초록 ▼

A bale accumulation system for receiving, moving, and accumulating bales (3) on a bale support surface. The system may involve moving such bales (3) in linear path specific motions and transversely with respect to a bale accumulation surface (1). The system may further involve receiving such bales (

A bale accumulation system for receiving, moving, and accumulating bales (3) on a bale support surface. The system may involve moving such bales (3) in linear path specific motions and transversely with respect to a bale accumulation surface (1). The system may further involve receiving such bales (3) onto a bale reception surface (11) and tilting such a bale reception surface (11) to deposit bales (3) onto the ground. Bales (3) may be aligned in various configurations on a bale support surface (1) perhaps without substantially restricting their movements on such a bale support surface (1) perhaps through the use of bale override alignment elements (16). The configuration of the bale support system also may minimize a total path distance through which bales (3) may be moved, perhaps decreasing the amount of time required to accumulate bales (3).

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A bale positioning apparatus comprising: a bale accumulation surface; a bale push bar disposed above said bale accumulation surface; a linear path specific opening transversely disposed through said bale accumulation surface; a columnar rigid member situated through said line

What is claimed is: 1. A bale positioning apparatus comprising: a bale accumulation surface; a bale push bar disposed above said bale accumulation surface; a linear path specific opening transversely disposed through said bale accumulation surface; a columnar rigid member situated through said linear path specific opening and joined to said bale push bar; a rigid structural carriage element disposed beneath said bale accumulation surface and joined to said columnar rigid member; a linear path specific hydraulic cyclical motive force application element disposed below said bale accumulation surface and joined to said rigid structural carriage element; at least two parallel rails transversely disposed below said bale accumulation surface; at least two bearings joined to said rigid structural carriage element and situated within a groove disposed on each of said at least two parallel rails transversely disposed below said bale accumulation surface; at least one bale alignment zone of said bale accumulation surface, wherein said bale alignment zone comprises a multiple in-line bale alignment zone; at least one bale alignment boundary of said bale alignment zone, wherein said bale alignment boundary comprises a bale dimension coordinated boundary length, and wherein said bale dimension coordinated boundary length comprises at least one lateral edge of multiple in-line bales, and wherein said at least one lateral edge comprises a multiple in-line bale row interlineated lateral edge; a support surface fixed and emplaced bale override alignment element situated at said at least one bale alignment boundary in between multiple rows of bales and which allows bales to override said alignment element when being pushed over said alignment element and thereafter helping to maintain said bales in alignment; and a bale override interface provided on said support surface emplaced bale override alignment element. 2. A bale positioning apparatus as described in claim 1, further comprising a spring element joined to said rigid structural carriage element and to a stable anchor element. 3. A bale positioning apparatus as described in claim 1, further comprising a total cycle time of said linear path specific hydraulic cyclical motive force application element selected from the group consisting of less than about 6 seconds, less than about 5 seconds, less than about 4 seconds, less than about 3 seconds, less than about 2 seconds, less than about 1 seconds, and less that about 0.5 seconds. 4. A bale positioning apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said bale override alignment element comprises an angle iron. 5. A bale positioning apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein said bale override interface comprises an angle of said angle iron. 6. A bale positioning apparatus as described in claim 1, further comprising a bale reception surface substantially contiguously disposed with respect to said bale accumulation surface, and wherein said bale reception surface is configured to receive said at least one bale unidirectionally transversely transferred across said bale accumulation surface in a neutral orientation. 7. A bale positioning apparatus as described in claim 6, further comprising: a hinge joined to said bale reception surface; and a tilt specific hydraulic cyclical motive force application element joined to said bale reception surface. 8. A bale positioning apparatus as described in claim 6, further comprising: a bale movement activated pivot arm disposed above said bale accumulation surface; a linkage element disposed below said bale accumulation surface joined to said pivot arm; and a hydraulic linear path specific cyclical motive force application element actuator disposed below said bale accumulation surface joined to said hydraulic linear path specific cyclical motive force application element. 