Bale handling apparatus

A separable assembly on a lift fork unit and a coupler unit for use in conjunction with a tractor lift hitch comprising:

• a lift fork unit comprising an upright frame and a pair of horizontally spaced, elongated lift arms projecting generally horizontally from adjacent the bottom of said frame, said upright frame including coupling means for lifting engagement by a coupling device comprising a horizontally extending lift member supported between a pair of spaced apart, upright members of said upright frame;
• and
• a coupler unit adapted for attachment to a tractor lift hitch and comprising a rigid, upstanding structural portion and latch means mounted thereon, said latch means comprising a latch arm extending substantially horizontally between said upright members directly under said lift member for lifting engagement therewith, and said latch arm having a crossbar thereon which spans the space between said upright members and bears against one side thereof opposite the side of said upright frame of said lift fork unit against which said coupler is positioned for lifting said lift fork unit when said latch arm is in a coupling position, and said latch arm being rotatable between said coupling position and a non-coupling position wherein said crossbar is substantially upright for withdrawing movement between said upright members to disengage said coupling unit from said lift fork unit.

A separable assembly of a lift fork unit and a coupler unit for use in conjunction with a tractor lift hitch comprising:

• a lift fork unit comprising an upright frame and a pair of horizontally spaced, elongated lift arms projecting generally horizontally from adjacent the bottom of said frame, said upright frame including coupling means for lifting engagement by a coupling device;
• and
• a coupler unit adapted for attachment to a tractor lift hitch and comprising a rigid, upstanding structure having an upper mast segment which includes means for the attachment of the middle, pivotal lift hitch boom of a three-point lift hitch on a tractor, and a pair of horizontally spaced, vertical segments having means thereon for attachment to the outer ends of the two outside, pivotal lift booms of said tractor three-point lift hitch;
• and
• latch means mounted on said upper mast segment, said latch means being releasably engaged with said coupling means on said lift fork unit.

A separable assembly of a lift fork and container wall structure for handling and feeding hay bales comprising:

• a lift fork unit comprising an upright frame and a pair of spaced apart lift arms projecting generally horizontally from adjacent the bottom of said frame;
• and
• a pair of upright wall assemblies removably secured to opposite sides of said upright frame of said lift fork unit and having wall means cooperating with said upright frame to define a hay bale containing enclosure, and said wall means having open spaces therein through which livestock may project their heads to feed on a hay bale contained within said enclosure on said lift arms, whereby said lift fork unit may be used alone for lifting purposes or in combination with said removable, upright wall assemblies for transporting and feeding hay bales;
• and
• gate means movably mounted at the front end of said wall means for movement from a closed position across the normally open front end of said enclosure to an open, non-obstructing position with respect to the front end of said enclosure for picking up a hay bale therein on said lift arms.