . Wheel supports  44   a  and  44   c  slope downward from the ends of side rail member  40  to form a triangle, wheel  18  being rotatably mounted on an axle at the apex of the triangle, wheel support  44   b  depending from the midpoint of side rail  40  to the apex of the triangle. The triangular shapes formed by side rail members  40  and wheel supports  40   a ,  40   b  and  40   c  provide rigid side supports of great strength for the cart. 
     The frame includes a center support section, which includes a cross beam  45  extending parallel to end members  40   a  and bisecting side rail members  40 . A pair of support legs  60  extend from the cross beam  45  parallel to side rails  40  to beyond front end beam  40   a , and bend downward at a 90° angle, and support a pair of front prongs  24 ,  26 , which extend back towards the cross beam  45  or center of the cart. The support legs  60  may be supported by attachment to the front end beam member  40   a . The prongs  24 ,  26  may be supported independently, as shown in FIG. 3, or joined by a cross leg  62  as shown in FIG. 4. A pair of reinforcing intermediate rail members  40   b  extend between the cross beam  45  and the rear end member  40   a , parallel to side rail members  40 . U-shaped handle  42  extends to the rear of the frame from cross beam  45 , and is supported by rear end member  40   a . Swinging prong member  20  is attached to rear end member  40   a  in the same manner as the swing prong member  20  is attached to the cross brace  28  of the first embodiment, the prong  20   a  facing the front prongs  24 ,  26 . 
     The frame may be constructed in any manner conventionally none in the art, as by welding the frame members together. In a preferred embodiment, the frame is constructed in three sections, including a pair of side sections each side section having a side rail member  40  made integral with wheel supports  44   a ,  44   b , and  44   c , and a center section, including at least cross beam  45 , end members  40   a , longitudinal rails  40   b , support legs  60  and front prongs  24 ,  26 . The center section may also include handle  42  and swinging prong member  20 , or these components may be removably attached to the center section. The two side sections may be joined to the center section by bolts, and the pair of wheels  18  may be mounted on axles attached to wheel supports  44   a ,  44   b  and  44   c . The manner of using the preferred, second embodiment of the cart to lift and transport a bale of hay is substantially the same as the manner of using the first embodiment. 
     A removable rack  46  is adapted to be positioned on the top side of the rectangular frame. Rack  46  has a rectangular front face configuration supported by two legs  48  sloping rearwardly, each leg  48  having a free end  48   a  best seen in FIG. 5, pockets  50  (only one shown) are positioned in an inner corner of the frame to receive a respective free end whereby the rack may be secured to the frame. Each pocket  50  is a hollow sleeve having an interior perimeter slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the free ends  48   a  so that the free ends  48   a  are slidable into the pockets  50 . The rack  46  may be used to support rakes, shovels, and other small implements. 
     A pair of dolly wheels  52  (FIG. 3) are removably positioned on the front end of the frame above the front prongs  24 ,  26 . Wheels  52  are smaller than wheels  18  and may be attached to the frame in any conventional and convenient manner. Dolly wheels  52  are used in conjunction with removable U-shaped stand  54 , which is mounted perpendicular to the frame adjacent the rear end member  40   a  with the crossbar of the U extending from the top of the frame. The stand  54  may be attached to the frame by any conventional fastener, as by bolts, pins, etc. As mentioned above, the additional wheels will allow the cart to be flipped and function as a dolly when desired, the cart being supported by the small dolly wheels  52  and the stand  54 . 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.