JP2843724B2 - 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]

A feature of the present invention resides in that a boxing apparatus for crop seedlings is configured as follows. A feed mechanism for feeding the crop seedlings into the seedling storage box in a standing position with the root part down, and the right and left side walls of the seedling storage box for the crop seedlings fed into the seedling storage box from the crop seedling delivery section of the feed mechanism. A sorting mechanism for alternately sorting the seedlings into the seedling storage box from the sending section, a pressing mechanism for pressing the crop seedling toward a predetermined wall of the seedling storage box, and a seedling along the pressing direction of the pressing mechanism. And a support mechanism for movably supporting the storage box, wherein the pressing mechanism presses the crop seedling sent into the seedling storage box in a standing posture with the root portion downward toward a predetermined wall side of the seedling storage box. By doing so, the crop seedlings are packed in the seedling storage box while moving the seedling storage box along the pressing direction.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the seedlings are fed into the seedling storage box by the feeding mechanism in a standing posture with the root part down, and the crop seedlings sent to the seedling storage box perform reciprocating operation. The pressing mechanism pushes the seedling storage box 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] In the delivery section for crop seedlings of the delivery mechanism according to the first aspect, the width of the delivery section is generally narrower than the width of the seedling storage box, and the delivery section is formed on the left and right sides of the seedling storage box. Generally, it is arranged in the center. In this case, when the seedlings are fed into the seedling storage box from the sending section, the crop seedlings gather at the center of the left and right sides of the seedling storage box, and the crop seedlings hardly go to the right and left side walls of the seedling storage box. Become a trend.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, if a distribution mechanism for alternately distributing crop seedlings sent from the delivery section to the seedling storage box to the right and left side walls of the seedling storage box is provided, It is possible to prevent the tendency of the collected seedlings to gather at the center of the left and right sides of the seedling storage box, and to send the seedlings to substantially all regions in the width direction of the seedling storage box.

[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.

[0010]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain an apparatus for packing crop seedlings into the seedling storage box at a substantially uniform density. It is now possible to prevent the harmful effects of not being packed (such as occurrence of missing stocks during planting work and variation in the number of plant seedlings planted). Thereby, the planting accuracy of the crop seedling by the seedling transplanter can be improved.

According to the crop seedling box packing apparatus of claim 1,
Even if the sent seedlings tend to gather at the center of the left and right sides of the seedling storage box, the sorting mechanism allows the seedlings to be sent substantially uniformly to almost all areas in the width direction of the seedling storage box. With the pressing mechanism, the crop seedlings can be pressed against the predetermined wall side of the seedling storage box, and the crop seedlings can be packed at a uniform density even in the width direction of the seedling storage box. The planting accuracy of crop seedlings can be further improved.

In the crop seedling packing apparatus according to the first aspect, the crop seedlings are packed in the seedling storage box in a standing posture with the roots down, and the stems of the crop seedlings are broken or the roots are immediately dried. This will prevent the harmful effects of broken stems and dried roots of crop seedlings (such as a decrease in survival rate and adverse effects on the growth of shoots). Rate can be improved.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, in the case of a box packing device for rush seedlings m, which is an example of crop seedlings. FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show a box packing device, a work table A on which a mother stock M is placed on one end, and a mother stock M to be sent.
Is divided into rush seedlings m and sent downward, and a box packing part C for sending rush seedlings m sent from the stocking part B into the seedling storage box 1 and packing them. As shown in FIG. 1, the worktable A is moved downward and oscillated as shown in FIG. 3 by swinging around a fulcrum V in a front-rear direction, and as shown in FIG. The posture can be freely changed to the posture.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, the stock dividing section B includes a front transport mechanism 4 composed of upper and lower front belts 2a and 3a.
The front transfer section Hf for pre-treating the roots and stems of the mother stock M while holding the mother stock M in the position a, and the left and right rear belts 2b and 3b for the mother stock M delivered from the front transfer section Hf. And a rear transport section Hr for nipping and transporting by the rear transport mechanism 4b. The front belts 2a, 3a and the rear belts 2b, 3b are constituted by a series of rubber belts 2, 3 (corresponding to a feeding mechanism). It is configured integrally.

As a result, there is provided a transport device 4 which transports the mother plant M between the pair of rubber belts 2 and 3 which are opposed to each other, while holding the mother plant M in an obliquely inclined posture in which the stem is higher than the root. A splitting device 5 that acts on the roots of the mother plant M conveyed by the conveying device 4 and forcibly disentangles and disperses the roots.
The supply unit 6 for containing the mother plant M is formed at the start end of the transport device 4, and the discharge unit 7 (corresponding to the sending unit) of the separated rush seedlings m is formed at the end portion of the transport device 4.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG.
Rubber belt 2, which is composed of a large number of pulleys
3 form a curved transport path W to obtain a favorable transport state. The transport path W by the transport device 4 is formed in a substantially L-shape by a horizontal path ws, an oblique path wn, and a vertical path wt, and is expanded and displaced. Lower right rubber belt 3 extended to the side
As a result, a supply section 6 of the pre-treated mother strain M is formed, and a discharge section 7 of rush seedlings m separated into approximately one stock is formed at a pair of rolling wheels 12 at the lowermost end. ing.

