DE3421501A1 - Apparatus for the automatic reception of plants - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for the automatic reception of plants from a plant box, in which the plants are arranged in rows according to a predetermined pattern, and for transferring the plants to a delivery point to the side of the plant box. The apparatus comprises a support part, which supports the plant box, and a reception unit. The support part is formed by a conveyor (1), by means of which the plant box (A) can be moved forwards in stages towards the reception unit (2), whereas the reception unit (2) includes a gripper (12) which can be raised and lowered and can be displaced perpendicularly to the movement of the conveyor and parallel to the rows (D) of plants in the plant box, in which process it reaches the plants (B) of a row (D) one after the other, starting from the delivery point (3), the said row (D) being oriented in a straight line towards the delivery point. The gripper (12) is designed in such a way that it is able to take hold of a plant (B) and take it to the delivery point (3). <IMAGE>

Description

Patent Attorneys Dipl.-I "njc;." H: We-fck-manV ^ 'DiVl.-Phys. Dr. K. Fincke

Dipl.-Ing. F. A. Weickmann, Dipl.-Chem. B. Huber Dr.-Ing. H. Liska, Dipl.-Phys. Dr. J. Prechtel

DORO-PLANTER AB, 3 4215 01 8000 MUNICH 86 8. ϋϋΓϊί 1984

Fack 118 POST BOX 860 820

c_Qin 7 η nmjrypva möhlstrasse 22

S-yiO / O DOROTEA phone (089) 980352

,, TELEX 5 22621

Sweden Telegram patentwi ickmann Munich

CIL

Device for automatically picking up plants

The invention relates to a device for automatically picking up plants. It specifically relates to an automatically working device, by means of which plants in a predetermined order from a plant box can be removed, in which they are arranged in rows according to a predetermined pattern, and by means of which plants can be transferred to a storage location on the side of the planter. The device is particular Intended for use in conjunction with transplanters, but can also be used in a wide variety of other uses zf all use, so z. B. for separating plants in tree nurseries.

Known machines for planting forest plants allow the automatic digging of holes and that Inserting the plants in this. However, the plants to be moved have to be removed from the planters by hand recorded on the machine. Then let the plants fall loosely into the plant tubes, which lead to the machine's planting facilities. One equipped with several planting devices Supplying the planting machine with plants requires

-Α ι changes a full workforce, so that it can practically not take on any other tasks, such as monitoring the plant supply within the machine and the work results of the machine. For this reason, most of the known planting machines require in addition to the vehicle driver and the operator who is involved with the supply of the plants, a further assistant.

The invention has for its object to provide a device of the type described above, which is in the La ge is to continuously supply a planting machine with plants from plant boxes arranged on the machine originate, and thus to make the monotonous work of manual digging of the plants superfluous, as well as the Reduce the number of manpower required for each planter. The device is said to be satisfactory Get planting results at the lowest possible cost.

This object is achieved by a device with the features of claim 1.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 show a side view and a plan view, respectively a special embodiment of the device according to the invention for automatic Picking up plants;

Fig. 3 shows a plan view on an enlarged scale

a recording unit, which is part of the automatic device is;

Fig. 4 shows a side view on an enlarged scale

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part of the pick-up unit;

Fig. 5 shows a section along line V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 shows a functional diagram of the automatic device.

The automatically operating device for picking up plants comprises a conveyor designated 1 and a pick-up unit designated 2. With the aid of the conveyor 1, plants B, which are located in the plant boxes A, can be guided step by step in the direction of the receiving unit 2. The conveyor 1 is preferably of such a length that several plant boxes A one behind the other can be placed on it. In the plant boxes A shown in the drawings, the structure of which is known per se, the plants B are grown in straight lines D with balls C adhering to the roots. The first row D

four plants, the second row D "three, the third parties ^ ^u th row D_ comprises four plants, etc. The spacing of the rows is constant. Likewise the distance between the centers of plants B in each row.

