Abstract:
An apparatus for producing grass sprigs from bulk sod, evenly distributing the grass sprigs on the ground to be planted, and thereafter planting the grass sprigs. The apparatus comprises a rigid frame member having a driven conveyor assembly, a bulk sod shredding assembly, and a planting assembly. The driven conveyor transports bulk sod to the shredder assembly at a rate proportional to the ground speed of the apparatus, thus providing the proper sprig output rate from the shredder. The shredding assembly utilizes a rotating shaft having a plurality of shredding members extending therefrom for shredding the bulk sod cooperatively with a shredder bar. The planting assembly comprises a sizable chute for guiding the sprigs from the shredder to the ground to be planted without clogging, a plurality of coulters for pressing the sprigs into the ground, and a plurality of press wheels for firming the soil planted subsequent to the coulters.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a grass planting apparatus. With greater particularity, the present invention relates to an apparatus for planting grass sprigs produced from bulk sod. With even further particularity, the present invention pertains to an apparatus capable of shredding bulk portions of sod into grass sprigs, depositing the grass sprigs on the ground, sprigging the grass sprigs to a predetermined depth into the ground, and thereafter re-firming the sprigged soil. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various apparatuses have been designed to cut grown sod from a first location and thereafter replant the cut bulk sod in a second location, while maintaining healthy sod life. However, it has been found that the bulk sod removed from the ground can be cut into smaller portions termed sprigs, and thereafter dispersed about the area to be planted, while maintaining a healthy sod growth. The improvement of the instant invention maximizes the area planted from a portion of bulk sod. 
     Numerous apparatuses have also been designed to plant the aforementioned sprigs. One such apparatus is a Sprig Planting Apparatus embodied in U.S. Pat. No. 3,939,785 to Duffy. This patent teaches a sprig planting apparatus adapted to distribute and press grass sprigs into the ground having a sprig hopper mounted on a portable frame for holding grass sprigs to be planted, a conveyor for transporting the sprigs from the hopper to an opening in the frame for planting, a sprig distributing device for distributing the sprigs on the ground to be planted, and a plurality of discs rotatably suspended below the frame for pressing the grass sprigs into the ground to be planted. This device, although capable of planting sprigs, is nonetheless limited to applications and locations where precut sprigs are available. Further, inasmuch as it is known in the art that firming soil subsequent to pulling a disc over it substantially increases the likelihood of a successful plant, the present apparatus is again not capable of efficient and reliable operation. 
     Another sod planting apparatus is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,517 to Stevens et al. This apparatus utilizes a vertically oriented chute for receiving and feeding a strip of sod to a rotating cutting mechanism. The cutting mechanism cuts the gravitationally fed strips of sod into smaller generally square pieces of sod, which are thereafter transported to the ground by a discharging means. This apparatus, although not dependent upon the availability of the plugs, also presents substantial limitations. First, inasmuch as the strips of sod are gravitationally fed to the cutting means through feeder chutes, no control as to the feed rate is available, and therefore, the output rate of the apparatus is substantially limited in controllability. The feeder chutes are also manufactured to be of sufficient cross section as to accommodate various thickness&#39; of sod. However, this additional cross sectional area used to accommodate thicker strips of sod allows for the thinner strips of sod to bind in the feeder chutes, and therefore hinder the efficient operation of the apparatus. Further, the rotational speed of the cutting means of this apparatus is controlled by the power take off of the vehicle pulling the apparatus. Thus, the sod distribution rate of the apparatus is often not even, as the operator must carefully match the ground speed of the apparatus with the rotation speed of the cutting means as determined by the pressure of the power take off in order to obtain even distribution of the small squares of sod on the ground to be planted. Additionally, the small squares of sod, once cut from the bulk strip of sod, are carried to the ground to be planted through a plurality of delivery chutes. These chutes, which have a tendency to clog, further hindering even distribution of the small squares on the ground to be planted, thus reducing the effectiveness and efficiency of the apparatus. 
