Patent ID: 8353118

Claim:
A peat moss harvesting apparatus, comprising: a supporting structure attachable to a carrier vehicle, the supporting structure including a forward edge and a rearward edge; a conveyor mechanism mounted to the supporting structure, and configured to convey material from the forward edge to the rearward edge; a cutting mechanism mounted generally across the forward edge of the supporting structure and offset forwardly from the conveyor mechanism, the cutting mechanism guidable through a peat moss bed to cut a section of peat moss from the peat moss bed; a cut guide element arranged generally between the cutting mechanism and the conveyor mechanism, and configured to direct the section of peat moss from the cutting mechanism to be progressively loaded onto the conveyor mechanism as the section of peat moss is cut; and a pass guide element arranged generally underneath and rearwardly of the cutting mechanism at the forward edge, and configured to engage the peat moss bed as the cutting mechanism is guided through the peat moss bed, wherein the cut guide element and the pass guide element are spaced apart for facilitating a physical separation between the section of peat moss and the peat moss bed, so as to accommodate the conveyor mechanism as the apparatus is guided along a generally arcuate path through the peat moss bed.