Sod stacker

Details Sod stacker Sod stacker

2002-08-22

2004-08-31

Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)

Material or article handling

Apparatus for moving intersupporting articles into, within,...

Stack forming apparatus

C414S791700, C414S502000, C172S020000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06783318

ABSTRACT:

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
None
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
None
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
None
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to sod harvesting and, more specifically, to a sod stacker for on-the-go stacking of sod onto a pallet.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The concept of sod harvesting is old in the art. Typically, a sod slab is cut free from a sod field. The slab is then rolled up into a cylindrical roll that is transferred to a pallet by a sod pickup mechanism. If the sod rolls are “small rolls”, the sod rolls can be manually transferred to a sod delivery truck that delivers the sod to the area where the sod rolls are to be laid. If the sod rolls are “big rolls”, it is necessary to use equipment to both lift and transfer the sod rolls.
Numerous devices are available for mechanizing portions of the sod harvesting and delivering process. For example, Schouten U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,602 shows a sod roll stacker for stacking rows of small rolls where the sod rolls are pushed onto a pallet. In order to alternate the rows the pallet with the sod rolls is rotated 90 degrees and the sod rolls are pushed on top of the existing rolls.
In contrast to the prior art Schouten method and apparatus for stacking sod the present invention allows one to lift and stack the sod rolls on a pallet without having to rotate the pallet or push the sod rolls onto the pallet thus lessening chances of damaging the sod roll.
In addition to the lessening the chances of damaging the sod roll during loading the pallet the present invention permits an operator to on-the-go dump a spoiled sod roll before it is stacked on the pallet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A towable sod stacker having a pallet holder for holding a stack of sod slabs, a conveyor for receiving and temporarily storing a plurality of cut sod slabs and a sod pickup mechanism for lifting the plurality of cut sod slabs from the conveyor and vertically placing the sod slabs in any of four positions on the pallet to provide an alternately stacked pallet of sod slabs with the towable stacker conveyor laterally displaceable to permit an operator to on-the-go dump a spoiled sod slab from the stacker.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3698534 (1972-10-01), Hadfield
patent: 3887013 (1975-06-01), Helberg
patent: 4294316 (1981-10-01), Hedley et al.
patent: 4966239 (1990-10-01), Hutchison
patent: 5217078 (1993-06-01), Zinn
patent: 5230602 (1993-07-01), Schouten
patent: 5269379 (1993-12-01), Millar et al.
patent: 5697760 (1997-12-01), Rosen
patent: 6364027 (2002-04-01), Tvetene et al.
patent: 6527502 (2003-03-01), Leijenaar
patent: 6659189 (2003-12-01), Woerner et al.
patent: 1116429 (2001-07-01), None
patent: WO 95/35021 (1995-12-01), None

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