FI61115C - KAERLGRUPP FOER PLANTOR - Google Patents

Description

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C Patent granted 10 06 1932 -2¾¾ (45) Patent oeddelat ^ y '(51) Kv.ik? /Int.ci.3 A 01 G 9/10 FINLAND —FINLAND (21) P «« ittlh »k * mui - PiMnumftknlng 802311 (22) Haktmltpllvl - Antöknlnfsdif 22.07.80 (23) Alkupllvi - GUtlghatadtg 02.03.77 (41) Tullut | utk) Mk * l - Bllvlt offmtllg 22 07 80

Patent and Registration Office .... «ι., Ι. .....

_ '(44) Date of date of issue. -

Patent- och registerstyrelsen Ansökin utligd och utl. «Krlft« n publishederad 26.02.82 (32) (33) (31) sought «at that time —Begird prlorlttt 02.03-76 25.05.76, Oi.08.76, 12.11.76 Japan-Japan JP ) 51-21766, 51-66113 (Utility model), 51-103151 (Utility model), 51-135183 (71) Nippon Tensai Seito Kabushiki Kaisha, no. 6, 2-chome, Kyobashi,

Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan-Japan (JP) (72) Akiyoshi Masuda, Obihiro-shi, Hokkaido, Tetsuo Nambu, Obihiro-shi,

Hokkaido, Japan-Japan (JP) (7l) Ruska & Co (5l) Seedling container group - Kärlgrupp för plantor (62) Separated from application 770677 - Avdelad fran ansökan 770677 The present invention relates to a seedling container group consisting of a plurality of tubes at the upper and lower ends, is made of paper or film and the adjacent tubes are connected by interconnecting portions that allow the tubes to be pulled out of the group in a continuous row, the row being folded after a certain number of tubes alternately to the left and right to form interconnected rows; and the tubes of adjacent rows are glued together with a water-soluble adhesive, the connecting portions having dividing lines dividing them into two portions, formed by a series of slits and uncut towers or interconnected portions extending to the upper and / or lower ends of said connecting gap or boundaries.

The seedling container group according to the invention is characterized in that the end of the gap or slots extending to the upper and / or lower end of the connecting parts forms a separation guide part or parts, the total length of the separation guide part or parts being about 20-70% of the connecting part height and the total length of uncut or joined parts is 30-80% of the height of the connecting part.

In the group of seedling containers according to the invention, the individual tubes made of film, for example paper, are connected by a strip to a series of tubes folded into bends so that it can be pulled out as a continuous string from one end of the string to the other end. There is a dividing line in the connection between the adjacent pipes. At the top and / or bottom of the separation line there is a separation control section. The connector is strong enough to withstand pulling the tube out of the group after growing the seedlings, but the line can be easily separated into individual tubes using a separator where the tube is compressed between rotating members adapted to pull the tube so that it disengages from the top or down. from the lower end upwards.

The inventors of the present invention have previously developed an array of tubes in which the tubes are interconnected as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,515,036. When the groups of tubes are placed in an automatic planter and each row of tubes is separated into individual seedling tubes, it has been necessary to do so manually or using a separator with cutting blades. In the latter case, the connecting parts are mechanically cut in the drawn state, but it has been difficult to perform the separation efficiently and continuously.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate this drawback of the previously known structure. This has been obtained by studying the structure of the pipes and their separation method.

The starting point of the study was the structure of the connecting parts of the pipe group. The inventors performed various experiments on separating these connectors, and as a result, it was found that in the case of a paper tube group where the connectors consisted of connecting strips formed by sewing machine needle holes in the vertical direction or slits made at certain intervals, they could resist tensile separation force but they could be separated with little force in a separation where only the upper or lower end was pulled in one direction and the separation point moved from the upper end downwards or from the lower end upwards. The results are shown in Table 1.

3,61115

table 1

Structure and tensile strength

Total strength (A) of the joint (cross-sectional tensile strength over time B / A x 100) (B) (mm) (points) (kg) (kg) {%) 2 x 12 3.38 0.81 24 4 x 6 3.48 0.80 23 6x4 3.36 0.84 25 8 x 3 3.53 1.34 38 12 x 2 3.30 1.85 56 24 x 1 3.45 2.69 78 In this case the paper tube to be examined was a paper tube (trademark Nichiten paper pot) with a longer hexagonal cross-section of 19 mm in diameter, a height of 130 mm and a joint width of 9.5 mm, made of kraft paper which had been subjected to rot protection treatment.

In Table 1, the horizontal tensile strength (A) means the maximum load during the separation of the paper cylinder. In two pieces of pipe joined together, the seedlings had been grown under normal cultivation conditions, and after the end of the growth, the seedlings and soil were removed from the tubes. Instead, hexagonal bars made of aluminum were placed, the shape of which corresponded to the shape of paper tubes. One cylinder with aluminum rods was attached and the other was subjected to a horizontal tensile load to separate.

