GB2189971A - Agricultural transplanter - Google Patents

Abstract

An agricultural transplanter comprises a sub-frame 2 mounting a carousel 9 comprising a hollow shaft 15 serving as a module discharge shute terminating in outlet orifice 16 and a rotor 18 divided by webs 21 into compartments 20. Plate 22 welded to rotor 18 has lugs 23. Driving wheel 11 is ground-engaging and concentrically mounted therewith and fixed thereto are studs 33 which engage a flange 39 terminating arm 64, which forms part of a transmission system. Upon contact between a stud 33 and flange 39, arm 64 is displaced to tension spring 57 so that it stores drive and pusher plate 50 is displaced in a direction reverse to that of transplanter movement. Displacement of arm 64 also retracts socket 45 from its engagement with a lug 23. Continued motion of driving wheel 11 releases plate 39 from its engagement with stud 33 and enables stored drive in coil spring 57 to return the socket 45 to a next-in-sequence lug 23 so as to drive plate 22 and carousel 9 in a clockwise direction. A module manually introduced by an operator into one of compartments 20 is brought into register with a rectangular opening 17 in shaft 15 and discharged via the shute to shoe 10. Rotation of carousel 9 is accompanied by retraction of arm 49 and pusher plate 50 in readiness for a repeat cycle of the operations already mentioned. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Agricultural transplanter The invention relates to agricultural transplanters for use in transplanting so-called "plant modules" in field soil.

A very wide range of crop plants are initially cultivated, for example from seed, at a location remote from the field or other location in which they are ultimately cultivated and harvested. Typically, a crop plant will be cuitivated from seed under glass in small individual receptacles typically congregated in the form of a recessed tray or such like. When a desired stage of initial cultivation has been reached, the "plant modules", i.e. the plant combined with a root ball or turf of soil, are transplanted into a field for further cultivation. Although this may be effected entirely manually, transplanting is in practice carried out using a mechanised semi-automatic transplanter.Such equipment has been in use for a large number of years and the variety of equipment available witnesses the considerable development efforts expended by those in the art in attempting continually to improve the efficiency, economy and convenience of transplanting equipment.

One example of such equipment is drawn behind a tractor or similar agricultural vehicle and comprises an implement for producing a planting furrow and a conveyor having a series of cups. The cups are manually filled one each with a plant module as the conveyor operates whereby the modules are conveyed from the filling station to the furrow where they are discharged. Groundengaging "presser" wheels are arranged in pairs, the wheels of each pair having mutualiy inclined planes converging to close proximity at the soil surface so that with movement of the transplanter the pair of wheels closes the furrow and firms soil about the deposited module. The wheels also provide drive directly coupled to the conveyor.

Equipment of this kind tends to be large in size, relatively expensive and presents certain safety hazards. Plant modules are moreover not reliably deposited in the correct orientation but may topple.

An alternative transplanter is disclosed in US Patent 2739548 and comprises a pair of similarly arranged but much larger diameter presser wheels and a series ofgripperarms each of which has a jaw for gripping either a plant module or a plant. The gripper arms are secured either to a driven wheel mounted for rotation in a vertical plane or to a driven chain arranged for displacement in an analogous fashion. A mechanism is provided to open the jaws only at the location of a loading station and again when the jaws are disposed adjacent a furrow formed by the transplanter as it traverses the soil surface. Whilst reasonably efficient, transplanters of this kind are slow (30/40 transplantations per minute), complex and therefore relatively expensive. There are also certain safety hazards because of the direct drive characteristics.

The possible range of module spacing is also restricted and the process of altering module spacing is slow and involves numerous components.

A third type of transplanter comprises a carousel comprising a plurality of cups (typically six) arranged in the upwardly facing surface of a rotatable plate. Each cup has an open top and a discharge opening at the base provided with a pair of jaws separable about a vertical plane by pivotal movement of each jaw at a hinge disposed at an upper extremity. On opening of the jaws sequentially as the carousel rotates, a module descends via a shute to the cavity of a hollow ground-penetrating shoe which forms a modulereceiving furrow with traversal of the soil surface by the transplanter. A pusher plate operates in the shoe cavity in synchronization with the carousel and cup jaws to eject the module into the furrow. The furrow is then filled and compacted about the module by presser wheels arranged in a similar fashion to the transplanter just previously referred to.Directly coupled drive for the carousel, jaws and pusher plate is provided by ground-engagement of the presser wheels via chains and gearing housed in a housing disposed beneath the carousel and between the spaced apart presser wheels at their most divergent extremity.

