Round hay transporter

• US 4,527,935 A
• Filed: 07/14/1983
• Issued: 07/09/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Durrel W. Fortenberry
• Original Assignee: Durrel W. Fortenberry
• Inventors: Fortenberry, Durrel W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Muncy, Ken
• Application Number:
  US06/513,693
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 414/24.5, 414/24.6, 414/482, 414/485, 414/911, 414/912, 414/920, 414/786, 414/685, 414/684, 280/415 R, 280/511, 298/5
• US Class Current: 414/24.5
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2087/123 Manual trolleys for bales
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 87/127 Apparatus for handling, loading or unrolling round bales
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/125 Combined or convertible implements

Abstract

A hay carrier includes two long bale engaging fingers extending from a flat base. The base is pivoted to a crossbar of a subframe. The subframe is transferrable between the bed of a pickup, and a trailer towed by a pickup or other towing vehicle. A winch on a winch bar of the subframe pivots a bale speared by the fingers up or down by reeling or unreeling a cable connected to the hay carrier. The crossbar rests on the trailer axle or rear edge of the pickup bed. The winch bar is removably fastened to a trailer reach pole or pickup bed. The winch is preferably connectable for "in-the-cab" control, through a dashboard-mounted switch, to 12-volt power on the pickup and towing vehicle. The fingers engage the bale near the ground, and support most of the bale from below.

Claims

1. The improved method of hauling large, round hay bales having a bale length and a bale center comprising the steps of:

a. hitching a trailer with a removable subframe thereon to a towing vehicle,

b. connecting a winch on a winch bar of the subframe to a 12 volt electrical power supply on the towing vehicle,

c. reeling in a cable connecting the winch to a hay carrier pivoted at a horizontal base axis to a cross bar of the subframe, thereby

d. pivoting the hay carrier upward about the base axis to a transport position, with bale engaging fingers longer than half the bale length extending from the hay carrier substantially vertical, and a center of gravity of the hay carrier rearward of the base axis;

e. hauling a round bale by

f. transporting the trailer to the location of a round hay bale on ground;

g. lowering the hay carrier to a load position wherein the bale engaging fingers are substantially horizontal and spaced above the ground substantially below the bale center, by

h. unreeling the cable with the winch and

i. pivoting the hay carrier downward about the base axis until the hay carrier is in the load position;

j. backing the trailer with the towing vehicle toward the hay bale,

k. engaging the bale with said fingers wherein the fingers extend at least half the bale length within the bale, substantially below the bale center; and

l. raising the hay bale above the ground to the transport position by

m. reeling in the cable with the winch and

n. pivoting the hay carrier upward about the base axis until it is in the transport position with the center of gravity of the bale and hay carrier rearward of the base axis;

o. transporting the trailer and hay bale to a delivery location,

p. lowering the bale to the ground by

q. unreeling the cable with the winch and

r. pivoting the hay carrier downward about the base axis until it is in the load position,

s. moving the trailer forward with the towing vehicle, and

t. disengaging the fingers from the bale;

u. transferring the subframe with the hay carrier, from the trailer to a pickup by

v. disconnecting the winch from the towing vehicle'"'"'s electrical power supply,

w. removing securing means on the subframe for preventing slidable movement of the subframe on the trailer,

x. sliding the subframe on the trailer thereby

y. disengaging the winch bar of the subframe slidable engagement with a fastener on the reach pole of the trailer, then

z. lifting the subframe with the hay carrier pivoted thereto from the trailer, then

aa. placing the subframe in a bed of a pickup,

bb. slidably engaging the winch bar with a fastener on the pickup bed by

cc. sliding the subframe on the pickup bed,

dd. engaging securing means on the subframe for preventing slidable movement of the subframe on the pickup bed,

ee. connecting the winch to a 12 volt electrical power supply on the pickup;

then

ff. hauling another round bale by

gg. moving the pickup to the location of a bale on the ground,

hh. lowering the hay carrier to a load position with the bale engaging fingers substantially horizontal and spaced above the ground substantially below the bale center by

ii. unreeling the cable with the winch and

jj. pivoting the hay carrier downward about the base axis until the hay carrier is in the load position,

