US 6,634,306 B1 · Method and apparatus for transplanting

Abstract

A transplanter is provided a single centralized pneumatic feeder which will feed anywhere from 2 to 10 or more rows of seedlings at one time. The centralized pneumatic feeder concept allows the transplanter to operate with low velocity movement and still plant large numbers of seedlings. The seedlings are initially in plant trays designed so that the seedlings can be extracted from the bottom of the trays. To simplify seedling transfer, the pneumatic feeder includes an impulse-type extraction system and a pneumatic seedling transfer system is employed. This new system is simple in concept and has only two moving parts per row. This concept makes the transplanter system extremely adaptable to almost any configuration, for example 2-10 or more rows, bare ground fields, mulch covered beds, and even other manufacturer's planters. The transplanter is equipped with a full tray magazine and an empty tray magazine to either side of a seedling support, which avoids the necessity of stopping the unit when one or two trays have been emptied.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method of transplanting a plurality of seedlings simultaneously from an open bottom plant tray having a plurality of seedling receiving cells, the seedlings being transplanted to a plurality of transversely spaced apart rows in the ground;

comprising the following:
providing an open bottom plant tray having a plurality of seedling receiving cells with seedlings therein;
providing a carrier which may be moved forwardly over the ground;
providing a plurality of transversely spaced apart soil openers, one for every row which is to be planted, the soil openers creating seedling receiving openings in the ground;
providing a support on the carrier for the open bottom seedling carrying plant tray, the support having a plurality of spaced apart openings, one for every row which is to be planted;
indexing the open bottom plant tray relative to the support to cause a number of seedling containing cells in the plant tray to be placed over the spaced apart openings;
and
transporting the seedlings from said number of cells to the seedling receiving openings to simultaneously transplant a number of seedlings from a single tray to a number of spaced apart rows.

5 more elements

An apparatus for transplanting a plurality of seedlings simultaneously from an open bottom plant tray having a plurality of seedling receiving cells, the seedlings being transplanted from a centralized location to a plurality of transversely spaced apart rows in the ground;

comprising the following:
an open bottom plant tray having a plurality of seedling receiving cells with seedlings therein;
a carrier which may be moved forwardly over the ground;
a plurality of transversely spaced apart soil openers, one for every row which is to be planted, the soil openers creating seedling receiving openings in the ground;
support on the carrier for the open bottom seedling carrying plant tray, the support having a plurality of spaced apart openings, one for every row which is to be planted;
means for indexing the open bottom plant tray relative to the support to cause a number of seedling containing cells in the plant tray to be placed over the spaced apart openings;
and
means for transporting the seedlings from said number of cells to the seedling receiving openings to simultaneously transplant a number of seedlings from a single tray to a number of spaced apart rows.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for transplanting

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Method and apparatus for transplanting

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11