Apparatus for loading and storing large bales
AssigneePenno's Machining and Manufacturing Ltd.
InventorHoward McKay
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bale loading apparatus has a base frame mounted to a loader vehicle operative to move the base frame up and down. Right and left fork frames are connected to right and left portions of the base frame by corresponding right and left linkages, and right and left fork pairs extend away from the loader end of the base frame. A right actuator is operative to pivot the right fork pair with respect to the base frame upward and outward to the right of a path of the loader vehicle from a lowered right position to a raised right position, and a left actuator is operative to pivot the left fork pair with respect to the base frame upward and outward to the left of the path of the loader vehicle from a lowered left position to a raised left position.
Claims9
A bale loader apparatus for loading and storing large bales, the apparatus comprising:
- a base frame adapted at a loader end for attachment to a loader vehicle operative to move the base frame up and down;
- right and left fork frames connected to right and left portions of the base frame by corresponding right and left linkages;
- a right fork pair configured to be inserted into a first large bale and attached to the right fork frame and extending away from the loader end of the base frame;
- a left fork pair configured to be inserted into a second large bale and attached to the left fork frame and extending away from the loader end of the base frame;
- a right actuator operative to pivot the right fork pair with respect to the base frame upward and outward to the right of a path of the loader vehicle from a lowered right position to a raised right position;
- a left actuator operative to pivot the left fork pair with respect to the base frame upward and outward to the left of the path of the loader vehicle from a lowered left position to a raised left position.
A method of picking large bales from the ground and transporting the large bales to a storage location, the method comprising:
- mounting first and second fork pairs to a base frame mounted to a loader vehicle, the base frame operative to move up and down with respect to the loader vehicle;
- inserting the first fork pair into a first bale and moving the first fork pair upward and outward with respect to the base frame to a first side of a path of the loader vehicle;
- inserting the second fork pair into a second bale and moving the base frame upward;
- placing the first and second bales on a bed of a transport vehicle by moving the base frame downward to rest the second bale on the bed, and moving the first fork pair downward and inward such that the first and second bales are squeezed together and resting on the bed;
- withdrawing the first and second fork pairs from the corresponding first and second bales;
- moving the transport vehicle to the storage location;
- inserting the first and second fork pairs into the corresponding first and second bales and raising the first and second bales;
- moving the first and second bales to the storage location and moving the first and second fork pairs outward and upward and moving the base frame downward to rest the first and second bales on the ground such that the first bale is not in contact with the second bale;
- withdrawing the first and second fork pairs from the corresponding first and second bales.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.