JP2006075061A - Lengthwise-conveying device of seedling tray in transplanter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for conveying seedling trays stably by surely engaging lengthwise-conveying projections with the seedling trays. <P>SOLUTION: This lengthwise-conveying device 36 of the seedling trays in a transplanter installed with a lengthwise-conveying chain (endless belt) 45 circularly driven along the lengthwise direction X of the seedling trays 18, one end of which is engaged with a driving sprocket (driving wheel body) 44 at a seedling-loading stage 7, moving the lengthwise-conveying chain 45 by the driving sprocket 44, engaging a lengthwise-conveying pin (lengthwise-conveying projection) 46 projecting by taking a prescribed interval from the side surface of the lengthwise-conveying chain 45 to the inside direction of the seedling-loading stage 7, with the seedling tray 18, and conveying the seedling tray 18 in the downstream of the lengthwise-conveying direction X is provided by being equipped with a position-controlling mechanism 47 of the lengthwise-conveying pin 46 for bending the lengthwise-conveying chain 45 from its lower direction by jointly moving with the rotational driving of the driving sprocket 44 to displace the lengthwise-conveying pin 46 in upper direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology for a vertical feeding device for a seedling tray of a transplanter, and more particularly to an improved technology for a vertical feeding device that engages and feeds a vertical feeding projection to a seedling tray placed on a seedling stage.

  In general, a transplanter such as a vegetable transplanter is provided with a traveling unit having wheels and an engine, an operation unit having an operation handle, and a transplanting unit for taking out seedlings from a seedling tray and planting them. The operation handle provided at the rear end portion is operated, and the seedling is transplanted by the transplanting portion while traveling in the field. The transplanting part of this transplanting machine conveys the seedling tray placed on the seedling stage by the seedling tray vertical feeding device to the downstream side in the vertical feeding direction, that is, below the seedling stage, and from the seedling tray by the seedling extraction claw The seedling is taken out and supplied to the seedling planting nail, and the seedling is planted in the field by the seedling planting nail configured to be movable up and down in the vertical direction.

  The seedling tray vertical feeding device is usually provided with a vertical feeding chain (endless belt) that is suspended at one end on a drive sprocket (driving wheel) and is annularly driven along the vertical feeding direction of the seedling tray, The vertical feed pins (vertical feed protrusions) that protrude from the side of the vertical feed chain to the inside of the seedling stand are engaged with the gaps of the pods constituting the seedling tray to convey the seedling tray. Is configured to do.

  Conventionally, the seedling tray vertical feed device has a vertical feed pin attached to the seedling tray when the vertical feed chain moves upward from the lower surface to the upper surface of the seedling table and the vertical feed chain is tilted upward with respect to the seedling table. In some cases, the gap between the pots could not be successfully engaged from below. In view of this, several seedling tray vertical feeding devices configured to prevent a seeding tray replenishment error and to perform planting without missing are proposed.

Specifically, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, a chain guide or a chain abutment body is brought into contact with the middle part of the vertical feed chain from above, and the upward movement of the vertical feed chain with respect to the seedling stage is inclined. A seedling tray vertical feed device in which a vertical feed chain guide is bent so as to be loose is disclosed. More specifically, the vertical feed chain is always pressed from above and bent so that the vertical feed pin gradually engages the seedling tray as the vertical feed chain moves (Patent Document 1). And Patent Document 2).
JP 2002-253010 A Japanese Patent No. 3469155

  However, the configuration of the seedling tray vertical feeding device of the transplanter disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 has the following problems.

  That is, the conventional seedling tray vertical feed device has a configuration in which the vertical feed chain is always pressed downward even though the vertical feed pins protrude at a predetermined interval on the vertical feed chain. Could not be moved smoothly, and the seedling tray could not be transported stably. In addition, since the engagement position between the vertical feed pin and the seedling tray is on the downstream side in the vertical feed direction, and the inclination angle of the seedling stage at the engagement position is large, the vertical feed pin does not completely engage with the seedling tray, In some cases, the tray could not be transported stably.

  Therefore, the present invention relates to a seedling tray vertical feed device of a transplanter, which solves the above-described conventional problems, and proposes a device that reliably engages a vertical feed pin with a seedling tray and stably conveys the seedling tray. The purpose is to do.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above. Next, means for solving the problem will be described.

