CA1189030A - Adjustable round bale holder or loader for front end loaders - Google Patents

Abstract

"ROUND BALE HOLDER FOR FRONT END LOADERS"
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
When moving relatively heavy round bales of hay and the like, from one location to another, it is desir-able to replace the bale back on the ground so that the previous portion of the circumference that was in contact with the ground, again contacts the ground to prevent additional weathering or deterioration of the bale from taking place. Many conventional bale moving devices can-not maintain this positional integrity. The present de-vice can be attached to a front end loader frame or a three-point hitch device and consists of the vertical frame having adjustable connecting plates thereon and a pair of bale engaging prongs extending forwardly therefrom in spaced and parallel relationship so that they may engage a bale, lift it for transportation and then replace it in exactly the same relationship at the new location. The bale prongs are socketed into the frame and held by clamp bolts which may act as shear bolts and eliminate the deter-ioration of surrounding material which occurs when such prongs are welded into position.

Description

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ROUND BALE HOLDER FOR FRONT END LOADERS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to new and useful improve-ments in round bale holding and transporting devices.
Such bales are extremely heavy and are difficult to move from one location to another and many devices roll these bales onto a carrier, move them to the desired loca-tion and then unroll them.
Due to the weight of these bales, the portion of the circumference thereof in contact with the ground, tends to flatten so that it is extremely desirable to replace a bale on the ground in exactly the same circumferential posi-tion in order to prevent the flattened area being exposed to weather which may well cause deterioration of the bale mate-rial and of course, moving devices which unload bales by rolling same, obviously cannot maintain the desired relative position in the new location without considerable manoeuver-ing of individual bales.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present device overcomes -these difficulties by providing a device which can lift the bale clear of the ground, move it to another location and lower it back on the ground in exactly the same relationship of the circumference to the ~, 3~
~ -2-ground.
In acco-rdance with the invent:ion there is pro-viclecl a round bale hoLder for operativc attachment to an elevating and moving assembly such as a front end loader arm assembly, three-point hitch assembly and the like;
comprising in combination a substantially vertical frame, adjustable means secured to the frame for attaching said frame to the elevating and moving assembly, at least two spaced and parallel round bale engaging prong components secured to and extending forwardly from said frame substan-tially perpendicular to the plane thereof and said frame including a pair of spaced and para]l.el horizontaL frame members and a pair of spaced and parallel vertical end frame members secured between adjacent ends of said hori-zontal members, said bale engaging prongs being secured to and extending from the lowermost of said horizontal mem-bers, said adjustable means secured to the frame for attachment to the elevating and moving assembly including a plurality of pairs of multi apertured attachment plates clamped to said spaced and parallel horizontal members and adjustable therealong, said plates being reversible verti-cally and/or selectively interchangeable to provide fur-ther flexibility of adjustment thereof relative to the attachment to the elevating and moving assembly.
Another advantage of the invention is that it is readily attachable to such devices as the arms of a front 3~

end loader or the three-point hitch of a tractor or o~her similar lifting and elevating mechanisms.
A further advantage of the invention is that the bale prongs are socketed into position and held by clamp bolts which may act as shear bolts and which furthermore eliminate deterioration of the surround:ing frame metal which often occurs when such prongs are welded to the frame. Under these circumstances, they readily break under adverse conditions whereas with the present device, the shear bolts protect same. Furthermore, the prongs are readily removable and replaced either with similar prongs or other devices as 3~

desired.
Yet another advantage of the invention is to pro-vide a devi.ce of the character herewithin described in which the attaching plates are readily adjustable in a plurali-ty of posi-tions so that they can suit the attachment arms of a large variety of different manufactures of fron-t end loaders, three~point hitch assemblies and the like.
A still further advantage of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is desiyned.
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds) the invention is herein described by reference to the accompany-ing drawings ~orming a part hereof, which includes a descrip-tion of the best mode known to the applicant and of the pre-ferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention, in which:

2 0 D:13SCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Eigure 1 is a top plan view of the device.
Figure 2 iS a rear view of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end view of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of one type of clamp ;3~

used.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of a Eurther type of clamp used.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of a yet further type of clamp used.
Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view showing the preferred method of socketing the bale enga-ging member to the frame.
Figure 8 is an enlarged front elevation of a type of shear bolt which may be used to hold the bale engaging member in position.
In the drawings like characters of reference indi-cate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Proceeding therefore to describe the invention in detail, reference to the accompanying drawings will show a substantially vertical frame collectively designated 10 which includes a pair of spaced and parallel horizontal me~bers 11 and 12 with the lowermost member 12 being of a larger dimen-sion than the upper member 11 in order to receive and suppor-t the bale engaging members or prongs collectively designated 13. A pair of vertically situated spaced and parallel end members 1~ extend between the ends of the upper and lower members 11 and 12 and are secured thereto as by welding or