When the first row D _{1 of} a box A is aligned with a plant exit opening 3, which is arranged to the side of the conveyor 1, it is in the starting position in which a plant lifting mechanism is operated, which the plants B of the first row D up to the in Fig. 1 raises the position shown. Said mechanism is arranged under the conveyor 1 and is not shown in detail in the drawings. It can be formed by a lifting device 4 which can be raised and lowered with the aid of one or more hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder arrangements. This lifting device extends transversely to the conveyor 1. It has lifting rams.

One of these lifting tappets is indicated schematically in FIG. 1 with 4a. When the lifting device 4 moves from below to moved at the top, the pestles 4a grip into the roots of the plants belonging to the row above and lift this thus to. Instead of the illustrated plant lifting mechanism it can also be provided that the conveyor itself has plates articulated to it, which adapted to the bottom shape of the boxes and equipped with vertical lifting tappets which are arranged in the same way are like plants B in a box, so that all of the plants B in the box are pushed through the lifting tappets of the plate are lifted when the operator places such a planter on one of the conveyor provided tappet plate. The boxes A located on the conveyor 1 are laterally through on both sides of the Movable part 1a of the conveyor located side walls held. Furthermore, at least for the box A, which is is in the removal position, holding devices are provided so that this box is always in a predetermined Height is located. Thus, the plant box, which is in the removal position, is both on the side and in set the height.

In the drawings, the plant boxes A are shown in the way that their short sides are oriented in the direction of conveyance. However, the conveyor can also be designed be that the boxes A are oriented with one of their long sides in the conveying direction. Such an arrangement is to be given preference in many cases, for example when the above-mentioned pestle plates are used to lift the plants be used. The reason for this is that in this case each row has a larger number of plants includes and the distance between the rows is greater than in the arrangement shown in the drawings, whereby among other things, make it easier to grasp the individual plants.

tert is.

When the plants in at least the first row D. have been raised in the manner described above, the actual pick-up process can be initiated, in which the plants in the first row are lifted out of the plant box. The conveyor 1 then leads the box A wider by a step length corresponding to the distance between the rows of plants. When the plants in the next row are raised IQ , they can be picked up and fed to opening 3.

The raised plants are picked up in an order that is closest to the opening 3 Plant begins. The pick-up unit 2 described in more detail below is used for this purpose.

The pick-up unit 2 comprises a sliding head 5 which is slidable on a guide rail 6 which extends transversely to the conveyor 1 and parallel to the rows of plants D of the box A and from columns 7 arranged on both sides of the conveyor 1 at a predetermined distance above the conveyor 1 is held. On the sliding head 5 eyelets 8 are attached, in which a cylinder-piston unit 10 hangs with the aid of an axis 9 (Fig. 4). The cylinder-piston unit 10 carries on its piston rod 11 a gripper 12 which consists of a hook 14 provided on a plate 13 and a hook 15 which is movably arranged on this plate 13.

The sliding head 5 also has sliding sleeves 16 which serve as guides and which are on both sides of the cylinder-piston unit 10 are arranged vertically and in which vertical slide bars 17 are movable in the vertical direction. The sliding bars 17 are with their lower ends on both sides of the

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Point of application of the piston rod with the plate 13 of the Connected gripper.

The sliding rods 17 carry a support plate 18 which is arranged parallel to them and which has two, preferably as tension clamps formed, connector elements 19 attached to both sides of the associated sliding sleeve 16 on them is. The connector elements 19 of a slide bar have a distance from one another, which is at least the intended away from the cylinder-piston unit 10 between the sliding rods 17 corresponds. The support plate 18 in turn carries a bracket 20 on which a cylinder-piston unit 21 is attached, which is articulated with one of its ends by means of a bearing pin 22 (Fig. 3) on the bracket 20 and the other end of which is articulated to a pivot arm 24 by means of a pin 23. This is on an axis 25 which runs parallel to the slide rods and extends through the console 20. These Axis, which rests against the console 20 with a collar 26, for example, is located with its lower end in FIG the plate 13 of the gripper and is connected to its movable hook 15 so that it can control it in such a way that it grips or releases the ball C adhering to the roots of a plant, whereby the plant is picked up or released.

is released. The rotary movement of the axis 25 is caused by the cylinder-piston unit acting on its pivot arm 24 21 controlled.

