Abstract: Apparatus for pressing vertical arrangements of units that are stored in an elongate container with a front, plural sides, and a cavity includes a mechanism coupled to the front and extending toward the rear of such container and including opposing arms. Each arm is located adjacent a corresponding, opposing side of such container, with the mechanism being actuable to move the arms toward each other a preselected distance as a way of pressing a first arrangement of subunits. The apparatus preferably includes a submechanism actuable with the arms to move inwardly toward the cavity a preselected distance as a way of pressing arrangements of subunits, i.e. loaded subunits, that have already been pressed by the mechanism.

Abstract: Switches in an electrical control circuit are disposed in the path of bales being loaded by a pair of conveyors, and these switches control the operation of the conveyors such that bales are loaded on a platform and selectively positioned with the leading end of a first bale flush with one end of the platform and the trailing end of a following bale flush with the other end of the platform. Relays and a solenoid-operated valve are also utilized in the electrical control circuit to control operation of the conveyors as well as a pusher mechanism that moves bales in a row laterally when a row has been loaded with their opposite ends flush with the ends of the platform. Since the ends of the bales are flush with the ends of the platform, a stack of bales can be formed with even ends.