Mechanical drive for a receiving table on a bale wagon

Claim 2

In a bale wagon of the type which includes a frame, a receiving table mounted on said frame and capable of receiving a predetermined number of bales thereon and capable of being moved between a lower, bale-receiving position and an upper, baledischarge position, and a transfEr table mounted on said frame and capable of receiving said bales from said receiving table when said receiving table is at its bale-discharge position, the improvement which comprises: a mechanical drive assembly mounted on said frame for moving said receiving table between its said positions and capable of being coupled to an external source of power and continuously driven thereby, said drive assembly being normally inoperatively uncoupled from said receiving table prior to each time when said bales have been received on said receiving table at its bale-receiving position, said drive assembly being operatively mechanically coupled to said receiving table each time after said bales have been received on said receiving table at its bale-receiving position and causing movement of said receiving table through only one complete cycle from its bale-receiving position, to its bale-discharge position and back to its bale-receiving position.

Claim 3

In a bale wagon as recited in claim 1 wherein: said receiving table is mounted on said frame for movement between its lower and upper positions along a substantially linear path; and said drive assembly is capable of causing movement of said receiving table between its positions along said linear path when operatively coupled thereto.

Claim 4

In a bale wagon of the type which includes a frame, a receiving table mounted on said frame and capable of receiving a predetermined number of bales thereon and capable of being moved between a lower, bale-receiving position and an upper, bale-discharge position, and a transfer table mounted on said frame and capable of receiving said bales from said receiving table when said receiving table is at its bale-discharge position, the improvement which comprises: a mechanical drive assembly mounted on said frame for moving said receiving table between its said position, said drive assembly including a driving component capable of being coupled to an external source of power and continuously driven thereby, said component further capable of being inoperatively uncoupled from said receiving table and operatively mechanically coupled to said receiving table for causing said movement of said receiving table between its said positions, and a control component normally maintaining said driving component inoperatively uncoupled from said receiving table prior to each time when said bales have been received on said receiving table at its bale-receiving position and allowing operative mechanical coupling of said driving component to said receiving table each time after said bales have been received on said receiving table at its bale-receiving position for causing movement of said receiving table through only one complete cycle from its bale-receiving position, to its bale-discharge position and back to its bale-receiving position.

Claim 5

In a bale wagon of the type which includes a frame, a receiving table mounted on said frame and capable of receiving a predetermined number of bales thereon and capable of being moved between a lower, bale-receiving position and an upper, bale-discharge position, and a transfer table mounted on said frame and capable of receiving said bales from said receiving table when said receiving table is at its bale-discharge position, the improvement which comprises: a mechanical drive assembly mounted on said frame for moving said receiving table between its said position, said drive assembly including a driving component capable of being coupled to an external source of power and continuously driven thereby, said component further capable of being inoperatively uncoupled from said receiving table and operatively mechanically coupled to said receiving table for causing said movement of said receiving table between its said positions, and a control component normally maintaining said driving component inoperatively uncoupled from said receiving table prior to each time when said bales have been received on said receiving table at its bale-receiving position and allowing operative mechanical coupling of said driving component to said receiving table each time after said bales have been received on said receiving table at its bale-receiving position for causing movement of said receiving table through only one complete cycle from its bale-receiving position, to its bale-discharge position and back to its bale-receiving position.

Claim 6

In a bale wagon as recited in claim 3 wherein: said receiving table is mounted on said frame for movement between its lower and upper positions along a substantially linear path; and said driving component is capable of causing movement of said receiving table between its positions along said linear path when operatively coupled to said receiving table by said control component.

Claim 7

In a bale wagon as recited in claim 3 wherein: said driving component is capable of being coupled to an external source of rotary power and continuously rotatably driven thereby and, when operatively mechanically coupled to said receiving table, it translates its constant rotation into reciprocatory movement to cause said movement of said receiving table between its positions.