DEVICE FOR PICKING-UP BALES OF HAY FROM THE GROUND AND MACHINE FOR PICKING-UP BALES OF HAY INCLUDING SAID DEVICE

Abstract

It comprises first traction means (8) of the bales (2) and dragging means (5a, 5b) of said first traction means (8) disposed to transport the bales (2) along an upward inclined plane (4) to a loading platform, and it is characterized in that it comprises second traction means (9) of the bales (2) configured to contact the bales (2) at ground level (13) in a advanced attack position with respect to the first traction means (8), said device (1) including dragging means (6a,6b) of said second traction means (9) disposed to lift the bales (2) from the ground (13) and transport said bales (2) until making contact with the first traction means (8).

Claims

1. A device for picking-up bales deposited on the ground comprising first bale traction elements and dragging chains of said first bale traction elements arranged to move the bales along an upward inclined plane to a loading platform, wherein the device further comprises: second bale traction elements configured to contact the bales at ground level in an advanced attack position with respect to the first bale traction elements; and dragging chains of said second bale traction elements arranged to lift the bales from the ground and move said bales until making contact with the first bale traction elements.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said second bale traction elements comprise a plurality of bale contact elements configured with a length less than the length of the first bale traction elements, the dragging chains of said bale contact elements being able to be positioned at ground level to lift and move the bales until the first bale traction elements.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said first bale traction elements comprise a plurality of bale traction elements configured to fasten the bales while said bales are moved by dragging along the upward inclined plane to the loading platform.

4. The device according to claim 1, comprising at least a first dragging chain of said first bale traction elements mounted on a frame so that it defines an inclined plane of rising of the bales, and at least a second dragging chain of said second bale traction elements which is mounted on the same frame so that it occupies an advanced position in the inclined plane with respect to the first dragging chain.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said dragging chains are link chains.

6. The device according to claim 3, wherein said bale traction elements comprise traction spikes provided on parallel links of said first dragging chain.

7. The device according to claim 2, wherein each one of said bale contact elements comprises gussets provided on parallel links of said second dragging chain, and a cross-bar which joins said gussets.

8. The device according to claim 1, comprising a mechanism to actuate simultaneously said first and second dragging chains.

9. The device according to claim 4, wherein said actuation mechanism comprises for each one of said first and second chains at least two gear wheels, with the gear wheels of both chains being actuated simultaneously by a drive element arranged in the frame of the device.

10. The device according to claim 9, where the diameter of the gear wheels of the second dragging chain is less than the diameter of the gear wheels of the first dragging chain.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the frame whereon are mounted the first and second dragging chains comprises a lateral guiding element arranged to direct and self-align the bales in a forward direction when said bales are moved along the upward inclined plane to the loading platform.

12. A machine for picking-up forage bales from the ground comprising the device according to claim 1, and a loading and/or storage platform of the forage bales picked up by said device.

13. The device according to claim 5, wherein said bale traction elements comprise traction spikes provided on parallel links of said first dragging chain.

14. The device according to claim 5, wherein each one of said bale contact elements comprises gussets provided on parallel links of said second dragging chain, and a cross-bar which joins said gussets.

15. The device according to claim 8, where said actuation mechanism comprise for each one of said first and second dragging chains at least two gear wheels, with the gear wheels of both chains being actuated simultaneously by a drive element arranged in the frame of the device.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the diameter of the gear wheels of the second dragging chain is less than the diameter of the gear wheels of the first dragging chain.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0017] For a better understanding of all that has been stated, drawings are attached wherein, schematically and only by way of non-limiting example, a practical embodiment has been represented.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the device of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the device of FIG. 1 positioned in front of a bale of hay.

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a detail of the traction and dragging means of the device of FIG. 1.

[0021] FIG. 4 represents a pick-up sequence of the bale by means of the device of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 5 represents a pick-up sequence of a bale of hay by means of a device of the state of the art.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0023] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below, making reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0024] The pick-up device 1 of forage bales 2 of the present invention comprises dragging means configured by way of four dragging chains 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, arranged in a frame 3 so that they define an upward inclined plane 4 of bales to a loading platform (not represented).

