Automatic bale wagon

In a bale wagon for picking up bales lying in a field and forming a stack thereof having a mobile chassis adapted for movement across the field:

• a bale pick-up means mounted on the chassis for picking up bales from the ground during movement of the bale wagon across the field;
• a bale transfer table mounted on the chassis for receiving bales picked up from the ground and forming a tier of bales thereon, said bale transfer table having a rearward edge and a forward edge spaced forwardly of said rearward edge, said forward and rearward edges defining a length for said bale transfer table;
• and a load bed mounted on said chassis rearward of said bale transfer table adjacent said rearward edge for supporting a stack of bales formed thereon by a plurality of generally upright tiers of bales, each upright tier of bales including a plurality of bales arranged in a generally vertical configuration and having a front face directed toward said bale transfer table, said bale transfer table being moveable between a bale receiving position in which said tier of bales is formed in a generally horizontal position with said front face downwardly against said bale transfer table and a generally vertical bale unloading position in which said tier of bales is transferred to said load bed in said vertical configuration to form said stack of bales, an improved bale transfer table comprising:
• a generally curved load surface extending along substantially the entire length of said bale transfer table, said tier of bales being formed on said curved load surface with said front face in contact therewith when said bale transfer table is in said bale receiving position, said load surface being curved generally upwardly when said bale transfer table is in said bale receiving position, such that when said tier of bales is moved onto said load bed in said upright position by said bale transfer table said front face of said upright tier of bales is generally concave in shape.