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Apparatus for relocating arranged plants

  • US 5,160,235 A
  • Filed: 03/05/1992
  • Issued: 11/03/1992
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1989
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for relocating plants arranged in a predetermined order which are gripped one by one at a pick-up location and relocated to an unload station, said apparatus comprising:

  • a frame;

    a continuous transport element coupled to said frame, said transport element being guided along direction changing guiding elements, each of said direction changing guiding elements being rotatable about a corresponding first rotating shaft;

    at least one carrier element coupled to said transport element;

    a gripper coupled to each carrier element, each of said grippers being rotatably suspended via a second rotating shaft extending through its corresponding carrier element, said second rotating shafts being essentially parallel to said first rotating shafts, wherein each of said grippers includes two spreadable grip-fingers which grip a plant including the rootball at the pick-up location and releases it at the unload station;

    a gripper bearing disposed between each carrier element and said corresponding second rotating shaft; and

    whereby said gripper bearing is moved in a growing direction of the plants over a range substantially equal to a pick-up height of the plants;

    wherein each of said direction changing guiding elements is circular and has a radius and one of said direction changing guiding elements is located at the pick-up station, and the distance between each of said gripper bearings and said corresponding first rotating shaft is less than the radii of the direction changing guiding element located at the pick-up station, and wherein a portion of said transport element leading away from the pick-up station is substantially parallel to the growing direction of the plants.

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