The transplanter just described is compact and offers high planting rates. However, the presser wheels are necessarily large, typically 7S80 cm in diameter, in order to provide traction and drive for the module discharge mechanism. This combines with the need to discharge modules just ahead of the presser wheels and the fact that the gear housing cannot be accommodated except at the point of greatest divergence between the presser wheel planes, to necessitate a significant drop to be experienced by modules as they are deposited in the furrow. This can result in disintegration of the root bail and consequent impairment of further cultivation, particularly when dry.There is also a tendency for the modules to adhere, particularly when wet, to the cup sides and/or the jaw surfaces and this can lead to jamming, a considerable disadvantage in a machine typically operating at a discharge rate of perhaps 80 modules per minute.

The powered rotation of the carousel also represents a certain safety hazard. Drive coupling by drive chains and gearing also imposes limitations on the variability of module spacing and to an even greater extent on the speed with which changes in spacing can be effected. The timing of the mechanism also requires attention when module spacing is altered. Thus, because frequency of deposition in terms of time depends on the (variable) speed of the carousel and the (constant) speed and distance of descent of modules from the carousel to the furrow, a change in speed of the carousel and pusher plate may mean failure of synchronization between operation of the pusher plate and arrival of descending modules in the shoe.

Transplanters as just described are normally towed in a multiple array to produce several planting rows from each run. The width of the transplanter is, however, sufficiently large that the range of rowrow spacing achievabie by a side-by-side array of transplanters is restricted generally to distances exceeding 21 inches. A so-called tandem array in which two or more side-by-side arrangements are forward of another in staggered relationship is adopted to provide the close row-row spacing appropriate to some plants. However, such an arrangement can mean relatively involved carriage structures and associated increased costs are required.

According to the invention, there is provided a plant module transplanter for depositing plant modules in a furrow formed in a soil surface, wherein means defining a plurality of module receptacles is disposed at a loading station and means is provided for coupling drive to said receptacle-defining means so as to effect displacement of the receptacles between positions in which successive receptacles communicate with a discharge opening through which the modules discharge from the receptacle in use, said drive coupling means being arranged to displace the receptacle-defining means in such manner that deceleration thereof is suffered during or just prior to receptacle-discharge opening communication whereby a module to be discharged during said communication is acted on by decelerative forces tending to disrupt module adhesion to receptacledefining surfaces.

The receptacle may be communicable with a single common discharge opening although more than one such opening may be provided for the purpose (e.g. an opening with respect to each receptacle).

Conveniently, the drive coupling means couples drive discontinuously to said receptacle-defining means with drive being disconnected for such time and at such point that said receptacle-defining means is momentarily stationery during receptacledischarge opening communication.

Preferably, traction means is provided for engagement with the soil surface to develop drive, with conveyance of the transplanter over the soil surface, for connection to said drive coupling means.

Means will conveniently be provided to transfer soil into the furrow about a discharged module.

A preferred transplanter comprises means operative to transfer soil into the furrow about a discharged module and traction means for engagement, in use of the transplanter, simultaneously with the soil surface remote from the discharged module to develop drive for transmission to said drive coupling means.

Conveniently, the drive coupling means comprises means for absorbing and storing drive as potential energy releasable therefrom to drive said receptacle-defining means.

A preferred form of transplanter comprises drive coupling means which is such that imposition of a restraint of predetermined magnitude on said receptacle-defining means to resist displacement thereof causes displacementto cease and storage of said drive by said drive coupling means.

The plant module transplanter of the invention preferably includes furrow-forming means, such as a shoe which penetrates the soil surface in use and defines a cavity therein which receives discharged modules in operation of the transplanter, ejection means operative in synchronization with displacement of the receptacle-defining means being provided to eject modules received in said cavity into the furrow.

The ejection means is preferably operated by drive coupled thereto by the drive coupling means.

Conveniently, the transplanter includes ridgeforming means for forming ridges having the furrow defined therebetween in preparation for receipt on the resulting ridge surfaces of a sheet-form member over the planted furrow. Such ridge-forming means preferably forms part of an assembly also including furrow-forming means for transfer of soil into the furrow about a discharged plant module.

xhin preferred transplanters, the receptacle-defining means comprises a carousel in which a rotor member defining the receptacles is mounted for rotation about a hollow shaft of the transplanter, the shaft defining by its cavity a discharge shute for modules. Conveniently, the shaft is provided with an opening (e.g. rectangular) to its cavity and the receptacles discharge thereto by rotation of the rotor member to bring openings respective to each receptacle into register successively with the shaft opening. The shaft opening is preferably formed in a cylindrical wall surface of the shaft.

The receptacle-defining means may include driven means defining a surface having a plurality of upstanding members arranged in spaced apart relationship on a pitch circle, the drive coupling means connecting drive to said receptacle-defining means by sequential engagement of a driven connecting member with each of said upstanding members. The surface referred to is preferably that of a plate secured to the receptacle-defining means, with the plate and said means having a common axis of rotation.

Ratchet means may be provided to ensure that the driven means defining the said surface can rotate in one direction only. The ratchet means is conveniently a member pivotable into and out of engagement with the upstanding members of the driven means as said members are advanced by said driven connecting member. The ratchet means pivotable member preferably resistively yields to an advancing upstanding member so as to permit rotation of said driven means in said one direction and to act as a damper.

