Patent ID: 9560806
Date: 2017-02-07
CPC Classifications: A01D

Claim:
1. An apparatus for gathering bales resting on a surface, the apparatus comprising: ground-engaging wheels or tracks for moving the apparatus relative to the surface at a ground speed; a bed for holding one or more bales and having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the bed comprising a conveyor belt toward the first side of the bed and a conveyor belt toward the second side, the bed not having more than two conveyor belts opposite each other; a loading assembly for grasping and lifting a bale and conveying it to the bed and comprising a first arm comprising a first conveyor belt and a second arm comprising a second conveyor belt, the loading assembly not comprising more than two conveyor belts; and a drive system coupled to the ground-engaging wheels or tracks for controlling and varying a speed of the first and second conveyor belts of the loading assembly to match the ground speed of the apparatus, the drive system not varying the speed of the first and second conveyor belts from a pulling vehicle.