NL2019298B1 - Plant potting machine having a spacer insert provided at a swing arm. - Google Patents

Abstract

A plant potting machine comprises a transporter (7) with plant pot holders (2) for holding and transporting plant pots (1), a loading station (LS), a filling station (FS), an unloading station (US), and one or more spacer inserts (14). Each spacer insert is moveable back and forth between a starting position outside the plant pots and an operative position inside an upper part of one of the plant pots for creating a plant insertion recess (27) by being kept free from the substrate material during a filling of the plant pot with substrate material. Each spacer insert is provided at a free end of a swing arm (10), such that the spacer insert is movable along a curved track back and forth between the starting position and the operative position by a ti|ting movement of the swing arm around a hinge connection (11).

Description

Netherlands Patent Office © 2019298 (2?) Application number: 2019298 © Application filed: July 20, 2017 © B1 OCTROOI

Int. Cl .:

A01G9 / 08 (2017.01)

0 Application registered: © Patent holder (s): 12 February 2019 Joost Arie de Jong in HONSELERSDIJK. 0 Request published: - © Inventor (s): Joost Arie de Jong in HONSELERSDIJK. © Patent granted: 12 February 2019 © Authorized representative: © Patent issued: ir. J.C. Volmer et al. In Rijswijk. May 14, 2019

© Plant potting machine with a spacer insert provided with a swing arm.

A plant potting machine comprises a transporter (7) with plant pot holders (2) for holding and transporting plant pots (1), a loading station (LS), a filling station (FS), an unloading station (US), and one or more spacer inserts (14). Each spacer insert is moveable back and forth between a starting position outside the, ,,.,.,, ,,,. ,,,., Plant pots and an operative position inside an upper / '''' part of one of the plant pots for creating aplant ^; U> i U> i »ji ss insertion recess (27) by being kept free from the. ' ^{: ί} ib ··. / (.., substrate material during a filling of the plant pot with substrate material. Each spacer insert is provided at a free end of a swing arm (10), such a spacer insert is movable along a curved track back and forth between the starting position and the operative position by a tilting movement or the swing arm around a hinge connection (11).

NL B1 2019298

This patent has been granted regardless of the attached result of the research into the state of the art and written opinion. The patent corresponds to the documents originally submitted.

P33123NL00 / RR

Title: Plant potting machine with a spacer insert provided with a swing arm.

The invention relates to the field of plant potting machines, in particular plant potting machines for the potting of plants that have first been grown in pre-shaped substrate plugs.

Those substrate plugs for example are made of peat and coconut material which is pressed and glued together in a cylindrical or truncated cone shape. After a few months, when young plants have grown big enough inside the plugs, they need to be potted over into larger plant pots. This can be done by placing them into suitably created recesses in substrate material inside plant pots.

US 2003/0070352 discloses a plant potting machine for automatically having plant pots filled with soil into which thereafter recesses are drilled by means of a drilling system. A complementary shaped plug with a plant having bone grown therein, then can easily and quickly be potted inside the recess. During the filling and drilling, the plant pots are moved at constant speed along a transportation path of the machine. Since the drilling system is provided at a fixed location along the transportation path, the downwards drilling motion or needs to be synchronized with the continuous motion or the plant pots along the transportation path. This is achieved by having a drilling bit of the drilling system each time move in an arcuate orbit above a moving plant pot. Thus the drilling bit performs a simultaneous horizontal and vertical movement into and out of contact with the soil that has been filled in that plant pot.

A disadvantage hereof is that this synchronization mechanism is complex and expensive and the speed at which the plant pots can be transported during the filling and drilling. Another disadvantage is that for some types of substrate material it is difficult if not to say impossible to drill recesses therein. This goes in particular for coarse and hard bark pieces that are used as substrate material for epiphyte plants such as orchids, in particular Phalaenopsis orchids.

In free nature, epiphytes are plants that grow on host plants, such as trees, while deriving their moisture and nutrients from the air and rain by means of aerial roots. In present-day cultivation practice, adult epiphyte plants are for example grown inside plant pots which are filled with a light open-textured, coarse grained substrate material such as bark. Thus it can be guaranteed that the air roots get properly aerated and do not remain constant law, while at the same time the epiphyte plant can get enough support. Before being potted in the bark, young epiphyte plants are first grown for a couple of months under controlled conditions inside glasshouses.

