Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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APPARATUS FOR THE CUTTING OF ONE OR MORE
' GRASS SODS AND A METHOD FOR THE
STACKING THEREOF
Due to various reasons it has become fashionable
to cut increasingly broader grass sods, of for instance 48
inches or 120 cm (more than 40 or 60 cm) out of grass land
with the help of cutting means. These reasons mostly concern
the c,~uicker laying down of large grass surface areas, such
as those needed for sports fields, golf courses, large lawns
and such like, as well as the greater possibilities for
laying down of large rolls of grass lengths with the help of
apparatus.
In the European patent application EP-A-0178081
and the European patent application published under the
number EP-A-0420689, devices are described for the laying
down of broad grass sods (in the form of so called big
rolls) .
In the European patent published under the number
EP-A-0221745, a driven vehicle is described for the making
of such big rolls from grass sods. This device is however
only suitable for this and does not allow for the cutting
and stacking of grass sods in any other way.
The present invention provides a method for
cutting out and stacking up of one or more grass sods
wherein the first part of a cut out grass sod is placed on a
holder therefor whereafter the grass sod is folded up and a
second part of the grass sod is placed on the first part.
According to this first aspect of the invention a
method is provided which makes it possible to cut out and
stack up grass sods in such a manner that a similar grass
sod can be pulled of the stacked up grass sods with a
relatively simple help means or with the hand, and placed
then at the desired place.
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Furthermore the present invention provides an
apparatus for cutting grass sods out of grass land and for
stacking or rolling up into a pre-determined amount of
stacks or rolls of one or more grass sods, comprising:
- a frame provided with two or more wheels
suspended thereon,
- a cutting head suspended in the frame for
cutting under the grass sods,
- a first conveyor which is mounted on the frame
in driving direction as seen from behind the cutting head
and which repeatedly transports the grass sods from the
cutting head in an upwards direction,
- a second conveyor mounted on the frame in a
driving direction as seen from behind the first conveyor and
whereof at least on part is moveable with respect to the
first conveyor and/or the other part to the second conveyor.
The base concept of the present invention aims to
provide a universal grass sod cutting apparatus which can
process big rolls as well as stacked grass sods in other
ways. Due to the working costs and level of training needed
for personnel working on the land, the automatic laying down
(and therefore also the manufacturing of) large rolls of
grass sods is more or less desired.
A broad aspect of the invention provides a method
for cutting out and stacking up of one or more grass sods
wherein a first substantially flat part of a grass sod is
placed onto a holder therefor, whereafter the grass sod is
folded up and a second substantially flat part of the grass
sod is placed onto the first part, so that a continuously
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running grass sod is stacked in a zig-zag manner, comprising
at least two folds of the grass sod.
Another broad aspect of the invention provides
apparatus for cutting grass sods out of grass land and for
stacking a predetermined amount of one or more grass sods in
a zig-zag manner, comprising: a frame provided with two or
more wheels suspended thereon; a cutting head suspended in
the frame for cutting under the grass sods a first conveyor
which is mounted on the frame in driving direction as seen
from behind the cutting head and which repeatedly transports
the grass sods from the cutting head in an upwards
direction; a second conveyor mounted on the frame in a
driving direction as seen from behind the first conveyor and
whereof at least one part is moveable with respect to the
first conveyor and another part to the second conveyor.
A further broad aspect of the invention provides a
method for cutting out and stacking on a holder supported by
a holder supporting means, at least one grass sod having a
first part and a second part, the method comprising the
steps of: (a) moving in a first direction a reciprocating
conveyor utilized to transport the at least one grass sod to
the holder; (b) placing on the holder during movement of the
conveyor in the first direction the first part of the grass
sod; (c) moving the conveyor in a second direction opposite
the first direction; (d) folding the grass sod; and
(e) placing on the holder during movement of the conveyor in
the second direction the second part of the grass sod.
A still further broad aspect of the invention
provides an apparatus for cutting grass sods out of grass
land and for at least one of stacking and rolling the grass
sods, comprising: a frame having a plurality of wheels
mounted thereon; a cutting head carried on the frame for
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cutting under the grass sods; a first conveyor mounted on the
frame behind the cutting head and which repeatedly transports
the grass sods from the cutting head in an upwards direction;
a second conveyor mounted on the frame behind the first
conveyor; and a holder supporting means secured to the frame,
wherein: the second conveyor comprises a fixed part and a
moveable part; and the moveable part of the second conveyor
is moveable reciprocatingly over a surface of a holder
positioned on the holder supporting means.
