Bale wagon including a binder assembly

Claim 2

In a bale wagon employed for stacking, loading or unloading bales of hay and the like and which includes a table, on which the bales are loaded in rows and moved from the front to the rear of the table to form a layer of bales on the table, and a rack onto which layers of the bales are moved from the table to form a stack of the bales on the rack, the improvement comprising: a supply of twine carried on the wagon adjacent the table; means on the wagon for extending the twine around a layer of bales on the table as the bales are loaded on the table; twine binder means on the bale wagon adjacent the table for tensioning the twine around a layer of bales on the table, whereby the bales and the layer may be tightly bound together before being loaded on the rack; a plurality of tines secured in spaced relation on one end of the rack and positioned to be moved under a stack of bales being loaded on the wagon; guide means adapted to be positioned for supporting the wagon and guiding the wagon toward a stack of bales to be loaded on the wagon; a retrieving means supported on the bale wagon; and cable means secured between the guide means and the retrieving means for pulling the wagon on the guide means toward a stack of bales and forcing the tines under the stack upon actuation of the retrieving means.

Claim 3

The bale wagon of claim 1 wherein the means for extending the twine around the layer of bales is defined further to include: a first guide eyelet means secured to one side portion of the frame of the bale wagon, said first guide eyelet means adapted to receive a portion of the twine extending from said supply of twine and to position the twine with respect to said table; and a second guide eyelet means secured to the opposite side portion of the frame of the bale wagon, said second guide eyelet means adapted to receive a portion of the twine extending from the first guide eyelet means and to position the twine with respect to said table.

Claim 4

The bale wagon of claim 1 wherein the means for extending the twine around the layer of bales is defined further to include: a twine tension means secured to a portion of the frame of the bale wagon, said twine tension means adapted to receive a portion of the twine means from the supply of twine and to tensionally hold said twine means therein generally above said table; a first guide eyelet means secured to one side portion of the frame of the bale wagon, said first guide eyelet means adapted to receive a portion of the twine extending from the twine tension means and to position the twine with respect to said table; and a second guide eyelet means secured to one side portion of the frame of the bale wagon, said second guide eyelet means adapted to receive a portion of the twine extending from the first guide eyelet means and to position the twine with respect to said table.

Claim 5

The bale wagon of claim 3 wherein the twine tension means is disposed generally near the rear and near one side portion of said table and the first guide eyelet means is disposed generally near the front and near the opposite side portion of said tablE, such that the twine extending from the twine tension means to the first guide eyelet means extends generally diagonally across the said table.

Claim 6

The bale wagon of claim 4 wherein the twine tension means and the first guide eyelet means are disposed and adapted to position the twine extending therebetween a distance above the table approximately equal to one-half the height of the bales as they are positioned on said table.

Claim 7

The bale wagon of claim 4 wherein the second guide eyelet means is disposed generally near the front of said table and generally near a side portion of said table opposite the first guide eyelet means, said first guide eyelet means and said second guide eyelet means adapted such that the twine extending therebetween extends generally under said table, so that as a row of bales is moved onto said table, the row of bales will not contact the twine extending between the first guide eyelet means and the second guide eyelet means.

Claim 8

The bale wagon of claim 6 wherein the twine binder means is disposed on the bale wagon generally near the same side portion of said table as the second guide eyelet means.

Claim 9

The bale wagon of claim 7 wherein the twine binder means is characterized further to include: a frame means secured to the frame of the bale wagon; a slide rail means secured to a portion of the frame means; a first jaw means secured to one end portion of the slide rail means and adapted to receive and securely hold a portion of the twine extending from the second guide eyelet means; a second jaw means slidingly disposed on the slide rail means and adapted to receive and securely hold a portion of the twine extending from the supply of twine; and a winch means adapted to slide the second jaw means along the slide rail means toward the first jaw means, thereby tensioning the twine about the layer of bales on the table.

Claim 10

The bale wagon of claim 1 wherein the tines have a generally circular shaped cross section.

Claim 11

The bale wagon of claim 9 wherein the outermost end of each tine, with respect to the rack, is conically shaped.

Claim 12

The bale wagon of claim 1 wherein the guide means is characterized further to include a pair of track assemblies, each track assembly comprising: support means sized to accommodate the wheels of the bale wagon; and wire mesh grid means secured to the upper side portion of the support means, to provide traction for the wheels of the bale wagon as the bale wagon is pulled toward the stack of bales.