A ball screw winch which can be actuated by a motor 27 is used to move the sliding head carrying the gripper 12 5 along the guide rail 6, whereby the gripper is guided into the position in which he grips a plant and then to the starting position shown in the drawing, in which the recorded plant is in the Exit opening 3 is released. The winch 28 is in that

42 1501

■ j. Point 30 with the piston rod 29 on the outer tube 31 a telescopic arm 33 articulated. One end of the telescopic arm 33 is connected by means of a pin 34 a traverse 35 of a bridge 36 arranged below the conveyor 1 is articulated. This bridge has one upwardly directed approach 37, which carries the winch 28 and its motor 27 on a bearing pin 38. The telescopic arm 33 is with its inner tube 32 between the Sliding head provided fastening eyes 39 mounted.

When the above-described device for automatically picking up plants on a planting machine it works in the following way:

^ g In the starting position of a cycle is the Pick-up unit 2 with its gripper 12, which is in this position holds a captured plant, just above the exit port 3. If a plant that is inside the planting device of the planting machine in a "War-

"Q teposition ¹ was located, the transplanter sends a start signal for a pick-up cycle. This initial signal causes a control valve 40 (FIG. 6) for the cylinder-piston unit 21 to be switched over. Hydraulic fluid then enters the unit

„R- from the piston side and moves the piston

of the cylinder to the position shown in Fig. 3 and 6 position, about the axis 25 of the gripper 12 is opened so that it releases the power consumed by him plant, which then falls into the opening 3 and then passes to the _"0 Einpflanzvorrichtung.

When the gripper 12 opens and the gripper it has picked up Has let go of the plant, a plant sensor 41 is released. This plant sensor 41 is with a “Ρ in the plate 13 of the gripper and in the console 20 stored Axis 42 firmly connected, one of which is a spring

43 actuated pivot arm 44 carries. When the plant sensor 41 is released, the spring 43 rotates the axis into the position shown in FIG. As a result, a signal transmitter consisting, for example, of a contact is activated by an actuating element 46 arranged on the axis 42. It sends a signal to the electric motor 27 of the winch so that the motor starts up and the pick-up unit 2, which is slidably suspended from the guide rail 6, is moved in the direction of the first plant B _{1 of} the row D to be detected. Each plant is located at a predetermined distance from the starting position of the receiving unit corresponding to the outlet opening 3. This starting position is denoted by O in FIG. 3. Since the distance between the plants in each row D IQ is approximately constant, the various positions for the plant to be picked up by the unit 2 are given in advance. They are for the plants of the first, third, fifth row etc. with 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 and for the plants B of the second, fourth, sixth row etc. with 1 / 3, 2/3, 3/3. During the displacement of the pick-up unit 2 in the direction of these positions and away from them, the axis of rotation 30 lying between the winch 28 and the telescopic arm 33 describes a curved path 56 (FIG. 6). Position indicators 1-4, 1-3, 2-4 ... 4-4 are arranged on this track, which are designed, for example, as contacts and which correspond to the positions for picking up the plants. In the position of the axis of rotation 30, which corresponds to the output position of the plants, a position indicator 0-3 / 4 is also provided. An actuating member (not shown) arranged on the end of the axis of rotation facing the arm serves to actuate all of these detectors.

