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 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 sod harvester having a sod hold down with at least one free wheeling elastic belt that maintains a downward pressure on sod slabs carried on a conveyor belt with the free wheeling elastic belt moving in unison with the conveyor belt through frictional engagement between sod slabs on the conveyor belt and the free wheeling belt or between the conveyor belt and idler pulleys, which rotationally support the elastic belt, to enable the hold down to prevent or inhibit slippage of the sod slabs on the conveyor belt during sod slab transfer thereon.

A chop mechanism for a sod harvester can include a motor for rotating a cam to lift a chop frame. The cam can include a ready position in which it remains until a chopping action is started. The cam can be rotated from the ready position to a drop position in which the cam no longer supports a follower mounted to the chop frame. After the cam reaches the drop position, the rotation of the cam can be stopped to position the cam in a safe position to prevent the follower from striking the cam as the chop frame descends. Then, rotation of the cam can be resumed to return the cam to the ready position to await the next chopping action. The rotation of the cam from the ready position to the safe position and from the safe position to the ready position can be performed at different rates.

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 harvesting system for harvesting sod includes: (a) a harvester frame; (b) a cutting assembly mounted to the harvester frame for cutting the sod into slabs, each slab having a cut-off length; (c) a conveyor assembly supported by the harvester frame for transporting the slabs away from the cutting assembly toward a measuring location; and (d) a control system operable to: (i) determine a length difference between a measured length for at least one slab at the measuring location and a target length, and (ii) adjust the cut-off length for subsequent slabs to compensate for the length difference.

A harvesting system for harvesting sod includes: (a) a harvester frame; (b) a cutting assembly mounted to the harvester frame for cutting the sod into slabs, each slab having a cut-off length; (c) a conveyor assembly supported by the harvester frame for transporting the slabs away from the cutting assembly toward a measuring location; and (d) a control system operable to: (i) determine a length difference between a measured length for at least one slab at the measuring location and a target length, and (ii) adjust the cut-off length for subsequent slabs to compensate for the length difference.

A sod harvester for harvesting a slab of sod present on a piece of land, includes an arrangement for releasing the slab of sod from the piece of land and a conveyor for conveying the slab of sod in a transport direction towards a roll-up mechanism for automatically rolling up the slab of sod, wherein the roll-up mechanism includes a moving surface that moves in a direction opposite to the transport direction, wherein the conveyor conveys the slab of sod to provide that the leading end of the slab of sod abuts the moving surface, and wherein the conveyor and moving surface are spatially arranged to provide that the slab of sod and the moving surface abut while forming an acute angle.

A sod harvester for harvesting a slab of sod present on a piece of land, includes an arrangement for releasing the slab of sod from the piece of land and a conveyor for conveying the slab of sod in a transport direction towards a roll-up mechanism for automatically rolling up the slab of sod, wherein the roll-up mechanism includes a moving surface that moves in a direction opposite to the transport direction, wherein the conveyor conveys the slab of sod to provide that the leading end of the slab of sod abuts the moving surface, and wherein the conveyor and moving surface are spatially arranged to provide that the slab of sod and the moving surface abut while forming an acute angle.