     Therefore, in view of the obvious limitations and deficiencies of the present apparatuses, there is a well found need for a self-contained apparatus capable of converting bulk sod into grass sprigs, and thereafter planting such sprigs. Further, there is a need for a sprig producing and planting apparatus having a reliable means for feeding bulk sod to a shredder for producing sprigs, and a reliable means for evenly distributing the grass sprigs produced on the ground to be planted. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Thus, in view of the deficiencies in the previously noted apparatuses, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for producing and planting sprigs from bulk sod. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus capable of producing and planting grass sprigs from bulk sod in sheet or roll form. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for producing and planting grass sprigs from bulk sod utilizing an easy to maintain shredder having a single rotating shredder element. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for producing and planting grass sprigs from bulk sod utilizing an adjustable rate horizontal conveyor assembly to feed bulk sod to a shredder, thereby allowing for the control of the feed rate of the bulk sod to the shredder. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for producing and planting grass sprigs from bulk sod without jamming sod within the shredder, and therefore allowing for even distribution of grass sprigs on the ground to be planted. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for producing and planting sprigs having a selectively variable sprig output distribution rate. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for producing and planting sprigs of grass utilizing a coulter to press sprigs into the ground and a gauge roller to re-firm the ground after pressing by the coulter. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     An apparatus embodying the features of the present invention is depicted in the accompanying drawings, which form a portion of this disclosure, wherein: 
     FIG. 1A is a side elevational view of the present invention shown in operating position; 
     FIG. 1B is a side elevational view of the side opposite that shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the sprigger shown in transport position; 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the sprigger; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the sprigger; 
     FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the sprigger; 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the working components of the sprigger; 
     FIG. 7 a top plan view of the forward end of the sprigger showing the shredder assembly, feeder roller and conveyor; and, 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the forward end of the sprigger showing the shredder assembly, feeder roller and conveyor. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings for a better understanding of the principles of operation and structure of the invention, it will be seen that FIGS. 1 a  &amp;  1   b  show side views of sprigger  10 . Sprigger  10  generally includes a rigid frame member  11  having a towing assembly  12  attached to the front end for transporting sprigger  10 , generally by mechanically engaging a motor vehicle such as a tractor. The rear end of sprigger  10  has an operator support platform  13  attached thereto for supporting the weight of the operator of sprigger  10 . The upper portion of the rear end of sprigger  10  can optionally be fitted with a sod storage platform  33 , for holding bulk strips of sod to be placed into sprigger  10 . During non-operational transportation of sprigger  10 , the weight of sprigger  10  is supported by towing assembly  12  and road wheels  14 . Road wheels  14  are rotatably mounted to road wheel support members  15 , which are pivotally mounted to the front of rigid frame member  11 . Road wheels  14  are caused to pivot away from the bottom of sprigger  10  via extension of hydraulic cylinders  16 , which are pivotally attached at a first end to frame member  11  and at a second end to road wheel support member  15 , thereby elevating sprigger  10  vertically above contact with the ground. During operation of sprigger  10 , road wheels  14  are retracted by actuation of hydraulic cylinders  16  such that the operational components of sprigger  10  contact the ground. In typical operation of sprigger  10 , road wheels  14  are fully retracted such that they are not in contact with the ground. Thus, during operation, the weight of sprigger  10  is supported by towing assembly  12  and adjustably mounted gauge wheels  17 , which will be fully discussed herein. 
     Generally speaking, sprigger  10  can be divided into three main components: first, a driven conveyor assembly; second, a driven shredder assembly; and third, a planting assembly. The conveyor assembly serves to transport bulk sod to the shredder assembly, which shreds the sod into sprigs and deposits the sprigs on the ground to be planted. Thereafter, the planting assembly presses the sprigs into the ground and re-firms the soil pressed. With particularity, the driven conveyor assembly includes a wide continuous conveyor belt  18  rotatably supported by rear conveyor support/drive roller  19 , front conveyor support roller  20 , intermediate conveyor support rollers  21 , and shredder feed roller  22 . Conveyor support rollers  19 - 22  generally include a shaft rotatably mounted to rigid frame member  11  having a plurality of circular belt supporting members  23  rigidly attached thereto for supporting conveyor belt  18 . Upon application of a rotational driving force to rear conveyor support/drive roller  19 , which engages belt  18 , the remaining conveyor support rollers  20 - 22  are caused to concomitantly rotate therewith. Particularly, shredder feed roller  22 , which is in engagement with belt  18 , concomitantly rotates with rear conveyor support/drive roller  19  as a result of belt  18 . 