When the pick-up unit 2 is with the gripper open

A3 ^ 42! 50

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a position for picking up a plant, i.e. approaching the 1/4 position in which a plant is located, the stylus 41 comes into contact with the bale adhering to the roots of the plant. As a result, turns the axis 42 and the actuating member 46 arranged on it for activating the signal transmitter 45 also rotates. At the same time, the motor 27 reduces its speed in order to stop the recording unit 2 in the position to be able to, in which a plant can be received when the actuator arranged on the axis of rotation 20 causes the position indicator 1-4 to output a stop signal for the motor 27. In this position causes the actuator 46 its signal generator 45 to output a signal to the actuating valve 40 of the Cylinder-piston unit 21. The valve 40 allows pressure fluid on the piston side of the cylinder-piston unit flow in, so that the piston rod 50 extends and the axis 25 rotates. Thereupon the gripper 12 grips with his with the axis 25 firmly connected hook 15 the plant in the recording position 1/4.

An actuating member 47 is attached to the axis 25 under the console 20. This is used to activate a on the underside of the console 20 fixed, preferably designed as a contact, sensor 48 (Fig. 6). If the Gripper 12 has grasped a plant, causes the actuator 47 the sensor 48 for outputting a signal to the control valve assigned to the cylinder-piston unit 49. This is controlled in such a way that pressure fluid in the cylinder-piston unit 10 of the side of the piston rod occurs. The cylinder-piston unit 10 then moves the gripper 12 inward at the top, so that he lifts plant B out of box A. At the same point in time at which the sensor 48 the control valve 4 9 supplies a signal, it sends a

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Another signal to the motor 27, which then starts up after a sufficiently long delay time for lifting the plant has elapsed. He leads the pick-up unit 2 with the plant grasped by it into the plant depositing position marked 0. When this position is reached, the motor is stopped by a stop signal coming ^{from the sensor Ο-3/4 1.} This sensor also supplies a signal to the control valve 49, whereupon the gripper 12 with the plant is guided downward by the cylinder-piston unit 10 into the position in which the plant is to be released. This ends the relevant recording cycle. The sensor 0-3 / 4 also supplies a 'preparation signal ^1' to the control valve 40. This then causes the gripper 12 to be opened by the cylinder-piston unit 21 as soon as a signal is received from the planting machine by which a plant is “requested”. This starts the next cycle for picking up a plant. If there is no plant at a given pick-up position, this is determined by the plant sensing element. This has the consequence that the pick-up unit 2 is moved into the next pick-up position. Every attempt to grasp a plant, and likewise every successful attempt, is registered and stored in a memory-and-control unit 55 which monitors the number of plants in each row.

The control of the various functions for the execution of the successive cycles for picking up the plants can also be done in other ways and through other organs. The preceding description is merely indicative a preferred embodiment. The individual cycles each contain the following gripper movements: Retract - Detect - Raise - Extend - Lower Release.

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In the embodiment described above, the gripper 12 is designed so that it is at the roots takes hold of the plant's clinging pads; however, it can also be designed in such a way that it grasps the plant itself. To this end, the hooks 17 and 15 can have a substantially rectilinear shape.

Fig. 7 shows a slightly modified embodiment of the gripper 12. This has two movable hooks 51 and

52. The hook 51 corresponds to the hook 15 of the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1-6 and is in comparison therewith slightly curved, with the result that its bearing surface adheres to that on the roots of plant A. the bale C is larger than that of the hook

15. This, together with the hook 52, ensures that the grasped plant can be grasped well.

The other hook 52 of the embodiment modified according to FIG. 7 the gripper 12 also has a curved shape. It replaces both the one formed in the plate 13 Hook 13 of the gripper according to FIGS. 1-6 as well as the feeler element 41 arranged on the axis 42. As well as this feeler element 41 is firmly connected to the axis 42 at the level of the hook 51 and not only serves as a hook, but also as a scanner for the plant. The vertical axis 42 carrying the hook 52 is in the embodiment according to FIG 7 arranged at a greater distance from the vertical plane running through the slide bars 17 than in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1-6. Otherwise, the design corresponds to the modified gripper 12 of those of the gripper shown in Fig. 1-6 with the exception that the end area facing the plant the plate 13 has certain differences in shape and between the two hooks 51 and 52 a support surface 53 forms for the plant to be detected (Fig. 7).

