Patent US3953707A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3887013A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3887013A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Sod cutting and stacking machine
Assignee: TRI COUNTY MACHINE PRODUCTS IN
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Filing: 1974-06-24
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Granted: 1975-06-03
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Expires: 1994-06-24
Abstract
Abstract A power driven machine for cutting ribbons of sod or like material from the ground, severing the ribbons into short strips and stacking the severed strips in criss-cross fashion upon a pallet. The machine includes multiple horizontal cutting blades at ground level for cutting a plurality of endless sod ribbons as the machine traverses across a field. The endless ribbons are carried side-by-side by an elevating conveyor to an upper horizontal platform where they are transversely severed into strips whose length is generally equal to the total width of the plurality of ribbons. Alternate groups of severed strips are then turned at right angles and deposited with subsequent groups upon a descending platform to form a vertical stack of severed strips placed upon each other in criss-cross fashion upon a pallet which may be subsequently picked up for movement from the field.
Inventors
- 👤 Wilbur Helberg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 11:21
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G57/00; B65G57/02; B65G57/16; B65G57/20; B65G57/22; B65G57/24; B65G57/245; A; A01; A01G; A01G20/00; A01G20/10; A01G20/12; A01G20/15
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
An apparatus for cutting and stacking lengths of sod comprising, a wheeled chassis for traversing a sod field, a horizontal cutting mechanism at the forward end of the chassis having means for cutting from the field a plurality of continuous parallel ribbons of sod as the chassis traverses the field, means for conveying such cut sod ribbons in generally parallel fashion from the cutting mechanism rearwardly on said chassis, means rearward of the cutting mechanism for transversely severing the advancing parallel ribbons into groups of strips of generally equal length, means for rotating alternate groups of severed strips at right angles to other groups of strips, and means for stacking such rotated and non-rotated groups of severed strips in criss-cross fashion to provide a vertical stack of sod strips.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
129 words
An apparatus for cutting and stacking lengths of sod comprising, a wheeled chassis for traversing a sod field, a horizontal cutting mechanism at the forward end of the chassis having means for cutting from the field a plurality of continuous parallel ribbons of sod as the chassis traverses the field, means for conveying such cut sod ribbons in generally parallel fashion from the cutting mechanism rearwardly on said chassis, means rearward of the cutting mechanism for transversely severing the advancing parallel ribbons into groups of strips of generally equal length, means for rotating alternate groups of severed strips at right angles to other groups of strips, and means for stacking such rotated and non-rotated groups of severed strips in criss-cross fashion to provide a vertical stack of sod strips.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
129 words
An apparatus for cutting and stacking lengths of sod comprising, a wheeled chassis for traversing a sod field, a horizontal cutting mechanism at the forward end of the chassis having means for cutting from the field a plurality of continuous parallel ribbons of sod as the chassis traverses the field, means for conveying such cut sod ribbons in generally parallel fashion from the cutting mechanism rearwardly on said chassis, means rearward of the cutting mechanism for transversely severing the advancing parallel ribbons into groups of strips of generally equal length, means for rotating alternate groups of severed strips at right angles to other groups of strips, and means for stacking such rotated and non-rotated groups of severed strips in criss-cross fashion to provide a vertical stack of sod strips.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
129 words
An apparatus for cutting and stacking lengths of sod comprising, a wheeled chassis for traversing a sod field, a horizontal cutting mechanism at the forward end of the chassis having means for cutting from the field a plurality of continuous parallel ribbons of sod as the chassis traverses the field, means for conveying such cut sod ribbons in generally parallel fashion from the cutting mechanism rearwardly on said chassis, means rearward of the cutting mechanism for transversely severing the advancing parallel ribbons into groups of strips of generally equal length, means for rotating alternate groups of severed strips at right angles to other groups of strips, and means for stacking such rotated and non-rotated groups of severed strips in criss-cross fashion to provide a vertical stack of sod strips.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said horizontal cutting mechanism includes a plurality of horizontal blades positioned end-to-end in a row and wherein the sum of the length of said blades is generally equal to the length of said strips which are severed from said continous ribbons.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cutting mechanism includes a plurality of horizontal blades positioned end-to-end in a row and having adjacent ends laterally spaced apart a distance sufficient to leave a narrow band of uncut sod between the areas cut by each of said blades.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
79 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said means for conveying such cut sod ribbons includes a separate conveyor mechanism for each ribbon extending generally from said cutting mechanisms to said transverse severing mechanism, said separate conveyor mechanisms converging together in a single plane at said severing mechanism to eliminate the lateral space between adjacent sod ribbons whereby said ribbons are presented to said severing mechanism in a single plane with their lateral adjacent edges in abutment to each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
60 words
The apparatus of claim 1 which includes an elevating conveyor for transporting said endless ribbons in side-by-side parallel fashion upwardly and rearwardly over said chassis from said horizontal cutting mechanism to said transverse severing means and a second horizontal conveyor for transporting in side-by-side parallel fashion said groups of severed strips from said transverse severing means to said rotating means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said second horizontal conveyor is operated at a speed in excess of that of said elevating conveyor such that successive groups of severed strips become spaced apart from one another.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
172 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for rotating alternate groups of strips comprises a horizontal frame suspended above the path of said groups of strips, said frame being journaled for rotation about an axis normal to the path of said groups of strips and movable from a first position in contact with the upper surface of a group of strips to a second position above and remote therefrom, said frame including gripping members which, when extended, grip each strip of a group of strips, and means for sequentially causing said frame to (1) move to said first position in contact with the upper surface of a group of strips, (2) extend said gripping members to grip each strip, (3) retract said frame to said second position above and remote from the path of said groups of strips, (4) rotate 90* to turn said gripped group at right angles to a subsequent group, (5) retract said gripping members to drop such turned group upon the upper surface of the subsequent group.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
