Bale stacker

Claim 1

A LOADING AND STACKING VEHICLE FOR BALES OF HAY COMPRISING, A CHASSIS HAVING A FRONT END AND A REAR END, WHEELS ON SAID CHASSIS SUPPORTING THE CHASSIS FROM MOVEMENT FORWARDLY THROUGH A FIELD, A LOAD CARRYING PLATFORM MOUNTED ON SAID CHASSIS AND HAVING A FORWARD END DISPOSED REARWARDLY OF SAID CHASSIS FRONT END, MEANS ADJACENT THE FRONT OF SAID LOAD CARRYING PLATFORM FOR SUPPORTING BALES LENGTHWISE TRANSVERSELY OF SAID CHASSIS, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS HAVING AN OPENING TOWARD ONE SIDE OF THE CHASSIS TO RECEIVE BALES, MEANS CARRIED ON SAID CHASSIS ADJACENT SAID OPENING TO ENGAGE BALES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY RELATIVE TO SAID CHASSIS AND TURN AND FEED SAID BALES TRANSVERSELY THROUGH SAID OPENING ONTO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CHASSIS FOR BUILDING A VERTICAL STACK OF TRANSVERSELY POSITIONED BALES IN OVERLYING RELATION TO SAID BALE SUPPORTING MEANS, SAID STACK BUILDING MEANS COMPRISING PLATE MEMBERS OF SEGMENTAL FORM, PIVOT MEANS MOUNTING SAID PLATE MEMBERS ON SAID CHASSIS FOR FORE-AND-AFT OSCILLATION IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY ADVANCING AND RETRACTING SAID PLATE MEMBERS IN A FORE-AND-AFT DIRECTION RELATIVE TO SAID CHASSIS ON SAID PIVOT MEANS BETWEEN A REARWARDLY ADVANCED LIFTING POSITION UNDER SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND A FORWARDLY DISPOSED RETRACTED POSITION FORWARDLY OF SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SAID PLATE MEMBERS BETWEEN A LOWER LEVEL BELOW SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND AN UPPER LEVEL AT LEAST A BALE HEIGHT ABOVE SAID LOWER LEVEL, CONTROL MEANS OPERATING SAID ADVANCING AND RETRACTING MEANS AND SAID RAISING AND LOWERING MEANS TO SEQUENTIALLY ADVANCE SAID PLATE MEMBERS TO SAID LOWER LEVEL, RAISE SAID ADVANCED PLATE MEMBERS TO SAID UPPER LEVEL, RETRACT SAID PLATE MEMBERS AT SAID UPPER LEVEL AND THEN LOWER SAID RETRACTED PLATE MEMBERS BACK TO SAID LOWER LEVEL TO BUILD A VERTICAL STACK OF BALES BY FIRST LIFTING A BALE UPWARDLY FROM SAID SUPPORTING MEANS THEN DEPOSITING IT ON TOP OF A SUBSEQUENT BALE RECEIVED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS THEN LIFTING SAID SUBSEQUENT BALE WITH SAID FIRST BALE RESTING THEREON AND REPEATING THIS SEQUENCE TO FORM A STACK OF BALES OF PREDETERMINED HEIGHT, MEANS ON SAID CHASSIS OPERABLE TO ENGAGE THE FORWARDLY DISPOSED LONGITUDINAL SIDE OF BALES IN SAID VERTICAL STACK AND MOVE THE STACK REARWARDLY ONTO SAID LOAD CARRYING PLATFORM, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID STACK MOVING MEANS WHEN THE VERTICAL STACK REACHES SAID PREDETERMINED HEIGHT.