Patent GB-1284101-A (GB)
Title: Bale wagon
Inventor: GREY DONALD MARTIN
IPC: A01D87/12
Filed: 1969-08-25
Abstract: 1284101 Loading and [unloading bales; stacking and unstacking bales SPERRY RAND CORP 25 Aug 1969 [26 Aug 1968] 42213/69 Headings B8C and B8E A bale wagon is constructed to pick up bales, form them into a stack and then unload the stack; the wagon may also pick up a stack of bales and drop them one at a time, as it moves over a field or other area. The front portion of a wagon, Fig. 1A, comprises a bale pick-up mechanism 100 which feeds a transfer table 150 arranged adjacent a further transfer table 200. Tiers of bales may be transferred from table 200 on to a load rack 250, Fig. 1B, which includes a rolling rack 300. Pick-up mechanism 100.-A frame is pivotally mounted on a longitudinally extending axis and has its forwardly facing end open to receive the bales. A back wall 102 includes a chain conveyer 104 driven from a power shaft 22. Transfer table 150.-Two transversely extending beams 152, 154 are mounted on a portion 156 of an L-shaped structure 158 pivoted at 162 for swinging upwardly by means of an hydraulic cylinder 502. A conveyer chain 144 also driven from the shaft 22 transfers bales along the beams 152, 154. Transfer table 200 is pivoted to the load rack 250 and is movable from the position shown in Fig. 2A, to a raised position by a cylinder 508, Fig. 2B. A cross conveyer 350 is adapted to discharge bales from the table. Load rack 250 is mounted for tipping about pivots 256 by cylinders 535 and comprises a platform assembly 254 to the rear of which are mounted bale-engaging forks 296. The rolling rack 300 comprises forks 302 carried on a pair of trolley assemblies 310 which are guided by grooves 312 formed in the platform 254. The rack 300 can be positively moved forwardly or rearwardly by means of a cable 342 connected to a double acting cylinder 528. Alternatively the rack may move rearwardly, under control of the cylinder 528, as bales are loaded on to the rack 250. In a stack-forming operation, see particularly Fig. 2A, a bale A enters the forward open end of the pick-up mechanism 100, is raised (B) by the conveyer 104 until it falls on its side (C) on to the transfer table 150 and is engaged by the conveyer 144. Each time the table receives two bales they are transferred to table 200 (D) and a tier lying in a transverse vertical plane of the wagon and having four layers is formed. Each tier is then deposited on the rack 250 (E) by automatic pivoting of the table 200, and the rolling rack 300 is forced rearwardly as successive tiers of bales are placed on the rack 250. The tiers are prevented from tipping forward by tines 266 controlled by a handle 276. The load on the rack is discharged as a stack by pivoting the rack to the position shown in Fig. 10 and moving the wagon forwardly. In a loading and unloading operation the wagon is backed into a stack with the forks 296, 302 underlying the stack, Fig. 10, the rack 250 then being raised and the table 200 being inclined to the Fig. 12 position (not shown). The rolling rack 300 is then advanced to deposit a tier of bales on the table 200, the bottom layer of bales being moved transversely of the table by the cross conveyer 350 after the layer of bales immediately above the bottom layer has been shifted upwardly by hooks 362. After the bales of the bottom layer have been discharged one by one to the side of the wagon, the hooks 362 are retracted and the next layer becomes ready for discharge. When the last layer of the tier of bales on the table 200 has been discharged another tier is advanced by the rolling rack 300 on to the table. Hydraulic devices for operating the conveyers, the transfer tables and the load rack receive power from a pump (500), Fig. 9 (not shown). Alternatively, a tractor hydraulic system may provide the power. The wagon may be self propelled.