-2NL-2000900 discloses a carousel potting machine that is specifically designed for potting Phalaenopsis orchids, and for that has a variety of plant pot holding positions that are moved in continuous motion along a circular transportation path or a transporter. Each plant pot holding position is equipped with a vertically movable operable plant gripping arm for gripping and positioning a young orchid plant into a plant pot. Furthermore, each plant pot holding position is equipped with vertically interspaced operable funnels between which bark can be guided to flow into the plant pot. The gripping arms and funnels are connected to the transporter at the locations of the plant pot holding positions such that move along therewith along the circular transportation path. During operation of this machine, personnel is standing in front of it such that they can pick a young orchid plant manually and place it in an opened gripping arm with its air roots hanging freely downwardly. After that the gripping arm gets to perform an automated linear downwards movement for positioning the young orchid plant with its air roots in an upper part of the plant pot. Sub-much bark or other suitable type or substrate material can be guided to flow underneath the leaves of the young orchid plant into the plant pot around the air roots. During this filling the lower one of the funnels is made to vibrate in order to compact the bark during the filling into the plant pot.

A disadvantage with this carousel potting machine is that there is limited working space for the personnel. For example, the vertically movable gripping arms and their operating mechanisms stand in the way of being able to place trays with supplies or plants at positions in front of the personnel. Another disadvantage is that the vulnerable air roots and leaves may easily get damaged while placing in the gripping arm, as well as during the positioning in the upper part of the plant pot as well as during the filling of the plant pot with the bark. Also the vibrating and / or a removal of the gripping arm and funnels at the end of the filling process may lead to a damaging of the plant.

It is noted that nowadays with the growing of young epiphyte plants more and more use is made of the above-mentioned pre-shaped plugs. For this the potting machine or NL2000900 has recently been modified in that the vertically movable operable gripping arms have been replaced with vertically movable spacer inserts. Each spacer insert is moveable up and down between an upper position above a plant pot that is a hero in its plant pot holding position and a lower position inside an upper part of that plant pot. The operation of the machine is such that the spacer insert is moved towards its operative position preceding a starting of the filling of that plant pot with bark, and for keeping the spacer insert in its operative position during the filling of the plant pot with the bark . Because of this an aimed plant plug insertion recess is automatically kept free from the bark during the filling.

A disadvantage hereof that there is still limited working space for the personnel. The vertically movable spacer inserts and their operating mechanisms stand in the way of

-3being able to place trays with supplies of young epiphyte plants above the transportation path at positions in front of the personnel. Such trays therefore need to be placed sideways of the personnel, which is dangerous because the personnel then each time needs to take their eyes or the constantly moving transporter with its plant pot holding positions with their spacer insert / funnel operating mechanisms. Also the sideways placing of the trays is not ergonomic for the personnel because they now each need to make a turn for being able to pick a new young plant. Furthermore the placing of the trays sideways of the personnel limits the total number of personnel that can take place along the potting machine. Furthermore, the spacer inserts, the funnels and their operating mechanisms, position in the way of the personnel being able to easily and quickly place a young epiphyte plant with its plug into the created recess. The chances are big during this placing, the young and vulnerable epiphyte plants are accidentally bumped against one of the spacer inserts, the funnels or their operating mechanisms.

The present invention aims to overcome one or more or the abovementioned disadvantages or to provide a usable alternative. In particular the present invention aims to provide a user-friendly and cost-efficient plant potting machine that is able to create stable plant insertion recesses in plant pots filled with substrate material while allowing plants to be easily and quickly placed therein either manually or in an automated manner without getting damaged.

This aim is achieved by the plant potting machine according to claim 1. The machine comprises a first transporter with plant pot holders for holding and transporting plant pots in a transport direction along a transport path, a loading station for loading empty plant pots to the transporter , a filling station for filling the plant pots with substrate material, and an unloading station for unloading filled plant pots from the transporter. The machine further comprises one or more spacer inserts, each spacer insert being moveable back and forth between a starting position outside the plant pots and an operative position inside an upper part of one of the plant pots. Thus the spacer insert can be moved forth towards its operative position preceding a starting of the filling of that plant pot with substrate material, then the spacer insert can be kept in its operative position during a filling of the plant pot with the substrate material, and continue the spacer insert can be moved back towards its starting position. In this way a plant insertion recess gets created by being kept free from the substrate material during the filling of the plant pot with substrate material. According to the inventive thought each spacer insert is provided at a free end of a swing arm, such that the spacer insert is movable along a curved track back and forth between the starting position and the operative position by a tilting movement or the swing arm around a hinge connection.

-4The invention thus is able to provide a plant potting machine that is economic to build, that requires minimum maintenance, and that is reliable during operation. It advantageously makes it possible to offer lots of working space for personnel or for other equipment to be provided along the transportation path. The space directly above the plant pot no longer needs to be occupied by an operating mechanism for the spacer insert and / or the spacer insert itself. Instead the spacer insert can now any time easily and efficiently be swung to its starting position in which the spacer is inserted in particular sideways of the plant insertion recess, and in particular at least partly sideways of the plant pot holder by means of the tilting movement or the swing arm. This offers some important benefits.

