A sod harvester with a start gate, a first switch that is configured to interact with a first sensor, a second switch that is configured to interact with a second sensor, an inclined conveyor; a rollup conveyor positioned above an end of the inclined conveyor, and a controller including controller software that is configured to cause the rollup conveyor to start upon activation of the second sensor, a timer to begin counting time upon activation of the first sensor, and the rollup conveyor to stop upon the counting of a certain amount of time by the timer. The first switch is positioned between the start gate and the second switch, and the second switch is positioned between the first switch and the rollup conveyor. The inclined conveyor is configured to eject a sod roll onto a platform upon cessation of rotation by the rollup conveyor.

A sod harvester with a start gate, a first switch that is configured to interact with a first sensor, a second switch that is configured to interact with a second sensor, an inclined conveyor; a rollup conveyor positioned above an end of the inclined conveyor, and a controller including controller software that is configured to cause the rollup conveyor to start upon activation of the second sensor, a timer to begin counting time upon activation of the first sensor, and the rollup conveyor to stop upon the counting of a certain amount of time by the timer. The first switch is positioned between the start gate and the second switch, and the second switch is positioned between the first switch and the rollup conveyor. The inclined conveyor is configured to eject a sod roll onto a platform upon cessation of rotation by the rollup conveyor.

A sod harvester can include a preliminary stacking head for stacking slabs of sod prior to the stacked slabs being removed from a stacking conveyor for stacking on a pallet. In this way, the stacking head can remove multiple layers of sod during a single stacking operation. The preliminary stacking head can be positioned overtop a conveyor and can be configured to pick up a slab of sod as the slab travels along the conveyor. The preliminary stacking head can then drop the slab on top of a trailing slab thereby forming a stack of slabs on the conveyor. The conveyor over which the preliminary stacking head is positioned can be an inclined conveyor that transports slabs of sod from the ground to a stacking conveyor.

A sod harvester can include an inclined stacking conveyor from which slabs of sod are removed for stacking on a pallet. The direction of incline of the stacking conveyor can be opposite that of one or more inclined conveyors used to convey sod from a cutting head to the stacking conveyor. Therefore, slabs of sod can ascend along the one or more inclined conveyors and then descend along the inclined stacking conveyor from which they are removed by the stacking head. The stacking head can also be inclined to correspond with the incline of the stacking conveyor. By inclining the stacking conveyor and the stacking head, the stacking head does not need to move vertically when removing slabs of sod from the stacking conveyor.

A sod harvester includes (a) a harvester frame and (b) a conveyor system supported by the harvester frame. The conveyor system includes at least one first conveyor for transporting one or more slabs away from a cutting assembly and at least one second conveyor downstream of the at least one first conveyor for receiving the slabs from the at least one first conveyor and transporting the slabs downstream to a pick-up area along the at least one second conveyor for pick-up of the slabs by a stacking head. The second conveyor comprises a roller conveyor including a plurality of rollers arranged for engagement with an underside of the slabs for transporting the slabs to the pick-up area.

A sod harvester includes (a) a harvester frame and (b) a conveyor system supported by the harvester frame. The conveyor system includes at least one first conveyor for transporting one or more slabs away from a cutting assembly and at least one second conveyor downstream of the at least one first conveyor for receiving the slabs from the at least one first conveyor and transporting the slabs downstream to a pick-up area along the at least one second conveyor for pick-up of the slabs by a stacking head. The second conveyor comprises a roller conveyor including a plurality of rollers arranged for engagement with an underside of the slabs for transporting the slabs to the pick-up area.

A sod harvester for cutting a sod slab from a sod field and directing an unspoiled sod slab into a first carrier and a spoiled sod slab into a scrap sod carrier where the spoiled sod slab may be either discharged away from a path of the sod harvester or carried on the scrap sod carrier for later discharge from the scrap sod carrier.

A method of arranging sod rolls on a pallet including the steps of using a sod harvester to create a plurality of sod rolls and deposit them onto a platform; rotating all but one of the sod rolls so that an end flap on each of the sod rolls is at the same position; rotating the first sod roll for a duration that is longer than the duration by which the remaining sod rolls are rotated so that an end flap on the first sod roll is in a different position on the first sod roll than the end flaps on the remaining sod rolls; using a sod carrier to pick up the plurality of sod rolls from the platform simultaneously; and depositing the plurality of sod rolls simultaneously onto a pallet such that the end flap on the first sod roll faces outward and is viewable by consumers.

A sod harvester comprising a sod cutter assembly that shaves slabs of sod material from a field and cm them into lengths; a sod rolling assembly that rolls the sod slabs as they are conveyed to a sod roll array forming station; a pick-and-place apparatus comprising a pick head that picks up arrays of sod rolls and places them in layers onto a first location: a layer compactor that is in a retracted position while the pick head deposits the arrays of sod rolls and that pushes against a layer of sod rolls while the pick head moves to pick up an array of sod rolls; and a side compactor that pushes against the sod rolls In a direction orthogonal to that of the layer compactor.

A sod harvester with a start gate, a first switch that is configured to interact with a first sensor, a second switch that is configured to interact with a second sensor, an inclined conveyor; a rollup conveyor positioned above an end of the inclined conveyor, and a controller including controller software that is configured to cause the rollup conveyor to start upon activation of the second sensor, a timer to begin counting time upon activation of the first sensor, and the rollup conveyor to stop upon the counting of a certain amount of time by the timer. The first switch is positioned between the start gate and the second switch, and the second switch is positioned between the first switch and the rollup conveyor. The inclined conveyor is configured to eject a sod roll onto a platform upon cessation of rotation by the rollup conveyor.