# US 5,700,124 A · Apparatus for collecting and transporting bales and for feeding a bale wrapping machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,700,124 A - Document ID: US5700124A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/508,267 - Filed: 1995-07-27 - Granted: 1997-12-23 - Earliest claimed: 1994-07-27 - Assignees: Societe C.G.A.O. - Inventors: Charles Dufraisse - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5700124A ## CPC - A01D 90/083: {Round-bale trailers (trailers in general B62D)} - A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING ## Abstract The invention concerns an agricultural device able to be moved by a tractor and provided with a hydraulic apparatus for collecting and transporting manufactured bales with the aid of a baling press and for continuously feeding a banding machine with the bales collected, wherein it includes a trailer fitted with a loading device, at least one ramp for receiving the bales, and an arrangement for moving the bales on the ramp. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An agricultural apparatus for collecting and transporting bales and for feeding collected bales to a machine for wrapping the bales, said apparatus comprising: a trailer for being moved by a tractor; a device for connecting said trailer to the tractor for enabling said trailer to be pulled by the tractor; at least one guideway for receiving and supporting the bales on said trailer; a device for loading bales onto said trailer and into said at least one guideway; said at least one guideway having an outlet for enabling unloading of the bales directly to the bale wrapping machine; a device mounted on said trailer for moving the bales along said at least one guideway; and means for connecting said trailer to the bale wrapping machine and for aligning said at least one guideway with a platform of the bale wrapping machine for facilitating transfer of the bales directly to the bale wrapping machine from said trailer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An agricultural apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a hydraulic power unit for operating at least said device for loading bales onto said trailer and into said at least one guideway. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An agricultural apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said device for loading bales onto said trailer comprises a fork fitted with teeth parallel to a longitudinal median axis of said trailer and secured to arms perpendicular to said longitudinal median axis of said trailer, said device further comprising means for mounting said fork for pivoting around an axis parallel to said longitudinal median axis of said trailer between a first position at which said fork is at ground level and a second position raised with respect to said first position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An agricultural apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said outlet of said at least one guideway is positioned for enabling unloading of the bales directly to the bale wrapping machine at a position raised with respect to the ground, with the guideway positioned generally horizontally. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An agricultural apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said bale wrapping machine comprises a bale banding machine. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) An agricultural apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said trailer comprises a front and a rear, said trailer has a longitudinal axis oriented between said front and said rear; said at least one guideway comprises two juxtaposed guideways substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis, said two guideways comprise a central separator and lateral rails for supporting and guiding the bales; and said device mounted on said trailer for moving the bales along said guideway comprises means for moving the bales along each of said two guideways from said front to said rear and from said rear to said front. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) An agricultural apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: at an upper portion, said central separator has an inverted V-shape. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) An agricultural apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said trailer has a front end and a rear end, said device for connecting said trailer to the tractor is positioned at said front end of said trailer; and said outlet of said at least one guideway is positioned at said front end of said trailer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) An agricultural apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: said at least one guideway comprises means for guiding the bales for movement in a longitudinal direction oriented from said rear end toward said front end of said trailer. ### Claim 10 An agricultural apparatus for collecting and transporting bales and for feeding collected bales to a machine for wrapping the bales, said apparatus comprising: a trailer for being moved by a tractor; a device for connecting said trailer to the tractor for enabling said trailer to be pulled by the tractor; at least one guideway for receiving and supporting the bales on said trailer; a device for loading bales onto said trailer and into said at least one guideway; said at least one guideway having an outlet for enabling unloading of the bales directly to the bale wrapping machine; a device mounted on said trailer for moving the bales along said at least one guideway; and fluid connectors adapted for cooperating with conjugated fluid connectors disposed on the bale wrapping machine. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) An agricultural apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: said fluid connectors comprise means for automatic connection/disconnection. ### Claim 12 An agricultural apparatus for collecting and transporting bales and for feeding collected bales to a machine for wrapping the bales, said apparatus comprising: a trailer for being moved by a tractor; a device for connecting said trailer to the tractor for enabling said trailer to be pulled by the tractor; at least one guideway for receiving and supporting the bales on said trailer; a device for loading bales onto said trailer and into said at least one guideway; said at least one guideway having an outlet for enabling unloading of the bales directly to the bale wrapping machine; a device mounted on said trailer for moving the bales along said at least one guideway; means for connecting said trailer to the bale wrapping machine and for aligning said at least one guideway with a platform of the bale wrapping machine for facilitating transfer of the bales directly to the bale wrapping machine from said trailer; and said device for connecting said trailer to the tractor for enabling said trailer to be pulled by the tractor comprising a drawbar and means for adjusting a position of said drawbar with respect to said trailer. ### Claim 13 An agricultural apparatus for collecting and