For example it makes it possible to place trays with supplies or plants to be potted, above the transporter at workplace positions along the transporter in front of personnel. This in turn makes it possible to offer more ergonomic and safer workplaces for the personnel. The personnel no longer need any time to bend or turn sideways for picking a new plant, and, more importantly, no longer need to take their eyes off the transporter, and other movable parts of the machine.

Furthermore, a larger number of personnel can now take place side-by-side along the plant potting machine, which makes it possible to further optimize and increase its operating speed. As soon as the spacer insert has tasks in its operative position, the space above the plant pot is immediately freely available again for performing a next action. This next action for example can be the filling of the plant pot with substrate material. This can now be advantageously done straight from above. No operating mechanism stands in the way of this.

After the filling has been completed, and with the spacer insert still in its operative position, the freely available space above the plant pot, can for example be used to mechanically remove excess substrate material or the top of the plant pot. This is particularly advantageous because, since the spacer insert is still in place, the excess substrate material thus cannot accidentally fall inside the plant insertion recess during its removal.

The freely available space above the plant pot can also advantageously be used for a safe, quick and reliable placing of a plant with for example its roots having grown inside a substrate plug into the created plant insertion recess as soon as the spacer insert has been moved back to its starting position. This is particularly advantageous because the free space above the plant pot now makes it possible that the plants can be more quickly and easily placed manually into the created plant insertion recess, without running the risk of the plant getting accidentally damaged during this placing. The freely available space above the plant

-5pot equally makes it possible to have the placing of the plant into the created plant insertion recess performed by means of an automated gripping arm or the like.

In a preferred embodiment the spacer insert may have a lower portion that is gradually decreasing in the cross-section, in particular such that during a back movement of the spacer insert from its operative position towards its starting position along the curved track, the lower portion of the spacer insert does not get pushed against substrate material that delimits the created recess. Thus it is prevented that the created plant insertion recess collapses again during the combined upwards and sideways removal of the spacer insert.

In the alternative or in addition thereto a displacement mechanism can be provided for displacing or having displaced a plant pot that is loaded to a plant pot that is substantially perpendicular to the transportation direction during a back movement of the spacer insert from its operative position towards its starting position along the curved track, in particular such that during a back movement of the spacer insert from its operative position towards its starting position along the curved track, a lower portion of the spacer insert does not get to push against substrate material that delimits the created recess. Thus also it can be prevented that the created plant insertion recess collapses again during the combined upwards and sideways removal of the spacer insert.

Preferably the swing arm is tiltable over an angle or at least 90 degrees during its tilting movement for moving the spacer insert back and forth between the starting position and operative position. Thus stable positions can be formed in which gravity helps to keep the swing arm with its spacer insert in both the starting and operative positions.

In an embodiment the hinge connection of the swing arm can be positioned sideways of the plant pot holder, in particular at a below or an upper edge of a plant pot loaded into one of the plant pot holders, more in particular with the swing arm in the operative position extending at or below the level of the upper edge of the plant pot. Thus the freely available space above the plant pot gets further maximized for performing the other child of actions, like for example the earlier mentioned mechanical removing or excess substrate material or the manual / automated placing of plants into the recesses.

In another embodiment the hinge connection can be positioned at a distance or at least 80 mm from a center axis of the spacer insert. Thus it has appeared that the curved path along which the spacer insert gets moved does not get negatively influence the creating of the plant insertion recess too much, while also sufficient leverage is provided.

A wiping element, like a brush, can be provided that is moveable over the upper edge of an already filled plant pot with the spacer insert still kept in its operative position inside that plant pot. Advantageously this wiping element can now be moved horizontally over the upper plant pot without bumping against the swing arm.

-6It is possible to provide one or more swing arms with spacer inserts at a fixed location along the transportation path, in particular there where the filling station is provided. The swing arm then any time that a new empty plant pot arrives at the filling station can be tilted forth for having its spacer insert move towards its operative position inside the empty plant pot, and, after filling of that plant pot with substrate material has been completed, can be tilted back for having its spacer insert move back towards its starting position while leaving behind the plant insertion recess inside the substrate material. For this embodiment of an intermittent transport of the plant pots along the filling station is necessary.

Preferably however a variety of swing arms are provided that are movable in the transportation direction co-along with the first transporter along at least part of the transportation path including along the filling station. This moving of the swing arms co-along with the plant pot holders in particular can be obtained by having them hingedly connected directly or indirectly to the first transporter. In that case for each or the plant pot holders an own respective swing arm is provided. In the alternative the various or swing arms can also be hingedly connected directly or indirectly to a second transporter that extends along at least part of the first transporter and that is movable at a same speed as the first transporter. In that case it is also possible to provide a reduced number of swing arms, namely only for a limited number of the plant pot holders. Thus individually operable swing arms with spacer inserts are provided, that automatically get to move along with a plant pot while this plant pot gets moved along and filled at the filling station. This makes it possible to have the machine operate at a constant high operating speed.

