Material or article handling – Self-loading or unloading vehicles – Loading or unloading by other carrier or mover means – and...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-18
2001-04-24
Bratlie, Steven A. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Self-loading or unloading vehicles
Loading or unloading by other carrier or mover means, and...
C414S024500, C294S107000, C294S002000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220811
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates, generally, to apparatus and methods for handling and transporting loads. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus and methods for handing and transporting large bales of hay.
2. Background Information.
Hay is generally pressed and secured into bales for ease of handling, transportation and storage. There are several types of hay bales. One type of bale is a small square bale having dimensions of about 2′×2′×3′. Another type of bale is a medium square bale that has approximate dimensions of 3′×3′×8′. Finally, there are large cylindrically shaped round bales and large square bales. Typical dimensions of a large square bale include 3′×4′×8′ or 4′×4′×8′. Large round bales are typically 5′ long and either 4′ or 6′ in diameter. A typical large bale weighs between 1,500 to 2,000 pounds.
The state of the art includes various devices and methods for loading and transporting bales of hay. Because of their relatively light weight, small square bales may be manually loaded and unloaded from a wagon or they may be automatically or semi-automatically loaded into a wagon using a shoot or ramp and a series of conveyors. However, using small bales to handle, transport and store the hay crop rather than large bales requires significantly more time and labor for a given quantity of hay, and causes the hay to lose considerably more leaves from the stems when it is processed into bales. Large square bales are gaining popularity over large round bales because they can be stacked or grouped more efficiently for transportation and storage.
Because of their size, large bales must be moved by mechanical means. Known apparatus and methods for handling and transporting large hay bales are believed to have significant limitations and shortcomings. Typically, a fork lift or front end loader lifts the bales onto a truck. Some of these trucks may include booms, gripping devices, front end loaders and/or forks to load the bales on the trucks and eliminate the need for a separate fork lift or front end loader. Additionally, when operating on hilly terrain, trucks with booms may be unstable when they are lifting bales, and trucks that rely on a gravity slide to stack bales may become ineffective or inoperative And because the suspension of these trucks are significantly compressed when heavy loads are lifted, it can become difficult for the fork to properly slide under the bales and load the bales on the vehicle. Furthermore, known baler loaders will often rip the plastic wrapped around wet bales and allow moisture and air to enter the bale.
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for handling and transporting bales which is believed to constitute an improvement over the known art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides apparatus and methods for handling and transporting large bales using a pivoting vehicle bed. The vehicle bed may be included in a number of embodiments, including a truck bed embodiment and a bale loader embodiment. For the purpose of this specification, the term “vehicle” denotes any vehicle including motorized trucks, tractors and other equipment, and non-motorized trailers and wagons. The term “vehicle bed” denotes a bed for any such vehicle. The bale loader may be used in the field to pick up and stack large hay bales in a predetermined configuration on the vehicle bed. Once the stack of bales is complete, the bale loader tilts the vehicle bed to unload the stack of bales on the ground, either with or without a pallet. The truck bed embodiment can then load the stack of bales in the field and transport them to a storage area.
The vehicle bed generally comprises a bed frame adapted for carrying a load, a fork including at least one tine, and a pivot mechanism adapted for pivoting the bed frame and the fork between a first position and a second position with respect to a vehicle frame. The fork is connected to an end of the bed frame and is substantially orthogonal to the bed frame. Loads are transported on the bed frame in the first position and are moved off or on the fork in the second position. In the truck bed embodiment, for example, the vehicle bed may include a lift mechanism adapted for lifting a load with respect to the vehicle frame to compensate for the compressed vehicle suspension caused by a load weight. The vehicle bed is incorporated into a trailer in the bale loader embodiment, which includes a boom having a mast rotatably attached to a vehicle or trailer frame, a main boom pivotally attached to the mast, a jib boom pivotally attached to the main boom, and a head swivably attached to the jib boom. The boom is adapted for handling and stacking bales on the vehicle bed. The swivel head is preferably a two-in-one head adapted for handling dry bales and wet bales without puncturing plastic wrapped around the wet bales. A preferred bale loader further has at least one mobile outrigger operably attached to the vehicle frame and adapted for stabilizing the load. The mobile outrigger is extendible and preferably is telescopically extendible. Each outrigger has at least one tire and preferably has caster-like dual tires mounted on a spindle within a bronze bushing sleeve. The bale loader is hydraulically powered, maneuvered and operated using a farm tractor. A hitch portion of the vehicle frame attaches the frame to the tractor. Hydraulic controls either on the trailer next to the mast of the boom or in the tractor cab control the motion of the boom.
Significant features of the bale loader include, but are not limited to, the use of mobile outriggers to provide stability in the fields, the ability of the head on the boom to grab either wet and dry bales, the ability to handle both round and large square bales, floating tines capable of handling standard or dumb pallets, and the ability to be attached to and powered and maneuvered by a typical farm tractor. Significant features of the bale truck include, but are not limited to, the ability to load and transport stacks of large square bales, floating tines capable of handling standard or dumb pallets, a lift mechanism adapted for lifting a load with respect to the vehicle frame to compensate for a compressed vehicle suspension caused by a: load weight, push offs adapted for assisting in the removal of the stack of bales off of the tines, and a squeeze bar adapted for holding a load of bales on a bed frame.
The features, benefits and objects of this invention will become clear to those skilled in the art by reference to the following description, claims, if any, and drawings.
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patent:
Bratlie Steven A.
Skinner and Associates
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