Automatic bale stooker

Claim 2

A stooker for the automatic construction and deposit of a stock from bales discharged from a travelling baler comprising, in coMbination: i. bale elevating means for receiving and elevating bales discharged from said baler; ii. a bale receiving and positioning station for receiving bales from said bale elevating means and for angularly positioning thereof in a predetermined elevated deposit position, said pale receiving and positioning station comprising a pair of horizontally extending parallel bale receiving arms and bale support means on said bale support arms adapted to engage and support a bale, at least one of said bale support means being pivotably mounted upon an associated said bale support arm, and bale engaging and tripping means associated with one of said bale support arms to effect angulations of said bale within said station; iii. bale release means for programmed release of bales from said bale receiving and positioning station whereby each of said bales is deposited at a predetermined position in a stook being formed, said bale release means comprising means for selectively locking and releasing said pivotable bale support means responsive to the position of a bale upon said pair of bale receiving arms; iv. a stock forming platform adapted to receive bales upon release thereof by said bale release means for assembly of a stock thereon; v. stook dump means responsive to the movement of bales into the bale receiving and positioning station and the assembly condition of the stook under construction on the stook forming platform for discharge of assembled stooks from said stook forming platform to the surface of the ground.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said stook dump means is responsive to the movement of bales into the bale receiving and positioning station and the completion of the stook under construction on the stook forming platform.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said bales are of rectangular cross-sectional configuration and unequal cross-sectional dimensions and additionally comprising means for depositing each of said bales in a predetermined orientation in a stook being formed.

Claim 5

In a bale stooker as set out in claim 1, and, in which said stook is a six-bale pyramidal stook of 3 - 2 - 1 configuration, and said bales are of rectangular cross-sectional configuration and substantially unequal cross-sectional dimensions, and thereby define adjacent major and minor side surfaces, said bale release means comprising: means for selectively locking and releasing said pivotable bale support means responsive to the position of a bale upon said pair of bale receiving arms for programmed release of bales from said bale receiving and positioning station whereby each of said bales is deposited at a predetermined position in a predetermined orientation in a stook being formed, in the sequential order of: a. the first bale discharged therefrom assuming the center position in the bottom row, with its greater cross-sectional dimension inclined in a first orientation at approximately 45* to the ground surface, and thereby presenting a major and a minor side as the two upwardly disposed surfaces thereof; b. the second bale discharged therefrom assuming the position adjacent to said first bale in similar first orientation thereto and overlying a substantial portion of the major upper surface thereof; c. the third bale discharged therefrom assuming a position in the second row upon the upper surfaces of said first and second bales and assuming a second orientation substantially at right angles to said first orientation; d. the fourth bale discharged therefrom assuming the position adjacent to said first bale on the side thereof opposite to said second bale, and assuming said second orientation and overlying a substantial portion of the minor upper surface of said first bale; e. the fifth bale discharged therefrom assuming the position in the second row adjacent to said third bale upon the adjacent upper surfaces of said first and fourth bales and assuming said first orientation; aNd f. the sixth bale discharged therefrom assuming the apex position in said stook in the third row thereof upon the adjacent upper surfaces of said third fifth bales; and wherein said stook forming platform is adapted to receive each of said bales upon release thereof by said bale release means for assembly thereof, in said sequential order, in a six-bale pyramidal stook thereon of said 3 - 2 - 1 configuration; and said stook dump means is responsive to the movement of bales into the bale positioning station and the completion of the stook under construction on the stook forming platform, for discharge of said assembled six-bale pyramidal stook from said stook forming platform to the surface of the ground.

Claim 6

Apparatus for the automatic construction and deposit of a pyramidal stook from bales adapted for use with a travelling baler comprising in combination: i. a generally horizontally disposed ground-supported chassis and hitch means articulatingly connecting said chassis with said travelling baler; ii. a bale elevating ramp in which bales are upwardly urged in response to the discharge of bales from the travelling baler; iii. a bale receiving and positioning station for receiving bales from said bale elevating means and for positioning and orientation thereof in a predetermined elevated release position, said bale receiving and positioning station comprising a pair of horizontally extending parallel bale receiving arms and bale support means on said bale support arms adapted to engage and support a bale, at least one of said bale support means being pivotally mounted upon an associated said bale support arm, and bale engaging and tripping means associated with one of said bale support arms to effect angulation of said bale within said station; iv. bale release means for the programmed release of bales from said bale receiving and positioning station whereby each of said bales is deposited at a predetermined position and in a predetermined orientation in a stook being formed, said bale release means comprising means for selectively locking and releasing said pivotable bale support means responsive to the position of a bale upon said pair of bale receiving arms; v. a stook forming platform adapted to receive each of said bales upon release thereof by said bale release means for assembly thereon of a six-bale pyramidal stook of a 3-2-1 configuration; and vi. stook dump means responsive to the movement of bales into said bale receiving and positioning station and the completion of the stook under construction of the stook forming platform for the discharge of assembled stooks from said stook forming platform to the surface of the ground.

