AU654231B2 - Hay bale loader/transporter - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: ANTHONY JOHN JAKOVICH "Glen Lee" Farm P.O. Box 44 BRUCE ROCK W.A, 6418 ANTHONY JOHN JAKOVICH GRIFFITH HACK CO.

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys 256 Adelaide Terrace PERTH W.A. 6000 *t t I V Si- Cr C C *r V I C

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CC C Standard Complete Specification for the invention entitled: HAY BALE LOADER/TRANSPORTER Details of Associated Provisional Applications: PL 181 filed March 3, 1992 Details of Parent Application for Divisional Applications: The following is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:r- 1 I l 7/ 15 2 HAY BALE LOADER/TRANSPORTER The present invention relates to apparatus for loading and transporting hay bales and relates particularly, though not exclusively to apparatus for loading -and transporting large cylindrical hay rolls.

The present invention will be described witl.

particular reference to loading and transporting large hay rolls, however it should be understood from the outset that the apparatus can also be used to load and transport large (I tonne) square bales. Indeed, whilst the apparatus is particularly suited to loading and transporting hay bales it can also be used for loading and transporting other bulky objects, for example, wool or cotton bales.

The use of large cylindrical hay rolls is returning to popularity as a convenient method of collecting and storing t fodder for livestock. However, because of their large size and I 'weight, typically up to 1.5 metres in diameter and of similar t width, hay rolls present special difficulties in loading and *transport. Furthermore, care must be exercised during handling 20 tha.t the hay does not unroll.

One form of conventional loader/transporter incorporates a long spike arranged to pierce a bale along its longitudinal axis. The bale is then lifted and held on the spike and transported to the required location., A disadvantage of this arrangement is that only one ile can be transported at a time. A further disadvantage is that the spike must be carefully aligned with the longitudinal axis of the bale prior to lifting.

l A more sophisticated .hay bale 'oader/feeder is 1| 30 described in Australian Patent Specification No. AU 78260/87 (HILL). The apparatus of HILL incorporates a lifting mechanism comprising a pair of lifting arms pivotally connected to a cross ,member. The lifting arms are actuated by an hydraulic ram to pivot toward and away from one another whereby the hay bale can be held'and released therefrom. The entire lifting Is mechanism can also pivot between a loading position and, an l I ;i V i 1 1 1 1 1 1 S 1 16 3 unloading position to enable a hay bale to be loaded and unloaded from the tray of a vehicle on which the apparatus is mounted.

One of the disadvantages of HILL's hay bale loader is that it requires a complex and expensive hydraulic control system to independently actuate the lifting arms and the lifting mechanism. A further disadvantage is that HILL's hay bale loader must be aligned with the hay bale by reversing the vehicle towards the hay bale. This is a tedious and time consuming task and results in much inconvenience for the user.

The present invention was developed with a view to providing apparatus suitable for loading and transporting hay that is both convenient to operate and relatively simple in construction.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for loading and transporting hay bales, the apparatus comprising: a wheeled chassis adapted to transport one .r more 'I hay bales thereon; 20 a pair of self-actuating pick-up arms pivotally mounted on the chassis in spaced apart relation, each arm being provided with an actuating member extending from the arm adjacent an inner end thereof into the space between the arms whereby, in use, when a hay bale located between the arms presses against the respective actuating members the pick-up arms are caused to pivot towards each other so as to hold the hay bale therebetween; and Swherein said pick-up arms are also pivotable between a pick-up position in which the arms extend outwardly from the chassis for picking up a hay bale and a releasing position in which the arms extend over the chassis to release the bale onto the chassis for transport.

Preferably each pick-up arm is also provided with engaging means for positively engaging the hay bale so as to I prevent it from slipping from between the pick-up arms during pivoting of the arms from the pick-up position to the releasing 'position. Advantageously said engaging means comprises a spike provided adjacent an outer end of each arm and, at least in the 41 4* '4

ABSTRACT

4 pick-up position, projecting inwardly substantially perpendicularly from the arm.

Preferably each spike is itself pivotable between a first position wherein it projects inwardly to engage the hay bale and a second position wherein it disengages from the hay bale to release it.

Typically, actuating means are provided to pivot said pick-up arms between the pick-up position and the releasing position.

Advantageously said chassis is provided with conveying means for conveying a hay- bale loaded onto the chassis towards the rear of the chassis whereby room can be made to receive the next hay bale. Typically said conveying means comprises a pair of endless conveyor chains extending in parallel spaced apart relation along substantially the full length of the chassis, each chain being mounted about first and second sprockets provided at respective ends of the chassis.

