Plant transfer mechanism

• US 4,854,802 A
• Filed: 08/24/1987
• Issued: 08/08/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bud Antle, Inc. (Dole Plc)
• Original Assignee: Bud Antle, Inc. (Dole Plc)
• Inventors: deGroot, Peter F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Werner, Frank E.
• Application Number:
  US07/088,759
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 414/403, 414/404, 414/416, 414/417, 414/786, 414/500, 414/501, 414/518, 414/502, 111/1, 111/2, 111/3, 198/463.2, 198/433, 198/432
• US Class Current: 414/404
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 11/025 Transplanting machines using seedling trays; Devices for removing the seedlings from the trays

Abstract

An improved transfer mechanism for extracting and transporting plants from a high density incubating tray to a singulated constant velocity conveyed path in which each plant is gripped by planting fingers is set forth. The planter is moved across a field at relatively constant velocity and has the planting fingers conventionally depositing the plant upright and stationary with respect to the passing ground where they are covered by conventional furrowing and packing apparatus. The conveying planting fingers are serially mounted on an endless conveyor and hence pass the vicinity of the incubating tray from which extraction and transfer of the plants must occur at a relatively constant velocity. A tray extraction mechanism is provided which includes a tray conveyor, plant extractor plugs and a tray extraction reciprocation apparatus. The tray extraction reciprocation apparatus functions to oscillate the tray conveyor and plant extractors parallel to the path of the planting fingers. When the oscillation is in the same direction as the conveyed planting fingers, the speed of the planting conveyor is synchronized to the speed of the planting fingers. After this synchronization has occurred, the tray conveyor advances a row of plants into the opened planting fingers and the fingers close gripping the plant at the stem. At substantially the same time, the plug extractors and tray move relative to one another so that in cooperation with the gripping planting fingers, the plants are urged out of the tray. Once the plants are clear of the tray, the plug extractors retract completely through and out of the tray and the oscillation continues with movement opposite to the direction of the conveyed chain for the next cycle. By the expedient of loading the serially conveyed fingers with tray wide rows of plants, plant acceleration forces occur when the plant is protected by its incubating tray. Both transporting and transplanting of the plant occured with the required forces of acceleration held to a minimum. A timing screw is set forth for driving the tray conveyor. An array of the set forth planters is set forth.

Claims

1. Apparatus for transferring plants from a high density incubating tray containing said plants in rows to a planted disposition in a transplant location, each said plant including foilage, a stem, and a root bound soil mass, said plants for transfer to a continuously passing line of conveyed planting fingers having the same spacing as said plants in said rows;

said apparatus comprising;

a continuously passing line of conveyed planting fingers, each said finger configured for grasping one of said plants by a stem;

said continuously passing line of conveyed planting fingers moving from a plant receiving a station to a transplanting location,

means for oscillating said tray parallel to the direction of said continuously passing line of conveyed planting fingers including a first stroke in opposition to the direction of said passing fingers and a second stroke synchronized to the speed of said passing fingers;

means for opening a group of fingers in said continuously passing line of conveyed planting fingers for receiving said plants at said stem during a first part of said second stroke synchronized to the speed of said passing fingers and closing said group of fingers in said continuously passing line of conveyed planting fingers to grasp said plants at said stem during a second part of said second stroke synchronized to the speed of said passing fingers;

means for extracting said incubating tray from said plants in said fingers during said second part of said second stroke synchronized to the speed of said passing fingers whereby said plants are transferred to said planting fingers and held by said stem with said root bound soil mass depending from said stem,

means for oscillating said tray to and from said planting fingers normal to the direction of said continuously passing line of conveyed planting fingers along a plane normal to a row of plants in said tray, said oscillation being towards said planting fingers during the time said planting fingers are open and being away from said planting fingers during the time said plants are extracted from said tray whereby said tray is moved away from plants within said planting fingers to prevent interference between the root bound soil mass of said plants in said fingers and the foilage of plants remaining in said tray.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein said means for oscillating said tray to and from said planting fingers includes means for oscillating said tray parallel to a plane including the surface of said tray.

3. The invention of claim 2 and wherein said means for oscillating said tray to and from said planting fingers includes an oscillation having an amplitude exceeding the spacing of rows in said tray.

4. Apparatus for transferring rows of preselected numbers of plants from a high density incubating tray to a continuously passing line of conveyed planting fingers, said conveyed planting fingers for planting said plants in a transplant location, each said plant including foilage, and a root bound soil mass, said apparatus comprising:

a continuously passing line of conveyed planting fingers, each said finger configured for grasping one of said plants;

means for oscillating said high density incubating tray parallel to the path of said passing continuous line of conveyed planting fingers at a rate to allow one complete oscillation to occur as said preselected number of planting fingers passes said tray;

said oscillating including a first stroke in opposition to the path of said passing continuous line of conveyed planting fingers and a second synchronous stroke parallel to and in synchronization with said passing continuous line of conveyed finger, said second synchronous stroke having first, second and third portions;

means for opening a group of planting fingers at least as wide as said row of plants to permit said fingers to grasp said plants during said first portion of said second synchronous stroke;

means for closing said fingers on said plants during said second portion of said second synchronous stroke whereby said plants while still in said tray are grasped by said fingers;

means for extracting said tray from said plants at said root bound soil mass to said closed fingers during the third portion of said second synchronous stroke whereby said continuously passing row of planting fingers is filled with plants for transplant; and

means for oscillating said tray to and from said planting fingers normal to the direction of said continuously passing line of conveyed planting fingers and normal to a row of plants in said tray, said oscillation being towards said planting fingers during the time said planting fingers are open and being away from said planting fingers during the time said plants are extracted from said tray whereby said tray is moved away from plants within said planting fingers to prevent interference between the root bound soil mass of said plants in said fingers and the foilage of plants remaining in said tray.

5. The invention of claim 4 and wherein said means for oscillating said tray to and from said planting fingers includes means for oscillating said tray parallel to the surface of said tray.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 and wherein said means for oscillating said tray to and from said planting fingers includes an amplitude for the movement of said tray exceeding the width between paired rows of plants in said tray.