The first and / or second transporter may be an endless conveyor, in particular a chain, to which the plant pot holders and / or swing arms are connected at spaced intervals.

Owing to the freely available space above the plant pots, guide elements for guiding downwardly falling substrate material into the plant pots now can advantageously remain positioned fixedly at the location of the filling station. Those guide elements do not have to move along with the transporter (s) and its swing arms and thus do not have to be provided for each individual plant pot position. Even with spacer inserts in their operative positions, the plant pot holders with the plant pots loaded therein are well able to get moved underneath such fixedly provided guide elements of the filling station.

Furthermore, the swing arms moving along with the transporter (s) make it possible to provide common operating mechanisms for tilting the swing arms down or up at fixed locations along the transportation path. It is not necessary to provide individual operating mechanisms that need to be moved along with the transporter. This helps to build the machine cost-efficiently, simple and less vulnerable, while also requiring less maintenance. For example the operating mechanisms can be formed by simple stoppers / guiders against

-7which the swing arm gets to automatically bump during its moving in the transportation direction, and which stoppers / guides are shaped to force the swing arm to automatically start to tilt back or forth. In particular the stoppers / guides may include one or more curved rod-shaped guides that extend at fixed locations along the transportation path such that an operating arm that is connected to the swing arm, during a moving arm of the transportation direction, is forced to follow a curvature of the rod-shaped guide while forcing the swing arm to start tilting downwards or upwards.

The moving of the spacer inserts back and forth between their operative and starting positions can also be done manually.

A vibrator can be provided for compacting substrate material inside the plant pot around the spacer insert during and / or after filling, while the spacer insert is still kept in its operative position. This vibrator can be positioned such that it gets to act directly onto the plant pot and / or plant pot holder for having the entire plant pot vibrate. This helps to compact the substrate material to such a high degree that the plant insertion recess gets truly stably formed.

Advantageously the transporter partly defines a linear transportation path along which at least some of the loading, filling and unloading stations are positioned. Thus, with efficient use of floor space, large numbers of plant pots can be handled, if necessary with personnel standing side by side along the machine for placing the plants into the created plant insertion recesses. Also more space can be created for performing other types of actions, like for example the abovementioned vibrating. The vibrating can now be performed over a longer distance of the transportation or the pot along the linear transportation path section. In particular the speed of handling of the plant pots can now be substantially increased compared to an example carousel type of transporter, in particular to even more than 4500 plant pots per hour.

Further preferred variants of the invention are stated in the subclaims.

The invention also relates to the particular use of the plant potting machine for the potting or epiphyte plants, in particular Phalaenopsis orchids, for example with their roots having grown in substrate plugs, by placing them into the plant insertion recesses that have been created in the plant pots filled with substrate material, in particular bark.

Furthermore, the invention also relates to a method for operating the plant potting machine according to claim 15.

The invention shall be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically shows a top view of a plant potting machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 schematically shows a partial side view of a spacer insert in a starting position inside a plant pot hero by a plant pot holder connected to a transporter of the machine or fig. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view according to FIG. 2 with the spacer insert in its operative position;

FIG. 3a is a top view or FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a view according to FIG. 3 with the plant pot underneath a filling station;

FIG. 5 is a view according to FIG. 4 with the plant pot getting vibrated;

FIG. 6a is a view according to FIG. 5 with the spacer insert getting moved back towards its starting position while the plant pot gets displaced forward;

FIG. 6b is a view according to FIG. 6a without the plant pot having a displaced forward and with the spacer insert having a curved lower part;

FIG. 7 is a view according to FIG. 6 with the spacer insert in its starting position while leaving behind a plant insertion recess;

FIG. 8 is a view according to FIG. 7 with a plant placed inside the plant insertion recess;

FIG. 9 shows a top view showing a moving of the spacer insert from its operative position towards its starting position;

FIG. 10 shows a schematic top view or a part of an alternative embodiment of the plant potting machine;

FIG. 11-17 show views according to Fig. 2-8 of the alternative embodiment;

FIG. 18 shows a variant or fig. 1 with the swing arms connected to a second transporter;

FIG. 19 shows a variant with the planting station positioned along the unloading station;

FIG. 20 shows a variant with the filling station positioned at a driving wheel of the transporter;

FIG. 21 shows a variant in the situation or fig. 13 in which guide elements for filling are connected to the swing arm; and

FIG. 22 shows the variant or fig. 21 in the situation or fig. 16.

