A sod harvester having a sod roll accumulator squeeze device configured to compact a sod roll while it is on a horizontal conveyor before it is picked up and moved by a sod carrier from a first location on the horizontal conveyor to a second location. The sod roll accumulator squeeze device is pivotally attached to a frame and controlled by a hydraulic cylinder that moves the accumulator squeeze device between an up position and a down position. The present invention is also a method of compacting a sod roll while it is at a first location on a horizontal conveyor of a sod harvester before it is moved by a sod carrier to a second location. The method includes providing an accumulator squeeze device that is pivotally attached to a frame and configured to compact the sod roll from the rear end of the sod harvester.

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 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 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.

There is provided a hybrid turf support for use with natural grass to form a stable hybrid turf system, the hybrid turf support comprising a knitted reticulated support; and a plurality of grass-like fibers extending upwardly from the knitted reticulated support, the grass-like fibers comprising groups of fibers extending upwardly at intervals.

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.

A sod harvester can include an auxiliary stacking conveyor for stacking or folding slabs of sod on an inclined conveyor prior to the stacked/folded slabs being removed from a stacking conveyor by a stacking head. The auxiliary stacking conveyor can be configured to receive a leading slab of sod and then stack the leading slab on top of a trailing slab while the trailing slab is being advanced along an inclined conveyor. The auxiliary stacking conveyor can also be configured to partially receive a slab of sod and then reverse direction to cause the slab to be folded backwards on top of itself while being advanced along an inclined conveyor. Different configurations can be employed to cause slabs to be selectively positioned on an auxiliary 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.