Haystack making machine

Claim 2

A machine for forming a stack of stackable material comprising a frame member, a receptacle having generally upright walls mounted on said frame member, means to deliver stackable material into said receptacle, compression means operating in a substantially horizontal direction compressing layers of said stackable material with respect to a first wall of said receptacle, means to rotate said receptacle to unloading position with said first wall of said receptacle adjacent to the ground to position the layers substantially horizontally prior to removal of said material from said receptacle, said first wall of said receptacle comprising a plurality of substantially parallel teeth members, and push off means slidably mounted on said teeth members to move hay in the receptacle toward the outer ends of said teeth members when said receptacle has been rotated to unloading position and there is relative movement between the teeth members and said push off means.

Claim 3

The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said frame comprises a main frame, a subframe, and wherein said receptacle is mounted on said subframe, and means to pivotally mount said subframe to said main frame about a substantially horizontal axis to permit movement of said subframe relative to said main frame for substantially 90* of pivoting.

Claim 4

The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said means for delivering said stackable material into said receptacle comprises a pick up and vertical conveyor assembly, said assembly comprising a single endless conveyor member having elongated teeth extending outwardly therefrom, a conveyor chute, one portion of said endless conveyor member passing along said chute, and guide means to guide said conveyor member to position adjacent the ground in its path of travel wherein said teeth will pick up stackable material on the ground and move said material upwardly along said chute, an opposite portion of said conveyor member being external said chute.

Claim 5

The combination as specified in claim 3 wherein said guide means to guide said conveyor member for movement adjacent the ground comprises a drum, support means for said drum pivotally mounted to said main frame to permit floating movement of said drum with respect to the ground, and linkage means comprising a tightener roller movable upon floating movement of said drum to control tension in said endless conveyor member.

Claim 6

The combination as specified in claim 4 wherein said endless conveyor member comprises a plurality of spaced conveyor chains each formed into a closed loop, and cross members extending between said spaced chains, said teeth members being attached to and projecting from said cross members.

Claim 7

The combination as specified in claim 3 wherein said chute is a tubular chute having open ends and said endless conveyor member rides against the interior surface of one wall of said chute with said teeth projecting toward an oppositely facing wall of said chute.

Claim 8

A machine for forming a stack of stackable material comprising a frame member, a receptacle having generally upright walls including first and second walls mounted on said frame member, means to deliver stackable material into said receptacle, carriage means for movably supporting said second wall, track means for said carriage means, said track means being supported on said frame, roller guide means on said carriage means for retaining said second wall in its desired position during movement thereof, said second wall being in substantially horizontal direction and comprising compression means to compress layers of said stackable materIal against a first wall of said receptacle, means to rotate said receptacle to unloading position with said wall of said receptacle adjacent to the ground to position the layers substantially horizontally prior to removal of said material from said receptacle.

Claim 9

A machine for forming a stack of stackable material comprising a frame member, a receptacle having generally upright walls including first and second walls mounted on said frame member, means to deliver stackable material into said receptacle, carriage means for movably supporting said second wall, track means for said carriage means, said track means being supported on said frame, roller guide means on said carriage means for retaining said second wall in its desired position during movement thereof, said second wall being in substantially horizontal direction and comprising compression means to compress layers of said stackable materIal against a first wall of said receptacle, means to rotate said receptacle to unloading position with said wall of said receptacle adjacent to the ground to position the layers substantially horizontally prior to removal of said material from said receptacle.

Claim 10

The combination as specified in claim 7 and means to move said second wall toward said first wall comprising fluid actuated cylinder means, said cylinder means acting against said carriage means.

Claim 11

The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein said first wall comprises the rear wall of the hay compartment with respect to the normal direction of travel.

Claim 12

The combination as specified in claim 8 wherein said track means for said second wall comprises a pair of longitudinally extending members, each of said longitudinally extending members comprising facing channel members fixed together, means mounting said cylinder means inside said facing channel members, and arm means extending from said carriage means through a provided opening between said facing channel members, and means connecting said arm means to said cylinder means.

