Bale loader

Claim 1

A BALE LOADER, ADAPTED TO PICK UP AND CONVEY BALED MATERIALS, WHICH COMPRISES: A MOBILE FRAME, AN INCLINED CHUTE CONVEYOR, DRIVING MEANS AND LIFTING MEANS FOR SAID INCLINED CHUTE CONVEYOR IN WHICH: (A) SAID MOBILE FRAME CONTAINS A TRANSVERSE BEAM HAVING A FIXED UPRIGHT FRAME PORTION CONNECTED WITH ONE SIDE OF SAID BEAM AND A TRACTOR HITCH FRAME CONNECTED WITH THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID BEAM, SAID TRACTOR HITCH FRAME HAVING INNER AND OUTER SIDE MEMBERS MEETING AT AN APEX FORWARDLY OF SAID TRANVERSE BEAM AND HAVING A TRACTOR HITCH SECURED THERETO NEAR SAID APEX; (B) SAID INCLINED CHUTE CONVEYOR BEING PIVOTABLY ATTACHED INTERMEDIATE AT ITS ENDS TO SAID FIXED UPRIGHT FRAME PORTION AND CONSISTING OF A PICK UP PORTION, A CONVEYOR PORTION AND AN UNLOADING PORTION, SAID CHUTE CONVEYOR CONTAINING SIDE FRAME MEMBERS AND AN ENDLESS CHAIN CONVEYOR, (C) SAID CONVEYOR PORTION CONTAINING A FIRST SPROCKET AND SHAFT ASSEMBLY JOURNALED AT THE MIDPOINT OF SAID CHUTE, AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR CHAIN HAVING AN UPPER FLIGHT, ARRANGED TO TRAVEL ALONG THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID CHUTE AND A LOWER FLIGHT ARRANGED TO TRAVEL UNDER SAID CHUTE, A SERIES OF EVENLY SPACED BARBS ON SAID CHAIN, SAID SPROCKET OF SAID FIRST SPROCKET AND SHAFT ASSEMBLY CONTACTING THE LOWER FLIGHT OF SAID CHAIN AND DRIVING SAME, A SECOND SPROCKET AND SHAFT ASSEMBLY JOURNALED AT THE REAR OF SAID CHUTE AND A THIRD SPROCKET AND SHAFT ASSEMBLY JOURNALED AT THE FRONT OF SAID CHUTE, SAID SECOND AND THIRD SPROCKETS OF SAID ASSEMBLIES BEING IDLER SPROCKETS AND HAVING SAID CHAIN TRAINED OVER THEM SO AS TO CONTACT SAID LOWER AND UPPER FLIGHTS; (D) SAID PICK UP PORTION CONTAINING A FOURTH SPROCKET AND SHAFT ASSEMBLY, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID THIRD SPROCKET AND SHAFT ASSEMBLY AND SAID FOURTH SPROCKET AND SHAFT ASSEMBLY, THE SHAFT OF SAID FOURTH TONGUES ALONG ITS LENGTH AND AROUND ITS BODY, EACH OF SAID TONGUES HAVING A BASE PORTION AND A BODY PORTION, SAID BASE PORTION BEING DISPOSED AT ABOUT 90 DEGREES FROM SAID FOURTH SHAFT AND SAID BODY PORTION BEING TURNED DOWNWARDLY OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF SAID FOURTH SHAFT, STRIPPER BARS CONNECTING SAID CONVEYOR PORTION AND SAID PICK UP PORTION AND ADAPTED TO SUPPORT BALED MATRERIAL, AND GUIDING MEMBERS ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID CHUTE PROJECTING FORWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY AND WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO GUIDE BALES ONTO SAID PICKUP PORTION; (E) SAID UNLOADING PORTION CONTAINING ROLER MEANS ADAPTED TO DISENGAGE BALES FROM THE BARBS ON THE CHAIN OF SAID CONVEYOR PORTION; (F) DRIVING MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID FIRST SPROCKET AND SHAFT ASSEMBLY; AND (G) LIFTING MEANS FOR LIFTING SAID CHUTE VERTICALLY FROM AN INCLINE TO A HORIZONTAL POSITION.