The transplanter may include traction means in the form of a tractor wheel engageable with the soil surface and rotatable with conveyance of the transplanter in relation to the soil surface, said wheel connecting drive in use to the drive coupling means. The wheel is preferably non-driven, relying for its rotation solely on ground contact in motion of the transplanter.

The driving wheel just referred to preferably drives a spacing wheel which includes (in the case of any of the forms of the invention referred to herein) a plurality of upstanding members (e.g.

elongate plates, pins, rods or studs) spaced apart on a pitch circle and disposed to come into temporary abutment, with spacing wheel rotation, with a coupling means abutment surface causing said surface to suffer displacement with part of the continued rotation of said spacing wheel. The displacement of said surface conveniently acts to tension a resilient drive storage member (e.g. a coil spring) de-energization of which is prevented by said temporary abutment but permitted at cessation thereof.The de-energization of said drive storage member may, for example, displace a first arm which is thereby caused to connect drive to said receptacle-defining means and a second arm which is thereby caused to retract and adopt a position from which it can advance and displace into a desired furrow location a plant module discharged from a receptacle into the path of advancement of said second arm.

The upstanding members are preferably carried by connection means to the spacing wheel and are removable manually therefrom and re-connectable so that the angular displacement between upstanding members can be varied. Alternatively, a variety of spacing discs with upstanding members at different spacing may be interchanged as a whole.

The spacing wheel and driving wheel will generally be mounted to a common axle although the spacing wheel could, of course, be secured directly to the driving wheel.

By constructing the transplanter with a simple indirect drive arrangement to the carousel (or other receptacle-defining means), the transplanter of the invention can be made relatively narrow so that a multiple array of side-by-side transplanters can be towed by a tractor in close proximity to provide the capacity for planting in narrowly spaced rows (e.g.

rows spaced apart about 14 inches).

In a particular embodiment of the invention, a transplanter comprises a carriage, rotary traction means carried thereby and supporting the carriage above the soil surface, furrow-forming means spaced from said traction means and comprising a hollow shoe for soil penetration, a carousel disposed for rotation at a loading station on a hollow shaft in response to drive discontinuously connected thereto by drive coupling means coupled to said traction means, said carousel including means defining a plurality of open-topped cups or other receptacles spaced apart on a pitch circle and the cavity of the hollow shaft having an inlet orifice into register with which openings in each of the carousel receptacles are brought in succession by driven rotation of the carousel with the carousel remaining momentarily stationary at each point of registration to discharge to the shoe cavity a plant module loaded thereto at the loading station, and an ejection member disposed for reciprocatory movement in the shoe cavity in synchronization with carousel discharge to eject a discharged module from the shoe cavity to a desired furrow location, the traction means including members disposed in spaced apart relation on a pitch circle for displacing with rotation of the traction means a member which tensions a resiliently deformable element of the drive coupling means by detensioning of which the carousel and ejection member are driven.

In a further embodiment, a plant module transplanterfordepositing plant modules in a furrow formed in a soil surface, is provided with a carousel having a plurality of module compartments, an outlet into register with which the compartments are brought successively by rotation of the carousel, drive means for the carousel to develop drive by ground-engagement whilst the transplanter traverses the soil surface, said driven means including a plurality of abutment surfaces disposed for displacement and sequential engagement with an abutment surface of a drive coupling means so that drive is coupled intermittently to said coupling means, the drive coupling means including drive storage means for storing intermittently coupled drive in a first mode and applying stored drive to the carousel in a second later mode with the carousel remaining at least momentarily stationary after applying stored drive thereto.

The following is a specific description intended to illustrate the invention, by way of example only, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa side view, in diagrammatic form, of a plant module transplanter according to the invention, the view depicted being restricted to the basic components in the interests of simplicity; Figure 2 is a side view, partly in cross-section, showing in greater detail part of the transplanter shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view of part of the transplanter of Figures 1 and 2 taken from the direction of arrow Ill of Figure 2, part of the view being in cross-section; Figure 4 is a view of part of the transplanter of Figures 1-3 taken from the direction of arrow IV of Figure 2;; Figure 5 is a view of part of the transplanter of Figures 1-4 taken from the direction of arrow V of Figure 2, part of the view being a cross-section on the line Va-Va; Figure 6 is a plan view of part of the transplanter of Figures 1-5 taken from the direction of arrow VI of Figure 2; and Figure 7 illustrates diagrammatically a transplanter in which a kicker arm type ejector is combined with a closure surface to cooperate with a module discharge conduit.

As shown Figure 1, the transplanter comprises a steel main chassis 1 and a steel sub-frame 2 supported from main chassis 1 by supports 3 and 4.

