Turfco Manufacturing, Incorporated

Vernon J Worrel

George B Kinkead

Jerry T Anderson

Matthew A Donner

Brian L Bouchard

Scott Bjorge

James Stewart

Terry Bondeson

Scott Kaercher

The seeder apparatus includes a first hopper for dispensing seeds onto a conveyor mechanism to be moved thereby to an entry nip between a rotary brush and the conveyor mechanism for propelling the seed downwardly at the discharge end of the frame on which the hopper is mounted. A shield assembly is mounted to the frame discharge end portion to minimize the effects of wind on the trajectory of seed or other material being propelled to the ground by a brush and conveyor mechanism. In one embodiment, a metering gate extends vertically in its closed position relative to the conveyor mechanism, the metering gate controlling the rate of dispensation of seed being moved to the entry nip. In a second embodiment, the seed hopper is mounted to a top dresser hopper whereby either seed from the seed hopper and/or dressing material from the top dresser hopper may be moved by the conveyor mechanism to the entry nip, with a top dressing metering gate being provided for controlling the rate of dispersion of material from the top dresser hopper to the entry nip.

Seeder apparatus for dispensing seed with or without top dressing

A sod harvesting apparatus (10) is disclosed including a cut-off device (14), a cutting unit (16) and a roll-up and core carrying device (18) mounted to a tractor (12). The cut-off device (14) includes an H-shaped slide (20) including a blade (26) pivotably attached thereto, slideably movable in tubes (30) from a cutting position to a raised position against the bias of springs (32) in the tubes (30) by a hydraulic cylinder (36), and latched in the raised position by a mechanism (38). The cutting unit (16) includes a blade assembly (66) pivotably mounted to a frame (52) and vibrated at a high frequency and low amplitude by vibrating devices (84) mounted on the frame (70) of the blade assembly (66). A roller drum (90) extends between first and second lever arms (92) pivotably mounted to the frame (52) and pivoted by electric actuators (96). The roll-up device (18) includes first and second arms (110,112) carrying cone-shaped spindles (120) pivotably mounted to the opposite ends of a bar (114). The first arm (110) is pivoted by a hydraulic cylinder (126) and the second arm (112) is simultaneously pivoted by a rod (122) having a first end pivotably mounted to the first arm (110) on the side of the pivot axis (116) opposite the spindle (120) and a second end pivotably mounted to the second arm (112) on the same side of the pivot axis (116) as the spindle (120).

High frequency, low amplitude, sod harvesting apparatus

A cantilevered leaf spring suspension is disclosed for two separate pairs of wheels (16) which are independently sprung from each other via free ends of respective leaf springs (20) cantilevered from a cross beam (18) of the frame (12) of the top dresser (10). Each of the free ends of the leaf springs (20) includes axle blocks (24) with longitudinally mounted shafts (26) about which the wheels (16) pivot from side to side to match the terrain and more evenly distribute the mass of the hopper (30). Further, a snubber bar (29) includes a free end for abutting the leaf spring (20) intermediate the cross beam (18) and the free end of the leaf spring (20) for limiting the vertical travel of the leaf spring (20).

Cantilevered leaf spring assembly

A clutch mechanism (88) for a ground-driven top dresser (10) is actuated by an electric actuator (139) pivotally mounted to a U-shaped bracket (104). The shaft (141) of the actuator (139) is connected to flanges (135) radially extending from a rotatable tube (132) through a lost motion means in the form of elongated slots (145) formed in the flanges (135) and which slideably receive a pin (143) carried by the actuator shaft (141). A cam (134) is removably attached to flanges (133) radially extending from the rotatable tube (132) opposite to the actuator flanges (135). The cam (134) has first and second portions (136a,b) for engaging the pivotal arm (110) which engages and disengages the clutch mechanism (88). The spring (96) biasing the jaw members (90, 92) of the clutch mechanism (88) together allows the cam (134) to circumvent the constant velocity extension of the actuator (139) due to the lost motion connection to quickly engage the clutch mechanism (88) when the cam (134) moves to an over-center position from the second portion (136b) to the first portion (136a) of the cam (134).

Ground-driven top dresser utilizing easily actuated clutch mechanism

A top dresser (10) is disclosed in a first preferred form including a discharge gate (56) of a pusher (44) movably mounted in a hopper (30) for forcing material forward towards a rotating, cylindrical, dispensing drum (66) as the top dresser (10) is being pulled forward. The pusher (44) is slideably mounted by slides (50) secured to ears (48) extending between the sides (36) and the bottom (34) of the hopper (30) and slideable on tubular rails (52) positioned on the outside of the hopper (30). The pusher (44) is moved by expandable and contractable actuators (58, 60) pivotally mounted by their opposite ends to the frame (12) and the pusher (44) in a non-parallel, crossing manner. The drum (66) includes corrugated sheeting (70) around its periphery for gripping the material in the hopper (30) and drawing it under a metering gate (72) and a rotating brush (74) which propels the material onto the ground. The top dresser (10) is movably supported by four wheel assemblies each having a pair of wheels (16) rotatable about an axle (28) of a block (24) pivotable about stub shafts (26) pivotally mounted to the free end of a cantilevered mounted leaf spring (20). In an alternate form, a top dresser (100) is disclosed including an endless conveyor (140) including the corrugated sheeting (70) in the form of an endless belt passing around spaced, parallel rollers (148, 160) and beneath a hopper (136) for dispensing the material from the hopper (136) onto the ground and through the end of the hopper (136).

Growing community of inventors

Mahtomedi, MN, United States of America

Vernon J Worrel