A sled assembly for the transport of a one or more round bales across a ground surface being soft. Said sled configured to slide on top of said ground surface. Said hitch assembly having said lowered configuration and said raised configuration. Said hitch assembly configured to selectively attach to said vehicle and to enable said sled assembly to be dragged behind said vehicle. Said sled comprising said side rail assemblies and said cross beams. Said hitch assembly fixed to a first end of said sled. Said sled assembly further comprising a one or more wheel assemblies.

A trailer having a deck and a flip-over ramp. The deck and one side of the flip-over ramp are convertible from a flat position to a position with cradles that are configured to hold one or more round hay bales. The deck may tilt, and side rails may cooperate to form the cradle region. The flip over ramp may also pivot about a horizontal axis to form a pathway from a ground surface to the deck. Side rails may pivot both about a horizontal axis, and about a vertical axis near the flip-over ramp to allow clearance when the ramp is deployed.

A bale strapping apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include a floor to receive at least one bale of material, a bar, and means for moving the bar. The bar may include at least one dispenser for receiving and dispensing securing members. The securing members may be permanently attached to the dispenser. Furthermore, the bar may be moved laterally above and across the floor and, accordingly, over the at least one bale of material, thereby causing the dispenser to dispense the securing member around the at least one bale. The apparatus may then tighten the securing members, thus securing the bale to the apparatus.

A bale loading trailer has a bale supporting frame mounted on wheels. A fork assembly is pivotally mounted beside a front end of the frame configured to engage a bale when in a lowered position, and to disengage the bale when in a raised position such that the bale moves onto the front end of the bale supporting frame. A hydraulic cylinder moves the fork assembly between positions. A hydraulic motor driven conveyor chain assembly extends along the bale supporting frame, and loaded bales rest on, and move along the frame in concert with, the conveyor chain. A valve circuit connects the hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic motor drive such that as the fork assembly moves from the raised position to the lowered position, hydraulic fluid flows from the hydraulic cylinder through the hydraulic motor drive and causes the conveyor chain assembly to move a bale length rearward.

Apparatus for gathering bales that substantially match conveyor speed to ground speed. Methods for gathering bales that use such apparatus are also provided.

Apparatus and methods which use a conveyored loading assembly for gathering bales and, in particular, round bales such as a hay or corn stover bales.

A trailer having a deck and a flip-over ramp. The deck and one side of the flip-over ramp are convertible from a flat position to a position with cradles that are configured to hold one or more round hay bales. The deck may tilt, and side rails may cooperate to form the cradle region. The flip over ramp may also pivot about a horizontal axis to form a pathway from a ground surface to the deck. Side rails may pivot both about a horizontal axis, and about a vertical axis near the flip-over ramp to allow clearance when the ramp is deployed.

A system and a method for loading a hay bale on a vehicle. The vehicle has a frame, a loader assembly mounted to the frame, and a storage assembly mounted to the frame and positioned relative to the loader assembly. The loader assembly has a loader arm rotatably coupled to the frame and a spike extending outwards and orthogonal to the loader arm. The loader arm can be manipulated between a retracted position and an extended position. When in the extended position, the loader arm extends outside the frame with the spike oriented parallel to the frame. The storage conveys a storage plate along a path relative to the loader assembly. The storage plate is arranged to remove the hay bale from the spike as the storage plate is conveyed along the path in a first direction and with the loader arm in the retracted position.

The present invention relates to a collecting apparatus for round bales. The collecting apparatus has a frame device and a conveying device, which is designed to convey a plurality of round bales relative to the frame device in a conveying direction. The conveying device comprises at least two traction members, which are spaced apart from one another transversely to the conveying direction and are designed to rotate about a front deflection axis and a rear deflection axis and have a conveying run and a return run. The conveying device also comprises at least two conveying elements, which are arranged offset to one another in the conveying direction, extend longitudinally between the conveying runs of the traction members transversely to the conveying direction, are attached to the traction members, and in each case have a conveying section arranged centrally between the traction members.