Bale pickup transfer and stacking apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for picking up and transporting bales of hay comprising: a. a vehicle having an elongated bed adapted to hold a plurality of bales thereon; b. a loading cradle hingedly attached to said bed at one end thereof; said loading cradle being pivotal between a bale receiving position and a bale discharge position; said loading cradle having a first portion pivotally attached to a second portion and pivotally attached to said bed; said first portion inclined downwardly toward the ground when said loading cradle is in the bale receiving position thereof and generally horizontal when said loading cradle is in the bale discharge position thereof; said second portion adapted for maneuvering under hay bales opposite said first portion when in a generally horizontal position at ground level in said bale receiving position; said second portion being at an angle greater than ninety degrees relative to said first portion when said loading cradle is in the bale receiving position; said second portion being rotatable to a position leaning toward said bed at an angle less than ninety degrees relative to said first portion when said loading cradle is in the bale discharge position so as to be adapted to urge a bale off said first portion and onto said bed; and c. means attached to said second portion for pivoting said loading cradle from the bale receiving position to the bale discharge position.

Claim 2

An apparatus for picking up and transporting bales of hay comprising: a. a vehicle having an elongated bed adapted to hold a plurality of bales thereon; b. a loading cradle hingedly attached to said bed at one end thereof; said loading cradle being pivotal between a bale receiving position and a bale discharge position; said loading cradle having a first portion pivotally attached to a second portion and pivotally attached to said bed; said first portion inclined downwardly toward the ground when said loading cradle is in the bale receiving position thereof and generally horizontal when said loading cradle is in the bale discharge position thereof; said second portion adapted for maneuvering under hay bales opposite said first portion when in a generally horizontal position at ground level in said bale receiving position; said second portion being at an angle greater than ninety degrees relative to said first portion when said loading cradle is in the bale receiving position; said second portion being rotatable to a position leaning toward said bed at an angle less than ninety degrees relative to said first portion when said loading cradle is in the bale discharge position so as to be adapted to urge a bale off said first portion and onto said bed; and c. means attached to said second portion for pivoting said loading cradle from the bale receiving position to the bale discharge position.

Claim 6

An apparatus for picking up, carrying and unloading large, generally rectangular bales of hay or the like, adapted to be drawn by a tractor; said apparatus comprising: a. a wheeled vehicle having an elongated bed adapted to hold a plurality of bales in adjacent side-by-side relationship substantially along the length of said bed; said bed having a first end and a second end; b. stop means extending outwardly from said bed near the first end thereof; c. a loading cradle connected to said bed second end being pivotal between a bale receiving position to a bale discharge position; said loading cradle having a first portion pivotally attached to a second portion thereof and pivotally attached to said bed; said first portion being inclined downwardly when said loading cradle is in the bale receiving position and being generally horizontal when said loading cradle is in the bale discharge position; said second portion adapted for maneuvering under hay bales in said bale receiving position and being at an angle greater than ninety degrees relative to said first portion when said loading cradle is in a bale receiving position and said second portion being rotatable to a position generally leaning towards said bed and being at an angle less than ninety degrees relative to said first portion when said loading cradle is in the bale discharge position so as to be adapted to urge a bale a short distance along said first portion and onto said bed; d. means attached to said second portion for pivoting said loading cradle from the bale receiving position to the bale discharge position; and e. means for pivoting said bed between a horizontal position for loading of the bales onto said bed and a nearly upright position for stacking said bales vertically on the ground; said bales being supported by said stop means during the pivoting of said bed; and said stop means adapted to slip out from under the stack of bales as the apparatus is pulled away from the bale stack.

Claim 7

An apparatus for picking up, carrying and unloading large, generally rectangular bales of hay or the like, adapted to be drawn by a tractor; said apparatus comprising: a. a wheeled vehicle having an elongated bed adapted to hold a plurality of bales in adjacent side-by-side relationship substantially along the length of said bed; said bed having a first end and a second end; b. stop means extending outwardly from said bed near the first end thereof; c. a loading cradle connected to said bed second end being pivotal between a bale receiving position to a bale discharge position; said loading cradle having a first portion pivotally attached to a second portion thereof and pivotally attached to said bed; said first portion being inclined downwardly when said loading cradle is in the bale receiving position and being generally horizontal when said loading cradle is in the bale discharge position; said second portion adapted for maneuvering under hay bales in said bale receiving position and being at an angle greater than ninety degrees relative to said first portion when said loading cradle is in a bale receiving position and said second portion being rotatable to a position generally leaning towards said bed and being at an angle less than ninety degrees relative to said first portion when said loading cradle is in the bale discharge position so as to be adapted to urge a bale a short distance along said first portion and onto said bed; d. means attached to said second portion for pivoting said loading cradle from the bale receiving position to the bale discharge position; and e. means for pivoting said bed between a horizontal position for loading of the bales onto said bed and a nearly upright position for stacking said bales vertically on the ground; said bales being supported by said stop means during the pivoting of said bed; and said stop means adapted to slip out from under the stack of bales as the apparatus is pulled away from the bale stack.

