Abstract:
An implement for transporting and wrapping large round bales of forage material includes an elongated transporter having longitudinally extending rails and an endless chain associated with each rail to move large bales of forage material rearwardly along the rails toward the bale wrapper connected to the rearward end of the transporter. The bale wrapper can be devoid of wheels and is carried between job sites on top of the transporter bed, being loaded and unloaded through use of the endless chains associated with each rail. The bale wrapper receives operative power from the transporter drive mechanism. A bale loader elevates round bales from the ground onto the rails. Once fully loaded, a push gate pushes the round bales rearwardly toward the bale wrapper.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims domestic priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/225,801, filed Jul. 15, 2009, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to apparatus for retrieving, wrapping and transporting large round bales of forage material and, more particularly, to a transporter machine cooperable with a wrapping mechanism to move and wrap large round bales of forage material. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Another transporter apparatus can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,102, issued on May 11, 1982, to John H. Gray. The Gray transporter is similar to the Seymour transporter in that the round bales are engaged at the forward end of the machine and conveyed rearwardly to be transported in a linear configuration. The Gray transporter, however, is constructed with an offset bale pick-up mechanism that engages round bales to the side of the transporter and elevates them onto the transporter by pivoting the pick-up mechanism to move the bale from the ground onto the transporter. U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,304, issued to Vern L. Godfrey on Dec. 10, 1991, carries the collected round bales in a linear orientation above the surface of the ground, and picks up the bales by hydraulically lowering the entire transporter over the round bale before engaging and lifting the bale. 
         [0004]    A two row transporter for round bales is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,124, granted on Dec. 23, 1997, to Charles Dufraisse. In this transporter, round bales are engaged by a pick-up mechanism located offset to the side of the transporter frame so that the pick-up mechanism will pivot to elevate a round bale from the ground onto the frame of the transporter where a pusher moves the round bales rearwardly until the first row of round bales is formed. A second pusher apparatus is then operated to move the entire row of round bales from the first position to a transversely spaced second position. The first row of round bales is then filled again to provide a two row transporter configuration for transport from the field to a remote location. This particular transporter has been coupled commercially with the spiral round bale wrapper apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,124 with the first row of bales being fed through the circular hoop followed by the second row after being moved back onto the first row position. 
         [0005]    In this commercial configuration, the transporter is powered by the tractor that provides motive and operative power to the transporter, but the wrapper mechanism is powered by its own on-board engine to operate independently of the transporter and the tractor. However, in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,124, an automatic coupling device is suggested as being available to hydraulically couple the wrapper apparatus to the hydraulic system of the tractor connected to the transporter. Certainly, a manual connection of hydraulic hoses from the tractor to the wrapper apparatus is possible, although such manual operation requires the operator of the tractor to dismount from the tractor and manually connect the hydraulic hoses to the connecting ports of the wrapper apparatus. 
         [0006]    It would also be desirable to provide a transporter apparatus that would be operable to be coupled to a wrapping machine to cause the bales being transported to be spiral wrapped with a plastic strip such that the power for operating the wrapping apparatus is provided from the tractor operating the transporter. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    It is an object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by providing an implement for transporting and wrapping round bales of forage material where the bale wrapper receives operational power from the transporter conveying round bales from the field to the bale wrapper. 
         [0008]    It is a feature of this invention that the transporter is formed with a pair of longitudinally extending rails on which round bales loaded onto the transporter are placed. 
         [0009]    It is another feature of this invention that the bale wrapper can be devoid of wheels and is transported between job sites on the bed of the transporter. 
         [0010]    It is still another feature of this invention that the large bale transporter can be coupled to a bale wrapper through which the large bales of forage material are passed directly from the transporter. 
         [0011]    It is another feature of this invention that the bale wrapper is adapted for connection to the rear of the transporter when positioned to receive large bales therefrom. 
         [0012]    It is yet another feature of this invention that the bale wrapper can be transported on the large bale transporter for movement from one location to another. 
         [0013]    It is an advantage of this invention that the bale wrapper can be selectively positioned at a job site before the transporter is utilized to retrieve large bales of forage material to be wrapped thereby. 
         [0014]    It is still another feature of this invention that the operative power to run the bale wrapping apparatus is provided by a drive connection with the large bale transporter. 
         [0015]    It is another advantage of this invention that the bale wrapper can be manufactured without a power plant to drive the operation of the bale wrapping apparatus. 
         [0016]    It is a further feature of this invention that the frame of the large bale transporter supports a chain mechanism that underlies the large bales when carried on the frame of the transporter. 
