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US 4,438,710 AGranted
Seedling planter
AssigneeTimberland Equipment Limited
InventorAnthony Paladino
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A twin row seedling planter is provided with a new mechanical system for ejecting seedlings into a cut in the ground made by a dibble after the dibble has cut to a selected depth. The planter also features an improved modular lay-out of planting beams, packing beams and wheel support beams. The operators' station is located for ease of access to the planting dibbles. A simple and efficient system is used to raise and lower the packing beams and the planter frame in sequence.
Claims14
Apparatus for planting seedlings comprising a main frame;
- wheel support means for supporting the main frame above the ground;
- a pair of planting beams each pivotally mounted adjacent to a respective one of the opposing sides of the main frame, each planting beam having a planting dibble adjacent its free outer end;
- a pair of packing beams each pivotally mounted to the main frame adjacent a respective one of said planting beams and having packing means at their free outer ends for packing earth around seedlings planted by said dibbles, an operators' station disposed on said main frame intermediate the opposing sides of the main frame whereby, in use, operators located at the operators' station have access to the planting dibbles in their raised positions for placement of seedlings thereinto, means for raising and lowering said planting beams to cause the dibbles carried thereby to move between raised seedling-receiving positions and lowered earth-penetrating positions;
- and ejecting means carried by the respective planting beams for ejecting individual seedlings out of their planting dibbles into furrows in the soil cut thereby, and wherein said wheel support means comprises a pair of elongated walking beams each pivotally mounted adjacent to a respective one of the opposing sides of the main frame, a ground engaging wheel attached to a free outer end portion of each said walking beams, a pair of module bases, each connected to the main frame adjacent a respective one of the opposing sides thereof;
- one each of said walking beams, planting beams and packing means being pivotally connected to a respective one of said module bases.
2 more elements
Apparatus for planting seedling comprising;
- a main frame adapted for movement over the ground, a planting beam movably attached to said frame and having a planting dibble connected to a free end thereof;
- actuator means for raising and lowering said planting beam to move said planting dibble between a raised seedling-receiving position and a lowered earth penetrating and cutting position, means in said dibble for holding a seedling placed therein;
- ground contacting means movable relative to the planting beam by a distance proportional to the depth of penetration of the dibble, dislodging means mounted for movement relative to the dibble for contacting the seedling and pushing it out of the dibble, and means operatively connecting said ground contacting means with said dislodging means including spring loaded means adapted to store spring energy as said ground contacting means is moved in response to penetration of the dibble into the earth and to release such spring energy to dislodge the seedling into the cut after the dibble has cut to a predetermined depth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.