GB2136392A - A Hay Bale Feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

A hay bale feeder has a support frame 4 which can be mounted behind a tractor by means of a three-point linkage. A transverse member 6 extends beneath the support frame 4 and a box-section member 10 with an outwardly depending fork 7 is able to slide on each end of the transverse member 6. The forks 7 can be moved laterally so that when relatively close together they can be positioned under a round hay bale to carry it and when spaced further apart, and at the centre of the hay bale, pins 14 can be pushed through the fork 7 into the hay bale. In the latter position of the forks, movement of the tractor with the bale engaging the ground will result in the bale rotating and hay being peeled off. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A Hay Bale Feeder The present invention relates to a feeder for round hay bales.

Round hay bales have become increasingly popular throughout the world and various proposals have been put forward to enable them to be handled and fed out.

In British patent specification 1,563,626 (Gebruder Welger) a round bale feeder has a trough with a pair of flat conveyor beds which control the rotation of the round bale placed within the trough with one of the conveyor beds tearing off hay from the bale and feeding it out over the side of the feeder.

In British patent specification 2,027,670 (Duncan) another round bale feeder has a single endless conveyor forming a catenary within a trough, the endless conveyor supporting, rotating and tearing off hay from the round hay bale and feeding it out from the conveyor.

In both these prior art proposals a round hay bale can be carried within the feeder until it is needed to be fed out but the loading of the feeder requires the assistance of a forklift or similar device. In the Duncan specification, spears which carry the feeder can also be used to load the bales into it.

Whilst both of the above feeders and other proposals relating to the feeding of round hay bales can provide an effective feeding out of the hay, they are by their relatively complex design fairly expensive items of machinery.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a feeder for round hay bales which provides for the speedy and efficient handling and feeding out of round hay bales without requiring any expensive or complex machinery for that purpose.

According to the present invention there is thus provided a hay bale feeder including: (a) A support means (b) A fork means having a pair of forks movably mounted on said fork means whereby the lateral distance between said forks can be varied between a first position when the forks are on either side of a bale when hay is required to be fed out therefrom and a second position when said forks are laterally closer together and positioned beneath the hay bale to support it, (c) Bale mounting means for rotatably mounting said bale on said forks when in said first position.

(d) Connecting means for connecting said support means with a lifting means for vertically moving said fork means dependent on whether said hay bale is to be lifted from the ground and transported or engaged with the ground to be fed out.

The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein; Figure 1 shows diagramatically a hay bale feeding apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention mounted behind a tractor; Figure 2 shows a side view of Figure 1 in use transporting a hay bale; Figure 3 shows the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 in use feeding out a hay bale; Figure 4 shows a part-exploded front view of the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 5 shows a side view of another embodiment of the invention in use carrying a hay bale; Figure 6 shows a front view of the embodiment of Figure 5; Figure 7 shows a plan view of Figure 5; Figure 8 shows a side view of Figure 5 but with the hay bale shown in two possible positions for transportation and with the hay feeding mechanism in a non-operational position.

Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings a round hay bale transporting and feeding apparatus is referenced generally by arrow 1 and is shown mounted behind a tractor 2 by means of a three-point linkage 3.

The linkage 3 is shown comprising a pair of top-link support brackets 1 6 and bottom-link support pins 1 7 provided on a substantially square or rectangular framework 4.

The feeding apparatus 1 can thus be raised and lowered in known manner using the three-point linkage and the power unit of the tractor 2.

A transverse member 6 of box-section extends beneath the support frame 4 andon either side thereof. A box-section member 10 with an outwardly depending fork 7 thereon is able to slide on a respective end of the transverse member 6.

A reinforcing gussett 11 is shown provided between the member 10 and the fork 7. The pair of forks 7 can be moved laterally as indicated by arrows A so as to be closer together or further apart and can be locked in a desired spacing by means of a locking bolt member 5 which can extend through an aperture in a respective member 10 and through an aperture 15 in the transverse member 6.

The free end 9 of each fork 7 is shown of a substantially wedge shape so that this facilitates the engagement of the fork 7 beneath a hay bale, as will be hereinafter described.

