This disclosure relates to a carrying device. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a carrying device for carrying bales of material.
Loose materials are frequently bound together with bindings, such as twine, cords, straps, or wire, to form bales. Examples of such materials include hay and straw, including pine straw and wheat straw. In some instances, a bale of a particular material can be a standard unit of specific dimensions and shape, and often materials are sold, stored, and transported as bales. For example, hay is often sold in large round bales, which can weigh hundreds of pounds, or in smaller rectangular bales, which typically weigh less than 100 pounds. Whereas round bales are normally moved by machinery, such as a tractor, rectangular bales are often transported and stacked by hand. When moving rectangular bales, workers often grasp the bindings that extend around the bale and use them as impromptu handles. However, due to the relatively high weight of the bales and the thin nature of common binding materials, the bindings often painfully dig into the worker's hand, even when gloves are worn. Consequently, workers often must take breaks due to hand pain when carrying bales long distances or when moving large quantities of bales. Alternative methods of transporting individual bales with the help of an aid, such as a wheelbarrow, tend to be slow, inefficient, and limited by terrain and clearance considerations for the aid.
It is to be understood that this summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure. This summary is exemplary and not restrictive, and it is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the disclosure nor delineate the scope thereof. The sole purpose of this summary is to explain and exemplify certain concepts of the disclosure as an introduction to the following complete and extensive detailed description.
Disclosed is a bale carrying device comprising a main body defining a handle portion; and a binding catch extending from the main body, the binding catch configured to engage a binding of a bale.
Also disclosed is a method for using a bale carrying device, the method comprising grasping a handle portion of a main body of the bale carrying device; engaging a binding catch of the bale carrying device with a binding of a bale, the binding catch extending from the main body, the binding extending around the bale; and lifting the bale with the bale carrying device.
Also disclosed is a bale carrying device comprising a handle portion; a base portion, the handle portion attached to a top side of the base portion, the base portion defining a first side and a second side; and a binding catch attached to the first side, the binding catch extending upwards above the top side.
Various implementations described in the present disclosure may include additional systems, methods, features, and advantages, which may not necessarily be expressly disclosed herein but will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It is intended that all such systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within the present disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims. The features and advantages of such implementations may be realized and obtained by means of the systems, methods, features particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of such exemplary implementations as set forth hereinafter.
The features and components of the following figures are illustrated to emphasize the general principles of the present disclosure. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Corresponding features and components throughout the figures may be designated by matching reference characters for the sake of consistency and clarity.
The present disclosure can be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description, examples, drawings, and claims, and the previous and following description. However, before the present devices, systems, and/or methods are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specific devices, systems, and/or methods disclosed unless otherwise specified, and, as such, can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting.
The following description is provided as an enabling teaching of the present devices, systems, and/or methods in its best, currently known aspect. To this end, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize and appreciate that many changes can be made to the various aspects of the present devices, systems, and/or methods described herein, while still obtaining the beneficial results of the present disclosure. It will also be apparent that some of the desired benefits of the present disclosure can be obtained by selecting some of the features of the present disclosure without utilizing other features. Accordingly, those who work in the art will recognize that many modifications and adaptations to the present disclosure are possible and can even be desirable in certain circumstances and are a part of the present disclosure. Thus, the following description is provided as illustrative of the principles of the present disclosure and not in limitation thereof.
As used throughout, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “an element” can include two or more such elements unless the context indicates otherwise.
Ranges can be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another aspect includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another aspect. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.
For purposes of the current disclosure, a material property or dimension measuring about X or substantially X on a particular measurement scale measures within a range between X plus an industry-standard upper tolerance for the specified measurement and X minus an industry-standard lower tolerance for the specified measurement. Because tolerances can vary between different materials, processes and between different models, the tolerance for a particular measurement of a particular component can fall within a range of tolerances.
As used herein, the terms “optional” or “optionally” mean that the subsequently described event or circumstance can or cannot occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.
The word “or” as used herein means any one member of a particular list and also includes any combination of members of that list. Further, one should note that conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain aspects include, while other aspects do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more particular aspects or that one or more particular aspects necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular aspect.
Disclosed are components that can be used to perform the disclosed methods and systems. These and other components are disclosed herein, and it is understood that when combinations, subsets, interactions, groups, etc. of these components are disclosed, that while specific reference of each various individual and collective combinations and permutations of these may not be explicitly disclosed, each is specifically contemplated and described herein, for all methods and systems. This applies to all aspects of this application including, but not limited to, steps in disclosed methods. Thus, if there are a variety of additional steps that can be performed it is understood that each of these additional steps can be performed with any specific aspect or combination of aspects of the disclosed methods.
