GB2260474A

GB2260474A - Transplanting apparatus for seedlings

Info

Publication number: GB2260474A
Application number: GB9219191A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Anthony Chamberlain
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-09-11
Filing date: 1992-09-10
Publication date: 1993-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2012-09-10
Also published as: GB9119423D0; GB9219191D0; GB2260474B

Abstract

A seedling transplanter for removing a seedling from a compartmented tray, the compartments of which have open bottoms, comprising a member 9 carrying a spike 12, means for aligning the member with the open base of a compartment of the tray containing a seedling and means for moving the member from a lower position in which the spike is out of contact with the tray to a raised position in which the spike is embedded in the rootball of the seedling whereby the seedling is mounted on the member and is then lifted from the tray. The ejected seedling is gripped by means 15 comprising two arms. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE: SEEDLING TRANSPLANTER DESCRIPTION The invention relates to apparatus for automatically transplanting seedlings from one container to another.

It is well known in horticulture to grow seedlings from seed in trays formed with a large number of individual compartments each of which contains a single seed and which are open at their bases to allow air pruning, to permit drainage and/or to assist in removing the rooted seedlings together with the associated growing medium from the compartments of the tray.

Apparatus is known for automatically transplanting seedlings. For example, EP-A-323 674 describes a transplanting apparatus which comprises a seedling container provided with a guiding channel in the form of vertical grooves made on the inside of the walls of the container, a pushing element for pushing the seedling out of the container which is movable through the guiding channel and a gripping apparatus for gripping the displaced seedling comprising at least three gripping members which grip the rootball above the container.

The problem with known apparatus is that it tends to be complicated and thus expensive so that it is beyond the means of many growers. There is thus a requirement for a simple and effective machine for removing seedlings from the compartments of trays in which they have been grown from seeds and for transplanting the seedlings into pots in which the seedlings will be grown on and/or offered for sale.

According to the invention a seedling transplanter for removing a seedling- from a compartmented tray , the compartments of which have open bottoms, comprises a member carrying a spike, means for aligning the member with the open base of a compartment of the tray containing a seedling and means for moving the member from a lower position in which the spike is out of contact with the,tray to a raised position in which the spike is embedded in the rootball of the seedling whereby the seedling is mounted on the member and is then lifted from the tray.

The member may comprise a pneumatic piston and cylinder device. The spike may be in the form of a needle.

Preferably the seedling transplanter comprises gripping means in the form of a pair of arms, resilient means biasing the arms in mutually opposite directions and actuating means for moving the arms against the action of the resilient means.

Preferably the arms are integral one with the other and are resiliently biased away from one another, each arm comprising a portion which diverges away from the opposite arm in a direction towards its free end. Preferably the actuating means comprises a piston and cylinder device causing relative motion between means surrounding and in sliding contact with the divergent portions of the arms and the arms themselves.

Preferably the surrounding means comprises a tubular member mounted on the cylinder of the piston and cylinder device and the pair of arms is mounted on the piston of the piston and cylinder device.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a seedling transplanting apparatus of the invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the seedling transplanting apparatus of Figure 1, and Figures 3a and 3b are front views of a portion of the transplanting apparatus of Figures 1 and 2.

In the drawings there is shown seedling transplanting apparatus (1) comprising a generally rectangular frame (2) which supports a parallel pair of conveyors (3),(4) (see Fig. 2) along which are respectively moved compartmented trays (5) containing seedlings to be transplanted and racks containing pots (6) which are to receive the transplanted seedlings. The pots and the trays are moved incrementally by the conveyors so that the seedlings can be transferred for example, one row at a time.

The left hand conveyor (3) as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings carries racks of plant pots (6) to receive the transplanted seedlings. These pots are first filled with growing medium in any desired fashion after which recesses to receive the seedlings are dibbed into the growing medium in the pots by a vertically reciprocating dibber (7) as shown in Figure 2 under the action of a pneumatic ram (8).

The means for removing the seedlings from the compartments of the trays (5) comprises a series of vertical plungers (9) mounted by their lower ends on a horizontal bar (10) under the action of a pneumatic ram (11) so that the plungers can be moved vertically between the upper and lower positions indicated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. Each plunger is provided at its upper end with a needle (12) which, as the plunger is raised, penetrates the rootball of the seedling and thus impales the seedling so that it is held firmly as it is conveyed vertically on the end of the plunger.

The raised seedling can then be gripped by tweaser or tong-like grippers (13) (see Fig. 3a and 3b) each of which are actuated to grip by a vertically reciprocating piston rod and cylinder (14) under pneumatic control. The arms of each pair of grippers are formed from a single strip of spring steel bent in the middle into a U-shape. The bent middle portion of the arms is fastened onto the piston rod.

The arms are formed with divergent or splayed portions (15) and retraction of the piston rod results in the splayed portions of the arms being pulled into a tube (16) mounted on the cylinder causing the free ends of the arms to converge and thus grip a seedling.

After the seedlings have been gripped by the grippers, the plungers can be fully retracted into their lower position, after which the grippers and the seedlings can be slid sideways along a horizontal bar (17) under the action of, for example, a pneumatic ram, until the seedlings are disposed above the pre-dibbed holes in the pots. In this position the grippers are actuated to release the seedlings so that they fall under gravity into the pots.

If desired the entire plunger mechanism may be mounted for sideways movement relative to the tray containing the seedlings so that the plungers can in turn engage different rows of seedlings in the tray. Thus, for example, the spacing between the plungers can be arranged so that each alternate row of seedlings is engaged.

The invention thus provides a simple and inexpensive seedling transplanting apparatus.

Claims

1. A seedling transplanter for removing a seedling from a compartmented tray , the compartments of which have open bottoms, comprising a member carrying a spike, means for aligning the member with the open base of a compartment of the tray containing a seedling and means for moving the member from a lower position in which the spike is out of contact with the tray to a raised position in which the spike is embedded in the rootball of the seedling whereby the seedling is mounted on the member and is then lifted from the tray.

2. A seedling transplanter according to claim 1, wherein the spike is in the form of a needle.

3. A seedling transplanter according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the member comprises a pneumatic piston and cylinder device.

4. A seedling transplanter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising gripping means in the form of a pair of arms, resilient means biasing the arms in mutually opposite directions and actuating means for moving the arms against the action of the resilient means.

5. A seedling transplanter according to claim 4, wherein the arms are integral one with the other and are resiliently biased away from one another, wherein each arm comprises a portion which diverges away from the opposite arm in a direction towards its free end, and wherein the actuating means comprises a piston and cylinder device to cause relative motion between means surrounding and in sliding contact with the divergent portions of the arms and the arms themselves.

6. A seedling transplanter according to claim 5, wherein the surrounding means comprises a tubular member mounted on the cylinder of the piston and cylinder device and wherein the pair of arms is mounted on the piston of the piston and cylinder device.

7. A seedling transplanter substantially as herein before described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.