A rack assembly shown generally at 5 in part only comprises an arrangement of vertical and horizontal steel members 6 which provide storage for boxes, trays or similar containers of plant modules. An operator is, in operation, seated on seat 7 from which such containers can be removed and supported in an approximately vertical disposition on stand 8 for transfer of individual plant modules to a carousel 9. Afurrow4orming shoe 10 receives discharged modules from the carousel for transfer to the furrow. Spacing wheel 11 is tractable with the soil surface to provide drive for coupling to the module discharge mechanism of the transplanter. In use, the transplanter is towed by such means as a tractor from tow coupling 12.

In practice, the transplanter will include a plurality of sub-frames 2 each provided with respective seats 7, stands 8, carousels 9, shoes 10 and driving wheels 11. Each such assembly is disposed parallel to another for carrying out a multi-row transplanting operation with each traversal of the transplanter over the soil.

As shown in Figure 2, subframe 2 comprises a number of sections, 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d each of which is telescopically received over section 2e. Section 2a serves as a foot plate for the operator. Section 2b mounts carousel 9 by means of webs 13 (Figure 2 and Figure 4) welded thereto. Section 2c mounts plate 14 which is secured by welding. Section 2d is disposed over a forward length of section 2e and mounts driving wheel 11. Movement telescopically of Sections 2a, 2b and 2c is restrained by clamping bolts (not shown).

Carousel 9 comprises a hollow tubular shaft 15 serving as a module discharge shute and terminating in an outlet orifice 16. A generally rectangular opening 17 is provided in the cylindrical side wall of shaft 15. A frusto-conical carousel rotor 18 is rotatably received over shaft 15, a cap 19 receiving the upper extremity of the shaft and thus limiting downward displacement of rotor 18 on the shaft. Five radial webs 21 within rotor 18 divide its cavity into five compartments 20 and mount the cap 19 in position. It will be appreciated from Figures 2 and 4 and the above that each compartment 20 is open at its top with its radially innermost extremity defined by shaft 15 and its base occupied thereby.

Plate 22 is welded to the lower extremity of rotor 18, plate 22 being of circular configuration and formed with a plurality of upstanding removable studs or lugs 23 equispaced on a pitch circle. Lugs 23 are secured by welding in recesses formed in two upwardly facing plate surfaces.

A damper 24 (Figure 3) comprises a slightly twisted steel plate contacting plate 22. Damper 24 is pivoted from shaft 25 secured to sub-frame section 2a for reciprocating pivotal vertical displacement with clockwise rotation of the carousel and the consequent abutment of damper 24 with pins 23.

The upper limit of vertical displacement of damper 24 is defined by a bolt 33 also secured to sub-frame section 2a.

Driving wheel 11 comprises a ground-contacting portion 26 of right circular hollow cylindrical form.

The exterior circumferential surface of portion 26 is formed with a series of blade formations designed for soil-penetration and traction. Plate 27 is welded to the internal circumferential surface by its vanes 28 (Figure 5) and is received over and fixed to stub axle 29 mounted for rotation in a bearing assembly carried by section 2d of the sub-frame 2. A spacer disc 30 is also received over stub axle 29 by means of a sleeve 31, a bolt and clip assembly fixing the sleeve 31 and disc 30 to the stub axle 29 for rotation of disc 30 therewith. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, disc 30 is formed with either a plurality of radially extending elongate plates 32 welded to the planar surface of the disc at equispaced locations.In the preferred embodiment represented in Figure 5, a plurality of studs 33 removably secured in disc apertures 34 are provided in spaced apart equidistant locations on a pitch circle, the studs 33 being screw threaded adjacent the ends received through the apertures 31 and secured in position by threaded nuts on either side of the disc 30.

Adjacent plate 14, a bifurcated arm 35 is non rotatably fixed at one of its ends to a pivot pin 36 which is received rotatablythrough an opening in the plate 14. The other end of arm 35 receives a further pin 37 to which an end of arm 64 pivots. The other end of arm 64 mounts a plate 38 welded to the arm and including a downwardly extending flange 39. Flange 39 is disposed in the path of advancing plates 32 (Figure 2) or studs 33 (Figure 5) as spacer disc 30 is driven in rotation.

An elongate coil spring 57 secures by one end to a hook on arm 64 and by the other to a similar hook on plate 14. Pivot pin 36 penetrates sub-frame section 2c and is received in a ferrule 40. The end of pin 36 exposed through ferrule 40 is fixed non-rotatablyto an upwardly extending arm 41 and a downwardly extending arm 42. Arm 41 pivots at pin 43 to arm 44 whose end remote from the pivot is welded to a socket-forming end 45 whose two members 46 and 47 form a socket 48 adjacent the curved extremity of member 46. Socket 48 is disposed to receive and engage individual pins or lugs 23 of carousel plate 22. Arm 42 pivots at pin 51 to pusher arm 49 mounting pusher plate 50.