In Figs. 1-9 plant pots have been indicated with the reference numeral 1. The pots 1 are each hero by an individual or a variety of plant pot holders 2. Each holder 2 comprises arms 2 'gripping around the pot 1 that has bone loaded thereto at a loading station LS. As can be seen in Fig. 2, each pot 1 has an outwardly projecting upper edge 4 that supports on the arms 2 ". Furthermore each holder 2 comprises a bar 2 ”via which they are fixedly connected at spaced intervals to a transporter 7, which is formed by an endless chain.

The transporter 7 is movable at a constant motion in a transportation direction along a transportation path, here an elongated walk-shaped path, by means of suitable driving means, for example an electric motor, while being guided along (toothed) wheels or the like .

-9The loading station LS is positioned at a beginning of a linear section of the transportation path along the transporter 7. At this loading station LS a loading of empty pots to the holders 2 takes place. This can be done manually or in an automated manner. Sub much the loaded empty plant pots 1 get transported in the transportation direction along the transportation path to a next handling station.

According to the invention for each plant pot position, a swing arm 10 is provided. The swing arms 10 are connected hingedly at spaced intervals to the bars 2 ”of the holders via hinge connections 11. Each hinge connection 11 has a horizontal axis of rotation x around which the swing arms 10 are able to tilt. The hinge connections 11 are provided at substantially the same levels as the upper edges 4 of the pots 1 at a distance z1 or a center axis y or their respective pot 1. The transportation direction v is parallel to the rotation axis x and perpendicular to the center axis y.

Spacer inserts 14 are provided at the free ends of the swing arms 10. Each insert 14 comprises a cylindrical center portion 14a, a truncated cone shaped upper portion 14b and a truncated cone shaped lower portion 14c. The insert 14 has a center axis y ’.

FIG. 2 shows a situation along the beginning of the transportation path in which the swing arm 10 is positioned in an upwardly tilted position. In this upwardly tilted position, the insert 14 is in a starting position in which it is positioned largely sideways of the outer circumference of the pot 1 as well as at a distance above the upper edge 4 of the pot 1. In this starting position the center axis y 'or the insert 14 is positioned horizontally.

FIG. 3 shows a subsequent situation along the transportation path in which the swing arm 10 has been tilted downwards around its rotation axis 11 over an angle of 90 degrees. This can be done manually, but here is done in an automated manner. As can be seen in fig. 1 the downwards tilting is forced upon the swing arm 10 because an operating arm 12 that in the starting position projects sideways from the free end of the swing arm 10, moves at constant speed along a suitably curved rod- shaped guider 13 that extends at a fixed location along the transportation path. The operating arm 12 during the movement of the holder 2 in the transportation direction v, is forced to follow the curvature of the guider 13, that is gradually curved away from the hinge connection 11, and thus forces the swing arm 10 to start tilting downwards. This forces the insert 14 to get pushed down into the empty pot 1. This includes a simultaneous downwards and sideways moving of the insert 14 into the pot 1.

In this downwardly tilted position, the insert 14 is in an operative position in which it is positioned with its center and lower portions 14a, 14c at a center location inside an upper part of the pot 1. In this operative position the center axis y ' of the insert 14 is now positioned vertically and coincides with the center axis y of the pot 1. During the movement

- 10of the insert 14 from the starting position towards the operative position, the insert 14 moves along an imaginary curved track around the hinge connection 11.

FIG. 4 shows a subsequent situation along the transportation path in which the pot 1 gets moved with constant motion by the continuously moving transporter 7 in the transportation direction v underneath a filling station FS. This filling station FS is positioned along the same linear section of the transportation path along the transporter 7. At this filling station FS a filling of the empty pots 1 with substrate material 20 takes place. This filling station FS comprises obliquely positioned guide elements 18 along which the substrate material 20, here formed by coarse pieces of bark, can be guided to slide down and fall into the passing pot 1 in order to have the pot 1 filled with the bark underneath and around the insert 14 hero therein in its operative position.

FIG. 5 shows a subsequent situation along the transportation path in which the pot 1 gets moved with constant motion over a vibrator 22. The vibrator 22 is designed to introduce vibrations into the entire pot 1 that gets moved at constant speed over it. The vibration here is transferred directly towards a bottom face of the pot 1. Thus the coarse pieces of bark get compacted such that they get to grip more stably into each other inside the pot 1 and around the insert 14.