  That is, in claim 1, an endless belt is disposed on the seedling stage so that one end is suspended from the driving wheel body and is annularly driven along the vertical feed direction of the seedling tray. A transplanter that moves the band, engages the seedling tray with a vertical feed protrusion that protrudes from the side face of the endless band in the direction toward the inside of the seedling platform, and conveys the seedling tray downstream in the vertical feed direction. The seedling tray vertical feed device comprises a position control mechanism for a vertical feed projection that bends the endless belt from below and displaces the vertical feed projection upward in conjunction with the rotational drive of the drive wheel body. It will be.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the position control mechanism includes a guide that is placed and supported by the endless belt and that is moved upward in conjunction with the rotational driving of the driving wheel body. Is.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the position control mechanism includes a cam that is rotated in conjunction with the rotational driving of the drive wheel body and contacts the vertical feed protrusion.

  As effects of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

  Since it was set as the structure shown in Claim 1, a vertical feed protrusion can be reliably engaged with a seedling tray, and it can convey stably, without conveying a seedling tray in the insufficient engagement state. Further, since the endless belt is bent in conjunction with the rotational driving of the driving wheel body, the endless belt can be smoothly moved without being pressed.

  Since it is set as the structure shown in Claim 2, a guide serves as the member which supports an endless belt, and the member which displaces a vertical feed protrusion, and can reduce the number of parts of a structural member. Further, since the guide can be formed in a small size, the seedling tray can be smoothly conveyed without hindering the movement of the endless belt.

  Since it was set as the structure shown in Claim 3, a cam contact | abuts to a vertical feed protrusion, and it can displace it directly upwards, a vertical feed protrusion can be reliably engaged with a seedling tray, and movement of an endless belt can also be carried out. Can be configured not to interfere.

Next, the best mode for carrying out the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a partially sectional side view showing the overall configuration of a vegetable transplanting machine equipped with a seedling tray vertical feed device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of the spare seedling stand of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the seedling stage, FIG. 5 is a lower plan view of the seedling stage, FIG. 6 is a lower perspective view of the seedling stage, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a side view showing a state in which the vertical feed pin is displaced upward, FIG. 9 is a front view showing the state in which the vertical feed pin is displaced upward, and FIG. 10 is a view of the seedling tray and the vertical feed pin. FIG. 11 is a side view of the seedling tray vertical feed device according to another embodiment, and FIG. 12 is a front view showing a state in which the vertical feed pin of FIG. 10 is displaced upward.

  In addition, a present Example is about the vegetable transplanting machine which took out seedlings from the seedling tray 18 which arranged the some pot vertically and horizontally as a transplanting machine provided with the seedling tray vertical feed apparatus 36, and was able to plant this in a farm field. As will be described, the transplanter is not limited to this, and can also be applied to a rice transplanter or the like. Moreover, the vegetable transplanter in a present Example is comprised so that a leek seedling, lettuce, a Chinese cabbage, etc. can be planted continuously.

First, the overall configuration of the vegetable transplanter in this example will be outlined below.
As shown in FIG. 1, the vegetable transplanting machine according to the present embodiment has a front body frame 1 installed in the longitudinal direction of the machine body, an engine 2 is mounted on the front body frame 1, and a rear body body on the rear side of the front body frame 1. A frame 3 is continuously provided. A travel transmission case 4 is disposed below the rear vehicle body frame 3, and left and right traveling wheels 5 are supported by the travel transmission case 4 via an axle case 6 so as to be swingable up and down. The front body frame 1 is provided with left and right front wheels 11 configured to be able to swing up and down in conjunction with the swinging operation of the traveling wheels 5.

  A bonnet 16 is disposed so as to cover the upper side of the engine 2, and upper and lower preliminary seedling stands 17, 17... Are disposed on both sides of the bonnet 16 substantially symmetrically (in the present embodiment, 4. Pieces). This preliminary seedling stand 17 is formed with a horizontal frame 17a formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, and a vertical frame 17b protruding substantially vertically to the rear and one side of the horizontal frame 17a (FIGS. 2 and 3). reference). In the preliminary seedling stand 17 in this embodiment, a supporting member 17c of the seedling tray 18 is provided in the vicinity of the front edge of the horizontal frame 17a so as to protrude from the horizontal frame 17a in the vertical direction.

  When the seedling tray 18 is placed on the preliminary seedling stand 17, the support member 17c is inserted into the hole 18b provided near the front edge of the seedling tray 18, and the seedling tray is inserted into the vertical frame 17b. The gap portions of the 18 pots 18a, 18a, ... are engaged. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the seedling tray 18 from falling from the preliminary seedling stand 17, and in particular, by providing the support member 17c, it is blown into the wind from the lower side or the side of the machine body, and the machine body is swung. For example, the seedling tray 18 can be effectively prevented from falling and the seedling can be prevented from being damaged. The arrangement position and the number of support members 17c are not limited to this.

