1045929 Ontario Limited

Ontario Limited

1093929 Ontario Limited

Robert Milwain

Gerardus J Brouwer

Ralph Ratsep

Mathias Marie Gerardus Hendriks

Peter Stefanski

Mathias Marie Hendriks

A method of stacking sod rolls on a pallet includes operating a sod handling apparatus of a sod harvester to form a plurality of layers of the sod rolls on the pallet. Each layer contains nine sod rolls comprising a row of five sod rolls positioned next to each other, a first pair of sod rolls oriented perpendicular to the five sod rolls of the row and positioned adjacent an inner end of the row, and a second pair of sod rolls oriented perpendicular to the five sod rolls of the row and positioned adjacent the inner end of the row parallel and in alignment with the first pair of sod rolls. The plurality of layers are flipped relative to each other in an alternating manner to position the row of five sod rolls of each upper layer atop the first and second pairs of sod rolls of a respective lower layer parallel with the row of five sod rolls of the lower layer, and the first and second pairs of sod rolls of the upper layer atop the row of five sod rolls of the lower layer parallel with the first and second pairs of sod rolls of the lower layer.

Sod handling apparatus

A method of stacking sod rolls can include: (a) moving a head of a sod handling apparatus to a sod pick-up location containing a plurality of sod rolls; (b) picking up a first sod roll with a first sod carrier, picking up a second sod roll with a second sod carrier, and picking up a third sod roll with a third sod carrier; (c) moving the head to a sod drop-off location; (d) depositing the first sod roll from the first sod carrier at the sod drop-off location; (e) after depositing the first sod roll, moving the second sod carrier and the third sod carrier toward the first sod carrier to reduce the spacing between the second and third sod rolls; and (f) depositing the second and third sod rolls at the drop-off location.

A method of stacking sod rolls can include the steps of: a) moving a head of a sod handling apparatus into a sod pickup location containing a plurality of sod rolls; b) picking-up a first sod roll with a first sod carrier, picking-up a second sod roll with a second sod carrier, and picking-up a third sod roll with a third sod carrier; c) moving the head to a sod drop-off location; d) releasing the first sod roll from the first sod carrier at the sod drop-off location; e) after releasing the first sod roll, moving the second sod carrier toward the first sod carrier and moving the third sod carrier toward the first sod carrier to reduce the spacing between the second and third rolls of sod; and f) depositing the second sod roll and third sod roll at the drop-off location.

A system for disposing of a defective sod roll from a sod harvester is disclosed. The system includes: (i) a transport conveyor; (ii) an accumulator located behind the transport conveyor, such that a gap is defined between a rear end of the transport conveyor and a front end of the accumulator; and (iii) a movable tray located proximate to the gap. The tray moves between a retracted position and an extended position. When the tray is in the retracted position, the gap is open and a receiving surface of the tray is in a generally horizontal orientation. When the tray is in the extended position, the tray is located within the gap to receive the sod roll from the transport conveyor.

Sod harvesting apparatus and system for disposing of a defective sod roll

A sod harvester may include a cutting head for cutting the strip of sod from a field, a transport conveyor located behind the cutting head for conveying the strip of sod from the cutting head, and a roll-up mechanism operatively connected to the transport conveyor. The roll-up mechanism may be adapted to form the strip of sod into the sod roll. An accumulator may be disposed downstream from the transport conveyor. The accumulator may include a receiving surface to receive the sod roll from the transport conveyor. A guide member may be positioned above the accumulator. The guide member may be adapted to contact an outer surface of the sod roll when the sod roll is transferred from the transport conveyor to the receiving surface, thereby inhibiting unrolling of the sod roll.

Flap and roll positioner for a sod harvesting apparatus

A sod harvester for cutting sod strips from a ground surface while leaving an uncut strip between at least two sod strips The sod harvester includes a mounting frame and a number of cutting heads connected to the mounting frame. The cutting heads are positioned transversely to the path of travel for cutting the sod strips. At least two cutting heads are spaced apart by the width of the uncut strip. A conveyor is located behind the cutting heads for transporting the strips upwardly and rearwardly from the cutting heads.

Method and apparatus for harvesting and picking up sod

A sod harvester for cutting sod strips from a ground surface while leaving an uncut strip between at least two sod strips. The sod harvester includes a mounting frame and a number of cutting heads connected to the mounting frame. The cutting heads are positioned transversely to the path of travel for cutting the sod strips. At least two cutting heads are spaced apart by the width of the uncut strip. A conveyor is located behind the cutting heads for transporting the strips upwardly and rearwardly from the cutting heads.

A sod harvester includes a sod cutting knife, a sod carrier, and an inclined conveyor for carrying a sod piece from the sod cutting knife to a horizontal conveyor, where the inclined conveyor moves at faster than ground speed. The sod carrier is movable between a first location above the horizontal conveyor and a second location. In the first location, the sod piece is removably secured to the sod carrier when the sod piece is on the horizontal conveyor. In the second location, the sod carrier releases the sod piece.

A method of harvesting and handling sod includes cutting an elongated sod slab and cutting said sod slab into two sod sections, but leaving uncut at least one small sod connection between said two sod sections, thereby to tie together said sod sections in a stack containing said sod sections.

A sod harvester cuts several side-by-side strips of sod, preferably of total width equal to the width of a pallet, and directs the strips up three sets of conveyors arranged in sequence. The first conveyor set runs at or near ground speed; the second conveyor set runs at about double ground speed, and the third conveyor set runs at about triple ground speed. This creates a spatial and time gap between the trailing edges of a set of sod strips on the third conveyor and the leading edges of the next set of sod strips behind them on the second conveyor. The time gap is sufficient to stop the sod strips on the third conveyor and then pick them up and stack them on a pallet.

Method and apparatus for lifting sod, in which grass blades of the sod are inserted between one or more clamps. The clamps are closed to grip the grass blades and the clamps are then moved, with the sod suspended therefrom, to a desired location. The clamps can if desired also grip the thatch, and/or a portion of the soil, of the sod slab.

Method and apparatus for lifting sod from the top

A pre-starter for starting a turn in the end of a sod strip travelling up a conveyor in a sod harvester. The pre-starter includes a metal plate sloping downwardly and rearwardly with its end pressing against the sod strip to catch the blades of grass on the upper surface of the sod strip, thereby causing the end of the sod strip to curl upwardly. The curled end of the sod strip then moves into a conventional sod roll-up mechanism spaced immediately behind the pre-starter, to roll the sod strip. This forms accurate and consistent rolls suitable for automation.

Sod roll pre-starter

A sod harvester having a conveyor assembly to receive sod from a cutting head, a roll-up mechanism to form rolls from the cut sod, and a storage conveyor to receive a set of formed sod rolls, with a clamp to clamp the set of sod rolls and transfer it to a pallet. A diverter between the conveyor assembly and the storage conveyor normally allows sod rolls to travel to the storage conveyor but can be moved to create a gap through which defective sod rolls fall and are thereby rejected. A deflector located below the gap deflects scrap sod and defective sod rolls onto the cut portion of the sod field, rater than onto the uncut portion, so that the scrap sod deflected onto the field will not interfere with the next pass of the cutting head.

Growing community of inventors

Keswick, Canada

Robert Milwain