Claim 13

In a loose material gathering vehicle having means for receiving said loose material the improvement comprising a pick up and conveyor assembly, said assembly comprising a single endless conveyor member having elongated teeth extending outwardly therefrom, a conveyor chute, one portion of said endless conveyor member passing along said chute, guide means to guide said conveyor member to position adjacent the ground in its path of travel wherein said teeth will pick up material on the ground and move said material upwardly along said chute, an opposite portion of said conveyor member being external said chute and said guide means to guide said conveyor member for movement adjacent the ground comprising a drum, support means for said drum pivotally mounted to said main frame to permit floating movement of said drum with respect to the ground, and linkage means comprising a tightener roller movable upon floating movement of said drum to control tension in said endless conveyor member.

Claim 14

In a loose material gathering vehicle having means for receiving said loose material the improvement comprising a pick up and conveyor assembly, said assembly comprising a single endless conveyor member having elongated teeth extending outwardly therefrom, a conveyor chute, one portion of said endless conveyor member passing along said chute, guide means to guide said conveyor member to position adjacent the ground in its path of travel wherein said teeth will pick up material on the ground and move said material upwardly along said chute, an opposite portion of said conveyor member being external said chute and said guide means to guide said conveyor member for movement adjacent the ground comprising a drum, support means for said drum pivotally mounted to said main frame to permit floating movement of said drum with respect to the ground, and linkage means comprising a tightener roller movable upon floating movement of said drum to control tension in said endless conveyor member.

Claim 15

The vehicle of claim 11 wherein said chute is a tubular chute having open ends and said endless conveyor member rides against the interior surface of one wall of said chute with said teeth projecting toward an oppositely facing wall of said chute.

Claim 16

A stack forming machine comprising a frame, a compartment mounted on said frame, said compartment comprising a floor and upstanding side walls and a pair of longitudinally extending frame members, each longitudinally extending frame member comprising a pair of channel shaped members having their legs facing each other and spaced apart along the tops thereof, means to deliver stackable material into said compartment, and compressive packing means to compact material deposited in said compartment, said compressive packing means including a first wall of said compartment, carriage means mounted to said first wall and movably mounted on said longitudinally extending frame members, said wall being movable toward a second opposite wall of said compartment, power means mounted between said channel shaped members and connected to said carriage means, said power means being operable to said first wall toward said second wall to compress material deposited between said first and second walls.

Claim 17

A stack forming machine comprising a frame, a compartment mounted on said frame, said compartment comprising a floor and upstanding side walls and a pair of longitudinally extending frame members, each longitudinally extending frame member comprising a pair of channel shaped members having their legs facing each other and spaced apart along the tops thereof, means to deliver stackable material into said compartment, and compressive packing means to compact material deposited in said compartment, said compressive packing means including a first wall of said compartment, carriage means mounted to said first wall and movably mounted on said longitudinally extending frame members, said wall being movable toward a second opposite wall of said compartment, power means mounted between said channel shaped members and connected to said carriage means, said power means being operable to said first wall toward said second wall to compress material deposited between said first and second walls.

Claim 18

The machine of claim 13 further characterized in that said power means moves said first wall under power away from said second wall toward a normal position, and material retaining means to engage material compressed against said second wall and prevent said compressed material from moving with said first wall when the first wall is moved to its normal position.

Claim 19

The machine of claim 13 wherein said compartment includes a subframe, means to pivotally mount said subframe to said frame to permit pivotal movement of said compartment to unloading position wherein one of said walls is adjacent the ground, and power means to move said compartment about iTs pivot.

Claim 20

The machine of claim 15 and push off means to remove material from the compartment when the compartment has been pivoted to unloading position.

Claim 21

The machine of claim 13 wherein said first wall is formed into a partly curved configuration to form a curved side on said stack.