As shown in FIGS.
Root-cutting cutter 13 and stem-cutting cutter 14 for trimming the roots and stems of the mother plant M are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the transport device 4 in s, and are divided from the oblique path wn to the vertical path wt. The device 5 is arranged. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, upper and lower guide rods 11 are provided at the portion of the stalk cutter 14, and the upper guide rod 11 is lower than the lower guide rod 11 so that the cut stem can easily fall off. Projecting.

As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, the dividing device 5
It comprises a root transport mechanism 5A composed of lower belts 15, 16 with a pair of left and right locking projections 21, and a dividing mechanism 5B for reciprocating the holding claw 24 and the separation claw 25 acting on the root. In the root conveying mechanism 5A, an upper carry-in port 19 in which the opposing interval between the lower belts 15, 16 is widened upward, and a straight path portion 20 in which the opposing interval between the lower belts 15, 16 is narrow and straight, are formed. The lower belts 15 and 16 are arranged opposite to each other. The lower belts 15 and 16 are pinched and conveyed by the conveying device 4 while holding the root of the mother M fed into the upper carry-in port 19. The root portion is configured to be conveyed downward while being crushed flat and deformed.

The splitting mechanism 5B is to enter the root from the lower side of the deformed mother plant M in the straight path portion 20 to forcibly separate it into approximately one plant rush seedling m, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the notch 2 formed in the
3, the holding claws 24 that enter the root of the mother M in advance and hold the mother M, and are arranged on the lower side in the feed direction of the holding claws 24, and A separation mechanism 5B is constituted by the separation claw 25 that enters by pushing.

One end of the holding claw 24 and the separation claw 25 is pivotally supported by the crank arms 26 and 27, and the swing arm 2
8, 29, and the crank arms 26, 27
With the rotation of, the tips of the holding claws 24 and the separating claws 25 make an elliptical movement, and the root of the mother plant M is scraped off by approximately one plant rush seedling m. The separation claw 25 is composed of two claw bodies 25a, 25b arranged in parallel in a direction intersecting the feed direction of the mother M, and the tearing action of the claw bodies 25a, 25b approximates the shearing action. , So that a reasonable separation can be performed.
As shown in FIG. 7 and FIGS.
Each bearing part for constituting B and each bearing part of the extrusion device E described later are fixed to a pair of support plates 49, and are configured to have sufficient support strength.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 7, the discharge unit 7 is provided with a locking bar 30 for receiving and supporting the stem of the rush seedling m that is sent down from the transport device 4 and falls downward. 7
The guide bar 31 has a tip-spreading shape that extends from a narrower leading end guide portion 31a corresponding to the lateral width of the seedling storage box 1 toward a wider leading end guide portion 31b corresponding to the lateral width of the seedling storage box 1. Oblique path wn and vertical path wt in stock division B
Is covered by the cover 18.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the boxed portion C
A guide rail 32 (corresponding to a support mechanism) provided on the machine frame D, a trolley 33 (corresponding to a support mechanism) for placing one seedling storage box for moving the guide rail 32, and a rush plant m from the discharge unit 7 It is provided with an extruding device E that presses toward the front wall 1c (corresponding to a predetermined wall) of the seedling storage box 1 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 10, the guide rail 32 is a pair of left and right front rails 32 fixed to the machine frame D.
a and a single rear rail 32b. The front rail 32a is pivotally connected, and when not in use, the pivot point P
The front rail 32a is configured to be able to be folded and housed upward and held by the lock pieces 35 in the housed posture.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, a pair of front rollers 36 corresponding to the front rail 32a is provided at the front of the carriage 33.
And a single rear roller 41 corresponding to the rear rail 32b is provided at the rear of the carriage 33, and the carriage 33 is supported at three points. A pair of brake rollers 42 that are swingable around the vertical fulcrum X are provided in a state of being biased by a spring, and the pair of brake rollers 42 presses and holds the rear rail 32b, thereby preventing the carriage 33 from moving. A brake mechanism is provided to provide light resistance. As shown in FIG. 7, the seedling storage box 1 is a box body having no top surface and no rear wall, and the shutter plates 1a are left and right so as to become the rear wall after the rush grass m is packed. It is configured to be able to be inserted and mounted over the side wall portion 1b.

FIGS. 7, 10, 11 (a) and (b), and FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 3C, the pushing device E includes an upper pressing portion 34 (corresponding to a pressing mechanism) having a width substantially the same as the width of the seedling storage box 1 and having a pointed shape in plan view. And a reciprocating movement mechanism 38 for reciprocatingly driving the pressing portion 34 and the distributing portion 37 in the pressing direction and the opposite direction of the rush seedling m, and a lower distributing portion 37 (corresponding to a distributing mechanism).
A swing mechanism 3 for swinging the distributing unit 37 around the vertical axis Y with the movement of the distributing unit 37 in the pressing direction.
9 is provided in the extrusion device E.

