Patent Publication Number: US-2016230920-A1

Title: Hay Bale Support

Description:
FIELD OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The field of the embodiments relates to a means for supporting round hay bales in a manner that prohibits contact with the ground thereby eliminating ground rot. The bale support is in the form of a stand that cradles the bale offering a stable resting place and allowing air to flow under the bale to promote a dry bale surface. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Hay for use as livestock feed is commonly baled in the form of large round bales. Round hay bales are popular due to their ability to shed water over their surface allowing them to be stored outside with low waste to all surfaces that are not in contact with the ground. Research shows that round bales stored outside on a surface that prohibits water from wicking into the bottom surface of the bale experience total loses of only a few percent for a year of storage. The surfaces most commonly used in these research studies include gravel pads and used pallets. The same research studies show that bales left in contact with the ground suffer significant hay loss due to rotting as a result of moisture wicking into the bales lower surface. The losses reported in the research can be as high as 40% for hay stored in an area or high heat and plentiful rainfall. The use of a gravel pad to prohibit hay loss presents a maintenance problem. Over time grass growth and dirt and debris fill the gravel bed porosity limiting its ability to efficiently wick water away from the bale surface. The use of pallets to maintain ground clearance for the bale requires the user to place a pallet in position for stacking after the placement of each individual bale since the pallets are too wide to straddle with most vehicles used for moving the hay. The reverse problem exists when feeding the hay. The pallet placement issue adds significant time to the storage or feeding process. The round bale support stand proposed here offers a convenient means of storing and recovering hay bales for feeding. The stand is narrow enough to allow most hay moving equipment to straddle the stand allowing the user to place all of the required stands in place before the stacking operation commences and the stands can be left in place if desired as the hay is fed. The stands are manufactured to accommodate a single bale and allow bales to be tightly stacked end to end. 
     SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The device offers stable support for a round bale of hay and prohibits contact with the ground. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a front view of a round extruded embodiment of the round bale support stand;  FIG. 1B  is a top view of a round extruded embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 2A  is a bottom view of a round extruded embodiment of the round bale support stand;  FIG. 2B  is a side view of a round extruded embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a round extruded embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 4A  is a front view of a v-shaped extruded embodiment of the round bale support stand;  FIG. 4B  is a top view of a v-shaped extruded embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 5A  is a bottom view of a v-shaped extruded embodiment of the round bale support stand;  FIG. 5B  is a side view of a v-shaped extruded embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a v-shaped extruded embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 7A  is a front view of a block support embodiment of the round bale support stand;  FIG. 7B  is a top view of a block support embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 8A  is a bottom view of a block support embodiment of the round bale support stand;  FIG. 8B  is a side view of a block support embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 9  is an isometric view of a 3× round extruded embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 10A  is a front view of a 3× round extruded embodiment of the round bale support stand;  FIG. 10B  is a top view of a block support embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 11A  is a bottom view of a 3× round extruded embodiment of the round bale support stand;  FIG. 11B  is a side view of a 3× round extruded embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 12  is an isometric view of a 3× round extruded embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 13A  is a front view of a 3× block supports embodiment of the round bale support stand;  FIG. 13B  is a top view of a 3× block supports embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 14A  is a bottom view of a 3× block supports embodiment of the round bale support stand;  FIG. 14B  is a side view of a 3× block supports embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 15  is an isometric view of a 3× block supports embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 16A  is a front view of a continuous design embodiment of the round bale support stand;  FIG. 16B  is a top view of a continuous design embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 17  is a side view of a continuous design embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 18  is an isometric view of a continuous design embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 19A  is a front view of a sawtooth block embodiment of the round bale support stand;  FIG. 19B  is a top view of a sawtooth block embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
         FIG. 20  is a side view of a sawtooth block embodiment of the round bale support stand. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A preferred embodiment of the Round Bale Support Stand  100  comprises a stand base  101  and a bale support. The bale support is comprised of a support chosen from one of the following geometrical configurations: 
     i) a single curved support  102 , 
     ii) a triangular support  401 , 
     iii) a staggered block support  701 , 
     iv) a set of curved supports  1001 , 
     v) a set of staggered block supports  1301 , 
     vi) a set of staggered parallel planks  1601 , or 
     vii) a set of a sawtooth blocks  701 . 
     The stand base is essentially a flat piece of material manufactured from wood, polymer, or metal that provides support to the Round Bale Support Stand when placed on the ground. The various bale support configurations are also manufactured from wood, polymer, or metal. 
     The single curved support  102  is comprised of a single curved support that is used to cradle the round bale. The single curved support  102  is essentially upwardly concave structure with a radius slightly larger than one-half the length of the base. The single curved support  102  is affixed to the stand base  101  to form an embodiment of the Round Bale Support Stand  100 . 
     The triangular support  103  is comprised of a single triangular shaped support that is used to cradle the round bale. The triangular support  103  is a triangular structure or “V” that can accept a round bale from above. The triangular support  103  is affixed to the stand base  101  to form an embodiment of the Round Bale Support Stand  100 . 
     The staggered block support  104  is comprised of a multiple block or rectangular supports with the lowest block located at the center of the multiple block arrangement and the tallest block located at the end of the multiple block arrangement. This arrangement of the multiple blocks allows the round bale to be cradled from above. The staggered block support  104  forms a progression of blocks that into a triangular arrangement that accepts a round bale from above. The staggered block support  104  is affixed to the stand base  101  to form an embodiment of the Round Bale Support Stand  100 . 
     The set of curved supports  105  is comprised of two or more curved supports  105 . Each curved support is comprised of a single curved support that is used to cradle the round bale. Each single curved support  105  is essentially upwardly concave structure with a radius slightly larger than one-half the length of the base. Each single curved support  105  is affixed to the stand base  101  to form an embodiment of the Round Bale Support Stand  100 . 
     The a set of staggered block supports  106  is comprised of two or more rows each comprised of multiple block or rectangular supports with the lowest block located at the center of the multiple block arrangement and the tallest block located at the end of the multiple block arrangement. This arrangement of the multiple blocks allows the round bale to be cradled from above. The staggered block supports  106  forms a progression of blocks that into a triangular arrangement that accepts a round bale from above. The staggered block supports  106  is affixed to the stand base  101  to form an embodiment of the Round Bale Support Stand  100 . 
     The set of staggered parallel planks  107  are comprised of two or more rows each comprised of long staggered raised planks with the heights of the planks increasing as the edge of the Round Bale Support Stand  100  is approached. This arrangement of the parallel planks  107  allows the round bale to be cradled from above. The parallel planks  107  are affixed to the stand base  101  to form an embodiment of the Round Bale Support Stand  100 .