Sod roll stacking technique
AssigneeFireFly Automatix, Inc.
InventorsEric E. Aston, Steven R. Aposhian, William M. Decker, Mark C. LeBlanc, Austin J. Neuner, Sam B. Jensen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Sod harvesters are configured to stack rolls of sod in layers on a rectangular pallet. A sod harvester can include control circuitry that is configured to operate a stacking head and a stacking conveyor in a manner that produces a first type of layer that includes spaced groups of accumulated rolls and a number of offset rolls positioned between the groups. The stacking head can pick up and stack each offset roll in isolation and may pick up the offset rolls in a center position of the stacking head.
Claims20
A sod harvester comprising:
- a pallet support assembly that is configured to support a pallet;
- a stacking conveyor that is configured to receive rolls of sod;
- a stacking head that is configured to pick up the rolls of sod from the stacking conveyor and stack the rolls of sod on the pallet;
- and
- control circuitry for controlling the stacking conveyor and the stacking head;
- wherein the control circuitry is configured to operate the stacking conveyor and the stacking head to form a first type of layer on the pallet, the first type of layer including two groups of rolls and a plurality of offset rolls, the first type of layer being formed by:
- for each of the plurality of offset rolls, causing the stacking head to pick up and stack the offset roll in isolation;
- and
- causing the stacking head to pick up and stack each of the two groups of rolls, each group comprising an accumulated plurality of rolls;
- wherein the offset rolls are stacked between the two groups of rolls.
A method for stacking rolls of sod on a pallet, the method comprising:
- causing the sod harvester to form a first type of layer on the pallet, the first type of layer including a plurality of groups of rolls and a plurality of offset rolls, the sod harvester forming the first type of layer on the pallet by performing the following:
- for each of the plurality of offset rolls, causing a stacking head to pick up and stack the offset roll on the pallet in isolation;
- and
- causing the stacking head to pick up and stack each of the plurality of groups of rolls on the pallet, each group comprising an accumulated plurality of rolls;
- wherein the offset rolls are stacked in a center region of the pallet and each of the groups of rolls is stacked along a side of the pallet.
A method for forming a pallet of rolls of sod, the method comprising:
- forming alternating first and second types of layers on the pallet, each first type of layer including a plurality of first groups of rolls and a plurality of offset rolls, each second type of layer including a plurality of second groups of rolls;
- wherein each first type of layer is formed by:
- picking up and stacking each offset roll on the pallet in isolation;
- and
- picking up and stacking each of the plurality of first groups of rolls on the pallet, each first group of rolls including a first number of rolls, the offset rolls being stacked in between the plurality of first groups of rolls;
- and
- wherein each second type of layer is formed by:
- picking up and stacking each of the plurality of second groups of rolls on the pallet, each second group of rolls including a second number of rolls, the second number being less than the first number.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.