Automatic tray release actuating mechanism for bale stookers

Claim 1

In a bale stooker of the type having a wheel-supported frame, a platform hingedly attached to the frame for movement between a bale-stacking position and a stack-discharging position, openable bale-receiving jaws located above the platform adapted upon actuation to drop bales supported therebetween one-at-a-time into a stook, jaw-actuating means adjacent the rearward ends of said jaws and responsive to the movement of a bale into said jaws operative to open the latter, an inclined ramp positioned and adapted to receive a continuous succession of externally pushed bales in end-to-end abutting relation and discharge same one-ata-time onto said jaws, platform latch means connected to the platform adapted to maintain same in bale-receiving position until actuated, platform latch release means including a release lever connected to the platform latch means operative upon actuation tO actuate the latter and release the platform into stack-discharging position, and platform latch reset means connected to the platform operative when the latter is unloaded to return same to its bale-stacking position and to relatch the platform latching means, the improved means for automatically actuating the release lever of the platform latch release means which comprises: bale-sensing means located above and adjacent the forward ends of the bale-receiving jaws in the path of a bale moving into position thereon; rotating trigger means journaled for rotation adjacent the release lever of the platform latch release means operative to actuate same once during each complete revolution thereof; said bale-sensing means being displaced laterally toward one side of the bale-receiving jaws, deflector means positioned on the opposite side of the ramp adapted to deflect a bale ascending the latter toward said laterally offset bale-sensing means; and, link means interconnecting the balesensing means and the rotating trigger means, said link means being operative upon each response of the bale-sensing means to a bale impinging thereagainst to turn said trigger means through an arc of approximately 360/n degrees where ''''n'''' is the number of bales in a complete stook thereof on the platform, said link means being operative upon movement of ''''n'''' bales past the balesensing means to rotate said trigger through one complete revolution, and said link means and bale-sensing means cooperating with one another and with the jaw-actuating means upon actuation of the latter by a bale to index said trigger means 1/nth revolution in response to the discharge of said same bale onto the platform.