Typically the sprockets at one end are drive sprockets mounted on a drive shaft which is driven by a motor for moving the 20 conveyor chains along the length of the chassis.

Preferably said chassis is adapted to be towed behind S a vehicle. Advantageously the chassis is provided with a swinging drawbar whereby the apparatus can be drawn behind the vehicle in an offset position relative to the path of the 25 vehicle.

In order to facilitate a greater understanding of the nature of the invention a preferred embodiment of the hay bale loader/transporter will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a preferred form of the apparatus according to the invention shown in plan view and about to pick-up a hay bale; Figure 2 illustrates the apparatus of Figure 1 also shown in plan view and fully loaded; Figure 3 is a close up side view of the apparatus I with pick-up arms in a releasing position; '-Figure 4 is similar to Figure 2 ,except the apparatus 11 1 11 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 i 1 1 71 1 1/6 is illustrated in side view; Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view (not to scale) of the pick-up arms with pivotable spikes; Figure 6 is a plan view of a preferred arrangement of a pair of unrolling arms mounted on the rear of the apparatus; and Figure 7 is a side view of the unrolling arms of Figure 6 illustrated in an unrolling position.

With reference to Figures 1 to 3 in particular, a preferred form of the apparatus 10 for loading and unloading hay bales comprises a wheeled chassis 12 adapted to transport one or more hay bales thereon and a pair of self actuating pick-up arms 14 pivotally mounted on the chassis 12 in spaced apart relation. Each pick-up arm 14 is provided with an actuating member 16 extending substantially perpendicularly .from the arm adjacent an inner end 18 thereof into the space between the arms. When a hay bale located between the arms 14, (shown in broken outline at 20 in Figure presses against the respective actuating members 16 the pick-up arms 14 are 20 caused to pivot towards each other so as to hold the hay bale 20 therebetween. In this embodiment, each pick-up arm 14 is also provided with means 22 comprising a spike, for positively engaging the hay bale 20 so as to prevent it from slipping from between the pick-up arms 14. Each spike 22 is provided tt 4* 25 adjacent an outer end 24 of each arm 14 and, at least in the PI* pick-up position, project inwardly substantially perpendicularly from the arms 14. Preferably each actuating member 16 is also provided with one or more addit:ional fixed spikes projecting inwardly. These additional spikes are designed to prevent the hay bale 20 from rotating on the spikes fit.'i 22, for example, when the spikes 22 engage the hay bale at points offset from the central axis so that the bale tends to pivot, under its own weight during lifting.

The pick-up arms 14 are also pivotable between a pick-up position, illustrated in Figure 1, in which the arms extend outwardly from the chassis 12 for picking up a hay bale and a releasing position, as illustrated in Figures 2, 3 i I I_ 7- 6 and 4, in which the arms extend over the chassis 12 to release the bale 20 onto the chassis for transport. The inner ends 18 of pick-up arms 14 are connected to the respective ends of a transverse shaft 26 by means of a hinged connection comprising a pivot pin 28 about which th pick-up arms 14 are able to pivot towards and away from each other.

Advantageously the spacing between the pick-up arms 14 can be adjusted to suit hay bales of different sizes by adjusting the position of the hinged connection at the inner ends 18 of the pivot arms 14 on shaft 26.. ,This is achieved by unbolting the hinged connection(s) and sliding one or both inwards or outwards on shaft 26 as required. In this way up to three different sizes of hay bale can be accommodated between the pick.-up arms 14. The sliding arrangement of the hinged connection can be seen most clearly in the circled enlargement of Figure 1. The inner end 18 of the pick-up arm 14 is pivotally connected to a slidable member 23 by pivot pin 28 to form the hinged connection. Slidable member 23 has an I-shaped cross-section, the vertical section of the I having 20 a central aperture adapted to slidably receive shaft 26 l therein. A pair of stop plates 25, 27 are welded at each end S of shaft 26 and respectively define the outer and inner limits of the sliding movement of slidable member 23. Both the stop plates 25, 27 and the vertical section of slidable member 23 are provided with aligned bolt holes in which bolts 24 are received for bolting the hinged connection of pick-up arms 14 to the stop plates 25 or 27.

