Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
178 words
An apparatus for picking up loose hay and compacting the same into a stack for subsequent discharge from the apparatus, and comprising, in combination with a vehicle means carrying the apparatus: a. a pickup means extended transversely across the vehicle means with respect to the direction of movement of the vehicle means, to pick up a swath of loose hay lying in a field as the vehicle means moves across the field; b. a box-like, open-top chamber, formed as a walled enclosure, including side walls upstanding about a floor, carried upon the vehicle and proportional to permit a haystack to be formed within it; c. a conveying means associated with the pickup means adapted to receive hay from the pickup means and to drop the same into one end of the chamber; and d. a float overlying and being carried above the floor of the chamber, including a hay shifting means adapted to move hay underneath the float as it is dropped into the chamber, whereby the float will ride upon a haystack being formed in the chamber.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
178 words
An apparatus for picking up loose hay and compacting the same into a stack for subsequent discharge from the apparatus, and comprising, in combination with a vehicle means carrying the apparatus: a. a pickup means extended transversely across the vehicle means with respect to the direction of movement of the vehicle means, to pick up a swath of loose hay lying in a field as the vehicle means moves across the field; b. a box-like, open-top chamber, formed as a walled enclosure, including side walls upstanding about a floor, carried upon the vehicle and proportional to permit a haystack to be formed within it; c. a conveying means associated with the pickup means adapted to receive hay from the pickup means and to drop the same into one end of the chamber; and d. a float overlying and being carried above the floor of the chamber, including a hay shifting means adapted to move hay underneath the float as it is dropped into the chamber, whereby the float will ride upon a haystack being formed in the chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
94 words
The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein: the pickup means and the conveying means are forwardly of the chamber with respect to the direction of movement of the vehicle means, and thus drop hay into the forward end of the chamber; the forward edge of the float is spaced from the forward wall of the chamber a distance sufficient to permit the hay to fall past the float and to the floor of the chamber; and A gate means at the rear of the chamber opens to release a stack formed in the chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein: a rearwardly directed conveyor means forms the floor of the chamber to facilitate movement of a haystack from the chamber when the gate means are open.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein: said float shifting means is movable to provide a basic rearward movement to move hay from the forward end of the chamber and to form a stack under the float.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
75 words
The apparatus defined in claim 4, wherein: said float includes a frame about said shifting means adjacent to the side walls of the chamber, vertical guide means on the side walls of the chamber; means on the frame engaging in the guide means to hold the float in position; and means to lift the float above the floor of the chamber and hold the same in approximate spaced parallelism with the floor of the chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus defined in claim 4, wherein the float shifting means includes: longitudinally extended shifting bars arranged as an array across the float and between side frame members; and reciprocating means carried upon the frame members to longitudinally reciprocate these shifting bars in a sequential, alternating pattern.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein: said reciprocating means is adapted to lower each shifting bar when it moves rearwardly and to raise the shifting bar when it moves forwardly.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein said reciprocating means includes: a transverse crankshaft having a crank throw connecting with each shifting bar.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
In the apparatus defined in claim 6, including: gripper means underneath each shifting bar adapted to facilitate the gripping of loose hay dropped into the chamber to move the same rearwardly.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
In the apparatus defined in claim 4, including: a shiftable wall section at the front of the chamber movable into the chamber to thrust against a haystack therein and thereby initiate rearward movement of the haystack from the chamber.