Also, the tensile strength over time (B) means the maximum load during the separation of the paper tubes in such a way that the second paper tube with aluminum rods is fixed in the same way as in (A) and the other paper tube.the tensile load was applied only to the top, in which case the separation format). As can be seen from Table 1, when the distance between the slits of the separation line between the paper tubes is suitably changed and the connecting parts (uncut parts) are varied from one point (24 mm in the last example of Table 1) to several points (e.g. 12 points each 2 mm long in the first example), the horizontal tensile strength does not change significantly, but the tensile strength decreases over time “61115. It has been found that if the tensile strength over time is about 25% of the horizontal tensile strength, the paper tubes can be sufficiently separated, and there is little difference when the length of the joints between the slits forming the separation line is less than 6 mm. If they are too long, the tensile strength will be greater than the breaking strength of the paper tubes. Thus 2-6 mm is optimal for the connecting part.

It has further been found that if the upper part of the gap of the separation line extends to the upper edge of the connecting part of the paper tubes, the separation into separate paper tube ores becomes very good. In Table 2, the length of the connecting parts (uncut parts) of the connector between the paper tubes was 56 mm, and this consisted of six connecting parts, each 6 mm long. The length of the upper slits extending to the upper edge of the connecting part was increased (second column of Table 2) and the distance between the connecting parts (each 6 mm) was reduced accordingly (third column). The tensile strengths obtained by the separation method, where the separation point moves downwards over time (sixth column) and by horizontal pulling (last column), were compared.

The slot at the top of the connector serves as a separation guide member, and its length is suitably 20-70% of the height of the connector and most preferably 30-40%. When the connecting part has such a structure and the paper tubes are connected together in this way, mechanical separation becomes easy. The inventors have found from the results and data in Tables 1 and 2 that in the case of a group of paper tubes connected by connectors allowing continuous extraction of paper tubes if slots of a certain length are provided, each extending vertically from the top of the connector to form separation guide portions; at certain intervals in said slits in a straight line, forming separation lines, and if the separation point moves from top to bottom over time, the seedlings of a continuous group of paper tubes can be separated continuously with very little traction. The present invention has been made on the basis of this information.

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oi 3 EC cd G «P <uo top E · ηΕρ 3 cd sd · η in Ό PxdH UP 3 PP CU * e. HprHvo p 3 ϋ p äo orHojmj-invoK-oocrv 3 · η .c: cd m -h m3 3cdsd <d ro, _l> »> v_r (UH u HE αϋ 6 61115 The connecting portion of the continuous type paper tube array used in the present invention can be provided by an upper slot forming a separation guide portion of a certain length formed by vertically cutting the connecting line vertically from the top edge of the connecting line. below said gap, wherein the paper tubes on each side are connected by connecting parts (uncut parts) between the slots, and wherein the total length of said connecting parts cannot be greater than the total length of said other slots.

When the two conical rollers with different upper and lower diameters of this continuous type paper tube separator are rotated at a higher speed than the feed speed of the continuous rows of paper cylinders, the rolls are compressed from the top and down of the separation section of the paper tubes. In this way, the connecting part with the separation guide part can be divided very easily with a small pull, so that the paper tube is not damaged. In addition, since the separation can be performed by a device of simple construction in which only the rotors are rotated, a mechanical, continuous operation can be easily performed. The paper tube seedlings separated as described above are planted in the field. As stated above, according to the present invention, there is provided a paper tube connector having a separation guide portion and a separation line, as well as a separation device in which the separation point for separating such a connector is moved during separation.

In the following, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a top view of a continuous group of paper tubes after the end of growing the seedlings, one row being pulled out from the other end of the group.

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a part of the continuous paper tube group according to Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shows a top view of the main part of a separating device suitable for separating the connecting part of the continuous paper tube group according to Fig. 1, Fig. 4 shows side view the same as Fig. 3, Fig. 5 Fig. 6 is a side view similar to Fig. 5, Fig. 7 shows a top view in detail of the separating part of the separating device, Fig. 8 is a side view of the separating part of Fig. 7, Figs. 9-a to 9-e show perspective views of different embodiments of the connecting part shows a top view similar to Fig. 9-d, and Fig. 9-g shows a top view similar to Fig. 9 ~ e.