A yet further broad aspect of the invention
provides an apparatus for cutting grass sods out of grass
land and for at least one of the stacking and rolling the
grass sods, comprising: a frame having a plurality of wheels
mounted thereon; a cutting head carried on the frame for
cutting under the grass sods; a first conveyor mounted on the
frame behind the cutting head which repeatedly transports the
grass sods from the cutting head in an upwards direction; a
second conveyor mounted on the frame behind the first
conveyor wherein: the second conveyor comprises a fixed part
and a moveable part; and the first conveyor in a first
position connects onto the second conveyor and in a second
position connects onto an auxiliary conveyor belonging to the
first conveyor for conveying the grass sods under the second
conveyor and for forming a roll of grass sods with the help
of at least one of the fixed part and the moveable part of
the second conveyor.
Yet another broad aspect of the invention provides
an apparatus for cutting grass sods out of grass land and for
stacking to a predetermined quantity at least one grass sod,
comprising: a frame having two or more wheels; a cutting
head carried on the frame for cutting the grass sods
therebeneath; a conveyor mounted on the frame behind the
cutting head for repeatedly transporting the sods upwards
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from the cutting head; a holder supporting means secured to
the frame; and a reciprocating member secured to an end of
the conveyor and over the holder supporting means for
stacking the grass sods in a to and fro movement downwards
from the conveyor onto a storage holder positioned on the
holder supporting means.
Yet another broad aspect of the invention provides
an apparatus for cutting grass sods out of grass land and
stacking to a predetermined quantity the grass sods,
comprising: a frame having at least two wheels; a cutting
head carried on the frame and which is provided with a
plurality of knives for cutting the grass sods beneath the
cutting head; a conveyor mounted on the frame behind the
cutting head for repeatedly transporting the grass sods
upwards from the cutting head, wherein the conveyor is
provided with displacing means for displacing the grass sods
at least one of towards and away from each other during the
transporting upwards of the grass sods.
Still another broad aspect of the invention
provides an apparatus for cutting grass sods out of grass
land and collecting a predetermined quantity of grass sods,
comprising: a frame provided with at least two wheels
suspended thereon; a cutting head suspended in the frame and
which serves for cutting the grass sods therebeneath; a
conveyor mounted on the frame behind the cutting head and
which serves for repeatedly transporting the grass sods
upwards from the cutting head; a receiving device including
two downwardly pointing conveyors which mutually form an
acute angle therebetween, wherein in a first position, the
grass sod is rolled up and wherein a second position the
rolled up grass sod is unloaded onto a pallet.
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Yet a further broad aspect of the invention
provides a method for cutting out and stacking grass sods
having a desired breadth, the method comprising the steps
of: placing a first substantially flat part of grass sod
onto a height adjustable holder therefor; folding the grass
sod; placing a second substantially flat part of the grass
sod onto the first part such that a continuously running
grass sod is stacked in a zig-zag manner with the grass sod
having at least two folds; and adjusting the height of the
holder as the grass sod is stacked in the zig-zag manner.
Further advantages, characteristics and details of
the present invention will become clear with respect to the
following description of a preferred embodiment thereof,
with reference to the accompanying drawings which show:
Figure 1 a perspective view of a preferred
embodiment of the apparatus according to the present
invention,
Figure 2 a side view of the apparatus from figure 1
in a first working position,
Figure 3 a side view of the apparatus from figure 1
in a second working position,
Figure 4 a scheme of a possible embodiment of the
hydraulic system of the apparatus from figure 1,
Figure 5 a perspective view of detail 5 in figure 1,
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Figure 6 a perspective view of stacked up grass
sods, relating to the position shown in figure 2.
Figure 7 a perspective view of stacked up grass
sods according to the position shown in figure 3, and
Figure 8 a perspective view of one of the other
possibilities for a stacking of relatively large grass sods.
An apparatus (figure 1) according to the present
invention comprises a frame 2 which is provided with a bar
3
on the front side to be secured to a draw bar eye 4 of a
pulley (not shown). A cutting head 5 is secured in frame 2
which is preferably changeable and suspended somewhat
moveable_in the frame 2, so that this cutting head 5 can
follow possible irregularities in the ground surface level
and can thus cut out grass sods of near enough uniform
thickness. Details of a cutting head for cutting out grass
sods are described in the older patent US-A=4.892.152 of the
applicant. Although the cutting head 5 is capable of cutting
out grass sods with a breadth of 48 inches, 120 cm or for
instance 1 meter, one or more narrower strips of grass can
also be cut out with another cutting head. It is possible
far the cutting out of grass sods with a conventional
breadth to suspend three knives next to each other in the
cutting head which are preferably somewhat moveable relative
to each other. Suspending is preferably such that with three
knives next to each other an equal force is exerted on the
knives by the weight of the holder or the cutting head
frame.