Claim 13

The bale wagon of claim 1 wherein the retrieving means is a cylinder means, having a shaft reciprocating therein as the cylinder means is actuated, and wherein one end of the cable means is secured to the shaft of the cylinder means.

Claim 14

In a bale wagon employed for stacking, loading and unloading bales of hay and the like and which includes a table on which the bales are loaded in rows and moved from the front to the rear of the table to form a layer of bales on the table, the improvement comprising: a supply of twine carried on the wagon adjacent the table; means on the wagon for extending the twine around a layer of bales on the table as the bales are loaded on the table; and twine binder means on the bale wagon adjacent the table for tensioning the twine around a layer of bales on the table, whereby the bales in the layer may be tightly bound together before being unloaded from the table.

Claim 15

In a bale wagon employed for stacking, loading and unloading bales of hay and the like and which includes a table on which the bales are loaded in rows and moved from the front to the rear of the table to form a layer of bales on the table, the improvement comprising: a supply of twine carried on the wagon adjacent the table; means on the wagon for extending the twine around a layer of bales on the table as the bales are loaded on the table; and twine binder means on the bale wagon adjacent the table for tensioning the twine around a layer of bales on the table, whereby the bales in the layer may be tightly bound together before being unloaded from the table.

Claim 16

The bale wagon of claim 13 wherein the means for extending the twine around the layer of bales is defined further to include: a first guide eyelet means secured to one side portion of the frame of the bale wagon, said first guide eyelet means adapted to receive a portion of the twine extending from said supply of twine and to position the twine with respect to said table; and a second guide eyelet means secured to one side portion of the frame of the bale wagon, said second guide eyelet means adapted to receive a portion of the twine extEnding from the first guide eyelet means and to position the twine with respect to said table.

Claim 17

The bale wagon of claim 13 wherein the means for extending the twine around the layer of bales is defined further to include: a twine tension means secured to a portion of the frame of the bale wagon, said twine tension means adapted to receive a portion of the twine means from the supply of twine and to tensionally hold said twine means therein generally above said table; a first guide eyelet means secured to one side portion of the frame of the bale wagon, said first guide eyelet means adapted to receive a portion of the twine extending from the twine tension means and to position the twine with respect to said table; and a second guide eyelet means secured to one side portion of the frame of the bale wagon, said second guide eyelet means adapted to receive a portion of the twine extending from the first guide eyelet means and to position the twine with respect to said table.

Claim 18

The bale wagon of claim 15 wherein the twine tension means is disposed generally near the rear and near one side portion of said table and the first guide eyelet means is disposed generally near the front and near the opposite side portion of said table, such that the twine extending from the twine tension means to the first guide eyelet means extends generally diagonally across said table.

Claim 19

The bale wagon of claim 16 wherein the twine tension means and the first guide eyelet means are disposed and adapted to position the twine extending therebetween a distance above the table approximately equal to one-half the height of the bales as they are positioned on said table.

Claim 20

The bale wagon of claim 16 wherein the second guide eyelet means is disposed generally near the front of said table and generally near a side portion of said table opposite the first guide eyelet means, said first guide eyelet means and said second guide eyelet means adapted such that the twine extending therebetween extends generally under said table, so that as a row of bales is moved onto said table, the row of bales will not contact the twine extending between the first guide eyelet means and the second guide eyelet means.

Claim 21

The bale wagon of claim 16 wherein the twine tension means includes: a bracket support means secured to the frame of the bale wagon; a plate means disposed such that one surface thereof generally faces a portion of the surface of the bracket support means, said twine being generally disposed between the bracket support means and the plate means; a bolt means extending through a portion of the plate means and secured on one end thereof to the bracket support means; and a spring means disposed on the bolt means between the plate means and one end of the bolt means, said spring means being sized and disposed to bias the plate means generally toward engagement with the bracket support means, thereby tensionally holding the twine between the bracket support means and the plate means.

Claim 22

The bale wagon of claim 18 wherein the first guide eyelet means includes: an L-shaped support member, having a first and second leg member, said first leg member being adapted to be secured to the frame of the bale wagon and said second leg member extending generally a distance above the table; and a pair of guide eyelets secured to the second leg member of the L-shaped support member, one of said guide eyelets being secured near the upper end of said second leg member, and one of said guide eyelets being secured generally near the lower end portion of said second leg member.