transporting bales and for feeding collected bales to a machine for wrapping the bales, said apparatus comprising: a trailer for being moved by a tractor; a device for connecting said trailer to the tractor for enabling said trailer to be pulled by the tractor; at least one guideway for receiving and supporting the bales on said trailer; a device for loading bales onto said trailer and into said at least one guideway; said at least one guideway having an outlet for enabling unloading of the bales directly to the bale wrapping machine; a device mounted on said trailer for moving the bales along said at least one guideway; said trailer comprising a front and a rear, said trailer having a longitudinal axis oriented between said front and said rear; said at least one guideway comprising two juxtaposed guideways substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis, said two guideways comprising a central separator and lateral rails for supporting and guiding the bales; said device mounted on said trailer for moving the bales along said at least one guideway comprising means for moving the bales along each of said two guideways from said front to said rear and from said rear to said front; said agricultural apparatus further comprising: means for mounting a lower supporting surface of one of said two guideways for pivoting about an axis parallel to said longitudinal axis of said trailer, said parallel axis being positioned at a lateral side of said one of said two guideways proximate said central separator; and means for moving said supporting surface of said one of said two guideways between a low, generally horizontal position and a position whereby said supporting surface is slanted toward a second of said two guideways for transferring bales from said one to said second of said two guideways. ### Claim 14 An agricultural apparatus for collecting and transporting bales and for feeding collected bales to a machine for wrapping the bales, said apparatus comprising: a trailer for being moved by a tractor; a device for connecting said trailer to the tractor for enabling said trailer to be pulled by the tractor; at least one guideway for receiving and supporting the bales on said trailer; a device for loading bales onto said trailer and into said at least one guideway; said at least one guideway having an outlet for enabling unloading of the bales directly to the bale wrapping machine; a device mounted on said trailer for moving the bales along said at least one guideway; said trailer comprising a front and a rear, said trailer having a longitudinal axis oriented between said front and said rear; said at least one guideway comprising two juxtaposed guideways substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis, said two guideways comprising a central separator and lateral rails for supporting and guiding the bales; said device mounted on said trailer for moving the bales along said at least one guideway comprising means for moving the bales along each of said two guideways from said front to said rear and from said rear to said front; said agricultural apparatus further comprising means for mounting a lower supporting surface of one of said two guideways in a position slanted transversely towards a second of said two guideways. ### Claim 15 An agricultural apparatus for collecting and transporting bales and for feeding collected bales to a machine for wrapping the bales, said apparatus comprising: a trailer for being moved by a tractor; a device for connecting said trailer to the tractor for enabling said trailer to be pulled by the tractor; at least one guideway for receiving and supporting the bales on said trailer; a device for loading bales onto said trailer and into said at least one guideway; said at least one guideway having an outlet for enabling unloading of the bales directly to the bale wrapping machine; and a device mounted on said trailer for moving the bales along said at least one guideway; said at least one guideway consisting of a single U-shaped guideway, said U-shaped guideway comprising a series of rollers for supporting the bales for movement thereover; and said device mounted on said trailer for moving the bales along said at least one guideway comprising a closed loop chain trained around a pair of capstans mounted at opposite ends of said trailer along a longitudinal median axis of said trailer, said chain bearing regularly spaced bars for engaging and pushing the bales. ### Claim 16 An agricultural apparatus for collecting and transporting bales and for feeding collected bales to a machine for wrapping the bales, said apparatus comprising: a trailer for being moved by a tractor; a device for connecting said trailer to the tractor for enabling said trailer to be pulled by the tractor; at least one guideway for receiving and supporting the bales on said trailer; a device for loading bales onto said trailer and into said at least one guideway; said at least one guideway having an outlet for enabling unloading of the bales directly to the bale wrapping machine; a device mounted on said trailer for moving the bales along said at least one guideway; said trailer having a front end and a rear end, said device for connecting said trailer to the tractor being positioned at said front end of said trailer; said outlet of said at least one guideway being positioned at said front end of said trailer; said at least one guideway comprising means for guiding the bales for movement in a longitudinal direction oriented from said rear end toward said front end of said trailer; said device for connecting said trailer to the tractor comprising a drawbar and means for moving said drawbar transversely of said longitudinal direction from a central position at said front end to a position offset from said central position. ### Claim 17 An agricultural apparatus for collecting and transporting bales and for feeding collected bales to a machine for wrapping the bales, in combination with said machine for wrapping the bales, said combination comprising: a trailer for being moved by a tractor; a device for connecting said trailer to the tractor for enabling said trailer to be pulled by the tractor; at least one guideway for receiving and supporting the bales on said trailer; a device for loading bales onto said trailer and into said at least one guideway; said at least one guideway having an outlet for enabling unloading of the bales directly to the bale wrapping machine; and a device mounted on said trailer for moving the bales along said at least one guideway; means for connecting said trailer to the bale wrapping machine and for aligning said at least one guideway with a platform of the bale wrapping machine for facilitating transfer of the bales directly to the bale wrapping machine from said trailer; and said bale wrapping machine comprises a receiving platform positionable proximate said outlet of said at least one guideway for directly receiving the bales from said outlet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) An agricultural apparatus according to claim 17, wherein: said bale wrapping machine comprises a bale banding machine.