In the frame 2, a first conveyor 6 is secured
behind the cutting head for transporting the grass sods
upwards from the cutting head (see arrow W). A second
conveyor 7 is also secured on the frame 2 which in the
position shown in figures 1 and 2 connects to the conveyor 6
and transports the grass sods further in an upwards
direction (arrow B) whereafter these are transported
downwards between these conveyors 8 or 9, which both form
part of the second conveyor 7, and are stacked on a pallet
P. The pallet P is shifted onto a fork 10, which is secured
to a frame part 11, which according to arrow C is moveable
WO 95/02317 PCT/NL94/001~
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in an upwards and~downwards direction in accordance with the
height of the grass sods G already stacked. The part
conveyors 8 and 9 are swivelable to and fro, as depicted by
broken arrow D, by means of a hydraulicly operable plunger '
13 so that the grass sods are stacked onto pallet P in a
zig-zag manner. A grass sod stacked in such a zig-zag manner '
can be lain out by simply pulling on the upperside thereof,
if the strength of the grass sod allows this.
In a further not shown manner, an approaching
sensor is for instance mounted on the underside of one of
the conveyors 8, 9 which is workably connected with a
schematically shown device 14 for lowering the fork 10 and
thereby the pallet P with regularity, so that the distance
between the underside of the part conveyors 8, 9 and the
upper side of the grass sod G remains roughly constant.
It will be clear that the conveying speed of the
conveyors 6, 7 respectively as well as the part conveyors 8,
9 respectively which make up part of conveyor 7 are
synchronized with each other.
In the position shown in figure 3 of the
embodiment 1 of the present invention, the conveyor 6 is
brought into a low position by means of hydraulic cylinders
20, 21 and there behind are two help conveyors 22 in the
transporting direction of the conveyor 6. In this position
of the apparatus, the first conveyor 6 and the part
conveyors 22 and 23 belonging thereto work together with the
part conveyors 8 and 9 which belong to the second conveyor
7. In figure 3 is, above all, schematically depicted how
with the aid of a driving belt 24, of which the length by
means of an adjusting member 25 secured to the frame 26, is
adjustable, the synchronization of the driving of the
conveyors takes place. The part conveyors 8 and 9 are driven '
via the driving belt 24 and the fixed head part of the
second conveyor 7 whilst the help conveyors 22 and 23 are '
driven via driving belt 24 and the head part of the first
conveyor 6.
In figure 2, the help conveyors 22, 23 are
respectively folded away under the main part of the first
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conveyor 6 and the driving belt 24 is so adjusted, with the
aid of the adjusting element 25, that synchronization again
takes place between the first and second conveyors 6, 7
respectively.
5 It is also shown in figure 4 that the driving of
the first conveyor 6 and second conveyor 7 is synchronized
by means of the driving belt 24. A schematically depicted
driving belt 40 is also seen in figure 4 which guarantees
the synchronization of the conveyors 8 and 9 with the first
conveyor 6. For the hydraulic steering of the diverse
drivers, a hydraulic system is preferably used, which
preferably makes use of a power take off 41 of a further not
shown pulley.
In a manner already known, a hydraulic unit 42 is
connected thereon, with which the driving of the diverse
driving belts and other hydraulic cylinders depicted in
figure 4 is taken care of. The to and fro movement of the
part conveyors 8 and 9 via plunger 13 and the therewith
belonging cylinder 42 is of particular importance. In the
shown example of the embodiment a pulley 44, along which the
driving belt 40 is guided, is workably coupled with a
hydraulic operating member 45 for operating plunger 13 via
the hydraulic cylinder 43.
The cutting head 5 is shown in more detail in
figure 5 so as it is placed in the frame 2 in the
embodiments shown in figures 1-4. This cutting head is,
apart from the large breadth thereof for cutting out of
earlier mentioned breadths of 120 cm, in many ways similar
to the cutting head as shown and described in the earlier
mentioned American patent of the applicant. With the aid of
adjusting means, schematically depicted by 51, a knife 52
is, according to arrow I with respect to a roll 53,
adjustable for adjusting the thickness of a sod to be cut.
On the front side of the frame a vertically moveable knife
53 is also mounted which determines the length of grass sod
to be cut during operation. It is also conceivable to place
a cutting-off knife near to the first or second conveyor for
cutting off of the sod length.
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Punch elements 55 are placed in front of the roll
43 and under the knife 52 on the frame part 54 which punches
a relatively small part of the grass land into the ground
before a grass sod is cut out of the grass land. Under
certain climatological circumstances is it sufficient that
such relatively small parts of the grass land remain behind
so that the grass land does not need to be further sown. It
is also conceivable under these climatological circumstances
and suitable grass sorts therefor, to leave behind small
grass strips in the grass land wherefrom a complete grass
land then grows.