Claim 23

The bale wagon of claim 18 wherein the first guide eyelet means and the second guide eyelet means each includes: an L-shaped support member having a first and second leg member, said first leg member being adapted to be secured to the frame of the bale wagon and said second leg member extending generally a distance above the table; and a pair of gUide eyelets secured to the second leg member of the L-shaped support member, one of said guide eyelets being secured near the upper end of said second leg member and one of said guide eyelets being secured generally near the lower end portion of said second leg member.

Claim 24

The bale wagon of claim 18 wherein first guide eyelet means includes: an L-shaped support member, having a first and second leg member, each leg member having a hollow end portion therein, the end of the first leg member opposite the hollow end portion thereof is secured to a lower end portion of the second leg member opposite the hollow end portion of the second leg member, and the first leg member extends generally perpendicular to the second leg member; an arm member slidingly disposed in the hollow end portion of the first leg member and adapted on the opposite end thereof to be secured to the frame of the bale wagon, thereby allowing the distance which the L-shaped support member is disposed with respect to the frame of the bale wagon to be adjustable, depending on the distance which the arm member extends into the hollow end portion of the first leg member; a screw means extending through the first leg member and sized and disposed to contact the arm member in one position thereof, thereby securing the arm member in position with respect to the first leg member; a post member slidingly disposed in the hollow end portion of the second leg member, thereby allowing the distance which the post member extends above the table to be adjustable depending on the distance which the post member extends into the hollow end portion of the second leg member; a screw means extending through the second leg member and sized and disposed to contact the post member, in one position thereof, thereby securing the post member in position with respect to the second leg member; and a pair of guide eyelets, one of said guide eyelet being secured to the post member and the other of said guide eyelets being secured to the second leg member generally near the lower end portion thereof.

Claim 25

The bale wagon of claim 18 wherein the first guide eyelet means and the second guide eyelet means, each includes: an L-shaped support member, having a first and second leg member, each leg member having a hollow end portion therein, the end of the first leg member opposite the hollow end portion thereof is secured to a lower end portion of the second leg member opposite the hollow end portion of the second leg member, and the first leg member extends generally perpendicular to the second leg member; an arm member slidingly disposed in the hollow end portion of the first leg member, and adapted on the opposite end thereof to be secured to the frame of the bale wagon, thereby allowing the distance which the L-shaped support member is disposed with respect to the frame of the bale wagon to be adjustable, depending on the distance which the arm member extends into the hollow end portion of the first leg member; a screw means which extends through the first leg member and is sized and disposed to contact the arm member in one position thereof, thereby securing the arm member in position with respect to the first leg member; a post member, slidingly disposed in the hollow end portion of the second leg member, thereby allowing the distance which the post member extends above the table to be adjustable depending on the distance which the post member extends into the hollow end portion of the second leg member; a screw means extending through the second leg member and sized and disposed to contact the post member in one position thereof, thereby securing the post member in position with respect to the second leg member; and a pair of guide eyelets, one of said guide eyelets being secured to the post member and the other of said guide eyelets being secured to the second leg member generally near the lower end portion thereof.

Claim 26

The bale wagon of claim 18 wheRein the twine binder means is disposed on the bale wagon generally near the same side portion of said table as the second guide eyelet means.

Claim 27

The bale wagon of claim 24 wherein the twine binder means is characterized further to include: a frame means secured to the frame of the bale wagon; a slide rail means secured to a portion of the frame means; a first jaw means secured to one end portion of the slide rail means and adapted to receive and securely hold a portion of the twine extending from the second guide eyelet means; a second jaw means slidingly disposed on the slide rail means and adapted to receive and securely hold a portion of the twine extending from the supply of twine; and means adapted to slide the second jaw means along the slide rail means toward the first jaw means, thereby tensioning the twine about the layer of bales on the table.

Claim 28

The bale wagon of claim 25 wherein the second jaw means includes means to secure the second jaw means in position on the slide rail means when the second jaw means has been slid to a position tensioning the twine about the layer of bales.

Claim 29

The bale wagon of claim 26 wherein the means to slide the second jaw means along the slide rail means is characterized further to include: a pulley rotatingly secured to the slide rail means; a winch means secured to the frame of the twine binder means; a cable secured on one end to the second jaw means and secured on opposite end thereof to the winch means and in rotating engagement with the pulley, such that as the winch means is rotated in one direction the cable is retrieved, thereby pulling the second jaw means along the slide rail means generally toward the first jaw means and tensioning the twine about the layer of bales.