The movable hook 52 is held in the starting position shown in FIG. 7 by the spring 43. If the Pick-up unit 2 approaches a position in which a plant is to be picked up, the hook 52 comes that is, in contact with the ball attached to the roots of the plant. By the action of the bale hitting the ball With the hook 52, the axis 42 and the actuating member 46 for the signal transmitter 45 fixed to it are pivoted. The signal generator 45 then causes in the manner described above that the hook 51 against the plant rotates while the hook 52 is pivoted back to the end of its path of movement is located, in which an end stop, not shown in Fig. 7, can be provided against which the hook is 52 supports. In addition, the entire device works in the manner described above.

Claims (10)

Device for automatically picking up plants 1. Device for automatically picking up plants a planting box in which the plants are arranged in rows according to a predetermined pattern, and for Transfer of the plants to a delivery point arranged on the side of the plant box, with a support part, which carries at least one plant box, as well as with a pick-up unit, characterized in that, that the support part is formed by a conveyor (1), by means of which the plant box (A) opposite the receiving unit (2) is incrementally movable forward, and that the pick-up unit (2) a liftable and includes lowerable gripper (12) which, starting from the storage point (3) of the plants, is parallel to the rows (D) of the plants in the planting box (A) is displaceable in such a way that it is straight to the plants (B) Delivery point (3) aligned row (D) can be moved one after the other, and that the liftable and lowerable Gripper (12) is arranged in such a way that it can grasp a plant © (B) in the order mentioned, and to the delivery point (3) is able to lead before the next pick-up cycle begins, which includes at least the mentioned th operations. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the delivery point (3) outgoing and there returning pick-up cycle of the gripper (12) successive operations includes: inward movement, grasping a plant, upward movement, outward movement, movement down and letting go of the grasped plant (B). 10 3. Device according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the receiving unit (2) also at least; two hooks (14, 15; 51, 52) comprising gripper (12) includes a sliding head (5) carrying this, which is arranged such that it is displaceable parallel to the rows (D) of plants. 4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized. that one of the Hooks (14,15; 51,52) of the gripper (12) for gripping and for releasing a plant (B) is pivotable, and that the gripper (12) of two parallel slide bars (17) and one on the slide head (5) fixed cylinder-piston unit (10) and carried by the displacement of the sliding rods (17) can be raised and lowered relative to the sliding head (5). 5. Device according to one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the movable hook (15; 51) of the gripper (12) is firmly connected to an axis (25) running parallel to the sliding rods (17), and that this axis (25) can be rotated by a cylinder-piston unit (21).
35 j ι * Ι ι ο Ο 6. Device according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized characterized in that the other hook (14) of the gripper (12) is fixed and on a plate (13) is formed, which is part of the gripper (12) and with the sliding rods (17) and with the cylinder-piston unit (10) is connected for raising and lowering the gripper (12). 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized geke η η - IQ is characterized in that a scanning member (41) is provided, by means of which is scanned to be detected plant (B) before the gripping movement start of the movable hook. 8. Device according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the other hook (52) of the gripper (12) is pivotable and connected to an axis (42) extending parallel to the axis (25) of the first-mentioned hook, and that this Ha- ^ ^en (52) on the one hand scans the plant (B) to be grasped against the action of a predetermined force (43), and on the other hand initiates the gripping movement of the other hook. 9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that for moving the Pick-up unit parallel to the rows of plants, a motor (27) is provided which actuates a telescopic arm (38) which can be pivoted at one end set and is hinged at the other end to the receiving unit (2). 10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a position detector (1-4,1-3,2-4 ...) for each ar- working position (1 / 4,2 / 4 ...) of the pick-up unit (2) is provided through which the pick-up unit is parallel to the rows of plants when moving can be stopped when the gripper (12) is in the position in which a plant is picked up shall be.