9. A bale positioning apparatus as described in claim 6, further comprising: a bale movement activated push-over plate disposed above said bale reception surface; a linkage element disposed below said bale reception surface joined to said push-over plate; and a hydraulic tilt specific cyclical motive force application element actuator disposed below said bale reception surface joined to said hydraulic tilt specific cyclical motive force application element. 10. A method for positioning bales comprising the steps of: depositing multiple in-line bales on a bale accumulation surface; positioning at least one bale deposited on said bale accumulation surface within a bale alignment zone of said bale accumulation surface, wherein said step of positioning said at least one bale comprises the step of positioning said multiple in-line bales; establishing a bale alignment boundary of said bale alignment zone, wherein said step of establishing a bale alignment boundary comprises the step of establishing a bale dimension coordinated boundary length, and wherein said step of establishing a bale dimension coordinated boundary length comprises the step of coordinating said length to at least one lateral edge of multiple in-line bales, and wherein said step of coordinating said length comprises the step of coordinating said length to a multiple in-line bale row interlineated lateral edge; emplacing a fixed bale override alignment element at said bale alignment boundary of said bale alignment zone in between multiple rows of bales and which allows bales to override said alignment element when being pushed over said alignment element and thereafter helping to maintain said bales in alignment; providing a bale override interface of said bale override alignment element; hydraulically applying a cyclical linear path specific motive force beneath said bale accumulation surface; moving a rigid structural carriage element disposed beneath said bale accumulation surface as a result of said step of hydraulically applying a cyclical linear path specific motive force beneath said bale accumulation surface; joining at least two bearings to said rigid structural carriage element; situating each of said at least two bearings within a groove disposed on at least two parallel rails transversely disposed beneath said bale accumulation surface; using said at least two parallel rails to confine a motion of said rigid structural carriage element to a specific linear path transversely disposed beneath said bale accumulation surface; moving a rigid columnar member joined to said rigid structural carriage element through a linear path specific opening transversely disposed through said bale accumulation surface; moving a bale push bar disposed above said bale accumulation surface and joined to said rigid columnar member in a transverse specific linear path with respect to said bale accumulation surface; unidirectionally moving said multiple in-line bales in a neutral orientation in a transverse specific linear path across said bale accumulation surface using said bale push bar; incurring contact between said multiple in-line bales and said bale override alignment interface; aligning said multiple in-line bales as a result of said step of incurring contact between said bale and said bale override alignment interface. 11. A method for positioning bales as described in claim 10, further comprising the step of elastically retrieving said rigid structural carriage element. 12. A method for positioning bales as described in claim 11, wherein said step of elastically retrieving said rigid structural carriage element comprises the step of elastically retrieving said rigid structural carriage element with a spring element. 13. A method for positioning bales as described in claim 10, further comprising the step of accomplishing a total cycle time selected from the group consisting of less than about 6 seconds, less than about 5 seconds, less than about 4 seconds, less than about 3 seconds, less than about 2 seconds, less than about 1 seconds, and less that about 0.5 seconds. 14. A method for positioning bales as described in claim 10, wherein said step of providing a bale override interface comprises the step of providing an angle of an angle iron. 15. A method for positioning bales as described in claim 10, further comprising the step of substantially contiguously disposing a bale reception surface proximate to said bale accumulation surface. 16. A method for positioning bales as described in claim 15, further comprising the steps of: hydraulically applying a cyclical tilt specific motive force to said bale reception surface; tilting said bale reception surface about a hinge element. 17. A method for positioning bales as described in claim 15, further comprising the steps of: displacing a pivot arm disposed above said bale accumulation surface with said bale; affecting a linkage element disposed below said bale accumulation surface as a result of said step of displacing said pivot arm; and actuating a hydraulic linear path specific cyclical motive force application element actuator disposed below said bale accumulation surface as a result of said step of affecting said linkage element. 18. A method for positioning bales as described in claim 15, further comprising the steps of: displacing a push-over plate disposed above said bale reception surface with said bale; affecting a linkage element disposed below said bale reception surface as a result of said step of displacing said push-over plate; and actuating a hydraulic tilt specific motive force application element actuator disposed below said bale reception surface as a result of said step of affecting said linkage element.