Bale loader and shredder

A machine adapted to be towed behind a tractor for loading, transporting and shredding a module of hay, comprising:

• a frame adapted to be coupled to the tractor;
• a pair of wheels supporting said frame;
• a load bed on said frame;
• means for swinging said wheels relative to said frame to lower said load bed from a generally horizontal position to an inclined module-receiving position;
• a module-lifting fork pivotally mounted at an end of said load bed for lifting a module from the ground onto said load bed in its module-receiving position;
• a rotary shredder journalled on said frame proximate to an end of said load bed opposite to the end supporting said fork;
• a conveyor on said load bed for moving a module toward said shredder for progessive shredding thereby;
• drive means powered from the tractor for driving said shredder and said conveyor;
• and control means operative in response to variations in the torque on said shredder for inversely varying the drive speed of said conveyor.

A machine for loading and shredding a module of hay, comprising:

• a mobile frame;
• a load bed mounted on said frame;
• means for tilting said load bed to enable a module to be loaded thereon;
• a plurality of rotary shredders journalled on said frame for shredding hay from the module;
• a conveyor on said load bed for moving a module toward said shredders for progressive shredding thereby;
• and power drive means for actuating said shredders and driving said conveyor, said power drive means including a control means for varying the drive speed to said conveyor in response to variations in the load imposed on said shredders, said power drive means including a mechanical drive to said shredders and a hydraulic drive to said conveyor, said control means being operatively connected between said mechanical drive and said hydraulic drive.

A machine for loading and shredding a module of hay, comprising:

• a mobile frame;
• a load bed on said frame;
• means for moving said load bed between an inclined load-receiving position and a generally horizontal position;
• means on said frame at one end for engaging and for lifting a hay module onto said load bed while in its inclined load-receiving position;
• power means for moving said load bed from its inclined position to its horizontal position automatically and sequentially in response to lifting said module onto said load bed;
• means on the frame for shredding the hay module on said load bed;
• and means on said bed for conveying the hay module from the lifting means to the shredding means.