The reciprocating mechanism 38 includes a support arm 45 for supporting the pressing portion 34 and the distributing portion 37 and a front link 43.
And a four-link mechanism with the rear link 44,
By connecting the front link 43 and the upper rotating body 17 with a rod, the pressing portion 34 and the distributing portion 37 are continuously reciprocated back and forth. The swing mechanism 39 has a cam structure including a rotating wheel 47 driven by a geared motor 46, and an arm member 48 connecting the projection 47 a of the rotating wheel 47 and the distribution unit 37. The arm member 48 includes a short arm 48a pivotally connected to the protrusion 47a, and a torsion arm 48b pivotally connected to the distribution portion 37 at the vertical axis Z.
It consists of.

With the above structure, the pressing portion 34 and the distributing portion 37 are swung toward the pressing side of the rush seedling m by the reciprocating movement mechanism 38, and the distributing portion 37 is swung right or left in the pressed state. It is the sorting unit 3
The driving speed of the geared motor 46 and the driving speed of the reciprocating movement mechanism 38 are set so that the swing direction of the head 7 is alternately turned to the left and right each time it is pressed. As shown in FIG. 2, a micro switch 40 is provided at the rear end of the guide rail 32, and when the seedling storage box 1 moves until it contacts the micro switch 40, the pushing device E is configured to stop. I have.

Next, the operation flow of the box packing device will be described. First, the parent M is artificially fed into the supply unit 6 of the transport device 4. The mother plant M conveyed by the conveying device 4 is separated into approximately one rush seedling m by the action of the root conveying mechanism 5A and the splitting mechanism 5B. It is sent to.

The rush seedlings m are smoothly fed into the seedling storage box 1 by the guiding action of the pair of guide bars 31 while being changed from the inclined position to the standing position with the root portion down by the locking bar 30, and distributed. Rush grass m by part 37
Are distributed to the right and left lateral wall portions 1b of the seedling storage box 1, and the pressing portion 34 presses the rush seedlings m toward the front wall portion 1c of the seedling storage box 1.

As described above, the trolley 33 on which the seedling storage box 1 is placed is moved forward by the pressing of the pressing portion 34 via the rush seedlings m, so that the rush seedlings m are stored in the seedling storage box 1. It is packed. The above-described brake mechanism regulates the carriage 33 from moving more than necessary by the pressing of the pressing portion 34,
This is to enable the rush plant m to be packed in the seedling storage box 1 at a substantially uniform density without any gap.

[Other Embodiments] As the extruding device E, both the pressing portion 34 and the distributing portion 37 may be configured in a swing structure, or may be configured to include one pressing portion 34 in the swing structure. good.

In the claims, reference numerals are provided for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in the attached drawings.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

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

FIG. 3 is a front view showing the internal structure of the box packing device.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the vicinity of the transfer device.

FIG. 5 is a vertical front view of the vicinity of a root cutting and stem cutting cutter.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the vicinity of the dividing device.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the lower portion of the box packing device.

FIG. 8 is a side view showing the operation of the dividing mechanism.

FIG. 9 is a front view showing an arrangement state of a holding claw and a separation claw of the dividing mechanism.

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional front view of the vicinity of the box packing portion.

FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the vicinity of a pressing portion.

FIG. 12 is a plan view showing the vicinity of a distribution unit.

[Description of Signs] 1 Seedling storage box 1c Predetermined wall of seedling storage box 2, 3 Feeding mechanism 7 Crop seedling sending-out part of feeding mechanism 32, 33 Supporting mechanism 34 Pressing mechanism 37 Distributing mechanism m Cropling

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Yoshiyoshi Nakagawa 64, Ishizukitamachi, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture Inside Kubota Sakai Works Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-48-75311 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) A01C 1/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] Crop seedlings (m) in a standing position with the roots down
Mechanism (2) for feeding the seedlings into the seedling storage box (1),
(3) and feeding of the seedlings (m) of the feeding mechanisms (2) and (3)
It is sent to the seedling storage box (1) from the outlet (7).
The seedlings (m) to the right and left sides of the seedling storage box (1).
A sorting mechanism (3) for alternately sorting to the wall (1b) side
7), and sent from the sending section (7) to the seedling storage box (1).
The seedlings (m) are placed on a predetermined wall of the seedling storage box (1).
A pressing mechanism (34) for pressing toward the part (1c) side; and the seedling storage box along a pressing direction of the pressing mechanism (34).
Support mechanisms (32), (3) for movably supporting (1)
3) and sent into the seedling storage box (1) in a standing posture with the root part down.
The cropped seedlings (m) are moved forward by the pressing mechanism (34).
Pressed toward the predetermined wall (1c) side of the seedling storage box (1)
To move the seedling storage box (1) in the pressing direction.
Move the crop seedlings (m)
Box packing of crop seedlings configured to be packed in (1)
Place.