WO2020149735A1

WO2020149735A1 - Plant potting machine having a spacer insert provided at a swing arm

Info

Publication number: WO2020149735A1
Application number: PCT/NL2019/050030
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joost Arie DE JONG
Original assignee: De Jong Joost Arie
Priority date: 2019-01-18
Filing date: 2019-01-18
Publication date: 2020-07-23

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 movable 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 tilting movement of the swing arm around a hinge connection.

Description

Title: Plant potting machine having a spacer insert provided at 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 respectively 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 for example 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 been 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 of thereof needs to be synchronized with the continuous motion of 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 limits 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 which 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 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 constantly wet, 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. NL-2000900 discloses a carousel potting machine that is specifically designed for potting Phalaenopsis orchids, and for that has a plurality of plant pot holding positions that are moved in continuous motion along a circular transportation path of 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 they move along therewith along the circular transportation path. During operation of this machine, personnel is standing in front of it such that they can each time pick a young orchid plant manually and place it into 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. Subsequently bark or other suitable type of 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 of plants at positions in front of the personnel. Another disadvantage is that the vulnerable air roots and leaves may easily get damaged during placing into the gripping arm, as well as during the positioning into 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 of NL- 2000900 has recently been amended 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 held 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 is that there still is limited working space for the personnel. The vertically movable spacer inserts and their operating mechanisms stand in the way of being 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 of 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 time 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, stand 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 that 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 of 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 either 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 transportation direction along a transportation 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 subsequently 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 of the swing arm around a hinge connection. The 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 each time easily and efficiently be swung to its starting position in which the spacer insert in particular is positioned at least sideways of the plant insertion recess, and in particular at least partly sideways of the plant pot holder by means of the tilting movement of the swing arm. This offers some important benefits.

For example it makes it possible to place trays with supplies of 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 each time need to bend or turn sideways for picking a new plant, and, more importantly, no longer need to take their eyes of the transporter, and other movable parts of the machine.

Furthermore, a larger number of personnel now can 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 taken 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 advantageously be 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 of 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 be 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 pot even makes it possible to have the placing of the plant into the created plant insertion recess be 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 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 to push 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 holder in a direction 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 of 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 or below a level of 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 kinds of actions, like for example the earlier mentioned mechanical removing of 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 of at least 80 mm from a centre axis of the spacer insert. Thus it has appeared that the curved path along which the spacer insert gets moved does not get to 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 side without bumping against the swing arm.

It 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 each 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 an intermittent transport of the plant pots along the filling station is necessary.

Preferably however a plurality of the 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 of the plant pot holders an own respective swing arm is provided. In the alternative the plurality of 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 preferably can 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 get moved along with the transporter. This helps to build the machine cost-efficient, simple and less vulnerable, while also requiring less maintenance.

For example the operating mechanisms can be formed by simple stoppers/guiders against which the swing arm gets to automatically bump during its moving in the transportation direction, and which stoppers/guiders are shaped to force the swing arm to automatically start to tilt back or forth. In particular the stoppers/guiders may comprise one or more curved rod-shaped guiders that extend at fixed locations along the transportation path such that an operating arm that is connected to the swing arm, during a moving of the swing arm in the transportation direction, is forced to follow a curvature of the rod-shaped guider 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 may define a linear transportation path section along which at least some of the loading, filling and unloading stations can be 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 of the pot along the linear

transportation path section. In particular the speed of the handling of the plant pots can now be substantially increased compared to for example a carousel type transporter, in particular to even more than 4500 plant pots per hour. In the alternative or in addition thereto the transporter may comprise a semi-circular or otherwise curved transportation path section along which at least some of the loading, filling and unloading stations can be positioned. The semi-circular transportation path section then for example may be formed by a bend of the transporter that connects first and second opposing linear sections. Thus, with even more efficient use of floor space, also large numbers of plant pots can be handled.

It is however also well possible to use the invention in combination with a carousel type transporter that defines a circular transportation path along which all the loading, filling and unloading stations are positioned. The transporter then may have a plurality of plant pot holders, in combination with for each of them a swing arm with spacer insert, that are divided around the circumference of the transporter and that are moved in continuous or intermittent motion together with the transporter along the circular transportation path.