A fixed arm 52 is secured at one end to plate 14 by nut and bolt assembly 53. A pivot pin 54 at the other end of fixed arm 52 pivots a stabilizing arm 55 to arm 52, the stabilizing arm extending downwardly from arm 52 to a pivot pin 56 by which the stabilizing arm 55 and pusher arm 49 are secured together. Arm 55 has a stabilizing function in the sense that by its securement to fixed arm 52, it ensures that motion of pusher arm 49 can be adjusted to linear reciprocatory displacement close to and substantially parallel to the bottom of the shoe.

Arms 42 and 55 operate in the cavity of furrowforming shoe 10 (Figure 1), the latter comprising two opposed steel plates convergent from a spaced apart condition at their upper extremities to an apex 58. Ridger wings 59 act on soil either side of apex 58 to form ridges of soil either side of the furrow for use in supporting glass or plastics sheeting over the transplanted modules. In-filling wings 60 extend rearward of the rear extremity of apex 58 and are convergent with respect to the plane of the soil surface both in the direction opposite to that of traversal of the transplanter and the direction perpendicular to the direction of traversal.

In use, the transplanter is coupled by coupling attachment 12 to a tractor and towed across a field (or covered cultivation area) with an operator seated on seat 7 and a supply of modules on the rack assembly 5 and stand 8.

As the transplanter traverses the soil, driving wheel 11 is driven through ground contact and the apex 58 of shoe 10 penetrates the soil to form a furrow. Wings 59 form adjacent soil into ridges either side of the furrow.

said drive coupling means to displace said coupling means, said coupling means including drive storage means such as a spring for storing intermittently coupled drive in a first mode and applying stored drive, preferably to the carousel or other module retainer means, in a later mode, the carousel or other means remaining at least momentarily stationary after applying stored or other drive thereto until drive is applied thereto in a further cycle. The module retainers may be arms provided with module grippers, e.g. at an extremity thereof or in the alternative the retainer may be receptacles which can be brought into communication with a discharge orifice or may be a reciprocating arm operative to eject modules to a soil furrow.

Although the carousel or other module retainer means can be displaced by drive directly from the drive means via the coupling means, with release of stored drive causing recovery of the coupling means in preparation for further displacement, the application of stored drive to the module retainer means is preferred, direct drive effecting recovery of the coupling means to enable a further phase of application of stored drive.

A plant module transplanter in accordance with a broad aspect of the invention comprises driving means such as ground-engaging traction means and couples drive to driven module dispensing means (e.g. rotary dispensing means) in use and coupling is conveniently by coupling means so constructed and arranged that obstruction of driven displacement of said driven module dispensing means can be suffered without discontinuity of operation of said driving means (i.e. drive is indirect). The driven dispensing means may, for example, be a carousel or a module ejection means such as exemplified hereinbefore.

Claims (43)

1. A plant module transplanter for depositing plant modules in a furrow formed in a soil surface, wherein means defining a plurality of module receptacles is disposed at a loading station and means is provided for coupling drive to said receptacle-defining means so as to effect displacement of the receptacles between positions in which successive receptacles communicate with a discharge opening through which the modules discharge from the receptacles in use, said drive coupling means being arranged to displace the receptacle defining means in such a manner that deceleration thereof is suffered during or just prior to receptacle-discharge opening communication whereby a module to be discharged during said communication is acted on by decelerative forces tending to disrupt module adhesion to receptacledefining surfaces.

2. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said drive coupling means couples drive discontinuously to said receptacle-defining means with drive being disconnected for such time and at such point that said receptacle-defining means is momentarily stationary during receptacle-discharge opening communication.

3. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein traction means is provided for engagement with the soil surface to develop drive, with conveyance of the transplanter over the said surface, for connection to said drive coupling means.

4. A plant module transplanter as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein means is provided to transfer soil into the furrow about a discharged module.

5. A plant module transplanter as claimed in any preceding claim and including means operative to transfer soil into the furrow about a discharged module and traction means for engagement, in use of transplanter, simultaneously with the soil surface remote from the discharged module to develop drive for transmission to said drive coupling means.

6. A plant module transplanter for depositing plant modules in a furrow formed in a soil surface, wherein means defining a plurality of module receptacles is disposed at a loading station and means is provided for coupling drive to said receptacle-defining means so as to effect displacement of the receptacles between positions in which successive receptacles communicate with a discharge opening through which the modules discharge from the receptacles in use, the transplanter including means operative to transfer soil into the furrow about a discharged module and traction means for engagement, in use of the transplanter, simultaneously with the soil surface remote from the discharged module to develop drive for transmission to said drive coupling means.

7. A plant module transplanter as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the drive coupling means comprises means for absorbing and storing drive as potential energy releasable therefrom to drive said receptacle-defining means.

8. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 7 wherein said drive coupling means is such that imposition of a restraint of predetermined magnitude on said receptacle-defining means to resist displacement thereof causes displacement to cease and storage of said drive by said drive coupling means.

9. A plant module transplanter for depositing plant modules in a furrow formed in a soil surface, wherein means defining a plurality of module receptacles is disposed at a loading station and means is provided for coupling drive to said receptacle-defining means so as to effect displacement of the receptacles between positions in which successive receptacles communicate with a discharge opening through which the modules discharge from the receptacles in use, the drive coupling means being such that imposition of a restraint of predetermined magnitude on said receptacle-defining means to resist displacement thereof causes displacement to cease and storage of said drive by said drive coupling means.

10. A plant module transpianter as claimed in any preceding claim and including furrow-forming means.

11. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 10 wherein the furrow-forming means comprises a shoe which penetrates the soil surface As driving wheel 11 rotates, the plates 31/pins 32 of spacer disc 30 are successively brought into contact with flange 39 of the plate 38 welded to arm 64. Each contact displaces arm 64 forward against the resilience of spring 57 causing the latter temporarily to store drive as tensioning of the spring. As a plate 31/pin 32 in contact with flange 39 continues angular displacement in rotation of wheel 11, it separates from engagement with flange 39, upon which tension in spring 57 draws arm 64 rearward. The latter displacement causes clockwise rotation of bifurcated arm 35 and pin 36 about the rotatable mounting of the latter to sub4rame section 2c.Such rotation transmits similar rotation to upwardly and downwardly extending arms 41 and 42 which also rotate with pin 36. Upwardly extending arm 41 transmits drive to pivot pin 43.

This causes connected arm 44 to displace into engagement of socket 48 with a pin 23 of carousel plate 22 and to rotate plate 22 and carousel rotor 18 in a clockwise direction. With rotation of carousel rotor 18, a compartment 20 of the carousel is brought into register with the opening 17 in the wall of the hollow carousel shaft 15. The operator charges modules sequentially to the carousel compartments as the carousel rotates and with equivalent speed. The modules contained in carousel compartments 20 are thus exposed sequentially to the opening 17 and discharge to the cavity of shaft 15 and via outlet 16 to the cavity of shoe 10.

As upwardly extending arm 41 transmits drive to pivot pin 43 to rotate carousel plate 22, downwardly extending arm 42 suffers similar rotation and draws pusher arm 49 and pusher plate 50 to the forward region of the cavity of shoe 10, stabilizing arm 55 ensuring that the latter are displaced generally horizontally.

The mechanism is so arranged that flange 39 of plate 38 is released somewhat abruptly from engagement with a plate 32/pin 33 of spacer disc 30 and immediately accelerates carousel plate 22 by means of the system of arms and pivots already described to a condition of registration between a carousel compartment outlet and shaft opening 17.

Deceleration is equally abrupt (or more so) and has the important effect of jarring the module in the relevant compartment so that its contact and possible adhesion (especially when wet) with compartment-defining surfaces is disrupted allowed for a clean, crisp discharge to the hollow shaft and outlet 16to shoe 10.

A finite interval after release of flange 39 and discharge of a module, the continued rotation of spacer disc 30 brings a further plate 32/pin 33 into contact with the flange 39 causing the cycle to repeat. This displacement energizes spring 57 and engenders displacement of the arms and pivots already described in the reverse of the direction described above. Thus, the bifurcated arm 35 and upwardly and downwardly extending arms 41,42 rotate in counter-clockwise direction. This has two coincident effects. The first is that pusher arm 49 and pusher plate 50 displace rearwardly. This ejects into the furrow the plant module discharged to the base of the cavity of the shoe 10 during the preceding part of the operating cycle described above.The second is that the socket 48 disengages from the pin 23 just previously displaced and engages the next pin 23 in counter-clockwise sequence in readiness for further displacement of the carousel 9.

The cycle of operations continues until the supply of modules is exhausted or until cessation of operations is desired. The carousel 9 rotates throughout operations without the jamming common to operations with existing equipment.

Modules are released crisply and, due to the comparatively small drop to the base of shoe 10, are placed in the furrow undamaged and with proper orientation. The possible tendency of plate 22 to be displaced counter-clockwise is prevented by damper 24 which locates immediately to the rear of one pin 23 as the socket 48 locates another. Spacing adjustment, a major requirement of all module transplanters, is readily accomplished simply by removing the spacer disc 30 (in the case of the disc shown in Figure 2) and fitting another, or by redistributing the studs 33 (in the case of Figure 5).

Spacing adjustment is not only possible with the ease and speed essential in a working agricuitural environment but spacing adjustment over a very wide range is possible. Since drive is transmitted to the carousel 9 by compression of coil spring 57, obstruction of the carousel, for example by a part of the body of the operator, will simply cause the carousel to become inoperative whilst allowing the traction of driving wheel 11 to continue. In this way, obstructions are no more than a minor inconvenience which do not damage the mechanism and cannot give rise to serious injury of personnel.

It will be appreciated that the transplanter shown in the drawings has the merit of considerable simplicity of design, a factor which accrues economy and ease of manufacture, a high level of operating reliability and, when required, ease of repair. The transplanter also facilitates close rowrow planting, as mentioned earlier, down to 14 inch (or thereabouts) row-spacing.

The invention as described earlier without reference to the drawings may include any one or more features of the invention as described with reference to the drawings.

Included within the scope of the invention are plant module transplanters for depositing plant modules in a furrow formed in a soil surface, wherein means comprising a plurality of module retainers is disposed at a loading station and means (e.g. an elongate member mounted for reciprocation) is provided to couple drive from drive means to said first-mentioned means (e.g. a surface thereof provided with abutment means engageable with the coupling means) so as to displace the module retainers between positions in which successive retainers are disposed to discharge a retained module to the furrow, said drive means including a plurality of abutment surfaces disposed (e.g. on a rotating disc) for displacement and sequential engagement with an abutment surface of in use and defines a cavity therein which receives discharged modules in operation of the transplanter, ejection means operative in synchronization with displacement of the receptacle-defining means being provided to eject modules received in said cavity into the furrow.

12. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 11 wherein the ejection means is operated by drive coupled thereto by the drive coupling means.

13. A plant module transplanter as claimed in any preceding claim and including ridge-forming means for forming ridges having the furrow defined therebetween in preparation for receipt on the resulting ridge surfaces of a sheet-form member over the planted furrow.

14. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 13 wherein the ridge-forming means forms part of an assembly also including furrow-forming means and means for transfer of soil into the furrow about a discharged plant module.

15. A plant module transplanter as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the receptacle-defining means comprises a carousel in which a rotor member defining the receptacles is mounted for rotation about a hollow shaft of the transplanter, the shaft defining by its cavity a discharge shute for modules.

16. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 15 wherein the shaft is provided with an opening to its cavity and the receptacles discharge thereto by rotation of the rotor member to bring openings respective to each receptacle into register successively with the shaft opening.

17. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 16 wherein the shaft opening is formed in a cylindrical wall surface ofthe shaft.

18. A plant module transplanter as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the receptacle-defining means includes driven means defining a surface having a plurality of upstanding members arranged in spaced apart relationship on a pitch circle, the drive coupling means connecting drive to said receptacle-defining means by sequential engagement of a driven connecting member with each of said upstanding members.

19. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 18 wherein the said surface is that of a plate secured to the receptacle-defining means, with the plate and said means having a common axis of rotation.

20. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 18 or Claim 19 and including ratchet means to ensure that the driven means defining the said surface can rotate in one direction only.

21. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 20 wherein said ratchet means is a member pivotable into and out of engagement with the upstanding members of the driven means as said members are advanced by said driven connecting member.

22. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 21 wherein said ratchet means pivotable member resistively yields to an advancing upstanding member so as to permit rotation of said driven means in said one direction and to act as a damper.

23. A plant module transplanter as claimed in any preceding claim and including traction means in the form of a tractor wheel engageable with the soil surface and rotatable with conveyance of the transplanter in relation to the soil surface, said wheel connecting drive in use to the drive coupling means.

24. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 23 wherein the wheel is non-driven.

25. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 23 or Claim 24 wherein the wheel includes a plurality of upstanding members spaced apart on a pitch circle and disposed to come into temporary abutment, with wheel rotation, with an abutment surface of said drive coupling means and to cause said surface to suffer displacement with part of the continued rotation of said wheel.

26. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 25 wherein said displacement of said surface acts to tension a resilient drive storage member deenergization of which is prevented by said temporary abutment but permitted at cessation thereof.

27. A plant module transplanter as claimed in Claim 26 wherein de-energization of said drive storage member displaces a first arm which is thereby caused to connect drive to said receptacledefining means and a second arm which is thereby caused to displace into a desired furrow location a plant module discharged from a receptacle into the path of said second arm.

28. A plant module transplanter as claimed in any one of Claims 25 to 27 wherein said upstanding members are carried by connection means of the wheel and are removable manually therefrom and connectable to additional such connection means so that the angular displacement between upstanding members can be varied.

29. A plant module transplanter comprising a carriage, rotary traction means carried thereby and supporting the carriage above a soil surface, furrowforming means spaced from said traction means and comprising a hollow shoefor soil penetration, a carousel disposed for rotation at a loading station on a hollow shaft in response to drive discontinuously connected thereto by drive coupling means coupled to said traction means, said carousel including means defining a plurality of open-topped cups or other receptacles spaced apart on a pitch circle and the cavity of the hollow shaft having an inlet orifice into register with which openings in each of the carousel receptacles are brought in succession by rotation of the carousel with the carousel remaining momentarily stationary at each point of registration to discharge to the shoe cavity a plant module loaded thereto at the loading station, and an ejection member disposed for reciprocatory movement in the shoe cavity in synchronization with carousel discharge to eject a discharged module from the shoe cavity to a desired furrow location, the traction means including members disposed in spaced apart relation on a pitch circle for displacing with rotation of the traction means a member which tensions a resiliently deformable eiement of the drive coupling means bydetensioning of which the carousel and ejection member are driven.

30. A plant module transplanter for depositing plant modules in a furrow formed in a soil surface, wherein there is provided a carousel having a plurality of module compartments, an outlet into register with which the compartments are brought successively by rotation of the carousel, drive means for the carousel to develop drive by groundengagement whilst the transplanter traverses the soil surface, said drive means including a plurality of abutment surfaces disposed for displacement and sequential engagement with an abutment surface of a drive coupling means so that drive is coupled intermittently to said coupling means, the drive coupling means preferably including drive storage means for storing intermittently coupled drive in a first mode and applying stored drive to the carousel in a second later mode with the carousel preferably remaining at least momentarily stationary after applying stored drive thereto.

31. A plant module transplanter for depositing plant modules in a furrow formed in a soil surface, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

32. A plant module transplanter for depositing plant modules in a furrow formed in a soil surface, wherein a module conduit has an inlet at a loading station and an outlet discharging e.g. to a cavity e.g.

in a furrow-forming shoe, the transplanter including an ejector disposed for reciprocatory displacement e.g. in said cavity, to eject modules discharged thereto by said conduit, the transplanter including an ejection surface displaceable bewtween advanced and retracted dispositions and an upwardly facing surface which opens and closes the conduit outlet in such manner that modules in a sequence of modules in the conduit are released individually in succession e.g. to the shoe cavity, whereby in the retracted condition of the ejector surface a module is disposed e.g. in the shoe, in the path of advancement of the said surface and in the advanced disposition of the said surface said module is disposed in the furrow, a driving wheel for traction with the soil surface in use, drive coupling means for taking drive from said wheel and coupling drive to drive storage means and to the ejector to effect one phase of its reciprocation, the ejector being so arranged that the other phase of its reciprocation is effected by de-energization of said drive storage means and the driving wheel coupling drive to said drive coupling means by intermittent engagement between one or more abutment surfaces driven by said wheel and a coupling means abutment surface.

33. A plant module transplanter in which the action of ejecting modules into a preformed furrow and recovery of the ejection means in readiness for the next ejection are not both linked directly to a ground-engaged driven wheel.

34. A plant module transplanter comprising driving means such as ground-engaging traction means, driven module dispensing means and coupling means for discontinuously connecting drive to the dispensing means with continuous operation of said driving means.

35. A transplanter as claimed in Claim 34 wherein the coupling means comprises drive storage means and wherein drive from the driving means effects drive storage by said storage means for release to effect drive of the dispensing means.

36. A transplanter as claimed in Claim 34 and Claim 35 wherein the coupling means comprises drive storage means and a reciprocatory member, drive from the driving means effecting one phase of the reciprocation of said member and drive storage by said drive storage means, and release of stored drive effecting the other phase of its reciprocation.

37. A transplanter as claimed in any one of Claims 34 to 36 wherein said coupling means takes drive from said driving means by abutment intermittently between an abutment surface of said coupling means and an abutment surface driven by said driving means.

38. A transplanter as claimed in Claim 37 wherein said driving means drives a disc having one or more abutment members for intermittent engagement with said coupling means abutment surface.

39. A transplanter as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the dispensing means comprises a carousel or a member having a plurality of moduleretaining arms.

40. A transplanter as claimed in any one of Claims 34 to 39 wherein the dispensing means comprises a kicker arm disposed for reciprocatory displacement to eject a plant module into a furrow formed in a soil surface.

41. A transplanter as claimed in any one of Claims 34 to 40 and including any one or more features specified in Claims 1 to 33.

42. A transplanter as claimed in any one of Claims 34 to 41 wherein the dispensing means is driven by release of stored drive from drive storage means which stores drive taken from the driving means.

43. A transplanter as claimed in any one of Claims 34 to 42 which comprises a carriage, traction means for developing drive with motion of the transplanter over a soil surface, a loading station comprising a module receptacle mounted for positional displacement between a position in which a module therein is releasable to be deposited in a soil furrow and a position in which said module is retained at the loading station, and coupling means for coupling drive from said traction means to the loading station to effect said positional displacement of said receptacle, characterized in that said coupling means includes drive storage means whereby drive developed by said traction means is stored in a first mode and released by said storage means in a second mode so as to drive said module receptacle in its positional displacement to effect said module release, the transpianter optionally including a module receiver for receiving a module from said module receptacle and a module ejector comprising a member displaceable to eject the module from the receiver to the soil furrow, said member being driven in recovery from the imposition taken up thereby in module ejection from the receiver by drive coupled thereto from said drive storage means.