Claim 7

Apparatus for the automatic construction and deposit of a pyramidal stook from bales adapted for use with a travelling baler comprising in combination: i. a generally horizontally disposed ground-supported chassis and hitch means articulatingly connecting said chassis with said travelling baler; ii. a bale elevating ramp in which bales are upwardly urged in response to the discharge of bales from the travelling baler; iii. a bale receiving and positioning station for receiving bales from said bale elevating means and for positioning and orientation thereof in a predetermined elevated release position, said bale receiving and positioning station comprising a pair of horizontally extending parallel bale receiving arms and bale support means on said bale support arms adapted to engage and support a bale, at least one of said bale support means being pivotally mounted upon an associated said bale support arm, and bale engaging and tripping means associated with one of said bale support arms to effect angulation of said bale within said station; iv. bale release means for the programmed release of bales from said bale receiving and positioning station whereby each of said bales is deposited at a predetermined position and in a predetermined orientation in a stook being formed, said bale release means comprising means for selectively locking and releasing said pivotable bale support means responsive to the position of a bale upon said pair of bale receiving arms; v. a stook forming platform adapted to receive each of said bales upon release thereof by said bale release means for assembly thereon of a six-bale pyramidal stook of a 3-2-1 configuration; and vi. stook dump means responsive to the movement of bales into said bale receiving and positioning station and the completion of the stook under construction of the stook forming platform for the discharge of assembled stooks from said stook forming platform to the surface of the ground.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5 in which said bale receiving and positioning station and said bale release means include two horizontally disposed, parallel rearwardly extending bale receiving arms mounted upon said chassis and operatively connected with the discharge end of said bale elevating means, said bale receiving arms each having inwardly inclined detent members adapted to support bales thereby, at least one of which detent members is downwardly pivotally releasable in response to the rearward movement of the bales between said bale receiving arms and moveable between a first position for supporting a bale discharged on said bale receiving arms from said bale elevating means and a second release position for downward release of the bale therefrom.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 5 in which said stook forming platform includes a ground wheel assembly including a pair of stub axle-mounted wheels; a pair of rearwardly extending parallel mounting arms to each of which one of said stub axle-mounted wheels is fixedly connected; a horizontal axle shaft fixedly connected at right angles to said mounting arms and laterally disposed underlying said chassis; a plurality of rearwardly generally horizontally extending tine members fixedly connected aT right angles to said axle shaft and forming a forked bale platform therewith; platform pivot means for mounting said axle to said chassis; a double-link locking bar having its rearward end pivotally secured to said axle shaft and its forward end pivotally secured to said chassis, operatively moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position for pivot movement of said bale platform about said platform pivot means; a generally vertically disposed trip bar slidable vertically, selectively engaging at its lower end said double-link locking bar; a horizontally disposed bale trip arm pivotally secured intermediate the ends thereof adjacent said bale receiving and positioning station and pivotally secured at its forward end to said trip bar and having a downwardly turned opposite distal end introduced into said bale receiving and positioning station and adapted for upward movement thereof in response to contact with bales passing into said bale receiving and positioning station from said bale elevating means; biasing means for normal upwards biasing of said trip bar and normal downwards biasing of said distal end of said trip bar; and trip bar guidance means for guidance of said trip bar between a first position of operating engagement with said double-link locking bar and a second position of non-engagement therewith, in response to the completion state of a stook under construction upon said bale platform.