         [0017]    It is still another feature of this invention that the large bale transporter can be operatively connected to a prime mover, such as a farm tractor, to provide motive power for moving the transporter over the surface of the ground. 
         [0018]    It is yet another advantage of this invention that the prime mover can also provide the hydraulic power for operation of the drive mechanism on the large bale transporter. 
         [0019]    It is another object of this invention to provide a large bale transporter and bale wrapper system for retrieving large bales of forage material from the ground after being baled by a conventional baling process to wrap the large bales with plastic for placement at a desired location, which is durable in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, carefree of maintenance, facile in assemblage, and simple and effective in use. 
         [0020]    These and other objects, features and advantages are accomplished according to the instant invention by providing an implement for transporting and wrapping large round bales of forage material which includes an elongated transporter having longitudinally extending rails and an endless chain associated with each rail to move large bales of forage material rearwardly along the rails toward the bale wrapper connected to the rearward end of the transporter. The bale wrapper can be devoid of wheels and is carried between job sites on top of the transporter bed, being loaded and unloaded through use of the endless chains associated with each rail. The bale wrapper receives operative power from the transporter drive mechanism. A bale loader elevates round bales from the ground onto the rails. Once fully loaded, a push gate pushes the round bales rearwardly toward the bale wrapper. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]    The advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
           [0022]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of the transporter incorporating the principles of the instant invention, the transporter being shown connected to a tractor and as being loaded with a line of round bales depicted in phantom; 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the transporter connected to a tractor as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view of the transporter corresponding to lines  3 - 3  with two differently sized round bales being depicted on the pick-up mechanism, the positioning of the round bales on the transporter being shown in phantom; 
           [0025]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the wrapper apparatus incorporating the principles of the instant invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 5  is a left side elevational view of the wrapper apparatus, representative bales being wrapped being shown in phantom; 
           [0027]      FIG. 6  is a left side elevational view of the transporter having the wrapper apparatus mounted on the transporter bed for movement thereof from one location to another; 
           [0028]      FIG. 7  is a left side elevational view of the transporter similar to that of  FIG. 6  showing the wrapper apparatus engaged with only the rearward portion of the transporter bed such as to start a loading operation or finishing an unloading operation of the wrapper apparatus; 
           [0029]      FIG. 8  is a left side elevational view of the transporter similar to that of  FIG. 7 , but showing the wrapper apparatus being pulled further on-board the transporter bed in a loading operation; 
           [0030]      FIG. 9  is a partial left side elevational view of the forward portion of the transporter to depict the hitch and the drive components connected to the tractor; and 
           [0031]      FIG. 10  is a partial top plan view of the forward portion of the transporter corresponding to  FIG. 9 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0032]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a transporter, incorporating the principles of the instant invention, for transporting large round bales of forage crop can best be seen. Any left, right front and rear references are used as a matter of convenience and are determined by standing at the rear of the transporter  10  facing the tractor T to which the transporter  10  is connected for motive and operative power. The transporter  10  is selectively connectable to a wrapper apparatus  50 , as will be described in greater detail below, to transfer large round bales of forage crop through the wrapper apparatus  50  to cause a strip of plastic to be wrapped around the outer periphery of the bales for storage thereof. The transporter  10  is an implement that has a hitch  11  at the forward end thereof for connection to a tractor T in a conventional manner. The transporter  10  includes a transporter bed  15  supported on an axle mechanism  30  for movement over the surface of the ground G and a pick-up mechanism  20  mounted at the forward end of the transporter  10  offset to the right of the transporter  10  to engage large round bales of forage crop for elevation onto the transporter bed  15 . 
         [0033]    The forwardmost part of the transporter  10  includes the hitch  11  and a frame  12  connected thereto. The frame  12  supports a drive mechanism  40  that is connected to the tractor T and drives the operation of the transporter  10  and the wrapper apparatus  50 . The drive mechanism  40  is preferably hydraulic, though the drive mechanism  40  could be mechanical over hydraulic with the power takeoff mechanism (not shown) of the tractor T driving an on-board hydraulic system for the transporter  10 , or the drive mechanism could be completely mechanical. Typically, however, the tractor T can provide adequate hydraulic power from the hydraulic system onboard the tractor, represented by the hydraulic ports  41 . The hydraulic lines connected to the tractor ports  41  are connected to a hydraulic valve  43  that is operable to divide and direct the flow of hydraulic fluid from the tractor T to the components as needed to operate the transporter  10  and the wrapper apparatus  50 . The primary drive component for the transporter  10  is the hydraulic motor  45  that is operably connected to a gear reduction apparatus  46  to rotate the front drive shaft  49  of the conveyor  17  on the transporter bed  15 . 
