JP2843020B2 - Crop seedling box packing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a seedling storage box used for transporting crop seedlings such as rush seedlings and transferring crop seedlings to a seedling cradle of a seedling transplanter. The present invention relates to an apparatus for packing crops and seedlings into which boxes are packed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in the case of rush seedlings, an operator separates a mother plant grown from a seed stock into approximately one rush seedling for planting, either manually or by using a stocking device. The separated rush plants were manually packed into the seedling storage box.

[0003]

Since the operation of packing the separated seedlings into the seedling storage box as described above is very time-consuming and requires a large amount of labor, the efficiency of the pre-processing work for the planting operation is improved. In view of this, automation of the operation of packing crop seedlings into a seedling storage box is desired. If there is variation in the packing condition (density) of crop seedlings in the seedling storage box,
Even after the transfer of the crop seedlings to the seedling rest of the seedling transplanter, the degree of packing (density) of the crop seedlings at the seedling rest remains uneven. In some cases, a plant may be formed, or the number of plant seedlings planted may vary. An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for packing crop seedlings in which the seedlings can be packed in a seedling storage box without variation in density (density).

[0004]

[1]

A feed mechanism that feeds the crop seedlings into the seedling storage box in a standing position with the root part down, and a pressing mechanism that presses the crop seedlings sent from the feed mechanism into the seedling storage box toward a predetermined wall side of the seedling storage box. The feeding mechanism and the pressing mechanism are linked so that the pressing mechanism performs the pressing action in conjunction with the feeding operation of the feeding mechanism, and the seedling storage box is movably supported along the pressing direction of the pressing mechanism. With the support mechanism, the crop seedling sent to the seedling storage box in a standing position with the root part down,
By pressing the seedling storage box along the pressing direction by pressing the seedling storage box toward a predetermined wall portion by the pressing mechanism, the crop seedlings are packed in the seedling storage box.

[2] A feeding mechanism for feeding the crop seedlings into the seedling storage box in a standing posture with the root portion down, and the crop seedlings fed from the feeding mechanism into the seedling storage box are directed toward a predetermined wall of the seedling storage box. A pressing mechanism that presses and transmits the power of the common power source to the feeding mechanism and the pressing mechanism, and the pressing mechanism performs the pressing operation in conjunction with the feeding operation of the feeding mechanism,
A support mechanism for movably supporting the seedling storage box along the pressing direction of the pressing mechanism is provided. By pressing the seedling storage box along the pressing direction, the crop seedlings are packed in the seedling storage box.

[0006]

[I] According to the feature of the first aspect, the seedling is fed into the seedling storage box by the feeding mechanism in a standing posture with the root part down, and the crop seedling sent to the seedling storage box is pressed by the pressing mechanism. Then, the seedling storage box is pressed toward a predetermined wall. Thereby, when the crop seedling first sent to the seedling storage box reaches a predetermined wall portion of the seedling storage box, the subsequent feeding of the crop seedling to the seedling storage box, and the pressing of the crop seedling by the pressing mechanism, A predetermined wall portion of the seedling storage box is pressed by the pressing mechanism via the crop seedling, and the seedling storage box moves in the pressing direction of the pressing mechanism. Therefore, between the predetermined wall portion of the seedling storage box and the pressing mechanism, the crop seedlings in the seedling storage box are compressed to have a substantially uniform density, and the seedling storage box is moved along the pressing direction of the pressing mechanism. As they move, the seedlings are packed in the seedling storage box.

[II] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the feeding mechanism and the pressing mechanism are linked so that the pressing mechanism performs the pressing operation in conjunction with the feeding operation of the feeding mechanism. When it is sent to the seedling storage box from above, the pressing mechanism always performs the pressing operation. Thereby, when the crop seedling is sent from the feeding mechanism to the seedling storage box, the fed crop seedling is pressed against the predetermined wall portion side of the seedling storage box without delay by the pressing mechanism. The crop seedlings do not stay near the delivery section of the crop seedlings.

[III] For example, it is conceivable to pack crop seedlings in a seedling storage box while stacking them in a state of being laid sideways. As the stalks become lower and the roots become higher as they are stacked, the crop seedlings are tilted and stacked. In such a state, the crop seedlings in the seedling storage box are generally biased toward the stem due to vibrations during transportation, and the stems of the crop seedlings are orthogonal to the lateral walls of the seedling storage box. The roots of the crop seedlings stacked on top of the well-ventilated part may be quickly dried due to being pressed and broken in a state. In this case, if the roots are dried, there is a possibility that the survival rate of the crop seedlings will decrease after planting. Also, in the case of a crop such as a rush seedling that grows a new shoot using the stem as a nutrient source after planting, if the stem breaks, the growth of the new shoot may be hindered.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the seedlings are packed in the seedling storage box in a standing posture with the root part down, the seedlings in the seedling storage box are moved to one side by vibration during transportation. Even if it moves, the state where the stem of the crop seedling is pressed in a state orthogonal to the lateral wall of the seedling storage box does not occur, and the stem of the crop seedling does not break. Further, since the root of the crop seedling is located at the bottom of the seedling storage box, the root of the crop seedling is not easily dried.