Transverse shaft 26 is itself pivotally mounted to t t the front of the chassis 12 by being rotatably received in a pair of sleeves 30 skupported by brackets welded to the front of the chassis 12. A pair of linkage arms 32 are welded to the r shaft 26 and extend beneath the front end of chassis 12 to actuating means in the form of a pair of hydraulic rams 34, arranged to cause the pick-up arms 14 to ;pivot between the 0 pick-up position and the releasing position when operated. The i hydraulic rams 34 are tounted to the underside of chassis 12 and are anchored at one end to respective frame members 36 of the chassis 12.

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41 1 C t 11 L C 1t~l iC. C i I C CC I c ec IC In this embodiment, the chassis 12 is provided with conveying means 38 for conveying a hay bale loaded onto the chassis towards the rear of the chassis whereby room can be made to receive the next hay bale. The conveying means 38 comprises a pair of endless conveyor chains 40 extending in parallel spaced apart relation along substantially the full length of the chassis 12, each chain being mounted about first and second sprockets (not visible) provided at respective ends of the chassis. The sprockets at the front end of the chassis 12 are in the form of drive sprockets mounted on a drive shaft 42 which is driven directly by an hydraulic motor 46 for moving the conveyor chains along the length of the chassis. Each chain is provided with a plurality of projections 48 spaced at regular intervals along its length and designed to engage the outer surface of the hay bale as it rests thereon, to enable the conveyor chains to convey the hay bales along the length of the chassis as well as to prevent the hay bales from slipping when the chassis is moving and the conveyor chains are stationary.

The length of chassis 12 can be designed to accommodate 2, 3, 4 or more hay bales side by side on conveying means 38, the length being limited only by practical considerations such as the size and weight of the chassis frame, the number of wheels required, and whether the trailer 25 becomes too unwieldy to be easily towed.

Another unique feature of the illustrated embodiment is the manner in which the spikes 22 are pivotally connected to the outer ends 24 of the pick-up arms 14. Referring in particular to Figure 5, it can be seen how the spikes 22 are 30 pivotally connected to the pick-up arms 14 by means of a short length of channel section 50 that is welded to the respective outer ends 24 of the pick-up arms 14. Each spike 22 is pivotally received within the channel section 50 and pivots about a pivot pin 52 which passes through the side walls of the channel section 50 and one end of the spike 22.

When the pick-up arms 14 are in the pick-up position as illustrated in Figure 1, they extend outwardly in a substantially horizontal direction. In this position, the side 4 r

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-8 walls of the channel sections 50 on the outer ends 24 of the pick-up arms 14 extend in a substantially vertical direction so that the spikes 22 are able to pivot in a substantially vertical plane in this position. As can be seen most clearly in Figure 5, the spikes 22 are able to pivot through an angle of approximately 800 between a first position 54, wherein they project inwardly to engage the hay bale, and a second position 56 herein they disengage from the hay bale to release it. When the pick-up arms 14 are in the pick-up position, (as shown in Figure the spikes 22 would normally pivot under the force of gravity to the first position 54 ready to engage the haybale In operation, as the self-actuating pick-up arms 14 pivot towards each other the spikes 22 engage the hay bale, and as the pick-up arms 14 are then pivoted by means of the hydraulic rams 34 from the pick-up position towards the releasing position, the spikes 22 remain in their first position, projecting inwardly to engage the hay bale and preventing it from slipping from between the pick-up arms 14.

The weight of the hay bale 20 resting on the spikes 22 maintains them in their first position. However, once the pick-up arms 14 pass through their vertical position the spikes 22 are caused to pivot towards their second position as the weight of the bale pushes them down. Hence, as the pivot arms 25 14 approach their releasing position, in which they extend over the chassis 12, the weight of the hay bale 20 itself causes the spikes 22 to disengage from the hay bale to automatically release it. Alternatively, once the hay bale is brought to a resting position on the chassis 12 for transport, the hydraulic 30 rams 34 can be actuated to return the pick-up arms 14 to the pick-up position ready for picking up another hay bale. Since the channel sections 50 offer no resistance to the pivotal movement of the spikes 22 in the reverse direction, the spikes 22 pivot to their second position wherein they disengage from the hay bale 20 and release it.

The pick-up arms 14 are preferably also provided with biasing means, in the form of coil springs 58 provided at the inner ends 18 of the pick-up arms at the hinge connection, for C, C C CC.

