Abstract: A fork-like array of arms is located at an end of a haystack wagon which will function to hold, to pick up or to release a haystack onto or from a haystack wagon. The arms may be rigidly held in place, or may swing to various positions depending upon the type of haystack being handled. In the present invention, the arms are arranged to reciprocate in alternate sequences with respect to each other, whereby some of the arms will be at rest with respect to the haystack, while other of the arms are moving into or out of it. With such reciprocation, a stack of hay bales may be easily picked up or discharged onto and from a bale wagon or a haystack may be easily picked up and moved onto a hay wagon.

Abstract: An apparatus to form a hay bale stack which lies upon its side and upon the bed of a truck, trailer or similar vehicle. The bed will be tipped upwardly to discharge tha bale stack in an upright position.A bale collecting, conveying and dispensing apparatus is mounted at the side of the vehicle. A shiftable stack-layer-forming platen is carried upon a framework above the bed of the vehicle and above a stack being formed on the bed. Hay bales picked up by the dispensing apparatus are shifted onto this platen to form a stack layer. When a stack layer is completed, the platen tips, dropping the layer on its edge at the forward end of the vehicle bed. A pusher means pushes the bale stack layers rearwardly as they are deposited upon the bed.When a bale stack is completed, the bale collecting and dispensing apparatus may be disconnected from the vehicle, and the vehicle is then driven to a location where the stack is to be discharged.