Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
  • A01G9/00—Cultivation in receptacles, forcing-frames or greenhouses; Edging for beds, lawn or the like
  • A01G9/08—Devices for filling-up flower-pots or pots for seedlings; Devices for setting plants or seeds in pots
  • A01G9/086—Devices for repotting
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01C—PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING
  • A01C11/00—Transplanting machines
  • A01C11/02—Transplanting machines for seedlings
  • A01C11/025—Transplanting machines using seedling trays; Devices for removing the seedlings from the trays

Definitions

• the invention relates to an equipment for transferring balled seedlings.
• the equipment there is a gripping device with at least two tines, in which a balled seedling is attached.
• the ball is transferred by moving the gripping device.
• the equipment is especially adapted for use in machines, where plants are transferred from a growing honeycomb to another substrate.
• Lannen Tehtaat Oy (corresponds e.g. to US patent 4893571) it is known an automatic equipment for planting balled seedlings, whereby a balled seedling is pushed from a growing honeycomb lying on its side into a gripping device consisting of two parallel tines so, that the tines penetrate the ball from top. The gripping device with the ball is then turned downwards, the ball is released and dropped into the substrate.
• a force turning the tine is directed towards at least one gripping tine when the ball is attached in the tines.
• a friction between the tines and the ball in- creases and the ball is more firmly attached into the tines during the transfer.
• Fig. 1 shows the equipment in side view
• Fig. 2 a gripping device in top view.
• a honeycomb 1 lying on its side containing balled seedlings, the pots of which are open in the bottom.
• the honeycomb is moved by a special device 2 in such a way that each pot in its turn gets into a ball re- leasing position, where the ball is pushed from the pot by a pushing device 3.
• the ball is pushed into a gripping device, in which there are two tines 4 penetrating in the ball from top.
• the gripping device is then turned into its bottom position, whereby the ball is released by a release device 5 to be brought into the substrate by guiding devices 6.
• the equipment corresponds to the one described in the US patent 4893571 mentioned above, which publication is incorpo ⁇ rated as a reference in this description.
• a frame 9 attached onto an axle 8 with its mounting sleeves 10 and 11 and its gripping tines 12 and 13. Both tines are straight.
• the tine 12 is rigidly attached into the frame 9.
• the tine 13 with its sleeves 11 is mounted in bearings 14 in the frame to be turned horizontally.
• a bar 15 direct on the side facing from the tines, at the end of which bar there is a wheel 16.
• a spring 17 in connection with the sleeve 11, which tends to turn the tine 13 away from the tine 12.
• the balled seedling is pushed into the tines 12 and 13 in their horizontal position, after which the gripping device is turned downwards and the ball is released from the tines to be brought into a sub- strate.
• the wheel 16 leans against a guide surface 18 firm in regard to the frame 9, by which guide surface the turning of the tine 13 is guided.
• the tines When the tines are in a horizontal position, whereby the ball is pushed into the tines, the tine 13 is parallel with the tine 12.
• a projecting part 19 of the guide surface 18 pushes the bar 15, whereby the tine 13 turns towards the tine 12, and the ball is tightly pressed between the tines.
• the tines turn into their bottom position, there is a declining part 20 in the guide surface, whereby the compression of the tines from the ball weakens and the ball can easily be released.
• Both tines of the gripping device can naturally be designed to be turned, if desired.
• the gripping tines can be wider on the surfaces facing each other than elsewhere, whereby also a fragile ball remains easier unbroken.
• a gripping device formed by the tines is attached in a conveyor, which takes the ball into a releasing point and returns the gripping device to take a new ball.
• tines can be used, which tend to turn away from each other, in case crumbling of balls is not a problem (e.g. by balls with binding medium or balls covered with a coating layer) . Also several tines can be used if desired.
• the invention is in principle adapted for use in all kinds of equipment, in which balled seedlings, e.g. cone-shaped balls, are transferred from a sub ⁇ strate, e.g. from a honeycomb, to another substrate, e.g. into the soil, to another honeycomb or to sep ⁇ arate pots.
• balled seedlings e.g. cone-shaped balls

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Soil Sciences (AREA)
• Cultivation Receptacles Or Flower-Pots, Or Pots For Seedlings (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8531127

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (4)

Citations (6)

• 1990
  • 1990-09-27 FI FI904767A patent/FI904767A/fi not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1991
  • 1991-09-25 WO PCT/FI1991/000296 patent/WO1992005684A1/en unknown
  • 1991-09-25 AU AU85143/91A patent/AU8514391A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (6)

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