Patent ID: 7958695

Claim:
A method of handling a plurality of bales, said method comprising the steps of positioning the bales in a group, gripping the group of bales with a bale handling apparatus, positioning a flexible strip around the group of bales, and moving the group of bales while the group of bales is gripped by the bale handling apparatus and while the flexible strip extends around the group of bales, said steps of gripping the group of bales and positioning the flexible strip around the group of bales include moving the bale handling apparatus from a first location spaced from the group of bales to a second location in which the bale handling apparatus engages at least a portion of the group of bales and moving at least a first portion of the flexible strip of material along with the bale handling apparatus from a location in which the first portion of the flexible strip of material is spaced from the group of bales to a location in which the first portion of the flexible strip of material is disposed in engagement with at least a first side of the group of bales as the bale handling apparatus moves from the first location to the second location.