Patent ID: 8449240

Claim:
A work vehicle comprising: a telescoping boom extending outwardly from the vehicle; an attachment operably connected to the boom, the attachment including opposed forks configured to be both urgable toward each other and urgable away from each other; the attachment configured to be positionable over and substantially laterally surround at least one pair of round bales arranged substantially side by side and having corresponding diameters in close proximity of each other, the opposed forks being urgable toward each other with sufficient compressive force applied to opposed portions of the diameters of the at least one pair of round bales, at least elastically deforming the cylindrical profile of at least one of the at least one pair of round bales, so that the at least one pair of round bales can be vertically lifted and manipulated by at least the boom to a predetermined destination; and an actuator configured to move the forks between at least a first gripping position and a second loading position. wherein in a gripping position two generally facing gripping surfaces of the forks are positioned closer to one another than in the loading position.