kk. backing the pickup toward the bale,

ll. engaging the bale with said fingers wherein the fingers extend at least half the bale length within the bale, substantially below the bale center; and

mm. raising the bale to the transport position with said fingers substantially vertical and a center of gravity of the hay carrier and bale rearward of the base axis, by

nn. reeling in the cable with the winch and

oo. pivoting the hay carrier upward about the base axis until the hay carrier is substantially in the transport position;

pp. moving the pickup to a delivery location,

qq. lowering the bale to the ground by

rr. unreeling the cable with the winch and

ss. pivoting the hay carrier downward about the base axis until it is in the load position,

tt. moving the pickup forward and

uu. disengaging the fingers from the bale.

2. The improved machine for handling round hay bales comprising

a. a trailer having

b. two ground engaging wheels connected to

c. an axle,

d. a reach pole extending forward from and normal to the towing axle,

e. a hitch on the front of the reach pole;

f. said trailer being connectable at the hitch to a towing vehicle;

g. a subframe having

h. a cross bar parallel to and resting on the axle,

i. a winch bar extending forward from the cross bar along the reach pole,

j. an electrically powered winch on the forward end of the winch bar, and

k. the winch being connectable by wires to a 12-volt power source on the towing vehicle;

l. a hay carrier having

m. a base pivoted to the cross bar by at least two base arms for rotation about a base axis substantially parallel to the cross bar,

n. the base forming a base plane parallel to and spaced away from the base axis,

o. bale engaging fingers rigidly attached to the base extending transverse of the base plane and pivotable between a substantially vertical and substantially horizontal position,

p. a lift arm extending from the base;

q. a cable extending from the winch to the lift arm to pivot the hay carrier about the base axis;

r. a trailer fastener for releasably interconnecting the winch bar and the reach pole;

s. a pickup having

t. a cargo bed extending to a pickup rear,

u. an edge of the bed at the pickup rear

v. said subframe being adapted to rest the cross bar at the bed edge, and rest the winch bar on the bed forward of the bed edge,

w. a pickup fastener for releasably interconnecting the winch bar and the pickup bed;

x. the hay bales each having

y. a bale axis extending through a bale center,

z. a diameter normal to the bale axis, and

aa. a length along the bale axis;

bb. at least two of the bale engaging fingers extending from the base being long fingers that are

cc. spaced apart on the base a distance greater than one half, and less than, the bale diameter,

dd. of sufficient length to penetrate more than half the bale length into the hay bale, and

ee. positioned on the base so that when the hay carrier is pivoted downward about the base axis so that the fingers are substantially horizontal, the long fingers are spaced above the ground, substantially below the bale center and positioned on the base so that when the hay carrier is pivoted upward about the base axis so that the fingers are substantially vertical, the center of gravity of the hay carrier and bale is rearward of the base axis.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 including all of the limitations a. through ee. with the addition of the following limitation:

ff. at least one of the bale engaging fingers having a length less than half the length and being positioned above the long fingers when the base plane is vertical.

4. The improved machine for handling round hay bales comprising

a. a trailer having

b. two ground engaging wheels connected to

c. an axle,

d. a reach pole extending forward from and normal to the axle,

e. a hitch on the front of the reach pole;

f. said trailer being connectable at the hitch to a towing vehicle;

g. a subframe having

h. a cross bar parallel to and resting on the axle,

i. a winch bar extending forward from the cross bar along the reach pole,

j. an electrically powered winch on the forward end of the winch bar, and

k. the winch being connectable by wires to a 12-volt power source on the towing vehicle;

l. a hay carrier having

m. a base pivoted to the cross bar by at least two base arms for rotation about a base axis substantially parallel to the cross bar,

n. the base forming a base plane parallel to and spaced away from the base axis,

o. bale engaging fingers rigidly attached to the base extending substantially normal to the base plane,

p. a lift arm extending from the base;

q. a cable extending from the winch to the lift arm to pivot the hay carrier about the base axis;

r. a trailer fastener releasably interconnecting the winch bar and the reach pole;

