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US 11,516,969 B2Granted
Hay bale feeder
OwnerTanner Matheson, Bill Mathesoninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hay bale feeder is described. Embodiments of the hay bale feeder include a frame, one or more bale support members, and a pair of spaced apart drum assemblies. The hay bale feeder can be implemented to shred a square hay bale. The hay bale feeder can typically be attached to a tractor or other vehicle. The pair of spaced apart drum assemblies can include a pair of drums having protrusions that are adapted to shred a square hay bale as the square hay bale is gravity fed to the pair of drum assemblies.
Claims14
A hay bale feeder comprising:
- a frame having a substantially square shape, a front of the frame adapted to be located proximate a three point tractor hitch;
- a pair of spaced apart drum assemblies fixed to the front of the frame, the pair of spaced apart drum assemblies each including:
- a drum being oriented vertically and having a plurality of protrusions;
- and
- a motor adapted to rotate the drum;
- a pair of support arms removably coupled to a back of the frame, the pair of support arms adapted to provide support under a square hay bale;
- wherein (i) the square hay bale is adapted to be gravity fed to the drums of the pair of spaced apart drum assemblies, (ii) the square hay bale is adapted to be passed between the drums, and (iii) the pair of support arms each include a bale support member having a substantially “L” cross-section and a lower portion of the bale support member is adapted to provide the support under the square hay bale.
4 more elements
A hay bale feeder comprising:
- a frame, a front of the frame adapted to be located proximate a three point tractor hitch;
- a pair of spaced apart drum assemblies fixed to the frame, the pair of spaced apart drum assemblies each including:
- a drum being oriented vertically and having a plurality of protrusions;
- and
- a motor adapted to rotate the drum;
- a pair of support arms removably coupled to the frame, each of the pair of support arms being defined by:
- a support framework having a substantially triangular shape;
- and
- a bale support member coupled to the support framework and having a substantially “L” cross-section, a lower portion of the bale support member adapted to provide support under a square hay bale.
6 more elements
A method of distributing a square hay bale, the method comprising:
- providing a hay bale feeder, the hay bale feeder including:
- a frame, a front of the frame adapted to be located proximate a three point tractor hitch;
- a pair of spaced apart drum assemblies fixed to the frame, the pair of spaced apart drum assemblies each including:
- a drum having a plurality of protrusions, the drum being oriented vertically;
- and
- a motor adapted to rotate the drum;
- a pair of support arms removably coupled to the frame, each of the pair of support arms being defined by:
- a support framework having a substantially triangular shape;
- and
- a bale support member coupled to the support framework and having a substantially “L” cross-section, a lower portion of the bale support member adapted to provide support under a square hay bale;
- operatively coupling the hay bale feeder to a tractor;
- lowering the pair of support arms of the hay bale feeder proximate a surface where a square hay bale is resting;
- loading the square hay bale onto the hay bale feeder by moving the tractor towards the square hay bale and sliding at least a portion of the pair of support arms under the square hay bale;
- rotating the pair of support arms upwards;
- gravity feeding the square hay bale to the pair of spaced apart drum assemblies;
- and
- moving the tractor as the square hay bale is shredded by the pair of spaced apart drum assemblies.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.