Abstract: A sod harvester in which sod is cut, conveyed upwardly, and then travels downwardly over a floppy conveyor and falls into a roll forming enclosure formed by a bottom conveyor and a vertical conveyor. The floppy conveyor swings downwardly at the start of roll forming, to reduce the free fall of the sod, and swings upwardly as the roll grows. When the roll is formed, the bottom conveyor is unlatched and tilts downwardly to discharge the roll, at the same time pulling into cocked position a core tube injector arm. When the roll discharges, the bottom conveyor snaps upwardly, releasing the core tube injector arm which injects a fresh core tube into the roll forming enclosure. The sod is rolled with its grass side outwardly to facilitate laying and to protect the grass roots. A tray on a cart at the end of the harvester receives the discharged roll and can convey it to either side of the cart.

Abstract: A sod harvester in which sod is cut, conveyed upwardly, and then travels downwardly over a floppy conveyor and falls into a roll forming enclosure formed by a bottom conveyor and a vertical conveyor. The floppy conveyor swings downwardly at the start of roll forming, to reduce the free fall of the sod, and swings upwardly as the roll grows. When the roll is formed, the bottom conveyor is unlatched and tilts downwardly to discharge the roll, at the same time pulling into cocked position a core tube injector arm. When the roll discharges, the bottom conveyor snaps upwardly, releasing the core tube injector arm which injects a fresh core tube into the roll forming enclosure. The sod is rolled with its grass side outwardly to facilitate laying and to protect the grass roots. A tray on a cart at the end of the harvester receives the discharge roll and can convey it to either side of the cart.

Abstract: A sod laying machine having front and rear sections articulated together. A boom on the front section has arms extending forwardly, with gripper arms extending downwardly from the boom to grip a roll of sod. A control roller connected to the boom arms drives the sod roll to control its speed of unwinding. The sod roll has its grass side facing outwardly and its top unwinds rearwardly so an operator in a seat at the front of the machine, between the boom arms, has an unobstructed view of the critical area of sod extending in the air from the roll to the ground, to reduce the likelihood of buckles and tears therein. The machine passes over the sod after it is laid, to roll the sod.

Abstract: A sod laying machine having front and rear sections articulated together. A boom on the front section has arms extending forwardly, with gripper arms extending downwardly from the boom to grip a roll of sod. A control roller connected to the boom arms drives the sod roll to control its speed of unwinding. The sod roll has its grass side facing outwardly and its top unwinds rearwardly so an operator in a seat at the front of the machine, between the boom arms, has an unobstructed view of the critical area of sod extending in the air from the roll to the ground, to reduce the likelihood of buckles and tears therein. The machine passes over the sod after it is laid, to roll the sod.

Abstract: A sod harvester in which sod is cut, conveyed upwardly, and then travels downwardly over a floppy conveyor and falls into a roll forming enclosure formed by a bottom conveyor and a vertical conveyor. The floppy conveyor swings downwardly at the start of roll forming, to reduce the free fall of the sod, and swings upwardly as the roll grows. When the roll is formed, the bottom conveyor is unlatched and tilts downwardly to discharge the roll, at the same time pulling into cocked position a core tube injector arm. When the roll discharges, the bottom conveyor snaps upwardly, releasing the core tube injector arm which injects a fresh core tube into the roll forming enclosure. The sod is rolled with its grass side outwardly to facilitate laying and to protect the grass roots. A tray on a cart at the end of the harvester receives the discharged roll and can convey it to either side of the cart.

Abstract: A grass collection system for a reel mower in which an auger extends across each reel. The part of the auger not facing the reel is enclosed by a shield, so the auger conveys cut grass laterally to one end of the mower, from which end the cut grass is conveyed through an air duct and impeller to a hopper. Where the duct connects to the auger shield, an extra opening is provided to entrain outside air, to maintain the flow of air past the auger shield outlet and thus reduce the likelihood of clogging.

Abstract: A sod laying machine having front rear sections articulated together. A boom on the front section has arms extending forwardly, with gripper arms extending downwardly from the boom to grip a roll of sod. A control roller connected to the boom arms drives the sod roll to control its speed of unwinding. The sod roll has its grass side facing outwardly and its top unwinds rearwardly so an operator in a seat at the front of the machine, between the boom arms, has an unobstructed view of the critical area of sod extending in the air from the roll to the ground, to reduce the likelihood of buckles and tears therein. The machine passes over the sod after it is laid, to roll the sod.

