Abstract:
A simple agricultural bale loading accessory that provides an efficient tool that should save time and labor costs over other existing loaders. The invention permits a novel lifting, flipping, rotating, and depositing of a mid-size or big bale in one continuous motion from the ground in the field onto and across a receiving wagon or vehicle. The invention is designed to facilitate the easy conversion of an existing small bale hay pickup and transport vehicle into a vehicle that can more easily handle mid-size and big bales.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to bale loading of a transport vehicle in an agricultural setting. The invention enables the lifting, flipping, rotating, and depositing of a mid-size or big bale from the ground in the field onto a wagon or vehicle for consolation into a load with other bales for transport from the field. The invention serves as a useful modification to existing bale transport vehicles such as the New Holland™ stack wagon series and other vehicles that incorporate rear-hinged loading tables. The invention in its preferred embodiment allows the quick and easy conversion of a stack wagon from a small bale pickup and transport vehicle to a mid-size or big bale pickup and transport vehicle. The invention also allows quick and easy conversion back to a small bale pickup and transport vehicle from a mid-size or big bale pickup and transport vehicle. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A number of big bale loading devices exist that can aid a person in loading wagons and other transport vehicles in the field. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,160 issued to Reist is disclosed a bale loading device. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,534 issued to Stevenson, the task of loading big bales and the conversion of a small bale stack wagon into a big bale stack wagon is also addressed. The prior devices are generally more cumbersome, bulky, and complex than the present invention. The present invention provides for a less complex loader and provides an efficient tool that should save time and labor costs over other existing loaders. 
     The present invention permits a novel lifting, flipping, rotating, and depositing of a bale in one continuous process from the ground onto and across a receiving table or surface of a vehicle. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A principal objective of this invention is to provide a novel and improved bale loading accessory that is lightweight, compact, simple, low-maintenance, and reliable for use in a system that permits a farmer or other user to reversibly modify an existing small bale pickup and transport vehicle into a more efficient agricultural tool. In the preferred embodiment, the accessory is easily attached to the vehicle by four bolts and by the connection of four hydraulic lines. 
     A further object of this invention involves a method of converting small bale stack wagons such as manufactured by New Holland North America, Inc. (New Holland) into vehicles capable of loading mid-size or big bales. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide an accessory that will lift and deposit bales lengthwise across a receiving table of a vehicle equipped with the invention. 
     Additional and various other objects and advantages attained by the invention will become more apparent as the specification is read and the accompanying figures are reviewed. 
     The loader in the preferred embodiment uses two hydraulic actuators and four quick connect hydraulic lines. Each actuator requires the hook up of two hydraulic lines. The four hydraulic lines are ones that on a preexisting New Holland™ stack wagon are used to power two hydraulic devices that are associated with the operation of its small bale pickup device. The control of the invention&#39;s actuators may be accomplished by use of the same controls that would be used on an unmodified small bale stack wagon to control two hydraulic devices. 
     The present invention overcomes a significant problem that is encountered by many other loading devices. This significant problem is complex attachment to the wagon or vehicle. The present invention uses simple nuts and bolts and quick connect hydraulic lines to facilitate easy and reversible conversion of a preexisting stack wagon from a small bale loading wagon to a mid-size and big bale loading wagon and back to a small bale loading wagon. The invention allows the user to quickly and easily configure the wagon either as a small bale loading wagon or a mid-size or big bale loading wagon. After the modification as taught herein, subsequent conversion to or from one configuration to the other can be rapidly and easily accomplished. 
     Use of the accessory allows the stack wagon operator to approach bales in the field from their ends, the same orientation as the bales obtained when deposited on the ground by the baler that formed them as it progressed along a similar track to that now taken by the stack wagon. The accessory receives each bale with its longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wagon (along the course of advance of the stack wagon in the field). The accessory then lifts, flips, rotates, and deposits the bale onto the wagon with the longitudinal axis of the bale after loading then being oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stack wagon and parallel to the plane of the receiving table or receiving surface of the wagon or transport vehicle. 
     Use of the invention allows the bales to be placed in the orientation across the receiving table without the need of a complex turn table. Bales laying on their strings in the field can be retrieved from the field with a New Holland™ stack wagon or similar vehicle that has been modified and been equipped with the present invention and thereafter deposited in stable stacks again resting on their strings in the storage area. After deposit, the bales in the stack can be approached from the same side accessed by the vehicle when it deposited the bales. 