FIG. 6a shows a subsequent situation along the transportation path in which the swing arm 10 gets forced to tilt upwards. With this the insert 14 gets forced to move back towards its starting position. This tilting can be done manually, but here is done in an automated manner. As can be better seen in fig. 1 and 9 the upwards tilting is forced upon the swing arm 10 because the operating arm 12 that in the operative position projects upwardly from the free end of the swing arm 10, moves at constant speed along a suitably curved rod-shaped guider 26 that extends at a fixed location along the transportation path. The operating arm 12 during the movement of the holder 2 in the transportation direction v, is forced to follow the curvature of the rod-shaped guide 26, that is gradually curved towards the hinge connection 11, and thus forces the swing arm 10 to start tilting upwards. This forces the insert 14 to get pulled out of the bark-filled pot 1. This includes a simultaneous upwards and sideways moving of the insert 14 out of the bark 20. With this a so-called plant insertion recess 27 gets left behind in the bark-filled pot 1 where the insert 14 was originally positioned in its operative position.

Since the lower portion 14c of the insert 14 during a starting of the upwards tilting of the arm 10, at first gets moved sideways in a horizontal direction z (perpendicular to the directions x and y) away from the hinge connection 11, it starts to exert a pushing force in that direction against the bark pieces that delimit the recess 27. In order to prevent this pushing force may cause the recess 27 to partly or entirely collapse, the pot 1 at a same time can be given the freedom or equally forced to displace in the direction z away from the

- 11 hinge connection 11. This displacement can for example be forced upon the pot 1 by having it move at its constant speed along a suitably curved rod-shaped guide 29 that extends horizontally at a fixed location along the transportation path. The pot 1 during the movement of the holder 2 in the transportation direction v, is then forced to follow the curvature of the rod-shaped guider 29, that is gradually curved away from the hinge connection 11, and thus forces the pot 1 to get displaced in the direction z.

FIG. 6b shows an alternative solution in which the pot 1 can remain its position during the removing of the insert 14 out of the bark. 14 c of the insert 14 has been given a stronger decreasing shape, in particular one that is such that it hardly or not at all gets to bump against bark pieces that delimit the recess 27 during its pulling out of the bark . Thus also it can be achieved that the recess 27 does not get to partly or entirely collapse.

FIG. 7 shows a subsequent situation along the transportation path in which the swing arm 10 has finished its upwards tilting movement with the insert 14 back in its starting position. With this the swing arm has rotated over an angle of 90 degrees. As can be seen, the space above the pot 1, and at least straight above the recess 27 is now no longer occupied by the swing arm 10 or the insert 14.

FIG. 8 shows a subsequent situation along the transportation path in which the pot 1 gets moved with the constant motion by the continuously moving transporter 7 in the transportation direction v along a planting station PS. This planting station PS is positioned along the same linear section of the transportation path along the transporter 7. At this planting station PS workplaces for personnel P are located, at which this personnel P each time manually places a plant 30, here a Phalaenopsis orchid, with a substrate plug 31 into the recess 27. The substrate plug 31 has a shape and size that easily fits inside the recess

27. Owing to the free space above the center axis y of the plant pot 1, the planting can be done easily and quickly without running the risk of bumping the plant 30 against for example the insert 14 or the swing arm 10.

An unloading station US is positioned at an end of the linear section of the transportation path along the transporter 7. At this unloading station US an unloading of the bark-filled and plant-potted pots 1 out of the holders 2 takes place. This can be done manually, but here takes place in an automated manner by having the pots 1 get transferred onto a conveyor.

In Fig. 10-17 same components have given the same reference numerals as in Fig. 1-9. It is noted that in those figs. 10-17 the transporter 7 and the plant holders 2 have remained the same. The difference is that the swing arm 10 is now no longer curved but is formed from a substantial flat and straight arm 10. In this way the swing arm 10 in the operative position gets to extend substantially at the level of the upper edge 4 of the pot 1.

- 12 Furthermore the insert 14 now no longer has an upper portion and thus fully remains underneath the swing arm 10 and underneath the level of the upper edge 4 of the pot 1.

As can be seen in fig. 13 this makes it possible for the guide elements 18 of the filling station FS to further extend downwards to a position close to the upper edge 4 of the pot 1. This shall help to fill the pot 1 more efficiently and quickly, without spilling bark too much for example sideways of the pot 1.

As can be seen in fig. 14 this flattening of the swing arm 10 also makes it possible to have the pot 1 gets moved with constant motion underneath a wiping element 32, here formed by a brush, for having bark pieces that, after filling, may lie in excess on top of the pot 1, to get automatically brushed away. This is cheaper and more efficient than for example having those excess pieces of bark getting blown pneumatically away.

The swing arm 10 is now provided with an extension that extends in the same direction as the arm 10 itself and that forms an operating arm 35 that projects forwardly fits the insert 14 and fits the upper edge 4 of the pot 1. This operating arm 35 moves at constant speed along a suitably curved rod-shaped guider 36 that extends at a fixed location along the transportation path. The operating arm 35 during the movement of the holder 2 in the transportation direction v, is forced to follow the curvature of the rod-shaped guide 36, that is gradually curved upwards as well as towards the hinge connection 11, and thus forces the swing arm 10 to start tilting upwards.