Concerning the cutting head 5 it is important to
note that this is easily interchangeable and that it can
thus just as readily with the shown and described preferred
embodiment of the apparatus according to the present
invention, cut out narrower strips of grass according to the
requirements, and transport these via the ,first conveyor of
the cutting heads up and away. It is preferable then that
each knife, for the cutting out of the narrower grass sods,
is suspended independently in the cutting head so that each
cutting head can follow possible irregularities in the level
of the grass land and cut out sods of as much as possible
consistent thickness.
Because the second conveyor 7 is also easily
interchangeably secured in the frame, it is for both broader
and narrower grass strips possible to determine the manner
of stacking onto the pallets according to the wishes of the
customer. The narrow or broad grass strips can, according to
wishes, by means of a vertically moveable knife such as the
knife 56 in figure 5, be cut out with a determined length.
The second conveyor can for instance be made up of two or
three conveyors mounted above each other which are
successively provided with a grass sod, due to the fact that
the first conveyor 1 is moved up and down to a certain '
extent, whereafter each of the part conveyors can bring a
smaller or bigger grass sod, whether or not folded, onto a
pallet.
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7
In figure 6 a grass sod G, folded in a zig-zag
manner, on a pallet P is shown, i.e. the final product of
the preferred embodiment shown in figure 1 of the present
invention in the position as shown in figure 1 and 2. A
large roll 70 is obtained with the apparatus according to
the present invention in the position as shown in figure 2.
In figure 8 cut out grass sods G' with a breadth of 120 cm
for example are repeatedly stacked onto each other.
Depending on the embodiment of the second conveyor
and cutting head, a large number of stacking methods are
possible however, a number of the important ones being
mentioned below:
- the continuous so called "big slab", shown in
figure 6,
- the so called "big roll", shown in figure 7,
- the loose slabs shown in figure 8,
- a repeatedly one time double folded slab,
- a repeatedly double folded half slab, where for
instance for the connection the fold is not found half-way
in the half slab, or narrower grass strips stacked up next
to each other; or
- repeatedly somewhat shifted in transverse
direction with respect to the driving direction in order to
obtain a better connection in the stacking.
It is also possible to wind the grass sods or
slabs round and round so that the grassy sides always lie on
each other and thus the undersides also lie on each other.
It also appears that with certain grass sorts, the
making of big rolls or large stacks of grass sods
encompasses problems because of the weakness of such grass
sorts. It is conceivable that during the rolling up of the
grass sods, or after a few layers in the stacking, a mesh of
synthetic material for example can be supplied there between
which further improves the connection. Such a synthetic mesh
can then be brought into the stacking of a roll from the
rear side or under the first or second conveyor. It is
expected that it will be possible, with the above described
apparatus for cutting and rolling up of large rolls, to
WO 95/02317 PCT/NL94/001_
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leave a pipe or rod in the heart of the roll because this is
not needed for rolling up, when the strength of the grass
sod allows this. In the other case the required strength and
connection can be obtained by the taking up of mesh on the
outer side or possibly between the layers of grass in the
roll.
It will be clear that the cutting apparatus
according to the present invention makes possible a great
deal of new possibilities concerning the desired supply of
grass sods. Deciding factors far the requirements of a grass
sod grower concern the working costs for laying down of the
grass sods, the strength of the grass sods, which apart from
the sort of sown grass, is also related to the
climatological circumstances as well as the requirements of
the customers which can also be based on a certain ingrained
practice.
From the above it will be clear that the requested
rights are in no way limited by the depicted and described
preferred embodiments of the present invention. The
requested rights are determined by the here following
claims.
Concerning this, it is of importance to note that
with a cutting head and a conveyor for a broad grass sod,
stacking and/or rolling up mechanisms can be coupled thereto
in many ways. When two conveyors, taking a V-form, are
placed on the rear side of the conveyor a large roll can be
rolled there between whilst transport bands are possibly
associated on the upperside for letting the roll, roll
easily out. The V-like transport bands are preferably set up
in such a way that the large roll can be taken up between
the V-like transport bands, which are moveable thereto, set
up so that they can be moved under the rolled up grass. Such
an apparatus does also not need to be suitable for the
stacking of to and fro moving grass sods, also called big
slabs.
In a similar manner it is conceivable to provide
an apparatus which is only suitable for the stacking of
broad strips of grass in a to and fro manner, or in the form
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of so called big slabs. The first and second conveyors can
then be set up as one passing through conveyor.
Due to the interchanging of the cutting head,
such an apparatus can be easily made suitable for cutting
out of narrow grass sods according to the requirements of
the user of the apparatus. An important new aspect here is
that with narrower grass sods a strip of grass can be left
behind on the grass land, because under certain
climatological circumstances the sowing of new grass need
not be carried out because new grass land can form from the
grass strip left behind. With narrow grass strips the
conveyor can be provided with discs or baffle plates in
order to bring the narrow grass strips into the desired
mutual positions on the broad conveyor.