[IV] According to the feature of claim 2, similar to the case of claim 1, the "action" described in the above [I] and [III] is provided, and in addition to this, the following "action" It has. Claim 2
In the feature, the power of the common power source is transmitted to the feeding mechanism and the pressing mechanism, and the pressing mechanism performs the pressing operation in conjunction with the feeding operation of the feeding mechanism. When it is sent to the seedling storage box from above, the pressing mechanism always performs the pressing operation. Thereby, when the crop seedling is sent from the feeding mechanism to the seedling storage box, the fed crop seedling is pressed against the predetermined wall portion side of the seedling storage box without delay by the pressing mechanism. The crop seedlings do not stay near the delivery section of the crop seedlings. In this case, the power of the common power source is transmitted to the feeding mechanism and the pressing mechanism,
Since this power source is used for both the feeding mechanism and the pressing mechanism, it is not necessary to provide a structure such as a power source dedicated to the feeding mechanism and a power source dedicated to the pressing mechanism.

[0011]

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, it is possible to obtain an apparatus for packing crop seedlings in the seedling storage box in which the seedlings can be packed at a substantially uniform density. It has become possible to prevent the harmful effects of not being packed at the density (such as the occurrence of a lack of stock during the planting operation and the variation in the number of plant seedlings planted).
Thereby, the planting accuracy of the crop seedling by the seedling transplanter can be improved.

The crop seedling box packing apparatus according to the first and second aspects is configured so that the crop seedlings are packed in the seedling storage box in a standing posture with the root part down, so that the stem part of the crop seedling is broken or the root part is short. Because of the lack of drying, the harmful effects of broken stems and dried roots of crop seedlings (such as reduced survival rate and adverse effects on sprout growth) can be prevented beforehand. , The yield can be improved.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the pressing mechanism performs the pressing operation in conjunction with the feeding operation of the feeding mechanism so that the fed seedlings can be securely stored without stagnation. Since it is configured to be pressed against the predetermined wall of the box, it is more advantageous in that the seedling storage boxes are filled with the crop seedlings at a substantially uniform density.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the power of the common power source is transmitted to the feeding mechanism and the pressing mechanism so that the pressing mechanism performs the pressing operation in conjunction with the feeding operation of the feeding mechanism. The seedling storage box is packed so that the seedlings can be packed at a substantially uniform density because the seedling storage box is configured to be surely pressed against the predetermined wall side of the seedling storage box without stagnation. This is even more advantageous in terms of going out. In this case, the power of the common power source is transmitted to the feeding mechanism and the pressing mechanism, and the power source is also used for both the feeding mechanism and the pressing mechanism, which is advantageous in terms of simplifying the structure. Become.

[0015]

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG.
FIG. 2 shows a box packing device for rush seedlings (corresponding to crop seedlings). This box packing device separates a mother plant W of rush seedlings grown from a seed plant into approximately one rush seedling for planting, and then transfers the separated planting rush seedlings to a seedling transplanter (shown in the figure). ) Are automatically packed into the transporting seedling storage box 1 for supply.

On the substantially horizontal mounting surface of the belt conveyor 2 (corresponding to a support mechanism), a seedling storage box 1 for storing rush seedlings in a standing posture with the root portion downward is provided. The seedling storage box 1 is movably supported while being provided with a predetermined resistance. A frictional resistance is applied to a rotation supporting portion of the belt winding pulley 3 in the belt conveyor 2 so that the belt conveyor 2 does not rotate freely. Seedlings are formed on locking projections 4 formed on the belt conveyor 2. The storage box 1 is abutted, and the seedling storage box 1 is placed so as to prevent relative movement with respect to the belt conveyor 2.

A stock splitting unit 7 for loosening and processing the mother plant W of rush seedlings on the support 6 in an oblique posture and separating them into approximately one rush seedling for planting, and a conveyance for pinching and conveying the separated rush seedlings Section 8
And are provided. The stock dividing unit 7 includes a pair of left and right endless rotating bands 9a and 9b opposed to each other in a C-shape in plan view, and a needle-like member 10 protruding outward on the outer peripheral surface of the endless rotating bands 9a and 9b. Many are installed in two rows along the circumferential direction,
The endless rotating bands 9a and 9b are configured to rotate from the wide carry-in port 11 toward the narrow delivery port 12 side.

