Bale wagon having single-bale-unloading means

Claim 1

A method of unloading a stack of bales from the load bed of a bale wagon, the stack having bales arranged in ranks and files, comprising the steps of: moving a stack of bales toward a discharge station; separating a rank of bales from said stack; separating a plurality of files from said rank; conveying said plurality of separated files to a point of discharge in staggered time relationship such that individual bales of each separate file are alternately discharged.

Claim 2

A method of unloading a stack of bales from the load bed of a bale wagon, the stack having bales arranged in ranks and files, comprising the steps of: moving a stack of bales toward a discharge station; separating a rank of bales from said stack; separating a plurality of files from said rank; conveying said plurality of separated files to a point of discharge in staggered time relationship such that individual bales of each separate file are alternately discharged.

Claim 4

A method of unloading a stack of bales from the load bed of a bale wagon having a discharge station including conveyor means, the stack being arranged in vertical side-by-side ranks, each rank having a plurality of files, the steps comprising: moving a stack of bales toward the discharge station; separating an end rank of bales from the stack by inclining said end rank onto the conveyor means and separating files of that end rank; elevating said separated files upwardly in staggered time relationship such that individual bales of each file are alternately discharged; and directing the individual discharged bales from the bale wagon in single file relationship.

Claim 5

A method of unloading a stack of bales from the load bed of a bale wagon having a discharge station including conveyor means, the stack being arranged in vertical side-by-side ranks, each rank having a plurality of files, the steps comprising: moving a stack of bales toward the discharge station; separating an end rank of bales from the stack by inclining said end rank onto the conveyor means and separating files of that end rank; elevating said separated files upwardly in staggered time relationship such that individual bales of each file are alternately discharged; and directing the individual discharged bales from the bale wagon in single file relationship.

Claim 6

A method of unloading a stack of bales from a bale wagon having a load bed and a discharge station including an unloading support with a terminal edge, said stack having bales arranged in ranks and files, comprising the steps of: moving the stack toward the discharge station; separating a rank of bales from said stack; disposing said separated rank on the unloading support and separating a file from said separated rank; and engaging and advancing said separated file in single file alignment over the terminal edge of said unloading support, whereby the bales passing over the terminal edge will drop one bale at a time from said unloading support without interference from the next adjacent bale within said separated file.

Claim 7

A method of unloading a stack of bales from a bale wagon having a load bed and a discharge station including an unloading support with a terminal edge, said stack having bales arranged in ranks and files, comprising the steps of: moving the stack toward the discharge station; separating a rank of bales from said stack; disposing said separated rank on the unloading support and separating a file from said separated rank; and engaging and advancing said separated file in single file alignment over the terminal edge of said unloading support, whereby the bales passing over the terminal edge will drop one bale at a time from said unloading support without interference from the next adjacent bale within said separated file.

Claim 8

A method of unloading a stack of bales from a bale wagon having a load carrying bed and a discharge station, said stack having bales arranged in ranks and files, comprising the steps of: moving a stack toward said discharge station; separating a rank from said stack; separating a file from said separated rank; and engaging and conveying said separated file in single file alignment over a voided discharge area, whereby individual bales of said separated file fall freely one bale at a time through the void into the discharge area.

Claim 9

A method of unloading a stack of bales from a bale wagon having a load carrying bed and a discharge station, said stack having bales arranged in ranks and files, comprising the steps of: moving a stack toward said discharge station; separating a rank from said stack; separating a file from said separated rank; and engaging and conveying said separated file in single file alignment over a voided discharge area, whereby individual bales of said separated file fall freely one bale at a time through the void into the discharge area.