Each fork 7 adjacent its end 9 is also shown provided with an eye or aperture 8.

Referring particularly to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings a hay bale 12 is shown being carried on the forks 7 which have been spaced apart and locked on the transverse member 6 in positions commensurate with the width of the hay bale 1 2. After engagement of the fork 7 beneath the bale 12, the three-point linkage 3 has been operated so as to lift the bale 12 from the ground for transportation.

In Figure 2 one of two spike members 14 with its handle 1 6 is shown mounted in a bracket 1 8 behind the frame 4, the other spike 14 being carried by a corresponding bracket on the other side of the frame 4, see Figures 1 and 3.

When feeding out of the hay bale 1 2 is required the forks 7 are firstly disengaged leaving the bale 12 on the ground and the top link of the three-point linkage 3 will be shortened.

The locking members 5 will then be released and the members 10 moved along the transverse member 6 until the spacing apart of the forks 7 is commensurate with the width of the bale 1 2. The height of the forks 7 should be such that the eyes 8 are at the centre of the bale 12. The pins 1 4 can then be removed from the brackets 18 and pushed into the eyes 8 when the bale twine 13 can be cut and removed.

At this stage the bale 12 should be at a height such that it just skims the ground and slowly rotates as the tractor 2 is driven forward. This will generally peel off thin layers of hay forming a windrow 20 of the width of the hay bale 1 2. The lower that the bale 1 2 is, the thicker the windrow 20 will be.

The windrow 20 can be interrupted as required merely by lifting the bale 12 clear of the ground although transporting the bale 12 in this manner on the pins 14 for long distances would not be recommended as the bale 12 would be likely to disintegrate.

Referring now to Figures 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings a bale feeding apparatus such as that described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 is again referenced generally by arrow 1 and reference numerals corresponding to those used in Figures 1 to 4 have again been utilised where appropriate.

The bale feeder 1 is however shown mounted behind a vehicle 30, suitably a four-wheel drive vehicle.

In the position shown in Figure 5 the hay bale 12 is rotatably mounted on the forks 7 by means of the centrally disposed spikes 1 4.

The vertical position of the bale feeder 1 on a support frame 41 is determined by a jack 32. In the position shown in Figure 5, when feeding out of the bale 12 is required the jack 32 merely needs to be released, which can be remotely done by a cord or wire connected to the control valve of the jack 32, thus ailowing the apparatus 1 to creep downwardly in a direction indicated by arrow A and until the bale 12 engages the ground and forward movement of the vehicle 30 will cause the bale 1 2 to be fed out.

As shown in Figure 6 the jack 32 has an operating handle 33 which upon operation will cause the pivoting of an arm 34 in the upward direction of arrows X, a bottom end of the arm 34 being pivoted at 35 on a vertical member 36 of a jack support frame 37. The other end of the arm 34 is connected with a linkage 38 itself connected with a carriage assembly 39 which can move vertically in a direction indicated by arrows Y on rollers 40 (see Figure 5) in a support frame 41.

The frame 41 is pivoted on shafts 42 provided on a fixed support frame 43 secured, suitably bolted, to the deck 44 of the vehicle 30.

A ratchet winch 45 operated by handle 46 is connected by rope or wire 47 to a pulley 48 at the top of the pivoting frame 41 so that operation of the winch 45 can tilt the frame 41, sliding frame 39 and feeding apparatus 1 about 90 degrees in a direction indicated by arrow Z (see Figure 5) so that the bale 12 can assume the position shown in outline in Figure 8. In this position, the bale 12 can be transported for short distances. When the locking arrangement (not shown) is released the winch 45 can be operated to lower the pivoting frame 41 and hence the bale 12 to the position shown in Figure 5 ready for the hydraulic jack 32 to be released and the feeding of hay from the bale 12 to commence.