  A handle frame 8 protrudes and is arranged behind the rear vehicle body frame 3, and a seedling stage 7 is installed on the handle frame 8 so as to be front-rear and rear-height in a side view. . A seedling planting claw 9 is installed between the left and right traveling wheels 5 and behind the traveling transmission case 4 so as to be slidable up and down. It is slidably supported. A steering handle 14 is formed on the rear side of the handle frame 8. The steering handle 14 is provided with a travel speed change lever 20 on the left side, a main clutch lever 21 on the right side, and a lift lever 22 on the right side. It has been.

  A seedling transmission case 27 is placed on the rear upper surface of the rear body frame 3. The rotational drive of the engine 2 is transmitted by the belt 28 to the traveling transmission case 4 on the lower surface of the rear body frame 3, and is transmitted from the traveling transmission case 4 to the seedling transmission case 27 by the belt 29. In the seedling transmission case 27, the seedling extraction claw 13 is driven through a link mechanism (not shown) so as to draw a long elliptical orbit in the vertical direction, and the seedling tray 18 mounted on the seedling mounting base 7 The pot-shaped seedling of the stock is configured to be removable.

As described above, the vegetable transplantation in this embodiment is configured such that the engine 2 drives the left and right traveling wheels 5 and drives the seedling planting claws 9 and the seedling extraction claws 13. 7 so that the seedlings in the seedling tray 18 placed on the plant can be planted continuously. That is, the seedlings taken out by the seedling picking nails 13 are released and supplied from the seedling picking nails 13 to the seedling planting claws 9 located below the seedling picking nails 13 and are planted at substantially regular intervals.
In addition, the detail of the seedling tray conveyance mechanism which conveys the seedling on the seedling tray 18 to the taking-out position by the seedling extraction claw 13 is mentioned later (refer FIG. 4 thru | or FIG. 12).

  A lifting cylinder (not shown) is disposed below the engine 2 and on the lower surface of the front body frame 1. The lifting cylinder swings the left and right axle cases 6 to raise and lower the left and right traveling wheels 5 and the front wheels 11. . A rolling cylinder 32 for horizontal control of the aircraft is arranged on the left side of the aircraft, and the piston rod of the rolling cylinder 32 is expanded and contracted so that the left and right front wheels 11 and the traveling wheels 5 move up and down in the reverse direction. Then, horizontal control is performed to correct the left / right tilt angle of the aircraft.

  A pressure-reducing wheel (not shown) having a pressure-reducing function is arranged between the left and right traveling wheels 5 and in front of the aircraft with respect to the seedling planting claws 9, and the pressure-reducing wheel is grounded on the heel while the aircraft is traveling. It is moved while. The operator walks and moves behind either one of the left and right traveling wheels 5 and the front wheel 11, operates the lifting lever 22 to raise and lower the traveling wheel 5 and the front wheel 11, and brings the pressure-reducing wheel into contact with the upper surface of the heel. Can be transplanted.

  Further, a cover ring frame 30 is rotatably supported on the lower surface side of the traveling transmission case 4, and the cover ring 12 is provided in the middle of the cover ring frame 30 and substantially below the seedling stage 7. . The cover ring frame 30 is connected to a planting depth switching lever 31 for switching the range of adjustment of the seedling planting depth. The cover ring 12 is operated within the set range of the planting depth switching lever 31 so that it is grounded at a substantially constant contact pressure, and the cover ring 12 suppresses the trace of the seedling planting claw 9 opening and planting the seedling. Then the seedling is covered.

Next, the seedling tray transport mechanism will be described in detail below.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 4 to 6, the seedling tray transport mechanism moves the seedling stage 7 mounted on the handle frame 8 as described above, and the seedling stage 7 in the horizontal direction of the machine body. The seedling tray lateral feed device 35 that laterally feeds the seedling tray 18 in the left-right direction, and the seedling tray 18 in the forward direction along the inclination of the seedling mounting base 7 (hereinafter, this direction is referred to as a longitudinal feeding direction X). It is comprised with the seedling tray vertical feed apparatus 36 etc. which convey.