         [0034]    The transporter bed  15  primarily consists of a pair of longitudinally extending rails  16  extending from the frame  12  at the front of the transporter  10  to the rearwardmost portion. Each rail  16  supports an endless chain conveyor  17  entrained around a drive sprocket  47  operatively connected to the gear reduction apparatus  46  to affect movement of the chain conveyor  17 . Since the hydraulic motor  45  is operable in forward and reverse directions, the hydraulic motor  45  is operable to move the chain conveyor  17  both forwardly and rearwardly for the selective movement of bales on the transporter bed  15 . The rails  16  are also supported by the axle mechanism  30  and terminate at the rearwardmost portion thereof in a driven sprocket  48 . Both the opposing drive sprockets  47  and the driven sprockets  48  are coupled by transversely extending shafts  49  to keep the chain conveyors  17  moving in unison. 
         [0035]    The pick-up mechanism  20  is pivotally supported from the frame  12  to be movable between a lowered engagement position, as shown in solid lines in  FIG. 3 , and a loading position, as shown in phantom in  FIG. 3 , to deposit the bale onto the transporter bed  15 . The pick-up mechanism  20  includes a subframe  22  pivotally connected to the transporter frame  12  by a longitudinally extending pivot axis  21 . The subframe  22  includes a pair of forwardly projecting tines  23  that are spaced transversely a sufficient distance to be positionable on transversely opposing sides of a round bale for support thereof while being elevated onto the transporter bed  15 . A hydraulic cylinder  25 , operably connected to the hydraulic valve  43  to receive hydraulic fluid under pressure therefrom, interconnects the transporter frame  12  and the subframe  22  to cause pivotal movement of the pick-up mechanism  20  about the pivot axis  21  relative to the transporter  10 . 
         [0036]    The transporter  10  includes a push gate  35  constructed with a push head  36  that is generally vertically oriented to engage the front surface of a bale B to push the bale rearwardly with the movement of the chain conveyor  17 . A push arm  37  extends forwardly from the push head  36  and supports a frame that selectively connected to the conveyor chains  17  to move rearwardly therewith and push the bales B off the transporter  10  into the wrapper apparatus  50 . When activation of the push gate  35  is desired, the push gate  35  is connected to the conveyor chain  17  into a driving engagement therewith so that the push gate  35  will move with the conveyor chain  17 . 
         [0037]    The wrapper apparatus  50  is best seen in  FIGS. 4 and 5  and consists primarily of a frame supported a longitudinally extending ramp  52  having rollers  52  mounted therein to support wrapped bales W, and a circular hoop  55  containing a plastic wrapping mechanism  56  that orbits around the circular hoop  55  to wrap a strip of plastic around the bales B as they pass rearwardly through the hoop  55  and onto the ramp  52 . The general operation of the wrapper apparatus  50  is known in the art, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,124, and does not need to be described herein. Some significant differences exist, however, in the wrapper apparatus  50  compared to that disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,124, primarily in the mechanism for powering the operation of the wrapper apparatus  50 . Commercially, most such wrapping machines carry their own engine to provide operative power for the movement of the wrapping mechanism. The operative power for the wrapping mechanism  56  in the instant invention comes from the transporter  10 , via the tractor T. One such possible drive mechanism would be hydraulic lines carried rearwardly by the transporter  10  for connection with a hydraulic motor (not shown) carried by the wrapper apparatus  50 . 
         [0038]    Since the wrapper apparatus  50  has no on-board power generating devices, the wrapper mechanism  50  must be transported to the job site. The conventional manner of getting the wrapper apparatus  50  to the field to wrap bales of forage crop is to attach the wrapper apparatus to a second tractor or a pick-up truck that will tow the wrapper apparatus (mounted for movement on a wheeled axle) from place to place. This conventional manner of bringing the wrapper apparatus to the job site requires an additional source of motive power and another person to operate that machine. The transporter  10 , as can be seen in  FIGS. 6-8 , is operable to load the wrapper apparatus  50  onto the transporter bed  15  for transportation from one location to another. 