     The accessory in its preferred embodiment is mounted to and from a preexisting vehicle. When a New Holland® small bale stack wagon is modified, its preexisting small bale loader is unmounted from the vehicle before the instant invention is mounted. Generally a mounting fixture is attached to the vehicle preferably using nuts and bolts and then the invention is attached to the mounting fixture by using a plurality of bolts. The preferred embodiment uses hydraulic actuators, but other comparable devices including pneumatic actuators could be used. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the right front quarter of a transport vehicle equipped with a bale loading accessory of the preferred embodiment in a bale receiving position showing the orientation of the accessory to a receiving table of the transport vehicle; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the accessory shown in FIG. 1 in the bale receiving position; 
     FIG. 3 is a view of a portion of the accessory showing the preferred embodiment of a tower assembly as viewed from direction A—A in FIG. 2 showing alternative positions of a lifting actuator and a rotational lever from a bale receiving position to a bale depositing position; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective, exploded view of a portion of the accessory; 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the accessory shown in FIG. 1 in the bale receiving position; 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the accessory shown in FIG. 1 that has been rotated upwardly through approximately 115 degrees of its range of approximately 180 degrees of rotational travel; 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the accessory shown in FIG. 1 in the bale depositing position; and 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the accessory showing alternative embodiments of a tower assembly, a bearing pipe, and a supporting member. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, the present invention is novel and provides a bale loading accessory  10  for a transport vehicle. A method of using the accessory  10  provides for lifting, flipping, rotating, and depositing a bale on said vehicle. The accessory  10  in its preferred embodiment is mounted beneath a bale receiving table  12  of the transport vehicle to a mounting fixture  14  that preferably is securely attached to the frame of the transport vehicle. Preferably the mounting fixture  14  is bolted to the frame of the vehicle. If a small bale loader is mounted on the transport vehicle, typically it is unmounted before the accessory  10  is mounted. The mounting fixture  14  has a support mounting plate  18  at one of its ends. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the accessory  10  has a supporting member  16  that has a support mounting plate  18  attached to one of its ends. The two support mounting plates  18  are preferably bolted together with a plurality of nuts and bolts thereby securing the supporting member  16  to the mounting fixture  14  and thus securing the accessory  10  to the transport vehicle. Preferably the longitudinal axis of the supporting member  16  is diagonal (at an angle of about 45 degrees) to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Alternatively the support member  16  may be attached directly to the frame by welding or by nuts and bolts. 
     The supporting member  16  is attached preferably by welding to a bearing pipe  20 . Preferably the longitudinal axis of the supporting member  16  is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bearing pipe  20  and the longitudinal axis of the pipe is parallel to the plane of the surface upon which the vehicle rests. Additionally, the longitudinal axis of the bearing pipe  20  is aligned diagonally to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle preferably at an angle of about 45 degrees. 
     The bearing pipe  20  has two ends and preferably is fabricated from square tubing. A tower assembly  22  is attached preferably by welding to the bearing pipe  20  as shown in FIGS. 1,  2 ,  3 ,  5 ,  6 , and  7 . 
     The tower assembly  22  has a tower  24  that preferably is attached by welding to the bearing pipe  20  perpendicular to the axis of the pipe as shown in FIG.  1  and preferably attached at an angle rotated around the axis of said pipe of approximately 8 degrees from vertical as shown in FIG.  3 . The tower  24  can be attached at other appropriate angles including 90, 180, and 270 of rotation around the axis of the pipe from vertical. A bracket  26  is attached preferably by welding to the bearing pipe  20  and to the tower  24  as shown in FIGS. 1,  2 ,  3 ,  5 ,  6 , and  7 . 
     A lifting actuator  28  is attached between said bracket  26  and a rotational lever  30  by the use of pins and spring clips as well known in the art. In the preferred embodiment, the lifting actuator  28  is a hydraulic actuator and is connected to two hydraulic lines (not shown) and is powered and controlled by use of the hydraulic system of the modified vehicle. The hydraulic lines use quick disconnect fittings that are well known in the art. 
     In the best embodiment of the invention, a bearing mounting and tower reinforcing plate  32  is attached by welding to the tower  24  and to the bearing pipe  20  at the end of said pipe adjacent to the tower  24 . A straight collar roller bearing  34  having a four bolt mounting flange is bolted to said reinforcing plate  32  as shown in FIGS. 3,  5 ,  6 , and  7 . A bearing mounting plate  36  is attached preferably by welding to the other end of said bearing pipe  20  as shown in FIGS. 1,  2 ,  5 ,  6 , and  7 . 
     A second straight collar roller bearing  34  is bolted to said bearing mounting plate  36 . The bearing mounting and reinforcing plate  32  and the bearing mounting plate  36  each have an aperture (not shown) that allows a rotatable shaft  38  to be rotatably mounted through said apertures and said bearing pipe  20  in said bearings  34 . The rotatable shaft  38  has a first shaft end  66  and a second shaft end  68  which extend out beyond the bearings  34 . 