In the position of the hay bale 12 shown in full in Figure 8 the upstanding side 49 and rear 50 of the support frame 43 can provide a cradle for the bale 12 as it is transported on the back of the vehicle 30. More than one bale 12 can be accommodated in this manner depending on the size of the deck 44 of the vehicle 30 and the size of the frame 43. The vehicle's deck 44 may also have a step region between the frame 43 and the vehicle's cab to provide additional support for the bale 12. A chain 51 connected with the frame 43 at one end and via a tensioning arrangement 52 with the frame 41 at the other end may act as a restraint on the amount of forward tilting of the frame 41 as it moves into the position shown in Figure 5. The tilting frame 41 may has as shown mounting brackets 53 on either side thereof to engage with the shafts 42 on which the frame 41 pivots.By providing a number of apertures 54 in the brackets 53 the vertical height of frame 41 can be adjusted relative to the vehicle deck 44 so as to accommodate different makes and types of vehicles.

To achieve the transportation of hay bales 1 2 as shown in full in Figure 8, with the forks 7 of the unit 1 on the ground, a bale 12 will be rolled onto the forks 7, the spacing apart of the forks 7 being previously adjusted if necessary to be less than the width of the bale 1 2. A turn of the winch handle 46 will then tilt the arms 7 to prevent the bale 12 rolling off. The jack 32 can then be pumped up to approximately half of its maximum extension this causing the carriage or frame 39 to move upwardly aiong the pivoting frame 41 lifting the apparatus 1 with it. The winch 45 can then be fully wound up causing the frame 41 to pivot so as to lie substantially horizontally against the support frame 43 as shown in Figure 8 and with he bale 12 in the position shown.

When the bale 1 2 is required to be fed out the reverse of the above operation can be carried out thus leaving the bale 1 2 on the ground before the arms 7 are adjusted in width and the spikes 14 inserted so that the bale 12 is rotatably supported on feeding apparatus 1.

Then, if temporary transportation of the bale 12 is required, with the bale 12 still mounted on the spikes 1 4 it can be lifted into the position shown in outline in Figure 8. ~ Where in the aforegoing description reference has been made to specific components or integers in the invention having known equivalents then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

Although this invention has been described by way of example and with reference to possible embodiments thereof it is to be understood that modifications or improvements may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. A hay bale feeder including: (a) A support means (b) A fork means having a pair of forks movably mounted on said fork means whereby the lateral distance between said forks can be varied between a first position when the forks are on either side of a bale when hay is required to be fed out therefrom and a second position when said forks are laterally closer together and positioned beneath the hay bale to support it.

(c) Bale mounting means for rotatably mounting said bale on said forks when in said first position.

(d) Connecting means for connecting said support means with a lifting means for vertically moving said fork means dependent on whether said hay bale is to be lifted from the ground and transported or engaged with the ground to be fed out.

2. A hay bale feeder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bale mounting means comprises a pair of elongate spikes insertible into a respective aperture adjacent a free end of a respective fork through the centre of the bale.

3. A hay bale feeder as claimed in claim 2 wherein securement means are provided to secure said spikes on said support means when not inserted into the bale.

4. A hay bale feeder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said support means comprises a framework having a bottom transverse member projecting on either side thereof, each of said forks being slidably mounted on a respective projecting end of said transverse member, locking means being provided to secure each of said forks at a required position on said transverse member.

5. A hay bale feeder as claimed in claim 4 wherein said transverse member is of a substantially box section and each of said forks has a substantially box-section mounting portion at one end thereof slidable over said transverse member, at least one aperture provided at each projecting end of said transverse member, said locking means comprising a locking member movable through said mounting portion into engagement within said aperture.

6. A hay bale feeder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said connecting means is adapted to connect said support means with a three-point linkage.

7. A hay bale feeder as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein a movable frame is connected with said support frame, said connecting means being adapted to connect said movable frame with a jack means.

8. A hay bale feeder as claimed in claim 7 wherein said movable frame is slidably mounted on a pivoting frame, a winch means connected with said pivoting frame so that it is pivotable through substantially 90 degrees to lie substantially horizontally adjacent a bale cradling support frame provided on a vehicle's deck.

9. A hay bale feeder as claimed in claim 8 wherein said pivoting frame has on either side thereof a mounting bracket means having a plurality of apertures and said support frame has on either side thereof a pivotal means engageable with a selected one of said apertures whereby the height of said pivoting frame relative to the vehicle's deck can be adjusted.

10. A hay bale feeder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 5 to 8 of the accompanying - drawings.