         [0039]    The fully loaded wrapper apparatus  50  is shown in  FIG. 6  in the orientation in which the transporter  10  carries the wrapper apparatus  50  to the job site where the wrapper apparatus  50  is unloaded at the site desired for storage or wrapped bales, and then the transporter  10  is free to move about the field collecting bales of forage crop. Loading the wrapper apparatus  50  onto the transporter bed  15  starts with a connection of the transporter conveyor  17  to the wrapper frame  51  and simultaneously operating the conveyor  17  in a forward direction and backing the transporter  10  into the wrapper apparatus  50  until projections (not shown) on the wrapper frame  51  engage the conveyor chain  17 . Once engaged, the rearward movement of the transporter  10  ceases and the conveyor  17  draws the wrapper apparatus  50  onto the transporter bed  15 , as is reflected in  FIG. 7 . The continued forward movement of the conveyor chains  17 , as is depicted in  FIG. 8 , brings the wrapper apparatus  50  along the transporter bed  15  until fully loaded, as is reflected in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0040]    Unloading the wrapper apparatus  50  is simply done the opposite way by moving the conveyor chains  17  rearwardly until the wrapper apparatus  50  is discharged off the transporter bed  15 . One skilled in the art will recognize that the transporter  10  should be moved forwardly as the wrapper apparatus  50  engages the ground behind the transporter  10  as the wrapper apparatus  50  has no wheeled support. The projections (not shown) on the wrapper apparatus  50  that are engaged with the conveyor chain  17  are pushed out of engagement with the conveyor chain  17  as the projections pass over the rear sprockets  48 . Thus, the wrapper apparatus  50  can be discharged off the rearward end of the transporter bed  15  for positioning where the wrapper apparatus  50  can wrap bales in plastic as described in detail below. 
         [0041]    In operation, the transporter  10  carries the wrapper apparatus  50  on top of the transporter bed  15  to the job site where the wrapped bales are intended to be stored. The wrapper apparatus  50  is then unloaded from the transporter bed  15  and positioned for subsequent operation. The transporter  10  is then free to move about the field collecting large round bales of forage crop. As is described above, each round bale B is engaged with the pick-up mechanism  20  and then elevated onto the transporter bed  15 . Once placed on the transporter bed  15  opposite the pick-up mechanism  20 , the hydraulic motor  45  is operated to drive the conveyor chains  17  to index the bale B rearwardly one bale length. The next bale B is then collected and elevated onto the transporter bed  15  adjacent the first bale. Then the conveyor chains  17  are operated again to advance the collected bales rearwardly one bale length. This process is repeated until the entire transporter bed  15  is loaded with collected bales B. 
         [0042]    The loaded transporter  10  is then driven by the tractor T to the wrapper apparatus  50 . The rearwardmost end of the transporter  10  is then backed toward the center of the wrapper apparatus  50  until contact is made. Drive connection between the transporter  10  and the wrapping apparatus  50  is made, such as by coupling the tractor hydraulic system to the hydraulic drive mechanism (not shown) on the wrapper apparatus  50 . One skilled in the art will recognize that the connection of the wrapper apparatus  50  to the tractor through an apparatus carried by the transporter  10  enables the wrapper apparatus  50  to be constructed without an on-board power-generating mechanism, such as an engine, as the power for driving the wrapper apparatus  50  ultimately comes from the tractor T. 
         [0043]    The push gate  35  is selectively connected to the conveyor chains  17  to help move bales from the transporter bed  15  into the wrapper apparatus  50  by pushing the round bales along the transporter bed  15 . Once the transporter  10  has been properly coupled with the wrapper apparatus  50 , the push gate  35  can be connected to the conveyor chains  17  and the push gate  35  and conveyor chains  17  are driven rearwardly to move the bales that had been loaded on the transporter bed  15  toward the wrapper apparatus  50 . 
         [0044]    The above-described operation of collecting bales from the field, backing the transporter  10  into the wrapper apparatus  50 , and moving the bales from the transporter  10  into the wrapper hoop  55 , then disconnecting and returning to the field is repeated until the desired number of bales have been wrapped. Once the desired number of bales has been wrapped and discharged from the bale wrapper, the operator reverses the transporter conveyor  17  to return the push gate  35  to the front of the transporter bed  15 . A length of tube (not shown) is manually positioned between the push gate  35  and the end of the last wrapped bale within the wrapper hoop  55 , and the stretch film is detached from that bale. The operator then drives the push plate  35  and the conveyor chains  17  rearwardly, pushing the wrapper apparatus  50  out from under the wrapped bales. Thereafter, the wrapper apparatus  50  can be loaded onto the transporter  10  as described above. 
         [0045]    It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within the principles and scope of the invention. The foregoing description illustrates the preferred embodiments of the invention; however, concepts, as based upon the description, may be employed in other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.