83 words
The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said extensible gripping members comprise a plurality of parallel pipes extending laterally across said frame with a plurality of arcuate shaped wire grippers extending radially outwardly from each of said shafts with means for rotating said shafts from a first position where said arcuate grippers are retracted away from the lower surface of said frame to a second position where said arcuate grippers are extended below said frame into gripping engagement with a group of sod strips.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein alternate pipes are rotated in opposite directions between said first and second positions and wherein the arcuate shaped wire grippers on alternate shafts extend in opposite directions to each other.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
79 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for stacking such rotated and non-rotated groups of strips in criss-cross fashion includes a vertically movable platform having an upper position substantially level with the level of said conveying means at the location of said rotating means, and a lower position substantially at ground level, and means for sequentially lowering said platform from its upper position in increments equal to the height of groups of sod deposited thereon by said conveyor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
99 words
The apparatus of claim 10 which further includes a reciprocating tray having an extended position over the path of said vertically movable platform and a retracted position below the end of said conveying means with said tray positioned substantially level with the upper position of said vertically movable platform and said conveying means, and means for moving said tray towards its extended position at a speed substantially equal to the speed of said conveyor whereby groups of severed strips on said conveyor are deposited upon said tray with zero relative motion between said tray and deposited group of strips.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
112 words
The apparatus of claim 11 which further includes a vertical shutter operably connected to the chassis and positioned between the end of said conveying means and the path of said vertically movable platform, said shutter including pivoting means permitting outward movement away from said conveying means but not inward movement towards said conveying means whereby groups of strips passing from said conveying means onto said extending tray will swing said shutter outwardly and whereby retraction of said tray towards its position below the end of said conveyor will cause said groups of strips to strike said shutter and be pushed off said retracting tray at a position above said vertically movable platform.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said reciprocating tray comprises a platform of spaced apart, horizontal rollers with the axes thereof normal to the direction of reciprocable movement of said tray.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
107 words
A sod cutting and stacking machine comprising means for continuously cutting parallel ribbons of sOd from the ground, means for conveying said parallel ribbons in side-by-side relation from said cutting means to an elevated downstream position upon said machine, means along said conveying means downstream of said cutting means for laterally severing the advancing parallel ribbons into groups of parallel sod strips, means downstream of said severing means for rotating selected groups of severed parallel sod strips at right angles to other such groups, and means for stacking said rotated and non-rotated groups upon each other in criss-cross fashion to form a vertical stack of sod strips.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
107 words
A sod cutting and stacking machine comprising means for continuously cutting parallel ribbons of sOd from the ground, means for conveying said parallel ribbons in side-by-side relation from said cutting means to an elevated downstream position upon said machine, means along said conveying means downstream of said cutting means for laterally severing the advancing parallel ribbons into groups of parallel sod strips, means downstream of said severing means for rotating selected groups of severed parallel sod strips at right angles to other such groups, and means for stacking said rotated and non-rotated groups upon each other in criss-cross fashion to form a vertical stack of sod strips.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
73 words
A sod stacking machine comprising means for conveying parallel ribbons of sod in side-by-side relation from a field to an elevated position on the machine, means for laterally severing said parallel ribbons into groups of parallel sod strips and, means for rotating selected groups of parallel sod strips at angles to other such groups and for stacking said rotated and non-rotated groups upon each other to form a vertical stack of sod strips.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
73 words
A sod stacking machine comprising means for conveying parallel ribbons of sod in side-by-side relation from a field to an elevated position on the machine, means for laterally severing said parallel ribbons into groups of parallel sod strips and, means for rotating selected groups of parallel sod strips at angles to other such groups and for stacking said rotated and non-rotated groups upon each other to form a vertical stack of sod strips.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
86 words
A method of continuously cutting and stacking sod strips comprising the steps of continuously cutting parallel ribbons of sod from the ground, conveying said parallel ribbons in side-by-side relation from the ground to an elevated position, laterally severing said parallel ribbons as a group to provide groups of parallel strips of finite length, rotating selected groups of strips at right angles to other such groups, and stacking said rotated and non-rotated groups upon each other in criss-cross fashion to form a vertical stack of sod strips.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
86 words
A method of continuously cutting and stacking sod strips comprising the steps of continuously cutting parallel ribbons of sod from the ground, conveying said parallel ribbons in side-by-side relation from the ground to an elevated position, laterally severing said parallel ribbons as a group to provide groups of parallel strips of finite length, rotating selected groups of strips at right angles to other such groups, and stacking said rotated and non-rotated groups upon each other in criss-cross fashion to form a vertical stack of sod strips.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 16 in which said selected rotated groups comprise every other group of strips on said conveyor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 16 which further includes the step of depositing upon the ground said vertical stack of sod strips when such stack reaches a height substantially equal to the height of said elevated position.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-06-02 | 1978-12-02 | 1979-06-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-06-02 | 1982-12-02 | 1983-06-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-06-02 | 1986-12-02 | 1987-06-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |