GB1264211A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,264,211. Potting appliance. B. KRAUSE. 20 March, 1969 [21 March, 1968], No. 14743/ 69. Heading A1E. A potting appliance for planting the root balls of plants in earth contained in flexible bags comprises a work table rotatable about a vertical axis which carries in a circular path pot holders 45 holding double walled pots 117 having air-permeable inner walls 117a connectable to an air extractor, so that when flexible bags are placed in the pot holders 45 and suction is applied through inner walls 117a the flexible bags are held open for filling. Annular channel 119b concentric with the vertical axis of rotation is divided by two radial walls (122) (see Fig. 2, not shown) into two semi-circular chambers, at any time, one such chamber being connected to the air extractor, the pots being connectable to the annular channel by conduits 117f, 118. The appliance also has a bucket conveyor 12 driven in synchronism with the work table, and a soil container 4 with stirrer 7, soil being taken from container 4 to shute 16 by means of conveyor 12. The open bags are supplied successively with earth as they pass beneath shute 16. The filled bags then move successively under the borer 67a fitted with S-shaped reamer 68, downward and rotating motion of which caused by motor 130 and hydraulic system 51, bores a hole, ready to receive a plant inserted manually. Fitting and filling bags, and boring, and planting plants can be performed simultaneously.