[0025] In the embodiment described, these dragging chains 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b are formed by links designed to gear in different gear wheels 7 simultaneously actuated by a motor 11 which is mounted on the frame 3 of the device 1. The frame 3 also has a lateral guiding element 12 disposed to direct and self-align the bales 2 in a forward direction to the loading platform (not represented) when said bales 2 are transported along the upward inclined plane 4.

[0026] As can be seen in FIG. 1, two of the four dragging chains, hereinafter second dragging chains 6a, 6b, are positioned in the inclined plane 4 in an advanced attack position with respect to the other two dragging chains, hereinafter first 5a, 5b dragging chains. The links of the first dragging chains 5a, 5b are provided with first traction means configured by way of a plurality of traction spikes 8 adapted to trap with force the bales 2 whilst said bales 2 are transported along the upward inclined plane 4. However, the links of the second dragging chains 6a, 6b are provided with second traction means configured by way of contact elements 9 with a length less than that of the traction spikes 8 to be able to contact the bales 2 at ground level 13 in the advanced attack position. In this way, the step 10 that the bales 2 must overcome to rise to the dragging plane 4 is very reduced, which also significantly reduces the wear and tear of the device 1.

[0027] Optionally, the pitch of the links of the second chains 6a, 6b which drag the contact elements 9, is less than the chain pitch of the links of the first 5a, 5b chains. In this way, the second chains 6a, 6b can be actuated by gear wheels 7 of smaller diameter, which makes it possible to approximate these chains 6a, 6b at ground level 13 so that the contact of the bale 2 with the contact elements 9 is carried out at an even smaller attack height from the ground 13. Alternatively, the diameter of the gear wheels 7 of the second chains 6a, 6b can be reduced by reducing the number of teeth of their gear wheels 7, instead of reducing the pitch of the chain links.

[0028] As can be seen in FIG. 3, in the embodiment described, the contact elements 9 of the second 6a, 6b dragging chains comprise each one, a pair of gussets 9a,9b provided on the parallel links of the second chains 6a, 6b and a cross-bar 9c which joins said gussets 9a,9b.

[0029] The operation of the device 1 of the present invention is described below, making reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 5 represents the operation of a device of the state of the art.

[0030] The device 1 of the present invention which shows FIG. 4 is situated in an attack position in front of a bale 2 of hay. For reasons of clarity, this device 1 has been represented without the tractor or dragging-truck wherein the device 1 is integrated. In this attack position, the contact elements 9 of the second 6a, 6b dragging chains contact with the bale 2 at ground level 13 in an advanced attack position with respect to the traction spikes 8, so that the step 10 the bale 2 must overcome to rise to the inclined plane 4 is minimum.

[0031] The advance of the second dragging chains 6a, 6b including the contact elements 9 causes the lifting of the bale 2 and its transport until making contact with the traction spikes 8 of the first dragging chains 5a, 5b which carry the bale 2 to the loading platform (not represented).

[0032] As can be seen in FIG. 4, the bale 2 is gradually lifted from a height positioned practically at ground level 13 due to effect of the gentle traction of the contact elements 9 that occupy an advanced attack position. Thanks to this, the force that the device 1 must exert is much less than that that the devices of the state of the art must exercise wherein the step 10 that the bale 2 must overcome to rise to the inclined dragging plane 4 is much greater (see FIG. 5).

[0033] Despite the fact that reference has been made to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is evident for a person skilled in the art that the device 1 described is susceptible to numerous variations and modifications and that all the details mentioned can be replaced by other technically equivalent ones, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the attached claims. For example, although an embodiment has been described with four dragging chains 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, it would also be possible that the device included a different number of dragging chains, provided that at least one of the dragging chains was positioned in an advanced attack position with respect to the other chains to allow the contact of the bales 2 at ground level 13. Likewise, although the figures represent a device adapted for picking-up bales 2 of prismatic type, the same device could be adapted for picking-up bales of another type which was not prismatic. Also, even though in the description reference has been made to first and second dragging means comprising link chains, these dragging means could also comprise any other type of equivalent means that were adapted to pull the traction means that contact the bales 2. Furthermore, despite the fact that the embodiment that describes each one of the contact elements 9 of the bales includes gussets 9a, 9b joined by a cross-bar 9c, said contact elements 9 could comprise any other type of equivalent elements that were configured with a length less than the length of the traction spikes to allow the contact of the bales at ground level.