AU2007100035A4 - Transplanting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR AN INNOVATION PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: TRANSPLANT SYSTEMS PTY LIMITED COLIN BREWER DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, of 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia "Transplanting apparatus" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: Q\OPER\RSHUAN 07 JUNE 07\30160776 NEW INNOV 012.DOC 15/1/07 PIOPERS 0SD160776 mov 012 do. IS) 12007 -1- TRANSPLANTING APPARATUS The present invention relates to transplanting apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for transplanting seedlings into prepared ground at high density.

Small loose leaves for use in the preparation of salads are now widely sold. The leaves are harvested from young plants. Typically the plants are grown in beds which may be 100 metres or more in length. To maximise cropping, the bed is prepared so that it is substantially flat and substantially smooth so that the young leaves can be harvested by an automatic harvester which cuts the plants substantially at ground level. One form of harvester available for this purpose includes a horizontal band saw blade which spans the width of the bed close to the substantially flat, smooth, surface.

As the leaves are harvested while the plants are still young, planting is able to take place at much higher densities than are possible when the plants are to be grown to full maturity. It has been determined that to optimise yield consistent with good plant husbandry, certain varieties of individual plants should be spaced approximately 100mm apart which in practice means that they should be planted in rows with the plants at approximately 100mm spacing along each row, with the rows extending along the length of the bed at again approximately 100mm apart. Although the bed can be of indefinite length, its width is limited by the lateral spacing between the wheels of a standard tractor as used in the industry for carrying/towing equipment for preparation of the bed, for sowing or planting the bed, and for harvesting. In practice, this means that at the optimum 100mm row spacing a bed is able to carry 8 rows of the young plants.

To the best of the applicants knowledge there is no apparatus currently available that is able to automatically transplant 8 rows of seedlings at the required spacing into a bed of this type. Existing apparatus is able to transplant seedlings into the bed in 4 rows at a wider inter-row spacing but that apparatus cannot conveniently be configured to transplant the desirable 8 rows within the same bed width. Although automatic seeders are able to deliver 8 rows of seeds at the required spacing, raising the crop from direct seeding into the P \OPERRS OI6776 innov I)12 do- 15/)1/2(X)7 -2bed will inevitably result in failure of some seeds to develop into plants and with direct seeding the time to harvesting will be increased. Although the required inter-row/interplant spacing can, in principle, be achieved by manually transplanting seedlings into the ground, that is not a viable option for mass planting due to labour costs. Therefore growers currently either elect to direct seed to the bed with 8 rows or transplant seedlings into 4 rows, neither of which processes is able to maximise the returns from a particular bed.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for high density planting of seedlings into a substantially flat, smooth, bed in several rows along the bed, the apparatus comprising a main frame, seedling drop tubes, each drop tube serving one of the rows to be planted and the drop tubes being arranged in a row extending laterally of the bed, a skid plate for supporting the main frame for movement along the bed, blades projecting beneath the skid plate for cutting a furrow for each row to be planted, means for holding a seedling delivered from the drop tube in a position for planting in the furrow, means for discharging a seedling from the holding position into the furrow, and means for returning displaced soil into the furrow over the root zone of the seedling and for smoothing the soil.

Advantageously, the seedling is held in a position adjacent the base of the furrow, and is discharged from that position directly into the furrow.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention each furrow is cut by a blade assembly comprising blades which define a generally V-shaped configuration in vertical crosssection and the associated drop tube is operative to discharge a seedling into a rear end portion of the associated blade assembly such that its root portion rests within the base of the blade assembly adjacent an open rear end thereof. Preferably the means for discharging the seedling comprises a kicker which is reciprocable within the blade assembly, the kicker preferably having a cross-section which corresponds to that of the internal cross-section of the blade assembly.

Advantageously the means for returning the displaced soil into the furrow and for P ,OPERRSH3016(I)776 innov 012 do-I Sf)I MMl -3smoothing the soil are fingers of plate-like form extending rearwardly beyond the rear end of each blade assembly at either side thereof, the fingers preferably engaging the ground with an adjustable pressure.

Preferably the fingers are resiliently mounted and are formed by an extension of a lining layer which lines the underside of the skid plate. The lining layer consists of a low friction wear-resistant plastics material having a degree of resilience.

In a particularly preferred embodiment there are 8 blade assemblies and associated drop tubes so arranged that planting of seedlings takes place in rows approximately 100mm apart.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of planting seedlings into a substantially flat, smooth bed in rows approximately 100mm apart, comprising simultaneously forming in the bed a furrow for each row, simultaneously feeding seedlings through a row of drop tubes one positioned above each furrow, each seedling being delivered from the drop tube into a resting position in which it is held adjacent the base of the furrow, discharging the seedlings from the resting position into the furrows at a predetermined distance from a previous seedling planted into that furrow, and returning displaced soil into the furrows over the root zone of the seedlings and smoothing the soil.