Abstract: A mower having a frame consisting of a top plate and downwardly extending side plates. Reel adjustment members are pivotably connected to the side plates and carry the ends of the reel shaft to adjust the reel position. A bed knife behind the reel is carried by two side arms which extend upwardly and forwardly to the front and top of the mower. The side arms are pivoted at their rear to the frame side plates and are joined at their tops by a transverse bar. The transverse bar is adjustably connected to the frame top plate by an adjustment device to adjust the bed knife position. The rear roller is carried by further side arms also pivoted to the frame side plates and connected at their tops by a second transverse bar which is connected by an adjustment device to the frame top plate. The mower is suspended at its center and drive is applied through a shaft extending over the mower generally parallel to the reel axis, to prevent torque changes from varying the height of an end of the mower.

Abstract: A mower having a frame consisting of a top plate and downwardly extending side plates. Reel adjustment members are pivotably connected to the side plates and carry the ends of the reel shaft to adjust the reel position. A bed knife behind the reel is carried by two side arms which extend upwardly and forwardly to the front and top of the mower. The side arms are pivoted at their rear to the frame side plates and are joined at their tops by a transverse bar. The transverse bar is adjustably connected to the frame top plate by an adjustment device to adjust the bed knife position. The rear roller is carried by further side arms also pivoted to the frame side plates and connected at their tops by a second transverse bar which is connected by an adjustment device to the frame top plate. The mower is suspended at its center and drive is applied through a shaft extending over the mower generally parallel to the reel axis, to prevent torque changes from varying the height of an end of the mower.

Abstract: A sod harvesting machine travels forwardly along a path of travel and has a sod cutting head pivotally connected to a fixed rear frame by a horizontal front pivot shaft having its axis aligned along the path of travel and located close to the ground, and by a pair of rear pivots. The rear pivots are formed by a pair of curved tracks and rollers at the rear of the cutting head, well above the ground, allowing the front of a conveyor to be brought near the ground and close behind the sod cutting knife. The curved tracks have a common center of curvature located on the axis of the front pivot shaft so that they have the same effect as a horizontal rear pivot shaft located close to the ground and aligned with the front pivot shaft.

Abstract: A portable sod cutting machine having a light weight tubular frame and a split cutting knife to reduce vibration. The split cutting knife includes two horizontal undercutting blades facing each other and substantially touching each other, and two side cutting blades one extending upwardly from each side of each undercutting blade. The undercutting knives are reciprocated oppositely by a common drive shaft having eccentric stub shafts connected to crank arms which are connected to the cutting knives. Swinging handles are hingedly connected to the rear of the machine and swing between a normal rearwardly extending operating position and a storage position in which the handles project forwardly one on each side of the frame.

Abstract: A self propelled forklift vehicle having a frame formed by two spaced parallel longitudinal frame members and a rear transverse frame member. The fork carriage is movable forwardly and rearwardly on the longitudinal frame members, along the path of the machine, and carries a fork tower and forks. The forks can be forced below the vehicle to raise the vehicle up beneath the rear of a trailer for transport. The vehicle's rear wheels, which steer and drive the vehicle, are closely spaced and tiltable from side to side to allow for rough terrain, with the operator seat and motor on opposite sides thereof to balance each other. A manually operated split pulley drive allows creeping of the vehicle at a closely controlled low speed. The fork tines include erectable rollers to support part of the vehicle weight when the forks carry a forwardly extended load, to prevent tipping. A front gate causes discharge of the contents of a pallet onto the ground when the fork carriage is retracted.

Abstract: A forklift vehicle has hooks mounted on the forks for preventing removal of a loaded pallet from the forks and a gate for ejecting the contents of the pallet as the forks are withdrawn. The hooks are normally biased out of engagement with the pallet but a cam mechanism moves the hooks into pallet engaging position when the forks are moved to a selected unloading height. The gate is mounted on the rear of the forks and is biased there by two pairs of extensible links. During unloading the forks are moved forwardly and downwardly to bring the gate in front of a pair of stops. The forks are then moved rearwardly, withdrawing the pallet while the gate ejects the pallet contents. The forks are then raised above the stops, allowing the biased links to return the gate to its rear position.

