Abstract: An automatic bale wagon for forming a weather resistant block shaped stack from a plurality of similarly shaped bales as the bale wagon picks up and handles bales during traversal of a field in which a plurality of formed bales have been deposited. A first tier is formed by placing a plurality of bales within a generally rectangular configuration, and a tie tier is formed by placing a plurality of bales within a generally rectangular configuration similar in shape to the rectangular configuration of the first tier, the outermost of which bales in the tie tier not being in alignment with the bales in the first tier. The tie tier is positioned above the first tier. A tight top tier is then formed by placing a plurality of bales in a generally rectangular configuration similar in shape to the rectangular configuration of the tie tier. Adjacent ends and side surfaces of all bales in the top tier are contiguous, the outermost of which bales are not in alignment with the bales in the tie tier.

Abstract: A drive mechanism for a windrow inverter having a crop pick-up mechanism operable to elevate a windrow of crop material from the ground onto a transversely moveable draper conveyor is disclosed wherein the draper conveyor is rotatably driven by a hydraulic motor operable to rotate the draper conveyor in opposing lateral directions. The crop pick-up mechanism is driven by a ground drive mechanism. A power transfer device including a movable power transfer gear provides the option of interconnecting the drive mechanisms for the draper conveyor and the crop pick-up mechanism upon disconnection of one of the drive mechanisms. A second movable transfer gear provides another option of mechanically driving the operation of the draper conveyor, in either lateral direction. A wing draper attachment mounted on the frame of the windrow inverter is drivingly coupled to the draper conveyor for rotatable operation therewith.