Ground engaging hay bale rolling apparatus

Claim 2

Hay bale rolling apparatus comprising, in combination: a wheeled frame defining a baling chamber which is open at the bottom, said frame being adapted to span a windrow of hay and move fowardly therealong; a plurality of substantially parallel, arcuate, longitudinal baling bars extending from the rear lower portion to the front upper portion of said chamber, said baling bars having hay engaging teeth in their lower surfaces, and said baling bars being alternately of first and second sets; means mounting each of said baling bars on the frame for longitudinal oscillating movement in a vertical plane; and means for oscillating said first and second sets of baling bars in opposite phase.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means mounting the baling bars includes forward mounting means suspending the front of each baling bar from the frame for longitudinal swinging movement, and first and second rearward mounting means respectively suspending the rearward portions of the baling bars of the two sets from the frame for longitudinal movement in separate closed paths.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 in which each rearward mounting means includes a cross beam, the baling bars of each set are directly pivoted on one of the cross beams, and linkage means mounts each cross beam for movement longitudinally of the frame in a closed path.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2 in which the means for oscillating the first and second sets of baling bars includes driven rotary means, and first and second drive means respectively connecting 180* opposed pivots on said rotary means to the first and second rearward mounting means.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 in which the drive means includes a cross shaft journalled in the front of the frame, coaxial pairs of opposed pivots at the ends of said cross shaft, and in Which each rearward mounting means comprises a pair of guide links coaxially pivotally suspended from opposite sides of the frame, a pair of connecting links to the rear of said guide links, a cross beam directly connected to the upper ends of said connecting links, a direct pivotal connection between each baling bar of a set and the cross beam for said set, a pair of generally longitudinal drive links which have their rear ends pivotally connected to the connecting links and intermediate points pivotally connected to the guide links, and said drive links having forward extensions directly pivotally connected to one of said coaxial pairs of pivots.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 in which the driven rotary means is drivingly connected to a ground engaging wheel.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 4 which includes a motor mounted on the frame, and in which the driven rotary means is drivingly connected to said motor.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for oscillating the sets of baling bars includes driven rotary means, and first and second linkage means respectively connecting 180* opposed pivots on said rotary means to said first and second sets of baling bars.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 8 in which the means mounting the baling bars includes a link suspending the front of each baling bar from the frame, and in which the first and second linkage means include first and second parallel cross beams, respectively, which move in independent closed paths, the baling bars of the first set being directly pivotally connected to the first cross beam and the baling bars of the second set being directly pivotally connected to the second cross beam.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for oscillating the sets of baling bars includes a cross shaft, and ground engaging wheels on the ends of said cross shaft.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for oscillating the sets of baling bars includes a cross shaft, and a hydraulic motor for driving said cross shaft.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means mounting the baling bars includes a link suspending the front of each baling bar from the frame, and in which the means for oscillating the sets of baling bars includes first and second parallel cross beams on which the rearward portions of said first and second sets are respectively pivotally mounted, first and second linkage means operatively connected to said first and second cross beams, respectively, and means for driving said linkage means to move said cross beams in separate closed paths.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 12 in which the means for driving the linkage means includes driven rotary means, and means operatively connecting 180* opposed pivots on said rotary means to said first and second linkage means.