  The seedling mounting table 7 is arranged with a tray mounting portion 7a formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, supported in front and rear and rear height so as to protrude upward. The tray mounting portion 7a supports the seedling tray 18 in which a plurality of pots (soil blocks) 18a and 18a are vertically and horizontally placed and supported in a tilted manner. 18 can be conveyed in the longitudinal feed direction X. The seedling stage 7 is supported by a pair of front and rear guide rails 39 arranged in the left-right direction of the machine body, and can be moved in the left-right direction by the seedling tray lateral feed device 35.

  A side plate 7b covered with a cover 37 is fixed to the opposite surface on both left and right edges of the tray mounting portion 7a, and is located on the side of the side plate 7b and in the gap between the side plate 7b and the tray mounting portion 7a. A seedling tray vertical feed device 36 is provided. A guide rod 38 is stretched in the front-rear direction of the seedling mounting base 7 at a position above the gap between the tray mounting portion 7a and the side plate 7b. The guide rod 38 prevents the seedling tray 18 from shifting in the left-right direction. The seedling tray 18 is always in contact with and supported by one side surface.

  In the vegetable transplanter according to the present embodiment, the plate body 66 formed in a substantially triangular shape in a side view protrudes upward from the tray mounting portion 7a in a substantially midway portion in the front-rear direction of the guide rod 38. It is fixed by welding. Thus, by arranging the plate body 66, the seedling tray 18 placed on the seedling placing stand 7 is prevented from riding on the guide rod 38, and can be stably conveyed.

  The seedling tray lateral feed device 35 is disposed in the left-right direction below the seedling mount 7, and has a lateral feed shaft 40 formed with a special screw that joins valleys of the left and right screws, and a special screw of the lateral feed shaft 40. A gear case 41 having a slider (not shown) that is screwed therein, and a transmission shaft 42 connected to an output shaft (not shown) protruding from the gear case 41 to the rear surface of the machine seeding transmission case via a universal joint. Etc.

  The transverse feed shaft 40 is fixed to the lower part of the seedling placing table 7 so as to be substantially parallel to the guide rail 39 and is configured to be movable integrally with the seedling placing table 7. The gear case 41 includes a gear mechanism (not shown) that connects the transmission shaft 42 and the slider so that power can be transmitted, and engine power from the engine 2 is transmitted to the gear case 41 via the transmission shaft 42. The slider is configured to be driven to rotate intermittently. When the slider is intermittently driven, the lateral feed shaft 40 is moved in the left-right direction, and the seedling stage 7 is folded back at the end of the lateral feed shaft 40 and can be reciprocated in the left-right direction.

  The seedling tray lateral feed device 35 stops driving when the seedling extraction claw 13 takes out the seedling on the seedling tray 18, and after the seedling extraction claw 13 takes out the seedling, the slider rotates by a predetermined angle or the number of rotations. Thus, the seedling stage 7 is moved in the left-right direction by one pitch in the left-right direction of the pot 18a. Further, when seedlings are sequentially taken out from the pot 18a on the one end side in the left-right direction in the foremost row in the vertical feeding direction X and all the seedlings in one horizontal row are taken out, the seedling tray 18 is fed by the seedling tray vertical feeding device 36 described later. Is intermittently moved by one pot in the vertical feed direction X, and the seedling placing table 7 is moved in the reverse direction by the seedling tray horizontal feed device 35. And this operation | movement is repeated and all the seedlings of the seedling tray 18 are taken out.

Next, the seedling tray vertical feed device 36 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail below.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the seedling tray vertical feeding device 36 is installed vertically below the tray placing portion 7 a so as to intermittently move the seedling tray 18 in the vertical feeding direction X. The feed drive shaft 43, the drive sprocket 44 (FIG. 8) serving as a drive wheel fixed to both ends of the longitudinal feed drive shaft 43, and one end suspended from the drive sprocket 44 in the longitudinal feed direction X A longitudinal feed chain 45 serving as an endless belt provided along the longitudinal direction, a longitudinal feed pin 46 serving as a longitudinal feed protrusion formed to project inward from the side surface of the longitudinal feed chain 45, and the longitudinal feed pin 46 upward. The position control mechanism 47 (FIG. 7) etc. to be displaced is comprised. In addition, it is also possible to comprise a toothed belt as an endless belt. In this case, the driving wheel body is constituted by a driving roller.