Claim 12

An apparatus for picking up, carrying, unloading, stacking and retrieving stacks of large, generally rectangular bales of hay or the like, and adapted to be drawn by tractor means, comprising: a. a wheeled vehicle having a lower frame pivotally connected to an upper frame; b. a tongue pivotally connected to said lower frame and having a forward end adapted to be connected to the tractor means; c. ram means connected to said lower frame and to said tongue for pivoting the vehicle relative to said tongue between an offset position to allow for front loading of bales and a trailing position for transport of the bales; d. an elongated bed adapted to hold a plurality of bales in side-by-side relationship substantially along the length of said bed and being mounted on said upper frame; said bed having a first end and a second end; e. a stop generally perpendicularly extending from said bed near said first end; f. a loading cradle connected to said second end being pivotal between a bale receiving position and a bale discharge position; said loading cradle having first and second parallel intermediate legs pivotally connected respectively to first and second parallel forks and pivotally attached to said bed; said intermediate legs being generally rectangular in shape and being inclined downwardly toward the ground when said loading cradle is in the bale receiving position and being generally horizontal when said loading cradle is in the bale discharge position; said forks adapted for maneuvering under hay bales and being at an angle greater than ninety degrees relative to said intermediate legs when said loading cradle is in a bale receiving position and being rotatable to a position generally leaning towards said bed at an angle less than ninety degrees relative to said intermediate legs when said loading cradle is in the bale discharge position so as to be adapted to urge a bale on said loading cradle along said intermediate legs and onto said bed; g. ram means attached to said forks for pivoting said loading cradle from the bale receiving position to the bale discharge position; h. first spring biasing means extending between said first intermediate leg and said first fork and adapted to bias said first fork toward the ground when said loading apparatus is lowered to the bale receiving position and to bias said first intermediate leg away from said first fork during the pivoting of said loading cradle; i. second spring biasing means extending between said second intermediate leg and said second fork and adapted to bias said second fork toward the ground when said loading apparatus is lowered to the bale receiving position and to bias said second intermediate leg away from said second fork during the pivoting of said loading cradle; and j. ram means for pivoting said bed and upper frame between a horizontal position for bale loading and transport and a nearly upright position for bale unloading and stacking.

Claim 13

An apparatus for picking up, carrying, unloading, stacking and retrieving stacks of large, generally rectangular bales of hay or the like, and adapted to be drawn by tractor means, comprising: a. a wheeled vehicle having a lower frame pivotally connected to an upper frame; b. a tongue pivotally connected to said lower frame and having a forward end adapted to be connected to the tractor means; c. ram means connected to said lower frame and to said tongue for pivoting the vehicle relative to said tongue between an offset position to allow for front loading of bales and a trailing position for transport of the bales; d. an elongated bed adapted to hold a plurality of bales in side-by-side relationship substantially along the length of said bed and being mounted on said upper frame; said bed having a first end and a second end; e. a stop generally perpendicularly extending from said bed near said first end; f. a loading cradle connected to said second end being pivotal between a bale receiving position and a bale discharge position; said loading cradle having first and second parallel intermediate legs pivotally connected respectively to first and second parallel forks and pivotally attached to said bed; said intermediate legs being generally rectangular in shape and being inclined downwardly toward the ground when said loading cradle is in the bale receiving position and being generally horizontal when said loading cradle is in the bale discharge position; said forks adapted for maneuvering under hay bales and being at an angle greater than ninety degrees relative to said intermediate legs when said loading cradle is in a bale receiving position and being rotatable to a position generally leaning towards said bed at an angle less than ninety degrees relative to said intermediate legs when said loading cradle is in the bale discharge position so as to be adapted to urge a bale on said loading cradle along said intermediate legs and onto said bed; g. ram means attached to said forks for pivoting said loading cradle from the bale receiving position to the bale discharge position; h. first spring biasing means extending between said first intermediate leg and said first fork and adapted to bias said first fork toward the ground when said loading apparatus is lowered to the bale receiving position and to bias said first intermediate leg away from said first fork during the pivoting of said loading cradle; i. second spring biasing means extending between said second intermediate leg and said second fork and adapted to bias said second fork toward the ground when said loading apparatus is lowered to the bale receiving position and to bias said second intermediate leg away from said second fork during the pivoting of said loading cradle; and j. ram means for pivoting said bed and upper frame between a horizontal position for bale loading and transport and a nearly upright position for bale unloading and stacking.