     A rotational driving force is applied to conveyor assembly via a chain and sprocket arrangement in rotational engagement with rear conveyor support/drive roller  19 , as shown in FIGS. 4 &amp; 6. The chain and sprocket arrangement includes a gauge wheel sprocket  26  rigidly mounted to gauge wheel  17  for rotation therewith. A front gauge wheel support member sprocket  25  is rotatably attached to gauge wheel arm  53  proximate the pivot point and engaged with gauge wheel sprocket  26  via first chain  28 , thus causing gauge wheel sprocket  26  and front gauge wheel support member sprocket  25  to rotate concomitantly. A rear conveyor idler sprocket  24  is rotatably mounted to the rear portion of sprigger  10  and is engaged with front road wheel support member sprocket  25  via second chain  29 , thus causing rear conveyor idler sprocket  24  and front road wheel support member sprocket  25  to rotate concomitantly. Finally, rear conveyor support roller  19  has a rear conveyor support roller sprocket  27  attached thereto for rotation therewith. Rear conveyor support roller sprocket  27  is engaged with rear conveyor idler sprocket  24  via third chain  30  for concomitant rotation therewith, thereby imparting rotational motion to rear conveyor support roller, and conveyor assembly as a whole, upon rotation of gauge wheels  17 . 
     This chain and sprocket arrangement allows for rotation of conveyor belt  18  in direct proportion to the ground speed of sprigger  10 . Therefore, while the planting speed of sprigger  10  can be drastically varied to accommodate variances in terrain, the feed rate of the bulk sod to the shredder will remain constantly proportional to the ground speed. Thus, the distribution of sprigs on the ground to be planted remains uniform and the subsequent growth of the sprigs will be constant, evenly spaced, and result in dramatically fewer bare or sparse areas of grass growth. In order to adjust the feed rate of the conveyor assembly to allow for a greater or lesser density of sprig distribution, gauge wheel sprocket  26  can be exchanged for a sprocket with more or less sprocket teeth, thereby respectively decreasing or increasing the feed rate of conveyor assembly and the resulting sprig distribution density. 
     Conveyor assembly further includes a driven feeder roller  34  rotatably mounted to frame member  11  proximate shredder feed roller  22 . Feeder roller  34  includes a plurality of sod engaging members  39  extending therefrom for engaging or gripping the bulk sod being transported thereunder. Feeder roller  34 , in addition to being rotatably mounted, is also pivotally mounted such that vertical movement is possible. This vertical movement allows for various thickness&#39; of sod to be engaged by feeder roller  34 , as bulk sod of greater thickness will simply urge feeder roller  34  to pivot upward allowing the thicker sod to pass under feeder roller  34 . The primary purpose of feeder roller  34  is to engage the bulk sod being transported by conveyor belt  18  to the shredder assembly, such that the sod can be shredded without being lifted off of conveyor belt  18 , thus resulting in inconsistent shredding. Driven feeder roller  22  cooperatively engages the bulk sod being transported on conveyor belt  18  to the shredder assembly via driven engagement with fourth chain  35 , which is in engagement with rotatably mounted first feeder transfer pulley  36   a . Feeder transfer pulley  36   a  engages fifth chain  37  between rotatably mounted feeder idler pulley  36   b  and shredder feed roller sprocket  38 . Shredder feed roller sprocket  38 , which is rigidly attached to shredder feed roller  22 , imparts concomitant rotational motion to shredder feed roller sprocket  38 . This type of sprocket arrangement, which is clearly shown in FIGS. 4 &amp; 6, allows feeder roller  34  to counter rotate with the conveyor support rollers, thereby successfully engaging and transporting sods of various thickness to the shredder assembly. 
     The driven shredder assembly, which is best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, is positioned proximate the front of sprigger  10 . Driven shredder assembly includes shredder shroud  42  positioned immediately above a rotatably mounted shredder shaft  40  having a plurality of equally spaced elongated shredder members  41  extending therefrom. Shredder shaft  40  has a shredder shaft sprocket  45  rigidly attached thereto, which is engaged by a sixth chain  46 . The sixth chain  46  concomitantly engages a rotational shredder motor  43  via shredder motor sprocket  45 , thereby imparting rotation to shredder shaft  40 . Although shredder motor  43  is generally of the type of variable speed motors driven by the hydraulic power take off supply of a tractor, other types of motors are contemplated within the present invention. The shredder assembly further includes an elongated cutter bar  47  positioned proximate and axially aligned with shredder shaft  40 . Cutter bar  47  includes a plurality of elongated cutter bar members  48  extending therefrom, which interstacially receive shredder bar members  41  upon rotation of shredder shaft  40 . Structurally described, cutter bar  47  is generally constructed from an elongated piece of angle iron with tabs of metal welded thereto representing cutter bar members  48 . 
