Abstract: Large round bales are picked up in the field by forcing the inclined bed of the machine beneath the bales while simultaneously drawing them onto the bed with a conveyor chain. With the bed leveled, the bales can be transported end-to-end to a feeding location and, while still moving, thereupon successively transferred laterally to an outboard disintegrating unit which drops the material in a continuous stream to the ground or into a feed bunk. After each lateral transfer and outboard disintegration, the bales are advanced along the bed until the next succeeding bale is in position for processing. Alternative forms of lateral transfer apparatus include a lift that swings a bale upwardly off the bed and into the disintegrating unit, a ramp that cocks the bale toward the disintegrating unit in position for an overhead door to sweep the cocked bale into the unit, and an overhead feeder that reaches across the bed and draws the bale into the unit.

Abstract: Large round bales are gathered in the field with a towable implement having a long bed that may be tipped forwardly or rearwardly to the ground about an intermediate transverse axis in order to accomplish front or rear loading of the implement. Bales are successively loaded by driving laterally spaced beams of the inclined bed under the bales as conveyor chains on the beams draw the bales in the opposite direction up onto the beams, whereupon the bed is leveled out for transporting the picked up bales. Unloading is accomplished by inclining the bed appropriately and driving the bales off the beams with the conveying chains as the beams are simultaneously drawn out from under the bales. The bed may be disposed either directly behind its towing vehicle or off to one side thereof by virtue of a hydraulically controlled, articulated tongue, and bale loading and unloading is facilitated by virtue of the absence of any interfering drive shafts across the beams at their opposite ends.