As a result, the needle-like member 10 sequentially enters the root portion of the mother plant W of the rush seedlings fed from the carry-in port 11, and the left and right endless rotating bands 9 a and 9 b near the delivery port 12.
When the needle-shaped member 10 is separated outwardly in an arc shape, the root portion of the mother plant W is torn, loosened and separated into approximately one plant, and the separated plant is sent out. To go.

The transport section 8 includes a pair of left and right endless rotating belts 13.
a, 13b (corresponding to a feeding mechanism) so that the stems of the separated rush seedlings are nipped and conveyed, and the conveyance start ends of the endless rotating belts 13a, 13b are partially connected to the stock division 7 in plan view. They are arranged in an overlapping state so that the separated rush seedlings can be smoothly delivered. The stock dividing section 7 and the transport section 8 are configured to be rotationally driven by power from an electric motor M (corresponding to a power source) via a transmission chain 14.

As shown in FIG. 1, the endless rotating belt 13
The terminal ends of a and 13b face the inside of the seedling storage box 1, and the terminal end of the support base 6 that supports the rush seedlings extends into the seedling storage box 1. Below the end of the support 6, the rush seedlings fed into the seedling storage box 1 from the endless rotating belts 13 a, 13 b and the support 6 are transferred to the wall 15 on one end side of the seedling storage 1 (a predetermined wall portion). ) Is provided with an extruding tool 16 (corresponding to a pressing mechanism) for pushing out toward the side.

The extruding device 16 is swingably supported around the horizontal axis X at the end of the support base 6, and the extruding device 16 is connected to a crank arm 18 provided on a driving shaft 17 on the starting end side of the transport section 8. And a push-pull rod 19 for interlocking connection. As a result, the extruder 16 is driven to swing back and forth around the horizontal axis X at a predetermined pitch in conjunction with the rotation operation of the transporting unit 8, and the rush seedlings sent into the seedling storage box 1 are moved to the seedling storage box 1. Is pushed out toward the wall portion 15 side.

In the vicinity of the end portions of the endless rotating belts 13a and 13b, a U-shaped receiving member 20 for receiving and supporting the stem portion of the fed rush seedling extends from the support base 6 in a plan view. The root of the rush seedling enters the bottom of the seedling storage box 1 so that the rush seedling is in a standing posture while the stem of the rush seedling sent from the transport unit 8 is received by the receiving device 20. Will be guided to.

As the rush seedlings are packed into the seedling storage box 1 as described above, the wall 15 of the seedling storage box 1 is pushed out by the pushing tool 16 indirectly via the rush seedlings. In other words, the pushing force of the pushing tool 16 causes the seedling storage box 1 to gradually move against the resistance of the belt conveyor 2. As a result, the seedling storage box 1 is packed with rush seedlings at a substantially uniform density.

In the claims, reference numerals are provided to facilitate comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in the accompanying drawings.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall side view of a box packing device.

FIG. 2 is an overall front view of the box packing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 seedling storage box 2 support mechanism 13a, 13b feeding mechanism 15 predetermined wall portion of seedling storage box 16 pressing mechanism M power source

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A feeding mechanism (13a) for feeding a crop seedling to a seedling storage box (1) in a standing posture with a root portion down.
b) pressing the crop seedlings fed from the feeding mechanisms (13a) and (13b) into the seedling storage box (1) toward a predetermined wall (15) side of the seedling storage box (1). And a pressing mechanism (16) that performs the pressing operation so that the pressing mechanism (16) performs the pressing operation in conjunction with the feeding operation of the feeding mechanisms (13a) and (13b). (13b) and a pressing mechanism (16) are provided, and a supporting mechanism (2) for movably supporting the seedling storage box (1) along a pressing direction of the pressing mechanism (16) is provided. The crop seedling sent into the seedling storage box (1) in the standing posture is pressed against the predetermined wall portion (15) side of the seedling storage box (1) by the pressing mechanism (16). By moving the seedling storage box (1) along the pressing direction, An apparatus for packing crop seedlings configured to pack crop seedlings into the seedling storage box (1). 2. A feeding mechanism (13a), (13) for feeding a crop seedling into a seedling storage box (1) in a standing posture with a root part down.
b) pressing the crop seedlings fed from the feeding mechanisms (13a) and (13b) into the seedling storage box (1) toward a predetermined wall (15) side of the seedling storage box (1). And a pressing mechanism (16) for performing the power of the common power source (M).
a) and (13b) and the pressing mechanism (16), and the pressing mechanism (16) performs a pressing operation in conjunction with the feeding operation of the feeding mechanisms (13a) and (13b); A support mechanism (2) for movably supporting the seedling storage box (1) along the pressing direction of the pressing mechanism (16) is provided. The seedling storage box (1) is pushed along the pressing direction by pressing the fed plant seedling toward the predetermined wall portion (15) side of the seedling storage box (1) by the pressing mechanism (16). An apparatus for packing crop seedlings, wherein the seedlings are packed in the seedling storage box (1) while being moved.