Self-aligning apparatus and methods for gathering bales

1. An apparatus for gathering bales from a surface, the apparatus comprising:

a bed for holding a plurality of bales, the bed being mounted to a chassis;

a loading assembly for lifting a given bale off the surface and onto the bed, the loading assembly comprising a first arm comprising a first conveyor belt and a second arm comprising a second conveyor belt; and

a forward-looking sensor mounted to the chassis or to the loading assembly for sensing the given bale, the forward-looking sensor being a laser, camera or an acoustic sensor.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a controller for steering the apparatus to align the apparatus with the bale to load a bale onto the loading assembly based on signals from the forward-looking sensor.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 , the apparatus further comprising:

a chassis;

a tongue pivotally connected to the chassis; and

a cylinder connected to the tongue and the chassis, wherein the controller is adapted to adjust an angle between the tongue and the chassis based on signals from the forward-looking sensor.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 further comprising a second sensor mounted on the apparatus for sensing a bale, the second sensor being offset from the forward-looking sensor, the controller being adapted to adjust the position of the apparatus to allow the apparatus to load a bale only upon both the forward-looking sensor and the second sensor concurrently sensing a bale, wherein the chassis comprises a lengthwise axis that extends through the center of the apparatus, the lengthwise center axis defining a first side of the apparatus and a second side of the apparatus generally opposite the first side, the forward-looking sensor being mounted on the first side of the apparatus and the second sensor being mounted on the second side of the apparatus.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 comprising a loading sensor for detecting the loading of a bale on the apparatus.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein the loading sensor is a photo-electric sensor, laser, camera or an acoustic sensor.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the controller is adapted to adjust the position of the apparatus upon the loading sensor sensing a bale loaded on the apparatus.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 comprising a hydraulic system for positioning the apparatus, the controller controlling the hydraulic system to align the apparatus with the bale.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein the apparatus does not include a pull vehicle.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the apparatus does not include a pull vehicle.