s. said trailer fastener being engaged by sliding the subframe in one direction on the trailer and disengaged by sliding the subframe in an opposite direction on the trailer,

t. trailer securing means on the subframe for releasably preventing said slidable movement of the subframe in said opposite direction on the trailer; and

u. a pickup having

v. a cargo bed extending to a pickup rear,

w. an edge of the bed at the pickup rear

x. said subframe being adapted to rest the cross bar at the bed edge, and rest the winch bar on the bed forward of the bed edge,

y. a pickup fastener releasably interconnecting the winch bar and the pickup bed,

z. said pickup fastener being engaged by sliding the subframe in one bed direction on the pickup bed and disengaged by sliding the subframe in an opposite bed direction on the pickup bed,

aa. pickup securing means on the subframe for releasably preventing slidable movement of the subframe in said opposite bed direction on the pickup bed

bb. the winch bar being tubular,

cc. said trailer fastener including

dd. a ball on the reach pole below the winch bar, having

ee. a large ball width and

ff. a small ball width, less than the large ball width, between the large ball width and the reach pole, and

gg. a keyhole shaped slot in the winch bar opposite the reach pole, having

hh. a large slot width, larger than the large ball width adapted to receive the ball therethrough and

ii. a small slot width, smaller than the large ball width, adapted to slidably receive the small ball width;

jj. said trailer securing means being in the form of a removable pin extended through at least one hole in the winch bar adjacent the ball to prevent sliding of the winch bar in said opposite direction with respect to the ball on the trailer,

kk. keepers releasably interconnecting the cross bar and the axle,

ll. said keepers being engaged by sliding the subframe on the trailer in said direction for engaging the trailer fastener and being disengaged by sliding the subframe on the trailer in said opposite direction for disengaging said trailer fastener.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4 including all of the limitations a. through ll. with the addition of the following limitations:

mm. the wheels being journaled to spindles,

nn. trailer arms connecting the spindles to the axle,

oo. the axle and the base axis being forward of the spindles,

pp. an armrest extending from the winch bar, between the lift arm and the winch bar, for limiting upward pivoting of the hay carrier about the base axis to a transport position with the long fingers substantially vertical,

qq. said base arms being attached to said bale base such that a center of gravity of the hay carrier is rearward of the base axis when the hay carrier is in the transport position,

rr. said long fingers being positioned on the bale base so that when said bale is engaged by the long fingers and pivoted upward to the transport position, the resultant center of gravity of the hay carrier with the bale thereon is rearward of the base axis.

6. The invention as defined in claim 4 including all of the limitations a. through ll. with the addition of the following limitations:

mm. the hay bales each having

nn. a bale axis extending through a bale center,

oo. a bale diameter normal to the bale axis, and

pp. a length along the axis;

qq. at least two of the bale engaging fingers extending from the base being long fingers that are

rr. spaced apart on the base a distance greater than one half, and less than, the bale diameter,

ss. of sufficient length to penetrate more than half the bale length into the hay bale, and

tt. positioned on the base so that when the hay carrier is pivoted downward so that the fingers are substantially horizontal, the long fingers are spaced above the ground, substantially below the bale center.

7. The invention as defined in claim 4 including all of the limitations a. through ll. with the addition of the following limitations:

mm. said pickup fastener including

nn. a pickup ball on the pickup bed forward of the bed edge, having

oo. a large pickup ball width larger than the small slot width and smaller than the large slot width,

pp. a small pickup ball width, smaller than the small slot width, between the large pickup ball width and the pickup bed,

qq. said pin extended through said hole in the winch bar also forming said pickup securing means.

8. The invention as defined in claim 4 including all of the limitations a. through ll. with the addition of the following limitations:

mm. said pickup fastener including

nn. a fastener bar attached to and extending transverse of the winch bar, and

oo. ears, attached to the pickup bed forward of the bed edge, and being in spaced relation to the pickup bed and extending forward in position to capture the fastener bar when the subframe slides rearward on the pickup bed,

pp. said pickup securing means being in the form of a portion of the cross bar that extends downward adjacent and rearward of the bed edge when the fastener bar is captured by the ears for preventing forward sliding of the subframe on the pickup bed.