Machine for loading,stacking and unloading crops

Claim 2

A stacker comprising: a vehicle adapted for advancement over a field having a crop thereon to be stacked; a tiltable crop-receiving container mounted on the vehicle and provided with a shiftable endgate; a pickup supported by the vehicle for raising said crop off of the field and directing the crop into the container as the vehicle is advanced; a press movably carried by the container for forming the crop in the container into a compact stack; an actuator; mechanism on the endgate for rendering said press operable to shift the endgate to an open position as the press is moved by the actuator toward one end of the path of travel of the press; structure coupling said actuator with the container for tilting the latter upon movement of the press to said one end of its path of travel; and an unloader in the container for ejecting the stack therefrom when the endgate is in said open position and said container is tilted.

Claim 3

A stacker as claimed in claim 1 wherein said container is provided with swingable arm means coupled with said actuator and wherein the press is operably coupled with the arm means for movement by the latter as the same are swung by the actuator.

Claim 4

A stacker as claimed in claim 1 wherein the press is vertically reciprocable and the endgate is swingable outwardly and upwardly away from the container to said open position, said mechanism including a member movable on the endgate into and out of the path of travel of the press.

Claim 5

A stacker as claimed in claim 3 wherein is provided a releasable lock for maintaining the endgate normally closed; and means interconnecting the member and the lock for releasing the latter during initial movement of the member by the press.

Claim 6

A stacker as claimed in claim 1 wherein said vehicle includes a chassis having a pair of pivotally interconnected sections, said actuator being coupled with the chassis for articulating the sections to tilt the container.

Claim 7

A stacker as claimed in claim 5 wherein is provided an upstanding chute for guiding the crop upwardly and laterally into the container at one end of the latter, one of said sections having a wheel and axle assembly for tiltably supporting the same, the container being on said one section, said pickup and said chute being on the other of said sections for movement of the chute toward and away from said one end of the container during articulation of the sections.

Claim 8

A stacker as claimed in claim 1 wherein said container is provided with swingable arm means for moving the press and wherein said vehicle includes a chassis having a pair of pivotally interconnected sections, said actuator interconnecting the arm means and one of said sections for articulating the sections to tilt the container after the actuator moves the press to said one end f its of of travel through said arm means.

Claim 9

A stacker comprising: a vehicle provided with a chassis having a pair of pivotally interconnected sections; a crop-receiving container mounted on one of said sections and provided with an endgate to be opened; a press moVably carried by the container for forming the crop into a compact stack; an actuator coupled with the press for moving the same; and structure coupling the actuator with the chassis for articulating the sections relative to each other to tilt said one section, and therefore the container, upon movement of the press to one end of its path of travel, said endgate being at the lower end of the container when the latter is tilted permitting removal of the stack through said end of the container when the endgate is opened and the container tilted, a pickup for raising said crop off of a field and directing the same into said container as the vehicle is advanced over the field, an upstanding chute mounted on the pickup for guiding the crop upwardly and laterally into the container at the opposite end of the latter; four point linkage means mounting the pickup on the other of said sections; and power means for raising and lowering the pickup.

Claim 10

A stacker comprising: a vehicle provided with a chassis having a pair of pivotally interconnected sections; a crop-receiving container mounted on one of said sections and provided with an endgate to be opened; a press moVably carried by the container for forming the crop into a compact stack; an actuator coupled with the press for moving the same; and structure coupling the actuator with the chassis for articulating the sections relative to each other to tilt said one section, and therefore the container, upon movement of the press to one end of its path of travel, said endgate being at the lower end of the container when the latter is tilted permitting removal of the stack through said end of the container when the endgate is opened and the container tilted, a pickup for raising said crop off of a field and directing the same into said container as the vehicle is advanced over the field, an upstanding chute mounted on the pickup for guiding the crop upwardly and laterally into the container at the opposite end of the latter; four point linkage means mounting the pickup on the other of said sections; and power means for raising and lowering the pickup.

Claim 11

A stacker as claimed in claim 8; and yieldable means interconnecting the pickup and the container floatingly suspending the pickup from the container upon deactivation of the power means.

Claim 12

A stacker as claimed in claim 9; and ground engageable means on the pickup for limiting the extent of descent of the latter.