Abstract: A bale handling apparatus having a rigid mobile frame includes a spaced pair of longitudinal bale pickup and bale-carrying members extending substantially from front to rear of the frame forming a chute for picking-up, transporting and discharging a series of hay bales. A pulling tongue is pivotally attached to the frame at a position juxtaposed to a central portion of a frame cross member in a central portion of the frame. An arcuate rail is connected to the frame and extends over an arc angle having a bisector on the frame central longitudinal axis to an arc termini offset from axis, representative of corresponding offset positions of the frame in bale pick-up positions. A rail follower is attached to the tongue and is in moving engagement relative to the frame along the arc such that the frame is movable relative to a towing vehicle to either left-side towing or right-side towing, bale pick-up and bale-carrying positions.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling round bales of hay, straw or the like material. In general terms, the handling comprises dispensing a round bale of hay or the like material by unwinding the bale and feeding the thus produced continuous mat into the inlet device of a compactor, typically employing the compacting mechanism of a known square baler. The compactor compacts the material fed into it to produce a second, compacted state generally similar to square bales. Thus, in brief, the invention converts the round bales into the square bales. In a particularly preferred application of the invention, the continuous compact mass of the material is fed directly into a grinder-mixer. The grinder-mixer, being usually on a mobile frame, can thus be fed from a round bale.