Importance

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Abstract

A truck bed bale lift is provided for lifting large round bales of hay onto a flat bed truck. The bale lift assembly includes a pair of hugger arms which grip the hay bale to be manipulated and a mechanism for rotating the hugger arms through a loading/unloading arc. The lift mechanism comprises a rotatable crossbar on which the hugger arms are mounted. The crossbar is pivotally mounted to the rear of the truck and is rotated by a pneudraulic ram mounted underneath the flatbed to engage a series of links attached to the crossbar. The particular linkage system used provides adequate mechanical advantage for the lifting of the hay bale without needing an excessively large equipment structure. The particular structure described permits the flatbed portion of the truck to be kept relatively free of obstruction from portions of the bale lift assembly. More than one bale of hay may be lifted upon and transported by the truckbed; and, the flatbed may be utilized for purposes other than the transport of hay bales even when it has been modified by inclusion of the lift mechanism and hugger arms.

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First Claim