FIG. 18 shows a variant in which, besides the endless chain transporter 7, a second endless chain transporter 40 is provided. In this variant the plant pot holders 2 are fixedly connected at the spaced intervals to the first transporter 7, whereas the swing arms 10 with spacer inserts are 14 hingedly connected at the same spaced intervals to the second transporter 40. The transporters 7 and 40 are driven at same constant speeds, for example by a common toothed wheel. The second transporter 40 is shorter than the first transporter 7 and merely extends along a first section, that is to say where the curved rod shaped guide 13, the filling station FS and the curved rod shaped guide 26 are positioned along the transportation path . Thus the swing arms 10 and spacer inserts 14 are only moved co-along with the plant pot holders 2 there where the spacer inserts 14 are truly necessary for forming the insertion recesses 27. This makes it possible to reduce the number of swing arms 10 and spacer inserts 14, and thus to reduce the number of moving parts as well as manufacturing and maintenance costs.

FIG. 19 shows a variant in which the endless chain transporter 7 has both the plant pot holders 2 as well as the swing arms 10 with spacer inserts 14 connected thereto. The transporter 7 now however merely extends there where the curved rod-shaped guider 13, the filling station FS and the curved rod-shaped guider 26 are positioned along the transportation path. As soon as the spacer insert 14 has been moved out of the plant pot 1 again,

- 13the plant pot 1 gets unloaded onto the unloading station US. The planting station PS is now positioned along the unloading station US.

FIG. 20 shows a variant in which the loading station LS is provided along a first linear section of the transporter 7 whereas the planting station PS is provided at a opposing second linear section of the transporter 7. This makes it possible to make the machine more compact. The filling station FS in this variant is provided above a driving wheel at a first bend of the transporter 7 that connects the first and second linear sections. The filling station FS comprises a sectioned filling funnel that co-rotates with the driving wheel. This advantageously makes it possible to dose the exact amount of substrate material 20 into the pots at any one time, which may help prevent large amounts of surplus substrate material 20 to fall onto the ground. 20. In fig. 20 it is also shown that the unloading station US is positioned at a second bend of the transporter 7. The unloading station US here extends perpendicular to the linear sections of the transporter 7.

FIG. 21-22 show a variant in which a funnel-shaped guide element 50 is permanently connected to the swing arm 10 in such a way that it automatically gets to move back and forth between a starting and operative position together with the swing arm 10. As soon as the swing arm 10 and guide element 50 are in their operative position, the guide element can be filled with an amount of substrate material underneath the filling station FS. This makes it possible to dose the exact amount of substrate material 20 into the pots at any time 1, which may help prevent large amounts of surplus substrate material 20 to fall onto the ground. Furthermore it makes it possible to provide more time for the substrate material for navy fall into the pots 1 via the guide elements 50, in particular while at a same time also getting compacted therein by means of a vibration element. This can for example be done by increasing a length of the transportation path where the spacer insert 14 is kept in its operative position during transportation along the filling station FS.

Besides the shown numerous numerous variants are possible. For example the shapes and dimensions of the spacer inserts can be varied for forming other types and shapes or recesses that correspond to other types and shapes or plugs. Instead of having the transporter move at constant motion it can also be operated intermittently, such that the holders and / or pots each time get to stop at a certain handling station for having a handling performed thereto, like loading, positioning of the insert, filling , vibrating, wiping, planting and unloading. It is then also possible to have the swing arm and spacer insert provided at a fixed location along the transportation path, while having the filling, vibrating, compacting, placing of the plants, etc. performed at a common station. Instead of using one rigid swing arm that is tiltable around a hinge connection, it is also possible to have the swing arm form

- 14part of a linkage mechanism, for example a two-bar linkage mechanism. Thus also the spacer insert can be forced to move along a suitable curved track that includes both a vertical and horizontal movement for having the spacer insert not only move upwards from the substrate material, but also sideways away from the space directly above the created plant insertion recess.

Thus according to the invention a plant potting machine is provided that makes it possible to place plants with pre-shaped substrate plugs into plant insertion recesses that have automatically been formed inside hard and / or coarse substrate materials that do not allow a drilling or such recesses therein, and while at a same time making it possible to perform all kind of other actions from above to the plant pots during and after a filling with the substrate material.

