WO2007091221A2

WO2007091221A2 - Semi-authomatic transplanter machine for woody cuttings

Info

Publication number: WO2007091221A2
Application number: PCT/IB2007/050430
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aldo Spapperi
Original assignee: Aldo Spapperi
Priority date: 2006-02-09
Filing date: 2007-02-09
Publication date: 2007-08-16
Also published as: ITPG20060010A1; WO2007091221A3

Abstract

A semi-automatic transplanter machine, intended to find use in agriculture for the planting out of cuttings, consisting in a device of great mechanical simplicity, relying for its operation on the vertical end motion of suitable cuttings-holding sliding pincers (2), which are fastened sideways to the wheel (1). When the machine is towed, the wheel (1) resting onto the ground revolves, when the pincers (2) are at the top portion of the wheel they are loaded with the cuttings, and, when they are at the bottom portion of the wheel and perfectly vertical, the sliding portion (3) of the pincer (2) is slid forcedly and with automatic activation; this motion allows to forcedly drive the cuttings perfectly vertical into the ground. A rapid reentry of the pincer itself allows the wheel to continue the revolution without interfering with the cuttings already planted out, ensuring however an even distance between plants.

Description

SEMI-AUTOMATIC TRANSPLANTER MACHINE FOR WOODEN

CUTTINGS

DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a semi-automatic transplanter machine for wooden cuttings, intended to find use in agriculture for the planting out of plantlets in the form of cuttings, which due to their shape are not suitable to be treated with transplanters currently available on the market. As it is known, cuttings are wooden pieces that may have or not have a root system, and that anyhow, when planted out, originate again the plant type that had generated them. Those intended for specific rapid-growth forest cultures are characterized by wooden pieces of rather standard length and variable diameter, which need to be driven into the ground without the customary furrow used by all commercially available transplanters. This applies above all to cuttings devoid of a root system (unrooted), since any furrow, though closed at the surface, does not ensure that in-depth earth will completely adhere to the bark of the cutting, prejudicing - especially on dry spells - the taking root of the plant. This problem is even more noticeable in crops envisaging a covering with polyethylene films (mulching) of the ground along the planting-out line, as there it would not be possible to close any furrow. Currently used transplanter machines all have as end cycle the depositing of the plant to be planted out into a furrow, made beforehand by a suitable furrower, and the subsequent step of earthing up as soon as the plant has been deposited into the ground. This is viable and functional only when the plant is provided with a clod, or at least with a consistent root system; when roots are non-existent, as in the case of some wooden cuttings, it is necessary instead to forcedly drive them into the ground in order to ensure that the contact with earth fosters the start of the taking root. The technical problem underlying the present invention is to provide a transplanter machine allowing to overcome the drawbacks mentioned with reference to the known art.

Such a problem is solved by a semi-automatic transplanter machine for the planting out of cuttings that is of great mechanical simplicity, relying for its operation on the vertical end motion of suitable cuttings-holding pincers. The present invention will hereinafter be described according to a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example and not for limitative purposes with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein: • figures 1 and 2 show a front view and a section view, respectively, of the semi-automatic transplanter machine for cuttings according to the invention;

• figures 3 A, 3B and 3 C show a side view of the cuttings-holding pincer, and a plan view of the resting position and the end-of- workstroke position, respectively.

• figures 4 A, 4B, 4C and 4D illustrate in detail the worcycle that the pincers carry out to drive the cuttings into the ground.

• figure 5 shows a perspective view of the whole machine in an indicative and non-limiting configuration.

Referring to the figures, the transplanter machine for wooden cuttings comprises a frame 7 allowing the coupling to a working machine, a wheel 1 that is fastened to the frame 7 by the pin 6, and that can revolve on the latter, a set of pincers 2 whose number varies depending on the transplanting distance, the front-mounted roller 17, which serves to level the ground.

A hydraulic jack 5 serves to rapidly slide, in phase with the transit of the pincer 2, the sliding portion 3; adjusting screw 18 and return spring 19 adjust the reference position thereof. Each pincer consists of a fastening plate 14, guide supports 8, a sliding rod 3, a side bracket for coupling the jack 9, a striker plate 12, a holding device 10, supporting at one end thereof a shaped wheel 11, and a return spring 15. The spring 13 serves to bring the sliding rod 3 back to a resting position at the end of a cycle. The wooden cutting to be planted out is denoted by 4. The operation of the above-described transplanter machine may be described as follows:

