Bale handling apparatus

Claim 1

Bale handling apparatus including a base portion, a bale moving portion, a bale distributing portion and a control portion; said base portion including a frame section, wheeled carriage means supporting said frame section, a hitch member disposed at one end of said frame section, a ramp section having a lower receiving end and an upper discharge end, said lower end of said ramp section being adjacent the end of said frame section remote from said hitch member, said ramp section extending upwardly from said end of said frame section toward said hitch member a distance more than one-half the length of said base portion, closure means located adjacent the lower end of said ramp section, retaining means associated with the longitudinal edges of said ramp section; said bale moving portion including conveying means disposed longitudinally of said ramp section and between the longitudinal edges thereof; said bale distributing portion being disposed on said base portion adjacent the raised end of said ramp section, said bale distributing portion including a frame section, bale rotating means extending between members of said frame section, said bale rotating means being oriented transversely of said conveying means, said bale distributing portion including a generally horizontal bale supporting surface, said bale supporting surface being disposed below the upper end of said ramp section, retaining means associated with portions of the periphery of said frame section remote from said ramp section; said control portion including means for driving said conveying means and said bale rotating means; whereby bales positioned on said ramp section of said apparatus are advanced up said ramp section and discharged onto said support surface of said bale distributing portion where each is rotated by said bale rotating means to distribute material therefrom as said apparatus is moved over a field.