US2034016A - Sod cutter - Google Patents

Description

March 17, 1936. 4 w Q WINSTON r AL 2,034,016 SOD CUTTER Filed May 5, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet l I nventovs f/fl. Wz'izs i072,

Attorney March 17, 1936.

w. o. WINSTON El AL 2,034,016

50D CUTTER Filed May 5, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet N k 4 I I w Q k L lnvenlor 7K0, lfizzsiazz, JdGrz'ffi'i/z,

A Home);

March 17, 1936. w Q wms'roN ET AL 2,034,0l6

SOD CUTTER Filed May 3, 1955 s Shets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics Application May a, 1935, Serial No. 19,738

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in sod cutters and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set -forth, a machine of this character com- 5 prising a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts through the medium of which sods of uniform dimensions may be expedifiously cut in quantities in minimum time and with a minimum of labor.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a machine of the aforementioned character which may be conveniently adjusted as desired to permit sods of various dimensions to be cut.

Still another very important object of the invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a machine of the character described which is capable of vertical adjustment for regu-= lating the depth of the cuts to'be made and for disengaging the cutters from the ground when desired.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a sod cutting machine of the character set forth which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly emcient and desirable in use, compact, light in weight and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:-

Figure l is a view in side elevation of a sod cutter constructed in accordance with the present invention, the axle being shown in section and one of the supporting wheels being omitted.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical transverse section through the invention.

Figure 3 is a view in top plan of a portion of the invention.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a frame which is designated generally by the reference numeral I. The frame I includes angle iron side members 2 between the front and rear end portions of which pairs of complemental angle iron bars 3 extend, said bars 3 defining transverse slots 4. The frame I further includes an angle iron 5 cross member I extending between the side memhere 2 at an intermediate point and upon which an operator's seat 6 may be mounted.

Mounted at an intermediate point on the side members 2 of the frame I are bearings l in which a transversely extending crank axle t is journaled. Rotatably mounted on the end portions of the crank axle 8 are supporting wheels 9. The reference numeral l0 designates a hand lever which is pivotally mounted on the frame i and operatively connected to the crank axle 8 by a 0 rod H for adjusting said frame i vertically. The desired adjustment is secured through the me-= dium of a suitable latch it on the hand lever it which is engageable in a notched segment it on the frame 8.

Secured beneath the pairs of angle iron cross bars 3 is a plurality of spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending I-beams It upon which pairs of substantially U-shaped hangers i5 are clamped through the medium of bolts it. Journaled be- 20 tween each pair of hangers it is a disk knife 41.

It will be noted that the knives ii are arranged in staggered relation, as best seen in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings.

As illustrated to advantage in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, the I-beams I i are secured beneath the pairs of bars 3 throughthe medium of bolts l8 which pass through the slots 3, thus permitting said I-beams with the knives ll thereon to be adjusted laterally as desired on the frame I. The bolts iii are provided with securing nuts l9 which, of course, are loosened when an adjustment is to be made. Washers 20 on the bolts l 8 bridge the slots 4. Any desired means may be provided for hitching the machine to a suitable source of power.

It is thought that the operation of the invention will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. The knives I! are adjusted as desired and the machine is drawn in one direction over the ground in a manner to cut the sod into strips. Then, the machine is caused to travel over the ground in a direction at right angles to the first-named direction for the purpose of cutting the aforementioned strips transversely, thus providing sods of uniform dimensions. Any suitable implement or machine may then be utilized for removing or severing the sods which have thus been cut from the ground. The knives I! are elevated out of engagement with the ground when said knives are not cutting through the medium of the lever It, said lever I 0 also constituting means for regulating the depth of the cuts being made. If necessary or desirable, the machine may be weighted in any suitable manner as by placing bags of sand thereon. While flve knives have been shown, any desired number of said knives may be provided. As hereinbefore stated, the dimensions of the sods being cut may be regulated as desired by adjusting the knives l1 laterally on the frame I. It will also be noted that the knives I! may be adjusted longitudinally if desired by shifting the hangers IS on the I-beams I4.

It is believed that the advantages of a sod cutter constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although a preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:-

l. A sod cutter comprising a wheel supported frame, a plurality of spaced, parallel beams mounted longitudinally on said frame, pairs of substantially U-shaped hangers clamped on opposite sides of said beams and depending therefrom, and disk knives journaled between said pairs of hangers for operative engagement with the ground.

2. A sod cutter comprising a wheel supported frame, said frame including longitudinally extending side members and further including pairs of spaced bars extending between the end portions ofv said side members, said pairs of spaced bars defining transverse slots, a plurality of spaced,

parallel beams extending longitudinally between the pairs of bars, means engaged in the slots for adjustably securing said beams to the pairs of bars,

pairs of hangersdepending from the beams, and disk knives journaled between the pairs of hangers.

3. A sod cutter comprising a wheel supported frame having transversely extending slots therein, a plurality of spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending beams mounted on the frame, means engaged in the slots for securing the beams to the frame for lateral adjustment, pairs of substantially U-shaped hangers mounted for longitudinal adjustment on the beams and depending therefrom, and disk knives journaled between the pairs of hangers and operatively engageable with the ground. 1

4. A sod cutter comprising a frame including longitudinal side members and further including pairs of bars extending between the end portions of said side members, said pairs of bars-being spaced from each other and defining transverse slots, a crank axle journaled transversely on the frame at an intermediate point, supporting wheels journaled on said crank axle, manually operable means mounted on the frame and connected to the crank-axle for adjusting said frame vertically, a plurality of spaced, parallel beams extending longitudinally between the pairs of bars, means on said beams engageable in the slots for securing said beams to the frame for lateral adjustment, pairs of hangers mounted for longitudinal adjustment on the beams and depending therefrom, and disk knives journaled between the pairs of hangers for operative engagementwith the ground.

' WILLIAM 0. WINSTON.

JOHN G. GRIFFITH.

Images