     A collar  40  is attached preferably by welding to the first shaft end  66  of said rotatable shaft  38 . A pickup arm assembly  42  is attached to the collar  40  and to the first shaft end  66 . The pickup arm assembly  42  has a vertical column  44 . The vertical column  44  is attached preferably by welding to said collar  40  and said first shaft end  66  as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The vertical column  44  is also attached preferably by welding to an inwardly disposed clamping arm  46  and to a crossbeam tube  48 . In the best embodiment, a nesting tube  50  is slidingly received and adjustably secured within the crossbeam tube  48  in its free end away from said vertical column  44 . The nesting tube  50  is adjustably secured within the crossbeam tube  48  by a crossbeam pin  51  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The nesting tube  50  may be adjusted in or out of the crossbeam tube  48  by engaging appropriate cooperating holes in the crossbeam tube  48  and the nesting tube  50  with the crossbeam pin  51 . The crossbeam pin  51  may be secured by a spring clip  53 . 
     An outwardly disposed clamping arm  52  is pivotally connected to said nesting tube  50  by use of a pivot pin  54 . A clamping actuator  56  is attached between the crossbeam tube  48  and the outwardly disposed clamping arm  52  as best shown in FIG. 2 by use of pins and clips as well known in the art. In the best embodiment, alternative mounting holes for the clamping actuator  56  are provided in the crossbeam tube  48  for use in the adjustment of the distance between the clamping arms  46  and  52 . The clamping arms  46  and  52  are laterally spaced apart by the crossbeam tube  48  and the nesting tube  50  and the arms and tubes are generally coplanar. When in a bale receiving position, the clamping arms  46  and  52  are oriented generally parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and its direction of travel. In the preferred embodiment, a bale receiving opening  47  is defined when the pickup arm assembly  42  is in a bale receiving position by the clamping arms  46  and  52 , the crossbeam tube  48 , the nesting tube  50 , and the bale cushioning assembly  63  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the preferred embodiment, the clamping actuator  56  is connected to two hydraulic lines (not shown) and is powered and controlled by use of the hydraulic system of the modified vehicle. The hydraulic lines use quick disconnect fittings that are well know in the art. Alternative mounting holes in the crossbeam tube  48  are best shown in FIG.  7 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, the crossbeam tube  48  and the nesting tube  50  are replaced by a crossbeam (not shown) where said crossbeam is attached to said vertical column  44 , said outwardly disposed clamping arm  52  is pivotally connected to said crossbeam, and said clamping actuator  56  is attached between said crossbeam and said outwardly disposed clamping arm  52 . 
     A brace  60  is attached preferably by welding between the vertical column  44  and crossbeam tube  48  as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 7. A downstop  62  is attached to supporting member  16  and serves to stop downward rotation of the pickup arm assembly  42  in a preferred bale receiving position as shown in FIGS. 1,  2 , and  5 . 
     In the best embodiment of the invention, a bale is cushioned when received within a bale receiving opening  47  between the clamping arms  46  and  52 . The bale cushioning is provided by a bale cushioning assembly  63  attached to the crossbeam tube  48 . The bale cushioning assembly  63  is comprised of a bale cushion plate  64  attached preferably by welding to two receiver tubes  80  as shown in FIG.  2 . Two nesting receiving tubes  82  that are laterally spaced and parallel to one another are inserted perpendicularly through apertures in a cushion backing plate  65  and secured to the backing plate preferably by welding. Two crossbeam receiving tubes  84  are laterally spaced and parallel to one another and attached across the top surface of the crossbeam tube  48 . The crossbeam receiving tubes  84  each slidingly receives an end of one of the nesting receiving tubes  82 . Each nesting receiving tube  82  is secured to a crossbeam receiving tube  84  by a crossbeam receiving tube pin  88  as shown in FIG.  7 . The nesting receiving tubes  82  may be adjusted in concert in or out of the crossbeam receiving tubes  84  by engaging appropriate cooperating holes in the nesting receiving tubes  82  and the crossbeam receiving tubes  84  with two crossbeam receiving tube pins  88 . The nesting tubes  82  each have a second end and said ends are slidingly received in the receiver tubes  80 . The bale cushioning assembly  63  also has two coil springs  86  that are located between the bale cushioning plate  64  and the cushion backing plate  65 . Each coil spring  86  respectively encircles and surrounds one of the receiver tubes  80  and its cooperating nesting receiving tube  82 . In an alternative embodiment, the bale cushioning assembly  63  is attached to a crossbeam (not shown). 
