Apparatus for unloading a bale wagon one bale at a time

Claim 2

A wagon for unloading bales one at a time from a stack of bales on said bale wagon, said stack having a plurality of side by side tiers and each tier having a plurality of layers, one above the other, said wagon comprising: a chassis; a load-carrying bed pivotally mounted on said chassis and adapted to receive a stack of bales; means for moving said stack of bales toward one end of said load-carrying bed, said stack moving means comprising a movable rack mounted on said load-carrying bed for fore-and-aft movement relative thereto; means mounted on said wagon operable to discharge the lowest layer of bales on the end tier; and means to engage the next lowest layer of bales in said one tier to hold said next lowest layer from interference with the lowest layer as it is being discharged, said last mentioned means being operative to permit said next lowest layer to drop after the lowest layer has been discharged.

Claim 3

A wagon for unloading bales one at a time, as recited in claim 1, wherein said chassis is wheel supported for travel over the ground, and said load-carrying bed is flat and extends in a fore-and-aft direction on said chassis.

Claim 4

A wagon for unloading bales one at a time, as recited in claim 1, wherein said means operable to discharge the lowest layer of bales from a tier is disposed below said load-carrying bed at said one end of said chassis.

Claim 5

A wagon for unloading bales one at a time, as recited in claim 1, wherein said means operable to discharge the lowest layer of bales from a tier is disposed in a trough having a bottom portion located at least a bale height below said load-carrying bed.

Claim 6

A wagon for unloading bales one at a time, as recited in claim 4, wherein said means operable to discharge the lowest layer of bales from a tier is movable in said trough transversely of said chassis.

Claim 7

A bale wagon for unloading bales one at a time, as recited in claim 1, wherein said means operable to discharge the lowest layer of bales from a tier is movable transversely of said load-carrying bed.

Claim 8

A bale wagon for unloading bales one at a time, as recited in claim 1, wherein said means to engage the next lowest layer of bales in said tier comprises a plurality finger means disposed forwardly of said load-carrying bed.

Claim 9

A bale wagon for unloading bales one at a time, as recited in claim 7, wherein said finger means are disposed in opposed spaced-apart relation and are pivotally mounted with respect to said Load-carrying bed.

Claim 10

A bale wagon for unloading bales one at a time, as recited in claim 1, wherein a trough having an upward opening is disposed on said chassis forwardly of said one end of said load-carrying bed and said means to engage the next lowest layer of bales in said tier is disposed above said trough and pivotally mounted with respect thereto.

Claim 11

A bale wagon for unloading bales one at a time as recited in claim 9, wherein said engaging means comprises a plurality of spaced-apart opposed finger means mounted adjacent said upward opening and pivotally movable between an outwardly extending position and a downward retracted position.

Claim 12

A bale wagon for unloading bales one at a time, as recited in claim 10, wherein said finger means lift and separate the next lowest layer of bales from the lowest layer to hold said next lowest layer from interference with the lowest layer as it is being discharged when disposed in the outwardly extending position and permit said next lowest layer to drop after the lowest layer has been discharged when disposed in said downward retracted position.

Claim 13

A wagon for unloading bales one at a time from a stack of bales on said bale wagon, said stack having a plurality of side by side tiers and each tier having a plurality of layers, one above the other, said wagon comprising: a wheel-supported chassis; a load-carrying bed pivotally mounted on said chassis and adapted to receive a stack of bales; means for moving said stack of bales toward one end of said load-carrying bed; means operable to discharge the lowest layer of bales of the end tier from the wagon; and means to engage the next lowest layer of bales in said one tier to hold said next lowest layer vertically spaced from the lowest layer of bales to prevent interference with the lowest layer as it is being discharged, said last mentioned means being operative to permit said next lowest layer to drop downwardly after the lowest layer has been discharged.

Claim 14

A wagon for unloading bales one at a time from a stack of bales on said bale wagon, said stack having a plurality of side by side tiers and each tier having a plurality of layers, one above the other, said wagon comprising: a wheel-supported chassis; a load-carrying bed pivotally mounted on said chassis and adapted to receive a stack of bales; means for moving said stack of bales toward one end of said load-carrying bed; means operable to discharge the lowest layer of bales of the end tier from the wagon; and means to engage the next lowest layer of bales in said one tier to hold said next lowest layer vertically spaced from the lowest layer of bales to prevent interference with the lowest layer as it is being discharged, said last mentioned means being operative to permit said next lowest layer to drop downwardly after the lowest layer has been discharged.

Claim 15

A wagon for unloading bales one at a time, as recited in claim 12, wherein a trough is disposed on said chassis forwardly of said one end of said load-carrying bed, said trough having a bottom portion spaced below said load-carrying bed and a pair of spaced parallel vertically extending sidewalls, said walls terminating at the level of said bale-carrying bed.