Claim 10

Apparatus for the automatic construction and deposit of a six-bale pyramidal stook in a 3-2-1 configuration from bales adapted for use with a travelling baler comprising, in combination: i. a generally horizontally disposed ground-supported chassis and hitch means articulating by connecting said chassis with said travelling baler; ii. bale elevating means in which bales are upwardly urged in response to the discharge of bales from the travelling baler; iii. a bale positioning station for receiving bales from said bale elevating means and for positioning and orientation thereof in a predetermined deposit position; iv. bale release means for the programmed release of bales from said bale positioning station whereby each of said bales is deposited at a predetermined position and in a predetermined orientation in a stook being formed; v. a stook forming platform adapted to receive each of said bales upon release thereof by said bale release means for assembly thereof, in said sequential order, of a six-bale pyramidal stook thereon of said 3 - 2 - 1 configuration, said stook forming platform comprising a ground wheel assembly including a pair of stub axle-mounted wheels; a pair of rearwardly extending parallel mounting arms to each of which one of said stub axlemounted wheels is fixedly connected; a horizontal axle shaft fixedly connected at right angles to said mounting arms and laterally disposed underlying said chassis; a plurality of rearwardly generally horizontally extending tine members fixedly connected at right angles to said axle shaft and forming a forked bale platform therewith; platform pivot means for mounting said axle to said chassis; a double-link locking bar having its rearward end pivotally secured to said axle shaft and its forward end pivotally secured to said chassis, operatively moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position for pivot movement of said bale platform about said platform pivot means; a generally vertically disposed trip bar slidable vertically, selectively engaging at its lower end said double-link locking bar; a horizontally disposed bale trip arm pivotally secured intermediate the ends thereof adjacent said bale receiving and positioning station and pivotally secured at its forward end to said trip bar and having a downwardly turned oposite distal end introduced into said bale receiving and positioning station and adapted for upward movement thereof in response to contact with bales passing into said bale receiving and positioning station from said bale Elevating means; biasing means for normal upwards biasing of said trip bar and normal downwards biasing of said distal end of said trip bar; and trip bar guidance means for guidance of said trip bar between a first position of operating engagement with said double-link locking bar and a second position of non-engagement therewith, in response to the completion state of a stook under construction upon said bale platform; and vi. stook release means responsive to the movement of bales into the bale positioning station and the completion of the stook under construction on the stook forming platform for the discharge of assembled stooks from said stook forming platform to the surface of the ground.

Claim 11

Apparatus for the automatic construction and deposit of a six-bale pyramidal stook in a 3-2-1 configuration from bales adapted for use with a travelling baler comprising, in combination: i. a generally horizontally disposed ground-supported chassis and hitch means articulating by connecting said chassis with said travelling baler; ii. bale elevating means in which bales are upwardly urged in response to the discharge of bales from the travelling baler; iii. a bale positioning station for receiving bales from said bale elevating means and for positioning and orientation thereof in a predetermined deposit position; iv. bale release means for the programmed release of bales from said bale positioning station whereby each of said bales is deposited at a predetermined position and in a predetermined orientation in a stook being formed; v. a stook forming platform adapted to receive each of said bales upon release thereof by said bale release means for assembly thereof, in said sequential order, of a six-bale pyramidal stook thereon of said 3 - 2 - 1 configuration, said stook forming platform comprising a ground wheel assembly including a pair of stub axle-mounted wheels; a pair of rearwardly extending parallel mounting arms to each of which one of said stub axlemounted wheels is fixedly connected; a horizontal axle shaft fixedly connected at right angles to said mounting arms and laterally disposed underlying said chassis; a plurality of rearwardly generally horizontally extending tine members fixedly connected at right angles to said axle shaft and forming a forked bale platform therewith; platform pivot means for mounting said axle to said chassis; a double-link locking bar having its rearward end pivotally secured to said axle shaft and its forward end pivotally secured to said chassis, operatively moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position for pivot movement of said bale platform about said platform pivot means; a generally vertically disposed trip bar slidable vertically, selectively engaging at its lower end said double-link locking bar; a horizontally disposed bale trip arm pivotally secured intermediate the ends thereof adjacent said bale receiving and positioning station and pivotally secured at its forward end to said trip bar and having a downwardly turned oposite distal end introduced into said bale receiving and positioning station and adapted for upward movement thereof in response to contact with bales passing into said bale receiving and positioning station from said bale Elevating means; biasing means for normal upwards biasing of said trip bar and normal downwards biasing of said distal end of said trip bar; and trip bar guidance means for guidance of said trip bar between a first position of operating engagement with said double-link locking bar and a second position of non-engagement therewith, in response to the completion state of a stook under construction upon said bale platform; and vi. stook release means responsive to the movement of bales into the bale positioning station and the completion of the stook under construction on the stook forming platform for the discharge of assembled stooks from said stook forming platform to the surface of the ground.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 8 in which said trip bar guidance means includes a downwardly extending portion of said pivotally releaseable bale receiving arm adapted to urge said trip bar into engagement with said double-link locking bar when said pivotally releaseable bale receiving arm is restricted laterally in response to the positioning of an uppermost bale of a stook formed upon said bale platform; and spring biasing means to urge normally said trip bar into non-engagement with said double-link locking bar.

Claim 15

A method of constructing a six-bale stook as claimed in claim 10 wherein said stook release means is actuated by the bale following said sixth bale.