Agricultural vehicle
AssigneePomme de Terre River Valley Products and Consulting, LLC
InventorBrian Ballard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and a method for loading a hay bale on a vehicle. The vehicle has a frame, a loader assembly mounted to the frame, and a storage assembly mounted to the frame and positioned relative to the loader assembly. The loader assembly has a loader arm rotatably coupled to the frame and a spike extending outwards and orthogonal to the loader arm. The loader arm can be manipulated between a retracted position and an extended position. When in the extended position, the loader arm extends outside the frame with the spike oriented parallel to the frame. The storage conveys a storage plate along a path relative to the loader assembly. The storage plate is arranged to remove the hay bale from the spike as the storage plate is conveyed along the path in a first direction and with the loader arm in the retracted position.
Claims20
A vehicle comprising:
- a frame;
- a loader assembly mounted to the frame, the loader assembly comprising a loader arm comprising a first end rotatably coupled to the frame and a second end with a spike extending outwards from the second end and orthogonal to the loader arm, the loader arm configured to be manipulated between a retracted position and an extended position, when in the extended position the loader arm extends outside the frame with the spike oriented parallel to the frame;
- and
- a storage assembly mounted to the frame and positioned relative to the loader assembly such that the storage assembly is configured to convey a storage plate along a path relative to the loader assembly, the storage plate arranged to remove a hay bale from the spike as the storage plate is conveyed along the path in a first direction and with the loader arm in the retracted position.
A hay bale trailer comprising:
- a loader assembly, the loader assembly comprising a loader arm with a spike extending outwards and orthogonal to the loader arm and oriented parallel to a direction of travel of the hay bale trailer, the loader arm configured to be manipulated between a retracted position and an extended position, when in the extended position the loader arm extends outside the hay bale trailer with the spike oriented parallel to the direction of travel of the hay bale trailer, the spike positioned to impale a hay bale as the hay bale trailer moves in the direction of travel;
- a storage assembly positioned relative to the loader assembly such that the storage assembly conveys a storage plate along a path relative to the loader assembly, the storage plate arranged to remove the hay bale from the spike as the storage plate is conveyed along the path in a first direction and with the loader arm in the retracted position;
- a pair of rails positioned to receive the hay bale from the loader assembly when the loader arm in the retracted position and as the storage plate conveys the hay bale along the path in the first direction;
- an unloader assembly comprising:
- an unloader sled comprising:
- an unloader bar extending between the pair of rails;
- an unloader arm coupled to and extending from the unloader bar, the unloader arm arranged to engage a forward surface of the hay bale;
- a two sets of rail wheels coupled the unloader bar, each set of rail wheels rotatably coupled to one of the rails of the pair of rails;
- and
- a pulley coupled to the unloader bar;
- and
- a winch comprising a cable, the cable extending from the winch through the pulley, wherein responsive to the winch decreasing a length of the cable, the unloader arm transposes the hay bale along the pair of rails in a second direction opposite the first direction;
- and
- a control system comprising:
- a plurality of sensors configured to:
- sense a position of the hay bale;
- and
- transmit a signal representing the position of the hay bale;
- and
- a controller configured to perform operations comprising:
- receiving the signal representing the position of the hay bale;
- comparing the position of the hay bale to an expected position of the hay bale to obtain a comparison result, and
- based on the comparison result, operating the loader assembly, the storage assembly, and the unloader assembly to alter a location of the hay bale relative to the hay bale trailer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.