3~3 the like -thus making a substantially rigid support frame.
The bale engaging components or prongs 13 comprise, in this embodiment, a pair of such members in spaced and pa-rallel rela~ionship each belng preferably of cylindrical cross sectional configuration and having a distal end 15 which is pointed -to facilitate the engagement thereof within a round bale (not illustrated). The pointed ends not only facilitate the engagement, but reduce the possibility of this engagement cutting the conventional string which nor-mally maintains the bales in the closed condition.
Means are provided to detachably mount these bales to the bottom frame member 12 so that they extend perpendi-cularly therefrom and reference to Figure 7 will show the preferred method. A small sleeve 16 is welded to the front wall 17 of the member 12 and a larger cylindrical sleeve 18 is welded to the rear wall 19 of the member 12. Alternati-vely, a single sleeve may extend clear through the tube 12 and be welded at the front and back walls, it being under-stood that these walls are apertured to receive -the sleeves 16 and 18.
The inner end 20 of the cylindrical prong 13 sock-ets into the sleeves as clearly shown and a clamp nut and bolt assembly 21 extends through the wall of the rear sleeve 18 and through adjacent the inner end of the cylindrical r~

prong 20 thus clamping the prong Eirmly in position within the ~rame member 12. These nut and boll: assemblies 21 not only act to clamp the prongs in position but also may act as shear bolt assemblies in the event that the prongs hit a rock or tree~ Under conventional constructions, such prongs are often welded to the support structure which weak-ens same, making it difficul-t to effect repairs in the event that they break off from the suppor-ting structure. With the present device, the bolts shear without damage occurring to the frame or to the prongs.
Figure 8 shows a type of shear bolt which may be used, if desired, with annular lines of weakness 22 being provided around the shank 23 of the bolt 21, said lines of weakness occurring adjacent the surface of the wall of the sockets 18.
Means are provided to attach the assembly to an elevating and moving assembly such as the arms of a front end loader or the three-point hitch of a tractor or the like.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 show three different bracket assemblies all of which are formed from angle iron or the like and include the first flange 24 and the offstanding flange 25 e~tending at right angles from one edge thereof.
The flange 24 is apertured to receive nut and bol-t assem-blies 26 which engage through plates 27 thus permitting to be cLamped to the horizontal members ll and 12 with the plates on one side thcreof and the flange 24 on the other.
The attaching flanges 25 are provided wiith a plurality of apertures 28 to suit the attachment thereoE to various manu-factures of elevating and moving assemblies.
The particular clamp members shown in Figure 6 are provided with tubular sleeves 29 extending from the flanges 25 thereof which may be used to receive the pivot holt of the elevating and moving assembly so that the posi-tioning of the prongs 13 may be controlled within limits.
It will be noted that the various apertures 28 formed in the attaching flanges 25 of the brackets, are positioned so that the brackets can, if desired, be reversed vertically and/or interchanged upon the frame members 11 and 12 thus giving greater Elexibility in adjusting same to suit the attachment to various elevating and moving assem-blies. Furthermore, they can be moved along the members 11 and 12 once again to assist in the positioning thereof.
Upwardly extending brackets 30 are shown in Figures 2 and 3 in spaced and parallel relationship one with the other and extending upwardly from a base plate 31 and se-cured to the upper member 11 by means of nut and bolt as-semblies 32 and plates 33. These may also be used to re-ceive the pivot bolt assembly of elevating and moving assem-blies, depending upon the design of same.

In operation, the prongs 13 are socketed into the sleeves 16 and l~ and held in position by means of clamp and shear bolt assemblies 2L whereupon the various brackets shown in Figures 4, S and 6 may be adjusted so that the as-sembly can be mounted to the elevating and moving assembly.
The prongs are then engaged within a bale which may then be elevated and transported to another location and lowered onto the ground in exactly the same position as it was originally thus preventing weathering and deterioration occurring to the bale contents.
It should also be noted that the various types oE
brackets shown in Figures ~, 5 and 6 are arrangecL to give the greatest flexibility of attachment.
from Viewing the frame/the rear as shown in Figure 2, the brackets as illustrated, have been labelled as follows frorn the lefthand side of Figure 2, AB CD EF. As an example of the changes that may be made, they may be arranged as follows:
B A D CF E
A E D CB F
A B C D E F
A B D C E F
F B C D E ~
Since various modifications can be made in my in-t;~

vention as hereinabove described, and many apparen-tly widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spiri-t and scope, it is intended that all matter con-tained in the ac-companying speciEication shall be interpreted as illustra-tive only and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

CLAIMS:
(1) A round bale holder for operative attach-ment to an elevating and moving assembly such as a front end loader arm assembly, three-point hitch assembly and the like; comprising in combination a substantially ver-tical frame, adjustable means secured to the frame for attaching said frame to the elevating and moving assembly, at least two spaced and parallel round bale engaging prong components secured to and extending forwardly from said frame substantially perpendicular to the plane thereof and said frame including a pair of spaced and parallel horizontal frame members and a pair of spaced and parallel vertical end frame members secured between adjacent ends of said horizontal members, said bale engaging prongs be-ing secured to and extending from the lowermost of said horizontal members, said adjustable means secured to the frame for attachment to the elevating and moving assembly including a plurality of pairs of multi apertured attach-ment plates clamped to said spaced and parallel horizontal members and adjustable therealong, said plates being re-versible vertically and/or selectively interchangeable to provide further flexibility of adjustment thereof rela-tive to the attachment to the elevating and moving assembly.
(2) The holder according to Claim 1 which in-cludes means to detachably secure said prongs by the inner ends thereof, to said frame.