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aP i Cli ll biasing the pick-up arms 14 to an open position in which a hay bale 20 can be received between the spikes 22 prior to picking up. Hence, when there is no weight pressing against the actuating member 16, the pick-up arms 14 will normally rest in their open position as illustrated in Figure 1. However, as soon as the hay bale 20 presses against the actuating member 16, the pressing force acts against the biasing force provided by the coil springs 58 to pivot the pick-up arms 14 towards each other to a closed position. Likewise, during the lifting operation the weight of the hay bale 20 resting against the actuating members 16 keeps the pick-up arms 14 in their closed position until the weight of the hay bale 20 no longer rests on the actuating members 16.

In this embodiment, the chassis 12 is adapted to be towed behind a vehicle, for example, tractor 60. For this purpose, the chassis 12 is provided with a swinging drawbar 62 whereby the loader/transporter 10 can be drawn behind the tractor 60 in an offset position relative to the path of the tractor. Swinging drawbar 62 is pivotally connected to the chassis 12 at pivot point 64 and is actuated by means of an hydraullic ram 66. In an original prototype apparatus, (not illustrated) the wheeled chassis 12 with swinging drawbar 62 was provided by an old Massey Ferguson Harvester sub-frame suitably modified. The position of pivot point 64 can be 25 varied depending on the length of the chassis 12. When the hydraulic ram 66 is operated to extend, the swinging drawbar 62 swings around until it is substantially parallel to the direction of travel of tractor 60 so that the hay bale loader/transporter 10 is drawn by the tractor 60 more or less 30 directly behind it, as illustrated in Figure 2. Thus, the apparatus 10 can be towed behind the tractor 60 through narrow gateways and along roads of conventional width. A plurality of hydraulic hoses 68 extend from the tractor hydraulics along the swinging drawbar 62 to the hydraulic rams 34 and 66, as well as the'hydraulic motor 46 of conveying means 38.

The hay bal 1 loader/transporter 10 can also be towed behind other types of vehicles, for example, a 4 Wheel Drive vehicle provided with hydraulic pump to operate the

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10 hydraulic rams 34, 66 and motor 46. In this connection, the drad bar 62 may be formed with a "goose-neck" configuration so that it can be connected to a tow pivot mounted on the tray of the vehicle.

A typical operating sequence of the illustrated embodiment of the hay bale loader/transporter 10 will now be described with particular' reference to Figures 1 to 4.

Loading of a hay bale onto the apparatus 10 is achieved as follows. The loader/transporter 10 is drawn by the towing vehicle (tractor 60) in the offset position whilst the pick-up arms 14 are in the substantially horizontal pick-up position as illustrated in Figure 1. Springs 58 adjacent the pivotal connection of the pick-up arms 14 ensure that the arms are spread apart to the open position, with the spikes 22 projecting inwardly ready to pierce the respective sides of the hay bale. The tractor 60 passes close by the hay roll 20 with the apparatus 10 in its offset position correctly aligned with the hay roll 20 so that the pick-up arms 14 pass along each side of the hay roll. As the tractor 60 continues its forward travel the respective actuating members 16 of the pick-up arms 14 press against the hay roll and cause the arms 14 to pivot inwardly so that the spike. 22 are driven into the centre of the hay roll.

The tractor operator then momentarily stops forward movement and activates the hydraulic rams 34 to lift the hay roll 20 off the ground. As the pick-up arms 14 start to pivot j from the pick-up position towards the releasing position the tractor operator continues his forward travel towards the next M "hay roll. When the operator becomes more proficient he -cn perform the above sequence of steps without even stopping forward movement; the hay bale momentarily skids along the ground or stubble until the pick-up arms 14 start to lift it off the ground. The hay roll is lifted onto the conveyor chains 40 on chassis 12 where it automatically rolls out of the pick-up arms 14 due to the'.'spikes 22 pivoting and releasing the roll as described above. The roll is then moved along the chassis 12 the length of one hay roll, to make room for- the next hay roll to be picked up. This is done by activating the v

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hydraulic motor 46 which moves the conveyor chains The pick-up arms 14 then return to their pick-up position ready to engage the next roll. The coil springs 58 spread the pick-up arms 14 to the pick-up position and as the arms are lowered the spikes 22 also pivot to their pick-up position. When the trailer has been loaded with the number of rolls required, the hydraulic ram 66 which controls the swinging drawbar 62 is activated and the apparatus 10 is brought to the transport position. The rolls are then transported to their destination, for example, to a stock pile (after hay cutting) or to livestock (at feeding time).