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

The invention also relates to the particular use of the plant potting machine for the potting of 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 held by a plant pot holder connected to a transporter of the machine of 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 of 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 view according to fig. 6a without the plant pot getting 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 of 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 of 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 of fig. 13 in which guide elements for filling are connected to the swing arm;

- Fig. 22 shows the variant of fig. 21 in the situation of fig. 16;

- Fig. 23 shows a schematic top view of a plant potting machine according to the invention with a carousel type transporter;

- Fig. 24a-f show cross-sectional side views of subsequent adjacent positions along the carousel of fig. 23; and

- Fig. 25a-f show the views of fig. 24a-f with a variant for the operating arm configuration.

In fig. 1-9 plant pots have been indicated with the reference numeral 1. The pots 1 are each held by an individual one of a plurality of plant pot holders 2. Each holder 2 comprises arms 2’ gripping around the pot 1 that has been 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, that here is formed by an endless chain.

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

The 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 1 to the holders 2 takes place. This can be done manually or in an automated manner. Subsequently the loaded empty plant pots 1 get transported in the transportation direction v 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 2 via hinge connections 11. Each hinge connection 11 has a horizontal rotation axis x around which the swing arms 10 are able to tilt. The hinge connections 11 are provided at substantially same levels as the upper edges 4 of the pots 1 at a distance z1 of a centre axis y of their respective pot 1. The transportation direction v is parallel to the rotation axis x and perpendicular to the centre 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 centre 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 centre axis y’ of 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 here 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 centre location inside an upper part of the pot 1. In this operative position the centre axis y’ of the insert 14 is now positioned vertically and coincides with the centre axis y of the pot 1. During the movement of 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 held 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 move 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 better be 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 guider 26, that here 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 there 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 z against the bark pieces that delimit the recess 27. In order to prevent that 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 even forced to displace in the direction z away from the 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 guider 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 here 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. For this the lower portion 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 fits easily inside the recess 27. Owing to the free space above the centre 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 been given same reference numerals as in fig. 1-9. It is noted that in those fig. 10-17 the transporter 7 and the plant holders 2 have remained the same. The difference is that the swing arm 10 now is no longer curved but is formed as a substantially 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. 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 now is 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 past the insert 14 and past 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 guider 36, that here 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 spaced intervals to the first transporter 7, whereas the swing arms 10 with spacer inserts 14 are hingedly connected at 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 thereof, that is to say 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. 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 is moved out of the plant pot 1 again, the 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 an 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 each time dose an exact amount of substrate material 20 into the pots 1 , which may help to prevent large amounts of surplus substrate material 20 to fall onto the ground. It also may help to prevent segregation of the substrate material 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 each time dose an exact amount of substrate material 20 into the pots 1 , which may help to 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 to neatly 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.

In fig. 23-24 same components have been given same reference numerals as in fig. 1-9. The transporter 7 is now of a carousel type and here is formed by a disc-shaped wheel. A plurality of plant pot holders 2 is connected to the transporter 7 while being equally divided around the circumference thereof. Each holder 2 comprises arms 2’ for gripping around a pot 1 that has been loaded thereto at a loading station LS.

The transporter 7 is movable at a constant motion in a rotational transportation direction v along a circular transportation path, by means of suitable driving means, for example an electromotor.

The loading station LS is positioned at a beginning of the circular transportation path along the transporter 7. At this loading station LS a loading of empty pots 1 to the holders 2 takes place. This can be done manually or in an automated manner. Subsequently the loaded empty plant pots 1 get transported in the transportation direction v along the transportation path to a filling station FS.

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 transporter 7 via hinge connections 11. Each hinge connection 11 has a horizontal rotation axis around which the swing arms 10 are able to tilt. The hinge connections 11 are provided at substantially same levels as upper edges of the pots 1 at a distance of a centre axis of their respective pot 1. The rotation axis is tangential to the transportation direction v and perpendicular to said centre axis. An operating arm 12 is connected to each swing arm 10 such that it projects perpendicular from the hinged end thereof. Spacer inserts 14 are provided at the free ends of the swing arms 10.