Abstract: A forklift vehicle is mounted on the rear of a carrier vehicle with the front pneumatic tires of the forklift vehicle received in wheel pockets on the carrier vehicle, and with telescopic links suspending the rear of the forklift vehicle from the rear of the carrier vehicle. The pneumatic tires of the forklift vehicle act as a prime shock absorbing device, absorbing much of the vibration during road travel, thus reducing damage to the forklift vehicle.

Abstract: A gang mower typically having five or seven gangs which are raised and lowered by a single piston and cylinder. Lifting arms are fixed to an actuating shaft at each side of the machine and the piston and cylinder are connected between opposed lifting arms to rotate them in opposite directions. An equalizer link connected by cranks to the actuating shafts ensures that the shafts always rotate to equal extents in opposite directions. Chains are connected from the lifting arms to the mowers, the chains and lifting arms being dimensioned so that lifting occurs sequentially, with some of the mowers being lifted before others. The sequential lifting spreads the load more evenly throughout the lifting sequence, thereby permitting a single piston and cylinder to lift all of the mowers.

Abstract: A self propelled forklift vehicle having a frame formed by two spaced parallel longitudinal frame members and a rear transverse frame member. The fork carriage is movable forwardly and rearwardly on the longitudinal frame members, along the path of the machine, and carries a fork tower and forks. The forks can be forced below the vehicle to raise the vehicle up beneath the rear of a trailer for transport. The vehicle's rear wheels, which steer and drive the vehicle, are closely spaced and tiltable from side to side to allow for rough terrain, with the operator seat and motor on opposite sides thereof to balance each other. A manually operated split pulley drive allows creeping of the vehicle at a closely controlled low speed. The fork tines include erectable rollers to support part of the vehicle weight when the forks carry a forwardly extended load, to prevent tipping. A front gate causes discharge of the contents of a pallet onto the ground when the fork carriage is retracted.

Abstract: A self propelled forklift vehicle having a frame formed by two spaced parallel longitudinal frame members and a rear transverse frame member. The fork carriage is movable forwardly and rearwardly on the longitudinal frame members, along the path of the machine, and carries a fork tower and forks. The forks can be forced below the vehicle to raise the vehicle up beneath the rear of a trailer for transport. The vehicle's rear wheels, which steer and drive the vehicle, are closely spaced and tiltable from side to side to allow for rough terrain, with the operator seat and motor on opposite sides thereof to balance each other. A manually operated split pulley drive allows creeping of the vehicle at a closely controlled low speed. The fork tines include erectable rollers to support part of the vehicle weight when the forks carry a forwardly extended load, to prevent tipping. A front gate causes a discharge of the contents of a pallet onto the ground when the fork carriage is retracted.

Abstract: A gang mower having a main frame and a number of individual mower units connected to the main frame. Each mower unit has a pulley driven by a drive belt which extends to a pulley on the main frame, to drive the mower unit reel. A telescopic arm is rigidly connected to the mower unit, extends between the flights of the belts, and is pivotally connected to the main frame between the pulleys. A support strut extends from the telescopic arm to the outer end of the mower unit frame to help align the mower unit. A rear support arm extends laterally from the rear of the mower unit to the main frame to guide the rear end of the mower unit while allowing it to rise and fall. A bias spring exerts downward pressure on the rear support arm to counteract the lifting torque of the drive belt, thereby ensuring that the mower unit will cut at the same height at each of its sides.

Abstract: A sod cutting machine having an undercutting blade to sever beneath a strip of sod, and a pair of separate side cutting blades, to cut the edges of the sod strip. The undercutting blade is supported by a pair of arms which are reciprocated back and forth in the direction of travel of the machine. The side cutting blades are supported by further arms which are connected by links to the undercutting blade support arms, so that the side cutting blades reciprocate oppositely to the reciprocation of the undercutting blade, thus reducing vibration. The side cutting blades are located one on each side of the roller which supports the front of the machine, and the undercutting blade is immediately behind the roller, to ensure alignment of the cuts.

Abstract: A sod cutting knife having a horizontal undercutting blade, vertical support arms connected to each side of the undercutting blade, and removable side cutting blades mounted at the front of each support arm. The side cutting blades project below the bottom of the undercutting blade to protect the connection between the undercutting blade and the support arms against wear. The vertical and horizontal extent of the protrusions of the side cutting blades below the undercutting blade is limited to avoid undue resistance to vertical movement of the knife into the ground.