Unloading is achieved by activating the conveying means 38 enabling the hay rolls to roll off the rear end of the chassis 12. In some situations it is preferable to have the hay rolls standing on end, ie., with the centre axis in a vertical orientation. This can be achieved by the use of a roll bar which is pivotally connected to the rear end of chassis 12 at a pivot point offset from the centre of chassis 12 (see Figure so that when it projects outwards the hay roll 20 is forced to tip over end down as it rolls off the rear end of the chassis.

Up to three separate hydraulic circuits may be required to activate the hydraulic rams 34 for the pick-up arms 14, the hydraulic ram 66 for the swinging drawbar 62 and the 25 hydraulic motor 46 of the conveying means 38. This would require three sets of breakaway couplings (hydraulic inlets/outlets) on the towing vehicle. However the number of hydraulic circuits can be reduced, for example, to two separate circuits by combining the circuit for the hydraulic rams 34 with that of the hydraulic motor 46. This can be achieved by inserting a sequence value in the hydraulic circuit for the rams 34 so that the rams 34 and hydramotor 46 are operated sequentially. Thus when rams 34 are activated to commence lifting of pick-up arms 14, motor 46 remains off. As soon as the arms 14 reach their releasing position hydraulic fluid is diverted to hydramotor 46 which then operates the conveyor chains 40 to convey the hay bale along chassis 12 to a desired position, at which point the hydraulic circuit is, either or re rr r.

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r Ut tt switched off or reversed. In the reverse direction hydramotor 46 is deactivated and rams 34 return the pick-up arms 14 to the pick-up position. With this arrangement only two sets of breakaway couplings are required on the towing vehicle.

In some situations it may be desirable to unroll the hay bale, for example, to feed livestock. A pair of removable unrolling arms 72 can be fitted to the rear end of chassis 12 as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 to automatically unroll a hay bale 20 when unloaded by the conveyor chains 40. Each unrolling arm 72 is pivotally mounted on a removable mounting bracket 74 which is bolted to a lug on the rear end of chassis 12. The unrolling arms 72 pivot freely about a pivot pin 76 supported on each mounting bracket 74, and are guided by a pair of pivot guides 78 also supported on mounting brackets 74.

15 Guides 78 guide the pivoting movement of the unrolling arms 72 during the unloading of a hay roll off the rear end of chassis 12. The spacing between the unrolling arms 72 can be adjusted in a similar manner to the pick-up arms 14.

Each of the unrolling arms 72 is provided with a manually retractable spike 80 slidably mounted in a sleeve 81 adjacent the outer end of the arms 72. A spring-loaded pin 82 holds the spike 80 in sleeve 81 in a position where it projects inwardly to pierce the centre of the hay roll 20. A guard disc 84 is provided on the sleeve 81 adjacent each spike 80 to help 25 support the hay bale 20 while it unrolls. A small jockey wheel 86 is pivotally mounted at the rear of the chassis 12 and is provided with an indicator tab 88 to indicate to the operator when a hay roll 20 reaches the rear end of the conveying means 38. As the conveyor chains 40 move a hay roll towards the rear of the chassis 20 the hay roll. will eventually engage the jockey wheel 86 and cause it to pivot in the direction indicated by arrow A in Figure 6. Indicator tab 88 will then be visible to the driver of the towing vehicle so that he knows he must then stop the conveyor chains 40 or the hay bale will fall off the rear of the machine.

In order to unroll a hay bale using the unrolling arms 72, the operator must stop the trailer and manually insert the spikes 80 into the centre of the hay roll. In this 13 connection, each arm 72 has a telescopic arrangement so that the length can be adjusted to position the spikes 80 along the central axis of the hay bale. A chain located within each unrolling arm 72 prevents the inner extension from becoming separated from the outer sleeve of the arm. When the spikes are correctly positioned, the strings tied around the bale are cut and then the conveyor chains 40 are re-activated so that the bale falls off the back. As the hay roll falls, the arms 72 pivot downwards guided by guides 78 until the hay roll strikes the ground. As the apparatus moves forward, the hay roll 20 rotates on spikes 80 supported by unrolling arms 72, as illustrated in Figure 7.

It will be apparent that the illustrated embodiment of the hay bale loader/transporter 10 greatly simplifies the process of loading and transporting hay bales, particularly large cylindrical hay rolls. The apparatus is relatively cc: uncomplicated in structure and can be readily manufactured, requiring no specialised parts or materials. Furthermore, the ^hay bale loader/transporter is easily operated and requires no c 20 specialised skills.