  Specifically, the vertical feed drive shaft 43 that is laterally arranged below the tray mounting portion 7a is pivotally supported with both left and right end portions penetrating the left and right side plates 7b and projecting outward. The drive sprocket 44 is fixed to the longitudinal feed drive shaft 43 so that it cannot rotate relative to the longitudinal feed drive shaft 43 in the vicinity of both ends and inside the side plate 7b. The drive sprocket 44 is a gap between the tray placing portion 7a and the side plate 7b and is disposed so as to face the side plate 7b substantially in parallel, and one end of the vertical feed chain 45 is suspended. Above the drive sprocket 44 and upstream of the longitudinal feed direction X, a return frame 48 (FIG. 7) is attached to the side plate 7b, and the return frame 48 is formed in a semicircular shape when viewed from the side. The other end of the longitudinal feed chain 45 is suspended from the arc-shaped portion. The return frame 48 is not only configured to be fixed to the side plate 7b and supporting one end of the vertical feed chain 45, but may be formed using a drive sprocket 44 and a sprocket driven by the vertical feed chain 45. Good.

  When the longitudinal feed drive shaft 43 is rotated, the drive sprocket 44 is rotationally driven to move the longitudinal feed chain 45, and the seedling tray 18 is intermittently moved by one pot in the longitudinal feed direction X. One end portion (left side in the present embodiment) of the vertical feed drive shaft 43 protrudes from the cover 37 outside the side plate 7b, and an intermittent drive mechanism for the vertical feed drive shaft 43 is formed at the protruding end portion. In the intermittent drive mechanism, gears (not shown) are fitted to the protruding end of the longitudinal feed drive shaft 43, and the end of the longitudinal feed lever 50 is engaged with these gears to form a one-way clutch mechanism (see FIG. 5).

  Below the seedling stage 7, an operating shaft 51 is fixed to the guide rail 39 along the left-right direction of the machine body. The operating shaft 51 is provided with a pair of followers 52 that can be engaged with arms 41a projecting from the gear case 41 so as to be able to swing back and forth from the gear case 41 at the left and right ends. Linked together. When the seedling stage 7 moves to the left or right end of the guide rail 39, the arm 41a is driven, the follower 52 is pressed by the arm 41a, the operating shaft 51 is rotated, and the intermittent drive mechanism is activated. The seedling tray 18 is intermittently rotated by one pot in the longitudinal feed direction X in conjunction with the shaft 51 (see FIG. 4).

  The intermittent drive mechanism is configured so that it can be manually operated by the operator by swinging the longitudinal feed lever 50 in the longitudinal direction of the machine body, and the seedling tray 18 can be moved in the longitudinal feed direction X by a single swing operation. It is configured to rotate intermittently for one pot. Further, a rotation lever 67 that is interlocked with the longitudinal feed drive shaft 43 is disposed on the side of the intermittent drive mechanism and outside the cover 37. An operator can rotate the rotation lever 67 to rotate the longitudinal feed drive shaft 43 forward and backward so that the placement position of the seedling tray 18 can be finely adjusted.

  The vertical feed chain 45 is attached with a vertical feed pin 46 protruding substantially horizontally from one opposing side surface. A plurality of (5 in the present embodiment) vertical feed pins 46 are arranged at predetermined intervals at substantially equal intervals, and between the pots 18a arranged continuously in the vertical direction of the seedling tray 18. Is protruded from the side surface of the longitudinal feed chain 45 by a predetermined length L1 so as to engage with the gap portion (see FIG. 5). Further, a guide pin 53 is attached to the vertical feed chain 45 so as to protrude substantially horizontally between the vertical feed pins 46 on the above-mentioned opposing surface. The guide pins 53 are arranged at a predetermined interval and protrude from the side surface of the longitudinal feed chain by a predetermined length L2. And the protrusion length L2 of the guide pin 53 is formed shorter than the protrusion length L1 of the vertical feed pin 46 (L1> L2).

  The vertical feed chain 45 is disposed in a gap between the both edges of the tray placing portion 7 a and the side plate 7 b, engages the vertical feed pin 46 with the seedling tray 18, and feeds the seedling tray 18 vertically. It is driven in a ring in direction X. In this embodiment, the vertical feed chain 45 is moved upward from the lower side of the tray mounting portion 7a upstream in the vertical feed direction X, and is moved downward from the upper side of the tray mounting portion 7a downstream in the vertical feed direction X. To be moved down. In the gap between the edge of the tray placement portion 7a and the side plate 7b, the longitudinal feed pin 46 and the guide pin 53 are located on the inner side of the edge of the tray placement portion 7a so as not to contact the tray placement portion 7a. A notch 54 is recessed toward the center (see FIG. 5). Further, the vertical feed chain 45 is configured such that the guide pin 53 is guided in contact with the edge of the tray placement portion 7a in a state where the vertical feed chain 45 is on the upper side of the tray placement portion 7a. .