The transplanter is connected to a suitable working machine, and the roller 17 is lowered so that the wheel 1 rests on the ground enough to make it roll. The hydraulic and electric connections activating the jack 5 are made and, upon getting an operator aboard the transplanter, the step of transplanting is started. The operator inserts the cuttings 4 between the ledge 12 and the small wheel 11 of the pincers 2, which are located at the top portion of the wheel 1 and follow its revolution, evidently adjusting the tractor's speed of advancement depending on the operator's ability. In this transplanter machine, as it may be inferred from the attached drawings, the distance between planted-out cuttings is given by the number of pincers 2 radially distributed in the side of the wheel 1, yet evidently also by the external diameter of the wheel itself. This method is quite simple, and concomitantly very effective and reliable. The wheel 1, by revolving o nto the ground, brings the pincers 2 from the top position, where they are loaded with the cuttings 4, to the bottom one, in which they will act to plant out the latter. In the drawings shown in figures 4A-4B-4C-4D, significant operation steps of the invention are indicated in an indicative and non-limitative configuration. When a pincer 2 transits onto the vertical of the wheel centre 1, an electric presence detector activates the hydraulic circuit feeding the jack 5; the stem of the latter, by moving rapidly, meets the bracket 9 of the pincer, providing the sliding of the portion 3 in which the cutting 4 is housed. This motion, carried out rapidly, forcedly drives the cutting into the ground. The return of the movable portion 3 is entrusted to the traction spring 13 returning the pincer 2 to starting conditions, ready to receive a new cutting as soon as the revolving of the wheel 1 will bring it back at the top, in the loading position. The jack 5 may pivot about the fulcrum 6 so as to follow, if necessary, the pincer in a section of revolution; the retur n spring 19 keeps the former constrained to the ledge adjustment screw 18, whose adjustment serves to adjust the advance or the delay of the coming out of the jack 5 with respect to the pincer 2 that is transiting, so as to intervene on the correct vertical planting out of the cuttings 4. The spring 15 serves to exert a certain pressure of the bracket 10 on the cutting, until the latter is driven into the ground.

Claims

I) A semi-automatic transplanter machine, intended to find use in agriculture for the planting out of cuttings, consisting in a device of great mechanical simplicity, relying for its operation on the vertical end motion of suitable sliding pincers (2), comprising:

> a bearing frame (7) for the coupling to a tractor;

> a wheel (1) onto which the cuttings-holding pincers (2) are mounted;

> a plurality of cuttings-holding pincers (2) consisting of a stationary portion (14) and a sliding portion (3) onto which it is inserted the cutting to be planted out;

^ a jack (5) for the in-phase movement of the movable portion.

2) The semi-automatic transplanter machine according to the preceding claim, wherein a wheel (1) has, fastened on one side thereof and radially arranged, a plurality of pincers (2) with the cuttings-holding portion facing the outside of the wheel, the number of pincers (2) being not fixed but depending on the transplanting distance of thetuttings (4) and the diameter of the wheel used, the wheel resting on the ground revolves, directly determining the synchronism of planting out of the cuttings, and, alternatively to the wheel as described in an exemplary and non-limitative embodiment, a catenary or a crawler track may be used to fasten the pincers

(2), which, once brought into revolution, may be loaded with the cuttings when they are at the top portion and drive the latter into the ground when they are in the bottom portion.

3) The semi-automatic transplanter machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein a frame may bear on or more wheels (1) or other pincer-holding device, so as to concomitantly plant out more than one row of cuttings.

4) The semi-automatic transplanter machine, according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein a pincer (2) consists of a stationary portion (14), a movable sliding portion (3) and a housing for the cutting, comprised between the reference bracket (12) and the pressure-exerting element (10), which in its end portion may be equipped with a wheel (11) or end in a mere jointed ledge. A spring 15 ensures the holding of the cutting, without however preventing its release once it has been driven into the ground. The projecting bracket (9) is the bearing point to provide the deployment of the sliding portion (3) at the transplantation stage. The shape and the various constructive details may vary in any one invention suitable therefor. 5) The semi-automatic transplanter machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein a device for providing the deployment of the movable portion of the pincers (2) and the entailed insertion of the cuttings (4) into the ground is comprised of hydraulic, electric, pneumatic jack (5), spring clutch or whatever else is suitable therefor.

6) The semi-automatic transplanter machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the reference for activating the jack (5), or any other device used for the deployment of the movable portion of the pincer, is obtained by a micro switch or other control device allowing to advance or delay the insertion of the jack with respect to the vertical of the pincer (2) that has to deposit the cutting (4).

The whole as substantially described and illustrated and for the specified objects.