Now that a preferred embodiment of the hay bale loader/transporter according to the invention has been described in detail, it will be apparent to persons skilled in the mechanical arts that numerous variations and modifications can be made, other than those already described, without S depairting from the basic inventive concepts. For example, it is not essential to provide the chassis 12 in the form of a S trailer which needs to be drawn behind a towing vehicle, as the S' chassis 12 can be self-driven if desired. Furthermore, in this 30 embodiment spikes 22 are provided on the outer ends of the pick-up arms 14 to positively engage the hay bale 20. However, pick-up arms 14 may be of any suitable construction to enable c the hay bale 20 or other object to be held therebetween during the loading operation. All such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope of the present invention, the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing desoription and the appended claims. i

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Claims (8)

1. 2. Apparatus for loading and transporting hay bales as claimed in claim 1, wherein each pick-up arm is also provided C C with engaging means for positively engaging the hay bale so as S• to prevent it from slipping from between the pick-up arms during pivoting of the arms from the pick-up position to the C 0 releasing position. t t 25 3. Apparatus for loading and transporting hay bales as claimed in claim 2, wherein said engaging means comprises a spike provided adjacent an outer end of each arm and, at least in the pick-up position, projecting inwardly substantially perpendicularly from the arm.
2. 4. Apparatus for loading and transporting hay bales as claimed in claim 3, wherein each spike is itelf pivotable between a first position wherein it projects inwardly to engage the hay bale and a second position wherein it disengages from the hay bale to release it. i >l 1 1 1 1 i r '-r"I 15 Apparatus for loading and transporting hay bales as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein actuating means are provided to pivot said pick-up arms between the pick-up position and the releasing position.
3. 6. Apparatus for loading and transporting hay bales as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said chassis is provided with conveying means for conveying a hay bale loaded onto the chassis towards the rear of the chassis whereby room can be made to receive the next hay bale.
4. 7. Apparatus for loading and transporting hay bales as claimed in claim 6, wherein said conveying means comprises a pair of endless conveyor chains extending in parallel spaced apart relation along substantially the full length of the a chassis, each chain being mounted about first and second 15 sprockets provided at respective ends of the chassis.
5. 8. Apparatus for loading and transporting hay bales as Sclaimed in claim 7, wherein the sprockets at one end are drive sprockets mounted on a drive shaft which is driven by a motor for moving the conveyor chains along the length of the chassis. It Cat c 20 9. Apparatus for loading and transporting hay bales as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said chassis is cc' adapted to be towed behind a vehicle. 4. 10. Apparatus for loading and transporting hay bales as S4'4 2 claimed in claim 9, wherein the chassis is provided with a swinging drawbar whereby the apparatus can be drawn behind the vehicle in an offset position relative to the path of the vehicle.
6. 11. .Apparatus for loading and transporting hay bales as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 further comprising a pair of unrolling arms pivotally mounted on the rear of the chassis and adapted to support a hay bale in an unrolling position behind the apparatus. 1 16
7. 12. Apparatus for loading and transporting hay bales as claimed in claim 11, wherein said unrolling arms are removable and are each provided with a retractable spike for engaging the hay bale.
8. 13. Apparatus for loading and transporting hay bales substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any one or more of the accompanying drawings. r** 'Sta V V Sr C V I 2 I'I ABSTRACT A hay bale loader/transporter (10) having a wheeled chassis (12) adapted to transport one or more hay bales thereon, and a pair of self-actuating, pivotable pick-up arms (14) pivotally mounted on the chassis (12) in spaced apart relation. Each pick-up arms (14) has an actuating member (16) extending from the arms (14) adjacent an inner end (18) thereof into the space between the arms When a hay bale (20) located between the arms (14) presses against the respective actuating members (16) the pick-up arms (14) are caused to pivot towards each other so as to hold the hay bale (20) therebetween. Each pick- up arms (14) is provided with engaging means in the form of a pivotable spike (22) provided adjacent an outer end (24) of the arms The pick-up arms (14) are provided with hydraulic actuating means (34) for moving the pick-up arms (14) between a pick-up position and a releasing position in which the arms Sc"; (14) extend over the chassis (12) to release the bale (20) into cc. conveyor chains (40) for transport.- The bale (20) can be Sr'' unloaded by operating the conveyor chains C 0 c c C C C I I U t t c 1; I 1 1 1 1 1 1 r 1 1 1 ls F I i I