Claim 16

A wagon for unloading bales one at a time, as recited in claim 13, wherein said means for discharging the lowest layer of bales is disposed in said trough and transversely movable with respect to said load-carrying bed and said means to engage the next lowest layer of bales are disposed adjacent the upper edge of said vertical sidewalls.

Claim 17

A wagon for unloading bales one at a time, as recited in claim 14, wherein said engaging means comprises a plurality of finger means pivotally mounted in said trough sidewalls for movement between an outwardly extending position and a downwardly extending retracted position, said finger means vertically separating said next lowest layer of bales from said lowest layer during discharge when said fingers are in the outwardly extending position.

Claim 18

A wagon for unloading bales one at a time from a stack comprised of a plurality of side by side tiers, each having a plurality of layers one above the other, said wagon comprising: a chassis; a load-carrying bed pivotally mounted on said chassis and adapted to receive a stack of bales; conveying means fixed to said chassis and disposed adjacent said load bed and operative to convey bales of individual layers in single file relationship from said wagon; means for moving an end tier of the stack from said load bed onto said conveying means such that the lowermost layer of the end tier is engaged with said conveying means, said moving means comprising a rolling rack operative to move in a fore-and-aft direction along said load bed; and means for engaging the layer adjacent the lowermost layer and moving it along with the layers disposed thereaBove away from the lowermost layer, whereby individual bales of the lowermost layer may be conveyed by said conveying means without interference from the adjacent layer, said last mentioned means being operative to release said adjacent layer and the layers disposed thereabove once the lowermost layer has been conveyed from underneath, whereby said adjacent layer drops down onto said conveying means to become the lowermost layer, at which time said last-mentioned means is again actuated to engage the layer adjacent the present lowermost layer and move it along with the layers disposed thereabove away from the present lowermost layer to be discharged from the bale wagon without interference from the adjacent layer.

Claim 19

A wagon for unloading bales one at a time from a stack comprised of a plurality of side by side tiers, each having a plurality of layers one above the other, said wagon comprising: a chassis; a load-carrying bed pivotally mounted on said chassis and adapted to receive a stack of bales; conveying means fixed to said chassis and disposed adjacent said load bed and operative to convey bales of individual layers in single file relationship from said wagon; means for moving an end tier of the stack from said load bed onto said conveying means such that the lowermost layer of the end tier is engaged with said conveying means, said moving means comprising a rolling rack operative to move in a fore-and-aft direction along said load bed; and means for engaging the layer adjacent the lowermost layer and moving it along with the layers disposed thereaBove away from the lowermost layer, whereby individual bales of the lowermost layer may be conveyed by said conveying means without interference from the adjacent layer, said last mentioned means being operative to release said adjacent layer and the layers disposed thereabove once the lowermost layer has been conveyed from underneath, whereby said adjacent layer drops down onto said conveying means to become the lowermost layer, at which time said last-mentioned means is again actuated to engage the layer adjacent the present lowermost layer and move it along with the layers disposed thereabove away from the present lowermost layer to be discharged from the bale wagon without interference from the adjacent layer.

Claim 20

A bale wagon as recited in claim 16 wherein said conveying means is disposed transversely and at the front of said load-carrying bed and spaced at least a bale height below the front edge thereof.

Claim 21

A wagon for unloading bales one at a time from a stack of bales on said bale wagon, said stack having a plurality of side by side tiers and each tier having a plurality of layers, one above the other, said wagon comprising: a wheel supported chassis; an open top load-carrying bed pivotally mounted on said chassis and adapted to receive a stack of bales; means for moving said stack of bales toward one end of said load-carrying bed, said means for moving said stack of bales comprises a movable rack mounted on said load-carrying bed for fore-and-aft movement relative thereto, means mounted on said wagon operable to discharge the lowest layer of bales of the end tier from the wagon; and means to engage the next lowest layer of bales in said one tier to hold said next lowest layer from interference with the lowest layer of bales to prevent interference with the lowest layer as it is being discharged, said last mentioned means being operative to permit said next lowest layer to drop downwardly after the lowest layer has been discharged.

Claim 22

A wagon for unloading bales one at a time from a stack of bales on said bale wagon, said stack having a plurality of side by side tiers and each tier having a plurality of layers, one above the other, said wagon comprising: a wheel supported chassis; an open top load-carrying bed pivotally mounted on said chassis and adapted to receive a stack of bales; means for moving said stack of bales toward one end of said load-carrying bed, said means for moving said stack of bales comprises a movable rack mounted on said load-carrying bed for fore-and-aft movement relative thereto, means mounted on said wagon operable to discharge the lowest layer of bales of the end tier from the wagon; and means to engage the next lowest layer of bales in said one tier to hold said next lowest layer from interference with the lowest layer of bales to prevent interference with the lowest layer as it is being discharged, said last mentioned means being operative to permit said next lowest layer to drop downwardly after the lowest layer has been discharged.