Side unloading automatic sod harvesting apparatus

A mobile automatic sod harvesting apparatus for harvesting sod pads of predetermined length and width comprising, in combination, a main frame;

• wheel means rotatably mounted to said frame for travel along the ground;
• conveyor means mounted on said frame and extending longitudinal to the direction of travel of said frame for engaging said sod pads and transporting said pads from a forward position toward the rear of said frame;
• a receiving station mounted to said frame rearwardly of said conveyor means for receiving the sod pads;
• a sod stacking and unloading station disposed adjacent to said receiving station and connection to said main frame and including a pair of spaced guide rail means extending outwardly from said frame generally at a right angle to the direction of travel of said main frame and defining an opening at their outward ends;
• a pallet receiving lift assembly slideably mounted to said guide rail means for horizontal travel between a retracted and an extended position, said lift assembly including fork prongs extending parallel to said rail means and mounted for independent vertical movement between raised and lowered position.

In a traveling automatic sod harvesting apparatus of the type which removes and severs a sod strip into sod pads of predetermined length along its path of travel, the combination of:

• a wheeled main support frame;
• conveyor means mounted on said frame for transporting sod pads rearwardly and parallel to the path of travel of said main support frame;
• a sod pad receiving station disposed on said main frame rearward of said conveyor means;
• a sod-stacking and unloading station provided on said main frame and disposed laterally to said sod pad receiving station relative to the path of travel of said main frame and including pallet handling means for releasably engaging a sod-receiving pallet and horizontal displacement of said pallet toward and away from said sod receiving station in a direction generally transverse to the path of travel of said main frame to define a retracted sod stacking position and an extended pallet unloading position.