     U-bolts (not shown) secure each coil spring  86  at each of its ends respectively to the bale cushion plate  64  and the cushion backing plate  65 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, the lifting actuator  28  is connected between the bracket  26  and the rotational lever  30 . The range of rotation is preferably limited to approximately 180 degrees by mechanical stops: the downstop  62  (not shown in FIG. 3) and an upstop  78  that is welded to the bearing mounting and tower reinforcing plate  32 . When the rotational lever  30  is in a bale depositing position, the lever  30  is stopped from further rotation by upstop  78 . When the lifting actuator  28  is fully retracted, preferably the rotational lever  30  will have rotated through approximately 115 degrees from its position when the pickup arm assembly  42  (not shown in FIG. 3) is in a bale receiving position. 
     FIG. 3 also shows the tower  24  leaning to the right of vertical, but alternatively the tower  24  can be attached to the bearing pipe  20  at different rotational angles so long as the rotational lever  30  is correspondingly attached to the rotatable shaft  38  (not shown in FIG. 3) so that upon retraction of the lifting actuator  28  from the bale receiving position towards the bale depositing position, the lever will have rotated through approximately 115 degrees. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective, exploded view of a portion of the accessory  10  that shows a second shaft end  68  of the rotatable shaft  38  to which a rotational lever  30  is attached by a washer  72  and a retention bolt  70 . FIG. 4 also shows that preferably the second shaft end  68  is tapered to closely fit and engage the rotational lever  30  upon assembly and securing by the retention bolt  70 . The second shaft end  68  is also preferably keyed to the rotational lever  30  with a key  74 , a keyway  76  in the second shaft end  68 , and a rotational lever keyway  92  in the rotational lever  30 . Alternatively, the rotational lever  30  could be attached to the rotatable shaft  38  by welding. 
     A bale is loaded after first being received in a bale receiving opening  47  between the clamping arms  46  and  52  when the arms are in a bale receiving position, at that time the clamping actuator  56  is extended causing the outwardly disposed clamping arm  52  to pivot towards the inwardly disposed clamping arm  46 , thereby clamping the bale for lifting. Once the clamping of a bale is accomplished by the arms  46  and  52 , the lifting actuator  28  is powered to full retraction as shown in FIG. 6 at which point the center of gravity of the bale being lifted and the pickup arm assembly  42  is past overcenter towards a bale depositing position such that when the lifting actuator  28  is unpowered the bale and pickup arm assembly  42  descend to the bale depositing position as shown in FIG.  7 . During the loading process, the bale being loaded is lifted, flipped, and rotated about the longitudinal axis of the rotatable shaft  38  and the longitudinal axis of the bale transits from being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle to being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The clamping arms  46  and  52  are generally coplanar and when in the bale depositing position are oriented generally parallel to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle as shown in FIG.  7 . 
     After the bale reaches the bale depositing position on the receiving table or surface of the vehicle, the clamping actuator  56  may be powered to retract and thereby depositing the bale. Then the lifting actuator  28  may be powered to full retraction at which point without the added weight of the bale, the center of gravity of the pickup arm assembly  42  is past overcenter towards the bale receiving position so that when the lifting actuator  28  is unpowered the pickup assembly  42  descends to the bale receiving position as shown in FIGS. 1,  2 , and  5 . 
     After the first bale is deposited on a receiving table of a vehicle and the pickup arm assembly  42  returns to the bale receiving position, the receiving table may be cycled up and down to slide the bale towards the rear of the vehicle thereby clearing a position on the table for the next bale to be deposited. 
     Alternative embodiments of a supporting member  16 ′, a bearing pipe  20 ′, a bracket  26 ′, and a tower  24 ′ are shown in FIG.  8 . FIG.  8 . also shows that the invention may be embodied without roller bearings  34  and the associated mounting and reinforcing plate  32  and the bearing mounting plate  36 . In an alternative embodiment, the rotatable shaft  38  rotates within a nesting round bearing pipe  20 ′ that is adequately greased by use of zerk fittings. Collar  40  is welded to the rotatable shaft  38  and a spacer  90  is used on the rotatable shaft  38  between the rotational lever  30  and the tower  24 ′. 
     From the preceding, it should be apparent that the present invention provides a new bale loading accessory and methods that allow for convenient, easy modification of a bale transport vehicle to permit the lifting, flipping, rotating, and depositing of a bale from the ground in the field onto and across a receiving table or surface of the transport vehicle. 
     The preceding description and exposition of a preferred embodiment of the invention is presented for purposes of illustration and enabling disclosure. It is neither intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications or variations in the invention in light of the above teachings that are obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art are considered within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted to the breath to which they are fairly, legitimately and equitably entitled.