Bale handler for small rectangular bales

A bale bundling apparatus selectively connected to a prime mover, comprising:

• a wheeled frame;
• an elevator supported on said frame and having a upwardly sloped floor, said elevator being operable to form transverse rows of bales and to move the transverse rows of bales up said elevator floor, said elevator including a lateral shuttle to move bales to a selected side of said elevator floor and form said transverse rows of bales, and a push bar operable to move said transverse rows of bales up said elevator floor
• a vertical lift mechanism having a table and being positioned rearwardly of said elevator to receive sequential rows of bales from said elevator and form a stack of bales;
• and
• a wrapping mechanism located rearwardly of said vertical lift mechanism to receive said stack of bales and to place wrapping material around said stack of bales for discharge from the bale bundling apparatus.

A method of bundling bales of crop material comprising the steps of:

• forming a row of three bales of crop material on an elevator by the steps of:
• receiving a first bale of crop material at a first position on an elevator floor;
• pushing the first bale of crop material to a first side position on said elevator floor with a lateral shuttle;
• receiving a second bale of crop material at said first position;
• pushing the second bale with said lateral shuttle to a second side position on said elevator floor;
• receiving a third bale at said first position between said first and second bales;
• moving said row of bales along said elevator floor by a push bar until deposited onto a vertical lift mechanism positioned at a rearward position to said elevator floor;
• repeating said forming step to form second and third rows of bales deposited onto said vertical lift mechanism;
• activating a pusher plate to move said three rows of bales rearwardly from said vertical lift mechanism unto a wrapping apparatus;
• repeating said forming step, said moving step and said activating step to create a stack of bales on said wrapping apparatus;
• wrapping said stack of bales with wrapping material to maintain shape of said stack of bales;
• and
• discharging said stack of bales with said wrapping material from a discharge device.