In a preferred form 8 rows of seedlings are planted simultaneously. The respective seedlings to be planted into each of the 8 rows are fed simultaneously from a seedling tray into the drop tubes; all 8 seedlings are discharged simultaneously from the resting positions beneath the drop tubes or alternatively groups of 4 seedlings of alternate rows are discharged simultaneously. Discharge of successive seedlings fed into the resting position beneath each drop tube is timed to provide an inter-seedling spacing in the row of approximately 100mm.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to P\OPER\RSH\1016()776 -nov 1(2 d.-15,A 1102()7 -4the accompanying representations in which: Figures 1 and 2 are overall views of the apparatus when in use; Figures 3 and 4 are views of the underside of the apparatus to show a skid plate and Sa row of blade assemblies; O 5 Figure 5 is a side view showing the skid plate and an adjustable mounting system _for the skid plate; Figure 6 is a view from above showing seedling pickers having extracted seedlings from a seedling tray; IFigure 7 is a view showing the seedling pickers in an expanded configuration; ~10 Figure 7 is a view showing the seedling pickers in an expandtracted configuration with Figure 8 is a view showing the seedling pickers in a contracted configuration with gripping fingers aligned with respective cells of the seedling tray; Figure 9 is a view showing the seedling pickers having swung into a position in which they are vertically above a row of drop tubes to deposit the seedlings into those tubes; Figure 10 is a view from above showing the rear end portions of the blade assemblies beneath the lower ends of the drop tubes to receive seedlings therefrom; Figure 11 shows seedlings resting within the rear end portions of the blade assemblies prior to discharge by operation of kicker blocks; Figure 12 shows the kicker blocks in an extended position in which they have discharged the seedlings into the furrows; and Figure 13 is a side view illustrating the configuration of resilient fingers which displace the soil back into the furrows after planting and smooth the soil away.

The transplanting apparatus now to be described is designed for high density transplanting of seedlings into a pre-prepared substantially flat, smooth, bed as previously discussed and is specifically designed to simultaneously transplant seedlings in 8 rows at the desired 100mm row spacing and at the desired 100mm spacing within each row. It is however to be understood that alternative versions of the apparatus can readily be configured to plant less than 8 rows possibly at a greater inter-row spacing for other applications, or more than 8 rows in a situation where a greater width bed can be used. In these respects, although the apparatus of the preferred embodiment has been primarily designed for transplanting P\OPER\RSH\ OI60776 Inno 012 do- 15I)I/2007 Sseedlings for growing young salad leaves in beds of standard width, the broad principles of the apparatus also have utility for transplanting into a flat, smooth, bed, seedlings for use in the horticultural and forestry industries.

tt O 5 Figures 1 and 2 are overall views of the apparatus when in use, looking to the rear of the _tractor to which the apparatus is hitched. The apparatus comprises a main frame 2 which carries at its underside a skid plate 4 (see Figures 3 to 5) having a width equivalent to that of the bed and which, during use, rests on the bed to support the main frame 2 from the bed. The main frame is connected by a linkage to a support frame which is adapted to be mounted to the rear of a tractor; the support frame is behind the main frame 2 as viewed in Figures 1 and 2. The linkage allows the main frame to "float" relative to the support frame to ensure that the skid plate rests flat against the bed during use so that the main frame will always follow the contours of the bed and which may incline and/or decline along its overall length. During this mode, the support frame has a pair of support wheels which engage the ground at either side of the bed. In a transportation mode, the wheels of the support frame are raised to a retracted position, by hydraulic operation and the main frame is also raised.

The main frame 2 has adjacent the support frame a feed conveyor 10 for a tray 12 of seedlings. This is shown in Figures 1 and 2 and also Figures 6 and 7. Seedling trays 12 are loaded manually onto the conveyor 10 by an operator standing on the support frame, the support frame incorporating a platform for that purpose. In the embodiment shown, the tray conveyor 10 is orientated vertically and engages the tray 12 to advance the tray vertically downwardly stepwise through increments equivalent to one row of seedling cells within the tray, as will subsequently be described.