  In the vegetable transplanting machine in the present embodiment, a guide plate 55 is fixedly disposed on the guide rod 38 substantially above the notch 54 (see FIG. 6). The guide plate 55 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and is disposed in a direction orthogonal to the vertical feed pin 46 and the guide pin 53, and a lower side portion is disposed so as to be able to contact the vertical feed pin 46 and the guide pin 53. Thus, by providing the guide plate 55, when the vertical feed chain 45 is moved from the lower side to the upper side through the notch 54, the vertical feed pin 46 or the guide pin 53 is guided. The vertical feed chain 45 can be prevented from being clogged or loosened by being brought into contact with the plate 55, so that the seedling tray 18 and the vertical feed chain 45 can be stably engaged.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the position adjusting mechanism 47 supports the vertical feed chain 45 by projecting substantially horizontally from the abutting pin 56 protruding from the inner surface of the drive sprocket 44 and the side plate 7b, and to the side plate 7b. The chain guide 57 is slidably disposed along the chain guide 57, the guide shaft 58 is connected to the chain guide 57 at one end and the contact pin 56 is moved at the other end.

  The contact pin 56 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, protrudes substantially horizontally from the inner surface of the drive sprocket 44 toward the inside of the seedling stage 7, and is on the same circumference with the longitudinal feed drive shaft 43 as the center. A plurality are provided at substantially equal intervals. The chain guide 57 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and is disposed in the left-right direction so as to support the lower side of the vertical feed chain 45, and the inner side of the side plate 7 b so as to be orthogonal to the vertical feed direction X in the inner direction of the seedling table 7. It protrudes substantially horizontally from the side surface, and one end on the side plate 7b side is inserted into and attached to a slide hole 59 penetrating the side plate 7b in a substantially J shape so that it can slide along the shape of the slide hole 59. Has been.

  The chain guide 57 abuts against the lower end portion of the sliding hole 59 by its own weight, and the vertical feed chain 45 is placed on the chain guide 57, and the vertical feed between the drive sprocket 44 and the return frame 48. The chain 45 is supported from below so as not to loosen. The sliding hole 59 is formed so that the upper end portion thereof overlaps with the vertical feed chain 45 or is positioned above in a side view. By forming the chain guide 57 in a substantially cylindrical shape, the vertical feed chain 45 only in the vicinity of the position where the vertical feed pin 46 is attached is curved upward even when it is moved upward as will be described later. The movement of the vertical feed chain 45 is not hindered.

  One end of the guide shaft 58 is connected to the middle portion of the chain guide 57 in the longitudinal direction, is suspended from the chain guide 57, and the other end is chamfered in a substantially spherical shape, and comes into contact with the contact pin 56. The In the middle of the guide shaft 58 in the longitudinal direction, a substantially U-shaped guide frame 60 in a plan view protruding from the side plate 7b is disposed across the guide shaft 58, and slides up and down the guide shaft 58. Supports freely.

  The contact pin 56 is not limited to a substantially cylindrical shape, and may be any shape as long as the guide shaft 58 is in contact with the other end and the guide shaft 58 is slid upward. Further, the other end of the guide shaft 58 is not limited to a substantially spherical shape. However, it is preferable that the surface of the end portion is smoothly chamfered because the guide shaft 58 can easily come into contact with the contact pin 56 and the guide shaft 58 can be smoothly slid up and down.

Here, a mechanism for displacing the vertical feed pin 46 upward by the position control mechanism 47 will be described below.
As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, when the drive sprocket 44 is rotated by the seedling tray vertical feed device 36, the contact pin 56 is also rotated integrally with the drive sprocket 44 (FIG. 8A and FIG. 8). FIG. 9 (a)). The guide shaft 58 suspended from the chain guide 57 eventually comes into contact with the contact pin 56 located near the lower portion of the guide shaft 58, and is pressed upward as the contact pin 56 moves upward. It is slid upward along the shape of the sliding hole 59 while being supported by the frame 60.

  In a state where the contact pin 56 is not in contact with the other end of the guide shaft 58, the chain guide 57 is locked to the lower end portion of the sliding hole 59, and the vertical feed chain 45 is placed and supported. Yes. When the guide shaft 58 is slid upward and the chain guide 57 is moved upward along the sliding hole 59, the longitudinal feed chain 45 is lifted upward by the chain guide 57 and bent (FIG. 8 ( b) and FIG. 9 (b)). Thus, the position control mechanism 47 is configured such that the chain guide 57 moves upward in conjunction with the rotational drive of the drive sprocket 44 and the longitudinal feed chain 45 is bent upward.