Claims (15)

CONCLUSIONS A machine for potting plants, comprising: a first conveyor (7) with plant pot holders (2) for holding and transporting plant pots (1) in a transport direction (V) along a transport path; a loading station (LS) for loading the conveyor (7) with empty plant pots; a filling station (FS) for filling the plant pots (1) with substrate material (20); a discharge station (US) for discharging the conveyor (7) from filled plant pots (1); and one or more space consuming devices (14), wherein each space consuming device (14) is movable to and fro between a starting position outside the plant pots (1) and an operative position within an upper part of one of the plant pots (1), so that the space consuming device (14) is movable to its operative position prior to starting filling of said plant pot (1) with substrate material (20), so that the space occupying device (14) is held in its operative position during filling of the plant pot (1) with the substrate material (20), and so that the space consuming receptacle (14) is then movable back to its starting position such that a plant insertion recess (27) is formed in that it is kept clear of the substrate material (20) during the filling the plant pot (1) with substrate material (20), characterized in that each space consuming device (14) is provided at a free end of a pivoting arm (10) such that the space consuming device (14) goes back and forth r is movable along a curved path between the starting position and the active position by means of a tilting movement of the pivoting arm (10) around a hinge connection (11). Planting machine according to claim 1, wherein the space occupant (14) has a lower portion (14c) that gradually decreases in cross section, in particular such that during a return movement of the space occupant (14) of his operative position to its starting position along the curved path, the lower portion (14c) of the space confiscator (14) does not come to press against substrate material (20) that defines the formed recess (27). Planting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a displacement mechanism (29) is provided for displacing or causing displacement of a plant pot (1) loaded in a plant pot holder (2) in a direction which is substantially perpendicular on the direction of transport during a return movement of the broadly confiscated person (14) from its operative position to its starting position along the curved path, in particular such that during a reverse movement of the space occupant (14) from its operative position to its starting position along the curved path, a lower portion (14c) of the space occupant (14) does not come to press against substrate material (20) that defines the formed recess (27). Planting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pivoting arm (10) is tiltable through an angle of at least 90 ° during its tilting movement for the reciprocating movement of the space consuming device (14) between the starting position and the working position. Planting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pivot connection (11) of the pivot arm (10) is positioned laterally from the plant pot holder (2), in particular wherein the pivot connection (11) is positioned on or below a level of an upper edge (4) of a plant pot (1) which is loaded in one of the plant pot holders (2), more particularly wherein the pivot arm (10) extends in the operative position at or below the level of the upper edge (4) of a plant pot (1) that is loaded in one of the plant pot holders (2). Planting machine according to one of the preceding claims, in which the hinge connection (11) is positioned at a distance (z1) of at least 80 mm from a central axis (y) of the space consuming device (14). Planting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a scraper element (32) for scrapping excess substrate material (20) from the plant pots (1) is provided that is movable over a plant pot (1) that is loaded is in one of the plant pot holders (2) and is already filled with the substrate material (20) while the space consuming holder (14) is held in its operative position within the plant pot (1). Planting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of pivot arms (10) are provided which, together with the first conveyor (7), are movable in the transport direction along at least a part of the transport path, in particular by being hinged directly or indirectly to the first conveyor (7) or hinged to be directly or indirectly connected to a second conveyor extending along at least a portion of the first conveyor (7). Planting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor (7) is an endless conveyor, in particular a chain, to which the plant pot holders (2) and / or swivel arms (10) are connected at a distance from each other to be. Planting machine according to claims 8 or 9, further comprising: one or more stoppers / guides provided at fixed locations along the transport path for forcing each pivot arm (10) to move its gap-seizing device (14) to its operative position, and / or forcing each pivot arm (10) to move its space consuming device (14) back to its starting position during movement of this pivot arm (10) along the stoppers / guides. A planting machine according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a vibrator (22) is provided for compacting substrate material (20) within the plant pot (1) around the space occupant (14) during or after the filling while the space seizing device (14) is held in its operative position, the vibrator (22) being positioned at or below the plant pot holder (2) to vibrate the entire plant pot loaded therein. Planting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor (7) partially defines a linear transport path section, and wherein one or more of the loading, filling and discharging stations (LS, FS, US) are positioned along the linear transport path section. Planting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the machine further comprises: a planting station (TS) for placing lower plant parts (30), in particular plant plugs (31), in the formed insert recess (27). Use of a planting machine according to one of the preceding claims for planting epiphyte plants, in particular Phalaenopsis orchids, in plant introduction recesses (27) formed in with substrate material (20), in particular bark , filled plant pots (1). Method for operating a machine for potting plants according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of: loading empty plant pots (1) into the conveyor (7); tilting the pivotal arm (10) to move the space occupant (14) along the curved path to its operative position within a respective plant pot (1) prior to starting the filling of said plant pot (1) with substrate material (20) ); filling said plant pot (1) with substrate material (20) while the space occupant (14) is held in its operative position during said filling; tilting the pivotal arm (10) to move the space consuming device (14) back along the curved path to its starting position outside said plant pot (1) while leaving the plant inserting recess (27); and unloading filled plant pots (1) from the conveyor (27). 10 1/14