     Planting assembly generally includes a sizable planting chute  49  for directing the grass sprigs shredded by the shredding assembly from sprigger  10  to the ground to be planted  54 . Planting chute  49  extends laterally across the interior of sprigger  10  proximate and below shredder shaft  40 , therefore allowing gravity to pull the shredded sod in the form of sprigs through planting chute  49  towards the ground to be planted  54 . Planting chute  49  is of sufficient width as to eliminate any possibility of clogging due to the presence of excess sprigs, thus increasing the reliability of sprigger  10  along with allowing for a more uniform distribution of the sprigs to be planted. Planting assembly further includes a plurality of rotatably mounted coulters  50  attached to frame member  11  and suspended below sprigger  10 . Coulters  50  rotatably engage the ground to be planted  54  and the sprigs deposited thereon, thereby essentially pressing the sprigs  55  into the soil. Planting assembly additionally includes a plurality of gauge wheels  17  rotatably mounted to gauge wheel arm  53 , as shown in FIG.  5 . Gauge wheel arm  53  is pivotally mounted to rigid frame member  11 , such that the distance from rigid frame member  11  to the center of gauge wheels  17  can be varied. Variance of this distance is accomplished through adjustable gauge rod  52 , which is attached at one end to rigid frame member  11  and at the other end to gauge wheel arm  53 . Varying the distance from rigid frame member  11  to the center of gauge wheels  17  by gauge rod  52  determines the depth coulters  50  penetrate the ground to be planted  54 . Thus, adjustment of gauge rod  52  determines the depth sprigs  55  are pressed into the ground to be planted  54 . Aside from the adjustment feature attached to gauge wheels  17 , gauge wheels  17  primarily serve to firm the soil to be planted  54  subsequent to coulters  50  engaging and pressing sprigs  55  into the soil. 
     In the operation of sprigger  10 , bulk sod, generally in the form of a large sod roll  31 , is placed upon conveyor belt  18  immediately above intermediate conveyor support rollers  21 . As sprigger  10  is pulled by a tractor or other motor vehicle across the ground to be planted  54 , gauge wheels  17  rotate with the passing of linear distance. Rotation of gauge wheels  17  causes conveyor belt  18  to move as a result of the aforementioned chain and sprocket arrangement connecting gauge wheels  17  to rear conveyor support roller  19 . This movement unrolls and carries the bulk sod roll  31 , sitting upon conveyor  18 , from sod roll  31  towards the shredder assembly at a rate proportional to the ground speed of sprigger  10 . Simultaneously, with the initial unrolling of sod roll  31 , a de-netting assembly  32  removes any securing net from sod roll  31  via a doffing wheel  32   b . Immediately prior to entering the shredder assembly, feeder roller  34  engages the bulk sod on the grass side of the sod to further secure the bulk sod upon entering the shredder assembly. As the sod linearly travels atop conveyor  18  and is simultaneously engaged by feeder roller  34 , the bulk sod is shredded into plantable grass sprigs by the shredding assembly. The rotating shredder shaft  40  having shredder members  41  extending therefrom engages the sod secured by both shredder feed roller  22  and feeder roller  34  by contacting the grass side of the bulk sod and urging the dirt side of the sod against cutter bar  47  and particularly cutter bar members  48 . The sod is then torn by cutter bar members  48  into smaller portions termed grass sprigs  55 , which gravitationally fall away from the shredder assembly through planting chute  49 . Planting chute  49  distributes the falling grass sprigs  55  to the ground to be planted under the front portion of sprigger  10 . Subsequent to falling on the ground to be planted, sprigs  55  are pressed into the ground by coulters  50 , which slightly loosen the soil upon pressing sprigs  55  into the ground to be planted. Following coulters  50  is gauge wheels  17 , which serve to re-firm the ground loosened by coulters  50 , which completes the planting process. 
     It is to be understood that the form of the invention shown is a preferred embodiment thereof and that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope as defined in the following claims.