A row of seedling pickers 14 is mounted in front of(as viewed in Figures 1, 2, 6 and 7) the tray 12. The pickers 14 are mounted on a horizontal bar 16 so that the row of pickers 14 extends parallel to the rows of cells in the tray. In the apparatus of this embodiment which is designed to transplant 8 rows of seedlings, there are 8 pickers 14 each feeding seedlings to a respective one of the rows as will be described. The seedling pickers 14 are P:OPERIRSIO3016776 innov 012 doc. 15m012m7 -6displaceable along the bar 16 between a contracted configuration in which the respective pickers are simultaneously aligned with different cells in the tray for withdrawal of seedlings from the cells (see Figures 6 and and an expanded configuration (see Figures 1 and 7) in which each picker can be positioned over the open end of a vertical drop tube 18 through which the seedling falls to ground level for planting as will be described.

Seedling pickers suitable for this purpose are known per se and those illustrated in the representations are produced by tea Project srl of 42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy. Briefly, each picker 14 has gripper rods or fingers 14a (see particularly Figure 8) extendible automatically to engage with the root zone of a seedling within a cell and then retractable to withdraw the seedling from the cell in the axial direction of the cell. In the embodiment shown, the pickers 14 are therefore operable to withdraw seedlings horizontally from the cells. When a row of seedlings has been withdrawn from the cells by the row of pickers 14, the pickers are displaced along the bar 16 to their expanded configuration and the bar 16 is then swung about a horizontal axis from which it is supported, so that the pickers 14 carrying the seedlings are directed vertically downwardly with each seedling held substantially vertically above the open end of the respective drop tubes 18 whereon the fingers 14a can be opened to release the seedlings into the drop tubes 18 (see Figure It is to be understood that seedling pickers of different design to those shown are available and can alternatively be used.

The 8-row planter of the preferred embodiment is specifically designed for use with seedling trays having 16 cells in each row (one commonly available form of tray of this type has 16 rows with 16 cells in each row). In the contracted configuration of the pickers 14 in which seedlings are withdrawn from the tray 12, the row of pickers 14 is aligned with one set of alternating cells in the row (for example the first, third, fifth and so forth) so that in each cycle of operation seedlings are withdrawn from alternate cells in the row. This alignment can be seen in Figure 8. For the next cycle of operation, the conveyor indexes the tray 12 laterally by one cell so that in that cycle the pickers 14 can withdraw seedlings from the other set of alternate cells in the same row (the second, fourth, sixth and so forth). For the next cycle the tray is indexed downwardly to present the next row for engagement by the pickers 14 and the process is repeated.

P \OPERRSH 31III60)776 mno, 012 do- 15A) I 2(17 -7- Although in the embodiment shown, the seedling tray 12 is orientated vertically and is fed downwardly by the conveyor 10, alternatively the seedling tray 12 and associated conveyor could be orientated horizontally, with the array of pickers then being configured to lift the seedlings out of the cells and move the seedlings to positions over the drop tubes.

Each drop tube 18 feeds the seedling into the base of a blade assembly 20 (see Figures and 11) for forming a furrow into which the seedling is discharged. This aspect will now be described. The blade assemblies 20, each for forming a single furrow, are arranged in a lateral row projecting from the underside of the skid plate 4 (see Figures 3 and Each blade assembly 20 comprises two blades which meet at their leading edges to form a sharp edge which cuts through the soil and then diverge towards their rear so as to form a furrow of required width. The lower edges of the two blades meet or are closely adjacent and the two blades diverge in an upwards direction so that the blade assembly is V-shaped in vertical cross-section as is clearly shown in Figures 10 and 11. Accordingly each blade assembly 20 produces a relatively narrow furrow generally of V-shape. Each drop tube 18 is positioned over the rear end portion (in the direction of travel) of its associated blade assembly 20 so that a seedling falling through the drop tube 18 will be directed into the blade assembly 20 where it will rest with its root portion in the base part (see Figure 11) which is open at its rear end. Forwardly of the zone into which the seedling is discharged, the blade assembly 20 houses a reciprocatory kicker block 22 of a V-shaped cross-section which matches that of the blade assembly and which is a close fit within the blade assembly. With the seedlings deposited into the blade assemblies 20 at the rear end portions thereof, the kicker blocks 22 are then simultaneously actuated (see Figure 12) to push the seedlings out of the open rear ends of the blade assemblies 20 and into the furrows.

The blade assemblies 20 are mounted to the main frame 2 separately from the skid plate 4 and project through slots formed in the skid plate 4. The skid plate 4 is mounted on a sub frame 26 (see Figures 3 and 5) which can be raised or lowered through a restricted distance relative to the main frame 2 and thus to the blade assemblies 20 to thereby enable P \OPER\RSHI301)776 no, 0 12 doc. 1501/2(X)7 -8- Sadjustment in the depth of the furrows produced by the blade assemblies. The skid plate 4 is faced on its underside with a thick layer 4a (see Figure 5) of a hard, low friction, wearresistant plastics material having a degree of resilience whereby it is in the nature of a hard Srubber-like material. The skid plate, which is formed from a single sheet of metal, terminates short of the rear ends of the blade assemblies. The thick liner 4a extends beyond the rear ends of the blade assemblies as a series of resilient, parallel, flat fingers 4aa (see Figures 10, 12 and 13) each lying closely adjacent to one side of a blade assembly.