In the drawings, P denotes a continuous group of paper tubes and reference numeral 1 is a single paper tube made of film 2. Film 2 is made of kraft paper or the like having such a decay resistance that no dispersion occurs during the growth of the seedlings. The film 2 is formed with hexagonal or square hollow paper tubes 1, each of which forms an open seedling container at the top and bottom. Reference numeral 3 denotes a connecting part connecting the individual paper tubes 1 to each other. Said connecting part is usually made of the same material as that used for the paper tube 1, but any material can be used for its manufacture if it gives the same effect as described above. To provide connectors between adjacent paper tubes 1, two paper tube forming films 2 are pasted together at certain intervals or, as disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,515,036, paper tubes 1 may first be formed, and then separate films of a certain width are pasted into said paper tubes, said films being of the same material. than paper tubes or different material. Other suitable methods may be used to make the connectors. The cylinder or seedling container group is folded back and forth and glued together with a water-soluble glue. Reference numeral 4 denotes a gap extending to the upper edge 3 'of the connecting part 3 and made perpendicular to this upper edge. This slot 4 forms a separation guide part to facilitate the division of the connecting part. The slots marked with reference numerals 5 are made below the separation control section 4 in a straight line at certain intervals. Reference numerals 6 denote non-cut parts, i.e. connecting parts between the slots 5, the row of slots 5 and the connecting parts 6 forming a dividing line 6 '. Thus, most of the connecting part 3 is cut vertically, whereby the paper tubes are connected together by means of the connecting parts 6. The characteristic features of the combined paper tube group according to the invention are in the overall length of the connecting parts and in how they are arranged. The joints have sufficient strength to straighten the combined paper tube group P of seedlings in the seedlings after rows 8 61115, but they must be easily separable at a later stage of division. The connecting part 3, which enables such a situation, has the structure according to the empirical examples just described above, the length of the separating guide part 4 being about 20-70% and preferably about 30-40% of the height H of the connecting part 3. Also the slots 5 and connecting parts below the separating guide part 4 6 is alternately arranged in a straight line for the remaining 30-80% of the height H of the connecting part 3, suitably distributed. The separation guide part 4 may be made in the upper edge part or the lower edge part of the connecting part 3 depending on the separation device, or it may be made in both the upper and lower part and the separation line 6 'may be suitably arranged according to the arrangement of the separation guide part 4. Reference numeral 7 denotes seedlings growing in paper tubes.

In Figures 3 and 4, reference numeral 8 denotes a separating device suitable for separating paper tubes according to the invention, reference numerals 9 and 10 denote guide rollers fixed to the shafts 9 'and 10' and coated with a circumferentially elastic material 11, e.g. a sponge. The rollers 9 and 10 are spaced opposite each other, which allows the rollers to be pressed against the paper tube 1. Shafts 9 * and 10 'are connected to a power source which provides a driving force. Reference numerals 13 and 14 denote drawn rollers coated with a circumferentially elastic material 11 in the same manner as guide rollers. Reference numerals 15 and 16 denote belts, the belt 15 being tensioned between the rollers 9, 13 and the belt 16 between the rollers 10, 14.

The belts rotate in the direction of the arrows and a feed path 17 of a row of paper tubes is formed between the belts 15, 16. · Reference numerals 18 and 19 denote separation rollers fixed to the shafts 18 'and 19' and coated with a circumferentially elastic material 11, e.g. a sponge.

They are conical in shape, with the diameter of the upper end being larger than the diameter of the lower end. The separating rollers are made so that a smaller part of their diameter has a higher circumferential speed than the linear speed of the belts 15, 16 and they are mounted opposite each other at the outlet of the feed path 17 of the paper tube row.

The separating device 8 for separating the paper tubes according to the invention is constructed as described above, whereby the row of paper tubes 1 advances in the paper tube feed path 17 continuously under the action of belts 15, 16 which rotate at a constant speed. At their outlet, the front paper tube 1a is compressed between the separating rollers 18 and 19. In this case, the separating rollers are arranged so that their rotational speed is higher than the speed of the belts 15, 16 of the paper tube feed path 17, and the upper diameter of said separating rollers is larger than the lower diameter so that the upper parts have a higher circumferential speed than the lower parts. Thus, the connecting portions 3 of the paper tubes 1a are continuously separated by means of the separation rollers 18, 19, after which the separated paper tubes 1a are continuously planted with a suitable planting machine. If the downcomer 2Q is mounted below the separation rollers 18, 19, the paper tubes 1a can be planted in the field by a natural fall effect, so that the combined paper tubes and seedlings can be automatically separated into individual paper tube seedlings 1 when said operations are repeated.

Figures 5 and 6 show another embodiment that can be used to separate the paper tubes. The separation rollers have two cylindrical rollers 18a and 19'a with the same upper and lower end diameters. These rollers are mounted at a certain angle to guide the paper tube row towards the pulling direction, which provides a substantial difference between the pulling forces of the upper and lower ends of the paper tube row in contact with the rollers 18a, 19a. This has the same effect as in the case of said conical rollers 18, 19. As mentioned above, since the connecting part 3 has a separation control part 4 which facilitates the separation, any device can be used if it can provide a substantial difference in traction between the upper and lower ends of the connecting part 3.

