Bale accumulator

A method for accumulating bales as they successively are discharged from a baler during a baling operation and for dumping accumulated bales as a unit on the ground and using a bale accumulator therefore comprising a bale receiving table and a loadbed;

• the method comprising the steps of:
• receiving a bale from the baler on the bale receiving table,
• transferring the bale received on the bale receiving table from the latter onto the loadbed,
• repeating the receiving and transferring steps until a plurality of bales is accumulated on the loadbed, and
• dumping the bales accumulated on the loadbed in a rearward direction as a unit onto the ground;
• the improvement wherein the method further comprises that:
• during the receiving steps, the bale receiving table is positioned at least partially vertically underneath the loadbed, and
• the bale transferring step comprises the further steps of:
• moving the bale receiving table with the bale thereon from its home position underneath the loadbed through a composite path to a bale transfer position alongside and generally at the level of the loadbed;
• the composite path being obtained by a simultaneous pivoting movement of the bale receiving table around a pivot and a linear translating movement of the pivot together with the bale receiving table in a direction away from its home position underneath the loadbed;
• subsequently translating the bale receiving table with the bale thereon in the opposite direction along a linear path for actually transferring the bale from the bale receiving table onto the loadbed, and
• finally pivoting the bale receiving table without the bale back to its home position at least partially vertically beneath the loadbed.