SEach finger 4aa is reinforced by a length of metal plate 26 attached to the upper side of the finger but separate from the main skid plate. Accordingly each finger 4aa is held by its reinforcing plate 26 in a substantially planar condition but with the capability of deflection vertically relative to the main skid plate due to the resilience of the lining layer 4a. A bar 28 extending rearwardly from the main frame to lie above each resilient finger 4aa carries a bolt 30 or other adjustor to set the vertical position of the rear end of each finger 4aa.

The fingers 4aa, which lie closely adjacent to the sides of the furrows which have been cut by the blade assemblies 20, displace the soil back into the furrow following discharge of the seedlings by the kicker blocks 22. The bolts 30 can be adjusted to vary the pressure applied by these fingers to the ground so that after planting has taken place the bed is again substantially flat and smooth.

The kicker blocks 22 and the seedling pickers 14 are preferably pneumatically operated.

The timing of the advance of the feed conveyor 10, the operation of the seedling pickers 14, the movement of the picker-mounting bar 16, and the operation of the kicker blocks 22 is undertaken by a program control system. The control program for the system is preferably determined by a mechanically driven program drum associated with microswitches and sensors to facilitate easy fault detection and repair infield.

Alternatively more conventional electronic program control systems can be used.

To minimise the size of the furrows having regard to the need to provide for high density planting, the seedlings used with the apparatus are juvenile seedlings with only little root development, typically seedlings 3 to 4 weeks old. A suitable cell size for propagating such seedlings has an outside dimension of 2.3cm by 2.3cm and a depth of 5cm with an P:OPER\RSH\O3160776 inno 012 do- I)1/2m(7 -9overall volume of 15cm 3 The cross-sectional size of the drop tubes 18 is such that when the seedlings are dropped from the pickers 14 into the open top of the tubes 18, they are able to fall freely through the tubes into the associated blade assemblies which converge towards their base parts so as to guide the seedlings into a proper orientation for planting, but the seedlings cannot overturn within the tubes to be discharged into the blade assemblies root part uppermost.

Although in the preferred embodiment the kicker blocks 22 of the 8 blade assemblies are actuated simultaneously to discharge the seedlings, it is envisaged that in an alternative alternate groups of 4 kicker blocks could be subject to a phased actuation so that the seedlings in adjacent longitudinal rows are offset longitudinally by 50% of the plant spacing to allow more growing space for bigger-framed plants.

The embodiments have been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Claims (4)

1. Apparatus for high density planting of seedlings into a substantially flat, smooth, bed in several rows along the bed, the apparatus comprising a main frame, seedling drop tubes, each drop tube serving one of the rows to be planted and the drop tubes being arranged in a row extending laterally of the bed, a skid plate for supporting the main frame for movement along the bed, blades projecting beneath the skid plate for cutting a furrow for each row to be planted, means for holding a seedling delivered from the drop tube in a position for planting in the furrow, means for discharging a seedling from the holding position into the furrow, and means for returning displaced soil into the furrow over the root zone of the seedling and for smoothing the soil.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the seeding is held in a position adjacent the base of the furrow, and is discharged from the position directly into the furrow.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each furrow is cut by a blade assembly comprising blades which define a generally V-shaped configuration in vertical cross-section and the associated drop tube is operative to discharge a seedling into a rear end portion of the associated blade assembly such that its root portion rests within the base of the blade assembly adjacent an open rear end thereof, and the means for discharging the seedling comprises a kicker which is reciprocable within the blade assembly.

4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the means for returning the displaced soil into the furrow and for smoothing the soil are fingers of plate-like form extending rearwardly beyond the rear end of each blade assembly at either side thereof, the fingers preferably engaging the ground with an adjustable pressure. A method of planting seedlings into a substantially flat, smooth bed in rows approximately 100mm apart, comprising simultaneously forming in the bed a furrow for each row, simultaneously feeding seedlings through a row of drop tubes one positioned above each furrow, each seedling being delivered from the drop tube into a resting position P \OPER\RSHI301()776 mnov 012 doc.- l 01 /207 11 in which it is held adjacent the base of the furrow, discharging the seedlings from the resting position into the furrows at a predetermined distance from a previous seedling planted into that furrow, and returning displaced soil into the furrows over the root zone of the seedlings and smoothing the soil.