Fig. 24a 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 an upper edge of the pot 1. In this starting position the centre axis of the insert 14 is positioned angled relative to the horizontal, here as an example at an angle of somewhat less than 45 degrees. In this starting position the swing arm 10 has a tendency to rotate clockwise under the influence of gravitational and/or spring forces acting upon it. It is however prevented from already starting to tilt clockwise because of the operating arm 12 resting against a suitably curved plate-shaped guider 36 that extends at a distance above the transporter 7 along the circular transportation path.

Fig. 24b shows a subsequent situation along the transportation path in which the swing arm 10 has been tilted downwards around its rotation axis 11. The downwards tilting here is made possible for the swing arm 10 because its operating arm 12, has come to move with a guiding wheel along a suitably gradually radially outwardly curved portion of the guider 36 and thus allows the swing arm 10 to start tilting downwards. This moves the insert 14 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 at a centre location inside an upper part of the pot 1. In this operative position the centre axis of the insert 14 is now positioned vertically and coincides with the centre axis of the pot 1.

Fig. 24c shows a subsequent situation along the transportation path in which the pot 1 gets moved with constant motion by the continuously rotating transporter 7 in the transportation direction v underneath the filling station FS. 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 can be guided to slide down and fall into the passing pot 1 in order to have the pot 1 filled underneath and around the insert 14 while this insert 14 lies therein in its operative position.

Fig. 24d shows a subsequent situation along the transportation path in which the pot 1 has been fully filled, and for example may get vibrated for compacting the substrate material 20 therein.

Fig. 24e 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 because the operating arm 12 moves at constant speed along another portion of the suitably curved guider 36 that here is gradually curved radially inwards 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 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 there where the insert 14 was originally positioned in its operative position.

Fig. 24f shows a subsequent situation along the transportation path in which the pot 1 gets moved with the constant rotational motion by the continuously rotating transporter 7 in the transportation direction v along a planting station PS. 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 fits easily inside the recess 27. Owing to the free space above the centre 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 circular transportation path along the transporter 7. At this unloading station US an unloading of the filled and plant- potted pots 1 out of the holders 2 takes place by having the pots 1 get transferred onto a conveyor.

Fig. 25a-f shows a variant in which the swing arm 10 now is provided with an extension that extends in the same radial direction as the arm 10 itself and that forms an operating arm 35 that projects forwardly past the insert 14 and past the upper edge of the pot 1. This operating arm 35 moves at constant speed along a suitably curved plate-shaped guider 36 that extends above and around the transporter 7 along the circular 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 guider 36, that here is gradually curved upwards/downwards as well as towards/away from the hinge connection 11 , to force the swing arm 10 to tilt from its starting towards its operative position and vice versa during each full rotation of the carousel.

Besides the shown embodiments numerous variants are possible. For example the shapes and dimensions of the spacer inserts can be varied for forming other types and shapes of recesses that correspond to other types and shapes of 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 part 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 out of 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 of such recesses therein, and while at a same time making it possible to perform all kinds of other actions from above to the plant pots during and after a filling thereof with the substrate material.

Claims

1. Plant potting machine, comprising:

- a first transporter (7) with plant pot holders (2) for holding and transporting plant pots (1) in a transportation direction (v) along a transportation path;

- a loading station (LS) for loading empty plant pots (1) to the transporter (7);

- a filling station (FS) for filling the plant pots (1) with substrate material (20);

- an unloading station (US) for unloading filled plant pots (1) from the transporter (7); and

- one or more spacer inserts (14), each spacer insert (14) being moveable back and forth between a starting position outside the plant pots (1) and an operative position inside an upper part of one of the plant pots (1), for the spacer insert (14) to be moveable forth towards its operative position preceding a starting of the filling of that plant pot (1) with substrate material (20), for the spacer insert (14) to be kept in its operative position during a filling of the plant pot (1) with the substrate material (20), and for the spacer insert (14) to subsequently be moveable back towards its starting position such that a plant insertion recess (27) gets created by being kept free from the substrate material (20) during the filling of the plant pot (1) with substrate material (20),

characterized in that,

each spacer insert (14) is provided at a free end of a swing arm (10), such that the spacer insert (14) is movable along a curved track back and forth between the starting position and the operative position by a tilting movement of the swing arm (10) around a hinge connection (11).