Disclosed is a bale carrying device and associated methods, systems, devices, and various apparatus. The bale carrying device can comprise a main body and a binding catch. It would be understood by one of skill in the art that the disclosed bale carrying device is described in but a few exemplary aspects among many. No particular terminology or description should be considered limiting on the disclosure or the scope of any claims issuing therefrom.
In the present aspect, the main body 110 can comprise a handle portion 112 and a base portion 114, and the handle portion 112 can be attached to or monolithically formed with a top side 116 of the base portion 114. The base portion 114 can define a bottom side (not shown) opposite from the top side 116. The main body 110 can define a first end 118 and a second end 120, with the first end 118 defined opposite from the second end 120. In the present aspect, the ends 118,120 can be defined by the base portion 114. The handle portion 112 can extend along the base portion 114 between the first end 118 and the second end 120. The main body 110 can also define a first side 122 and a second side 124, with the first side 122 defined opposite from the second side 124. In the present aspect, the sides 122,124 can be defined by the base portion 114. The first side 122 can be substantially parallel to the second side 124, and each of the sides 122,124 can be substantially perpendicular to each of the ends 118,120.
In the present aspect, the binding catches 150 can extend from and can be attached to the bottom side of the base portion 114, and the binding catches 150 can extend outwards from the adjacent sides 122,124 and upwards above the top side 116. For example, the first binding catch 150a can extend outwards from the first side 122, and the second binding catch 150b can extend outwards from the second side 124. In this aspect, the binding catches 150 can each be defined by a piece of angle stock, for example and without limitation, having a 90-degree profile. In other aspects, the binding catches 150 can be defined by a different type of material having a different shape, such as a curved shape for example and without limitations. In other aspects, the binding catches 150 can be directly attached to or monolithically formed with the respective sides 122,124.
In the present aspect, the top side 116 can define a pair of chamfered edges 222,224 at the sides 122,124, which can be configured to guide the bindings 502a,b towards the respective upper catch portions 250a,b and can form grooves adjacent to the upper catch portions 250a,b. In the present aspect, the upper catch portions 250a,b can be positioned in facing contact with the respective sides 122,124, and the chamfered edges 222,224 can guide the bindings 502a,b to rest against the upper catch portions 250a,b, respectively. The bindings 502a,b can then be held in place in the grooves against the upper catch portions 250a,b. In other aspects, the upper catch portions 250a,b can be spaced apart from the respective sides 122,124 to define channels (not shown) between the upper catch portions 250a,b and the adjacent sides 122,124. In such aspects, the pair of chamfered edges 222,224 can guide the bindings 502a,b into the channels.
In the present aspect, the binding catches 150a,b can extend in a front-to-back direction relative to the first end 118 and the second end 120 of the main body 110. This configuration can be desirable for carrying bales 500 in which the bindings 502a,b extend lengthwise around the bale 500. In other aspects, the binding catches 150a,b can extend side-to-side relative to the sides 122,124. Such a configuration can be desirable for carrying bales 500 in which the bindings 502a,b extend around a shorter width of the bale 500, instead of the longer length direction. In some aspects, the bale carrying device 100 can comprise binding catches 150 extending both front-to-back and side-to-side. In some aspects, binding catches 150 can be attached to and can extend from the ends 118,120.
As demonstrated by binding catch 150a, each binding catch 150 can define a protruding portion 350 extending outward from the handle portion 112 and an end portion 352 attached to the protruding portion 350 opposite form the handle portion 112. For example and without limitation, the protruding portion 350 can be a shaft, and the end portion 352 can be an enlarged head. In some aspects, the binding catches 150 can be defined by fasteners, such as screws, rivets, or bolts for example and without limitation. The first binding 502a (shown in
In some aspects, the binding catches 150 may not comprise the end portions 352. In some aspects, for example and without limitation, the protruding portions 350 can be angled upwards from the handle portion 112, as shown in
In some aspects, the handle portion 112 can slope downwards from the first end 118 to the second end 120. In some aspects, an angle of the slope of the handle portion 112 can be configured to exert less stress on a user's hands and wrists when carrying bales 500 (shown in
One should note that conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more particular embodiments or that one or more particular embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.
It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the present disclosure. Any process descriptions or blocks in flow diagrams should be understood as representing modules, segments, or portions of code which include one or more executable instructions for implementing specific logical functions or steps in the process, and alternate implementations are included in which functions may not be included or executed at all, may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved, as would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the art of the present disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the present disclosure. Further, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover any and all combinations and sub-combinations of all elements, features, and aspects discussed above. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of the present disclosure, and all possible claims to individual aspects or combinations of elements or steps are intended to be supported by the present disclosure.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62/892,928, filed on Aug. 28, 2019, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
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