Vehicle mounted large bale loading, transporting and unloading system

A method of loading onto a transport vehicle and transporting large bales of a size generally incapable of being handled and maneuvered by a single person comprising the steps of;

• moving a vehicle-mounted bale support apparatus to a substantially vertical position,
• moving the vertically-positioned support apparatus against a substantially vertical stack of a plurality of bales,
• engaging a plurality of vertically successive ones of said bales with bale engaging structures carried on said support apparatus to hold the bales thereagainst,
• moving said support apparatus to a generally horizontal position resting on said vehicle, and
• transporting-said bales in the horizontal-position-on said vehicle.

A method of distributing bales of livestock feed from a transport vehicle comprising the steps of;

• loading a support surface mounted on said vehicle with a plurality of bales,
• moving said vehicle in a given direction of travel at a feeding location,
• moving said bales along said support surface in a longitudinal direction relative thereto to a discharge position,
• discharging successive bales from said support surface in a lateral direction at said discharge position during travel of said vehicle to allow the bales to break into discrete units to form spaced piles at said feeding location.

A method of loading onto a transport vehicle and bales of a size incapable of being handled and maneuvered by a single person comprising the steps of;

• moving a vehicle-mounted bale support to a substantially vertical position,
• moving the vertically disposed bale support against the face of a vertical stack of bales at a first location,
• impaling the side surfaces of said stack adjacent said face with a plurality of vertically spaced tines carried by said bale support to hold the bales thereagainst, a plurality of said vertically stacked bales being impaled by at least one of said tines on each side surface,
• moving the bale support to a generally horizontal position resting on said vehicle, and
• transporting said bales in said horizontal position.

A method of loading onto a transport vehicle and transporting large bales of a size incapable of being handled and maneuvered by a single person comprising the steps of;

• moving a vehicle-mounted bale support apparatus to a substantially vertical position,
• said bale support apparatus including transversely spaced sets of bale engaging tines, each said set including a plurality of longitudinally spaced bale engaging tines along the extent of said bale support apparatus,
• moving the vertically-disposed bale support apparatus against the face of a vertical stack of bales at a first location,
• engaging the side surfaces of said stack adjacent said face with tines at vertically spaced points to hold the bales against said bale support apparatus, a plurality of said bales being engaged with at least one of said tines,
• moving the bale support apparatus to a generally horizontal position resting on said vehicle, and
• transporting said bales in said horizontal position on said vehicle.