2. Plant potting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer insert (14) has a lower portion (14c) that is gradually decreasing in cross-section, in particular such that during a back movement of the spacer insert (14) from its operative position towards its starting position along the curved track, the lower portion (14c) of the spacer insert (14) does not get to push against substrate material (20) that delimits the created recess (27).

3. Plant potting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a displacement mechanism (29) is provided for displacing or having displaced a plant pot (1) that is loaded to a plant pot holder (2) in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the transportation direction during a back movement of the spacer insert (14) from its operative position towards its starting position along the curved track, in particular such that during a back movement of the spacer insert (14) from its operative position towards its starting position along the curved track, a lower portion (14c) of the spacer insert (14) does not get to push against substrate material (20) that delimits the created recess (27).

4. Plant potting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the swing arm (10) is tiltable over an angle of at least 90 degrees during its tilting movement for moving the spacer insert (14) back and forth between the starting position and operative position.

5. Plant potting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the hinge connection (11) of the swing arm (10) is positioned sideways of the plant pot holder (2), in particular wherein the hinge connection (11) is positioned at or below a level of an upper edge (4) of a plant pot (1) loaded into one of the plant pot holders (2), more in particular wherein the swing arm (10) in the operative position extends at or below the level of the upper edge (4) of a plant pot (1) loaded into one of the plant pot holders (2).

6. Plant potting machine according to one of the preceding, wherein the hinge connection (11) is positioned at a distance (z1) of at least 80 mm from a centre axis (y) of the spacer insert (14).

7. Plant potting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a wiping element (32) for wiping excess substrate material (20) of the plant pots (1), is provided that is moveable over a plant pot (1) that is loaded into one of the plant pot holders (2) and that has already been filled with the substrate material (20) while the spacer insert (14) is kept in its operative position inside that plant pot (1).

8. Plant potting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of the swing arms (10) are provided that are movable in the transportation direction co-along with the first transporter (7) along at least part of the transportation path, in particular by being hingedly connected directly or indirectly to the first transporter (7) or by being hingedly connected directly or indirectly to a second transporter that extends along at least part of the first transporter (7).

9. Plant potting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transporter (7) is an endless conveyor, in particular a chain, to which the plant pot holders (2) and/or swing arms (10) are connected at spaced intervals.

10. Plant potting machine according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising:

- one or more stopper/guiders provided at fixed locations along the transportation path for forcing each swing arm (10) to move its spacer insert (14) forth towards its operative position, and/or for forcing each swing arm (10) to move its spacer insert (14) back towards its starting position during movement of this swing arm (10) along the stoppers/guiders.

11. Plant potting machine according to one of the preceding claims, in which a vibrator (22) is provided for compacting substrate material (20) inside the plant pot (1) around the spacer insert (14) during or after filling while the spacer insert (14) is kept in its operative position, wherein the vibrator (22) is positioned at or below the plant pot holder (2) for having the entire plant pot (1) that has been loaded thereto, vibrate.

12. Plant potting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transporter (7) partly defines a linear transportation path section, and wherein one or more of the loading, filling and unloading stations (LS, FS, US) are positioned along the linear transportation path section.

13. Plant potting machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the machine further comprises:

- a planting station (PS) for placing plants (30) with lower parts, in particular plant plugs (31), inside the created insertion recess (27).

14. Use of a plant potting machine according to one of the preceding claims for the potting of epiphyte plants, in particular Phalaenopsis orchids, in plant insertion recesses (27) that have been created in plant pots (1) filled with substrate material (20), in particular bark.

15. Method for operating a plant potting machine according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of:

- loading empty plant pots (1) to the transporter (7);

- tilting the swing arm (10) for having the spacer insert (14) move along the curved track forth towards its operative position inside a respective one of the plant pots (1) preceding a starting of the filling of that plant pot (1) with substrate material (20);

- filling that plant pot (1) with substrate material (20) with the spacer insert (14) kept in its operative position during that filling;

- tilting the swing arm (10) for having the spacer insert (14) move along the curved track back towards its starting position outside that plant pot (1) while leaving behind the plant insertion recess (27); and

- unloading filled plant pots (1) from the transporter (27).