  As the drive sprocket 44 is rotated, the chain guide 57 is moved upward along the sliding hole 59. When the peak top position in the sliding hole 59 is passed, the chain guide 57 is now moved downward along the same shape. Moving. Eventually, when the contact state between the contact pin 56 and the guide shaft 58 is canceled, the guide shaft 58 falls due to its own weight, the chain guide 57 moves downward, and the longitudinal feed chain 45 is supported by the chain guide 57. Returning to the lower position (original position), the chain guide 57 is locked again at the lower end of the sliding hole 59.

  The position control mechanism 47 in this embodiment is configured to bend the longitudinal feed chain 45 upward by the chain guide 57 and displace the longitudinal feed pin 46 upward. In other words, the position control mechanism 47 is configured such that the guide shaft 58 slides upward in conjunction with the rotation of the drive sprocket 44, and the vertical feed pin 46 moves upward from the lower side of the tray mounting portion 7a. Adjusted to synchronize. Specifically, after the drive sprocket 44 is rotated, the guide shaft 58 is slid upward in a state where the longitudinal feed pin 46 is moved upward via the notch 54 of the tray mounting portion 7a, and the chain guide. 57 is moved upward, and in the longitudinal feed chain 45, the vicinity of the portion where the longitudinal feed pin 46 is disposed is pressed and curved from below to displace the longitudinal feed pin 46 upward.

  The timing when the chain guide 57 is moved upward is such that the vertical feed pin 46 is positioned on the upper side of the tray placing portion 7a and moves on the chain guide 57. More preferably, the vertical feed pin 46 is placed on the tray. It is preferable immediately after moving to the upper surface of the part 7 a or when the longitudinal feed pin 46 is still upstream of the chain guide 57 in the longitudinal feed direction X. That is, by displacing the vertical feed pin 46 in the upstream in the vertical feed direction X, the vertical feed pin 46 can be quickly engaged with the gap portion of the pot 18a, and the stability of conveyance of the seedling tray 18 can be improved. It is.

  The length of the vertical feed chain 45 and the number of vertical feed pins 46 can be appropriately changed to adjust the movement of the vertical feed pin 46, and the number of contact pins 56 and the longitudinal length of the guide shaft 58 can be appropriately set. The vertical movement of the chain guide 57 can be adjusted by changing.

  As described above, the seedling tray vertical feed device 36 according to the present embodiment includes the position control mechanism 47 configured to bend the vertical feed chain 45 from below and displace the vertical feed pin 46 upward. Therefore, the vertical feed pin 46 is reliably engaged with the gap between the pots 18a connected in the vertical direction of the seedling tray 18, and the seedling tray 18 is not transported in an insufficiently engaged state. Can be transported. Further, since the longitudinal feed chain 45 is bent in conjunction with the rotational drive of the drive sprocket 44, the longitudinal feed chain 45 can be moved smoothly without being constantly pressed.

  Further, the position control mechanism 47 supports the longitudinal feed chain 45 from below, and is provided with a chain guide 57 that is moved up and down in conjunction with the rotational drive of the drive sprocket 44, thereby configuring the chain guide 57. However, both the member that supports the longitudinal feed chain 45 and the member that displaces the longitudinal feed pin 46 can reduce the number of positions. Moreover, since it can be configured simply, it is easy to assemble and can be easily attached to the existing seedling tray vertical feed device 36. Further, since the chain guide 57 can be reduced in size, the vertical feed pin 46 can be displaced simply by bending the vertical feed chain 45 in the vicinity of the position where the vertical feed pin 46 is attached. It can be configured so as not to greatly hinder the movement of.

Next, the seedling tray vertical feed device 36 according to another embodiment will be described below.
As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the seedling tray vertical feed device 36 according to another embodiment includes a control sprocket 61 fitted coaxially with the vertical feed drive shaft 43 of the drive sprocket 44, and the control sprocket 61. A driven sprocket 62 positioned upstream in the longitudinal feed direction X, a control chain 63 suspended between the control sprocket 61 and the driven sprocket 62, and a control shaft 68 fixed to the driven sprocket 62 are fitted. A position control mechanism 47 of the longitudinal feed pin 46 constituted by the control cam 65 and the like is configured. Note that the configuration of the longitudinal feed drive shaft 43, the drive sprocket 44, the longitudinal feed chain 45, the longitudinal feed pin 46, and the like are substantially the same members as those in the above-described embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  Specifically, the control sprocket 61 is fixed to the longitudinal feed drive shaft 43 so that the relative position cannot be changed, and is configured to rotate in conjunction with the drive sprocket 44. The driven sprocket 62 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 64 projecting from the side plate 7 b in the vicinity of the return frame 48 that constitutes the seedling tray vertical feed device 36, and between the control sprocket 61. It is rotated in conjunction with the control sprocket 61 via the suspended control chain 63.