When positioning the separating rollers 18a, 19a relative to the rollers 13, 14 as shown in Fig. 7, it is most convenient to ensure a separation D less than twice the unit length L, which is the width of the paper tube 1 plus half of the front and rear connecting portions of this paper tube. widths. When the front paper tube 1a reaches the exit point of the track 17 and contacts the separation rollers 18a, 19a, and since the rotating rollers 13, 14 and the separation rollers 18a, 19a are spaced apart, the front paper tube 1a is compressed and enters the separation rollers 18. in a situation where the next paper tube Ib is firmly compressed between the rotating rollers 13. In this case, since the circumferential speed of the lower parts of the separation rollers 18a, 19a is higher than the seedling row feed speed as described above, the front paper tube 1a is affected by a force tending to pull it away from the and the force acting between the next paper tube is higher at the top and lower at the bottom at a certain time, the separation of the connecting part 3 moving downwardly through the separation guide part 4 located near the upper edge of the connecting part, providing a V-shaped separation of the connecting part.

The paper tube groups shown in Figures 9-a ... 9-g can be used in the present invention. In Fig. 9 ~ a, two films 2a, 2a 'are glued together with a water-insoluble glue 4l, forming a connecting part between the paper tubes. In Figures 9-b and 9-c, the connecting part is provided by a single film 2a. In Figures 9-d and 9-f, the two films 2a, 2a * li-! the measured part is partially pasted with one water-insoluble paste 4l. In Figures 9-e and 9-g, the paper cylinders are immediately glued together with a water-insoluble adhesive 4l without using a film 2a or 2a 'in the connecting part. Various methods of joining paper tubes are known, and although such known structures are used, it is possible to obtain approximately the same effects as described above. Also in the connection methods of Figures 9-d and 9-e implemented using the adhesive 41, the distribution of the connection parts may be such that they are divided along the length of a certain area in the height direction of the seedling container 1, providing approximately the same effect as above.

As mentioned above, according to the present invention, a fully automatic separation and planting of plant seedlings has been achieved using a continuous array of paper tubes as a very economical system which has not previously been possible and which can greatly increase agricultural productivity.

Some embodiments of the present invention are described below. Example 1 2

A surface of a kraft paper weighing 60 g / m was coated with a hydrated 1% solution of copper 8-hydroxyquinolinolate, and the paper was dried and thus rendered essentially non-rotting. Two sheets of this paper were glued together to provide beet paper tubes with a hexagonal cross-section of 1.9 cm in diameter and a height of 13 cm. The paper tubes were joined together by gluing 0.95 11 61115 mm wide. The length of the separation guide portion (gap) was * 1 cm extending from the upper end in the height direction of the paper tube toward the center portion of the connecting portion. The lower part, which was 9 cm long, had three 6 mm connecting parts every 3 cm. Ten such paper tubes were arranged in a transverse row and joined together. Then, the following ten paper tube overlapped paper tube-side transfer structure (Figure 1) and lines liisteröi-added together with a water soluble with paste. 140 rows of paper tubes were layered to give a unit of a group of paper tubes containing 1400 paper tubes. Numerous such units were manufactured.

In such paper tubes, sugar beet seedlings were grown on a cold medium, and a unit of paper tube group seedlings was placed on the belt conveyor of the planting machine of Fig. 3, the separator front with a circumferential speed of 9 cm / sec. The linear velocity ratio between the upper end and the lower end of the separation rollers was 2: 1, with a circumferential speed of the lower end of about 9 cm / sec. These separation rollers were coated on the surface with a sponge. The lMOO seedlings separated from the unit were planted in the field at a speed of 0.9 m / sec via a seedling feed pipe. The result was a very smooth, flawless automatic separation of the seedlings without cutting the joints. There was no mechanical damage to the seedlings and almost all of the paper tube seedlings were planted in the field in an upright position.

Example 2 Using the same paper material as in Example 1, a large number of units of paper tube groups were prepared, each comprising 700 paper cylinders, with 7 paper cylinders in 100 rows. The regular diameter of the hexagonal paper tube had a longer diameter of 3 cm and a height of 10 cm. The connecting part between the pipes was such that, with the exception of the 3.5 cm separation guide part at the top, the 6 mm long connecting parts divided the 6.5 cm long lower part into three equal parts.

After cultivation, the paper tube groups were placed on the conveyor as a unit without disassembling the unit and the seedlings were pulled out by a planter otherwise similar to Example 1, except 61115 12 that the separating device was two rotating cylindrical pieces about 15 ° · Each of said cylindrical bodies was 4 cm in diameter and 12 cm high, urethane foam was applied to their surface. 700 paper cylinders were planted at a speed of 0.9 m / sec fully automatically with the result that the separation and planting were flawless.