  The control cam 65 is formed in a substantially circular shape in plan view, and is fixed to the control shaft 68 so as not to rotate relative to the control shaft 68 at a position shifted (eccentric) in the circumferential direction from the center of the circle. It is fixed. The control cam 65 is formed so as to be able to come into contact with the vertical feed pin 46 projecting inwardly of the seedling table 7. That is, when the driven sprocket 62 is rotated and the control cam 65 rotates in conjunction with it, the vertical feed pin 46 comes into contact with the vertical feed pin 46 and is displaced upward. As in the above-described embodiment, the timing at which the control cam 65 rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the drive sprocket 44 is synchronized with the timing at which the vertical feed pin 46 moves from the lower side to the upper side. To be adjusted.

  Thus, the seedling tray vertical feed device 36 according to the present embodiment includes the control cam 65 that is rotated in conjunction with the rotational drive of the drive sprocket 44 in the position control mechanism 47 and contacts the vertical feed pin 46. The vertical feed pin 46 is configured to be displaced upward. Since the vertical feed pin 46 is displaced directly upward, the vertical feed pin 45 can be configured not to greatly hinder the movement of the vertical feed chain 45, and the vertical feed pin 46 can be reliably engaged with the seedling tray 18. Moreover, since it can be configured simply, it is easy to assemble and can be easily attached to the existing seedling tray vertical feed device 36.

  In addition, the shape of the control cam 65, the arrangement | positioning means of the driven sprocket 62, etc. can be changed suitably, and are not limited to the said Example. For example, the shape of the control cam 65 may be an elliptical shape in plan view, or the driven sprocket 62 and the control cam 65 may be formed integrally.

The partial cross section side view which showed the whole structure of the vegetable transplanting machine provided with the seedling tray vertical feed apparatus which concerns on this invention. The side view of the reserve seedling stand of FIG. The top view of the preliminary seedling stand of FIG. 1 similarly. The side view of a seedling stand. The bottom plan view of the seedling stand. The lower perspective view of a seedling stand similarly. The side view of a seedling tray vertical feeder. The side view which shows the state which displaces a vertical feed pin upwards. The front view which similarly shows the state which displaces a vertical feed pin upwards. The side view which shows the engagement state of a seedling tray and a vertical feed pin. The side view of the seedling tray vertical feed apparatus which concerns on another Example. The front view which shows the state which displaces the vertical feed pin of FIG. 10 upwards.

Explanation of symbols

7 Seedling stand 7b Side plate 18 Seedling tray 36 Seedling tray vertical feed device 43 Vertical feed drive shaft 44 Drive sprocket (drive wheel)
45 Vertical feed chain (endless belt)
46 Vertical feed pin (vertical feed protrusion)
53 Guide pin 56 Contact pin 57 Chain guide (guide)
58 Guide shaft 59 Sliding hole 60 Guide frame

Claims (3)

An endless belt, which has one end suspended on a driving wheel body and is annularly driven along the vertical feed direction of the seedling tray, is disposed on the seedling stage, and the endless belt is moved by the driving wheel body. This is a seedling tray vertical feed device of a transplanting machine that engages with the seedling tray with a vertical feed protrusion that protrudes from the side of the seedling table in the inward direction of the seedling mount to the seedling tray and conveys the seedling tray downstream in the vertical feed direction. And
In conjunction with the rotational drive of the drive wheel body, the endless belt is bent from below and includes a position control mechanism for the longitudinal feed protrusion that displaces the longitudinal feed protrusion upward.
A seedling tray vertical feed device for a transplanting machine. The position control mechanism includes a guide that is placed and supported by the endless belt and that is moved upward in conjunction with the rotational driving of the driving wheel body.
The seedling tray vertical feed device for a transplanter according to claim 1, wherein The position control mechanism includes a cam that is rotated in conjunction with the rotational driving of the driving wheel body and contacts the longitudinal feed protrusion.
The seedling tray vertical feed device for a transplanter according to claim 1, wherein

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