Vegetable transplanter

Abstract

Conventional compaction wheel devices allow for adjustment of the load on the compaction wheel that receives the chemicals, but they lack the ability to uniformize the unevenness of the ridge surface where vegetables are planted. [Solution] A vegetable transplanter comprising a traveling vehicle body 1 and a planting unit 6 attached to the traveling vehicle body 1 via a lifting link 7 for transplanting vegetables, wherein the planting unit 6 is equipped with a first compaction wheel 11 for compacting the ridges and a second compaction wheel 13 attached to the traveling frame 1a of the traveling vehicle body 1 via a compaction wheel frame 12 for compacting the ridges in front of the planting unit 6, the planting unit 6 is a two-row planting type, the second compaction wheel 13 is provided in two parts on the left and right to avoid the lifting link 7, each of the second compaction wheels 13 has an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the first compaction wheel 11, and furthermore, its height is adjustable relative to the traveling frame 1a.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vegetable transplanter.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a compressing device, there is known a mechanism including a compressing frame rotatably provided on a traveling vehicle body, a compressing wheel attached to the compressing frame, a support frame of a chemical supply device provided on the compressing frame, a suspension frame provided on a handle frame of the traveling vehicle body, and a load adjusting member for receiving the load of the chemical supply device between the support frame and the suspension frame (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in such a compressing wheel device, although it is possible to adjust the load of the compressing wheel for receiving the chemical, it has a poor function of making the unevenness of the ridge surface where vegetables are planted uniform.

[0005] In the present invention, in consideration of the problems of such a compressing wheel device, an object is to provide a work vehicle capable of surely making the unevenness of the ridge surface uniform.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention is a vegetable transplanter including a traveling vehicle body and a planting part attached to the traveling vehicle body via a lifting link for transplanting vegetables, a first compressing wheel attached to the planting part for compressing the ridge, This vegetable transplanter is characterized by having a second compaction wheel attached to the running frame of the aforementioned traveling vehicle body via a compaction wheel frame, which compacts the ridges in front of the planting section.

[0007] This ensures that the unevenness of the ridge surface is completely uniform before planting the seedlings.

[0008] The second aspect of the present invention is: The aforementioned planting section is of the two-row planting type. The second compression wheel is provided in two separate parts, left and right, to avoid the lifting link. The first vegetable transplanter of the present invention is characterized in that each of the second compaction wheels has an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the first compaction wheel, and is further height-adjustable relative to the traveling frame.

[0009] This avoids interference with the lifting link, ensures that the unevenness of the ridge surface is made uniform, and also allows for adjustment of the ridge surface height.

[0010] The third invention is, The second vegetable transplanter of the present invention is characterized in that the second pressing wheels are connected to each other by a connecting frame, and the connecting frame is positioned so as not to interfere with the lifting link.

[0011] This prevents the second compression wheel from becoming unstable and avoids interference with the lifting link.

[0012] The fourth aspect of the present invention is: The third vegetable transplanter of the present invention is a vegetable transplanter in which the connecting frame is a straight or downwardly curved shaft that connects the opposing central axes of the two second pressing wheels. Interference can be avoided even if the lifting link is positioned further down.

[0013] The fifth aspect of the present invention is: The third version of the vegetable transplanter according to the present invention is a vegetable transplanter in which the connecting frame is a shaft with a shape that is bent forward, connecting the opposing outer central axes of the two second pressing wheels. Interference can be avoided even if the lifting link is positioned lower.

[0014] The sixth aspect of the present invention is A fourth or fifth version of the present invention is a vegetable transplanter, wherein a scraper is attached to the compaction wheel frame of the second compaction wheel and is provided for removing soil from the front portion of the second compaction wheel.

[0015] This allows the soil adhering to the compaction wheel to fall to the front of the wheel before leveling, thereby stabilizing the ridge surface after leveling.

[0016] The seventh aspect of the present invention is The first compaction wheel is located behind the planting section. A sixth version of the vegetable transplanter according to the present invention, wherein the chemical tank is located on top of the first compaction wheel.

[0017] The eighth aspect of the present invention is The seventh version of the vegetable transplanter according to the present invention is a vehicle-mounted irrigation tank, the irrigation tank being positioned behind the seedling tank of the planting section.

[0018] The ninth aspect of the present invention is The vegetables, in cell trays, are loaded onto a spare seedling frame located at the front of the vehicle body. The cell tray relay mechanism located behind the aforementioned reserve seedling frame receives the cell tray and passes it to the cell tray supply mechanism located below it. The cell tray supply mechanism supplies the received cell trays to the seedling tank. The cell tray relay mechanism has a pair of rotating endless belts arranged vertically opposite each other, and protrusions are provided at predetermined intervals on the surface of the rotating endless belts that can support the ends of the cell trays from below. The pair of endless rotating belts is configured to place the cell tray sent from the spare seedling frame thereon from above, move it downward, and drop it onto the cell tray supply mechanism. This is the eighth vegetable transplanter of the present invention.

[0019] As a result, a large number of cell trays can be held on the traveling vehicle body, so the number of times of supplying seedlings can be reduced, and the possibility of supplying seedlings without entering the field is increased.

Brief Explanation of Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] Side view of the vegetable transplanter according to the embodiment of the present invention [Figure 2] Side view of the second pressing wheel etc. of the vegetable transplanter [Figure 3] (A), (B) Rear view of the second pressing wheel etc. of the vegetable transplanter [Figure 4] Side view of the vegetable transplanter [Figure 5] Perspective view of the spare seedling frame of the vegetable transplanter [Figure 6] Perspective view of the cell tray relay mechanism of the vegetable transplanter [Figure 7] Drawing of the cell tray relay mechanism [Figure 8] Partial perspective view of the seedling tank centered on the seedling clamping part of the vegetable transplanter [Figure 9] (A)~(G) Drawings of each member of the seedling clamping part in Fig. 8 [Figure 10] (A)~(E) Drawings of the plates of the seedling clamping part in Fig. 9 [Figure 11] (A)~(G) Drawings of the seedling clamping part in Fig. 9 [Figure 12] Plan view of another embodiment of the vegetable transplanter [Figure 13] Side view of the vegetable transplanter in Fig. 12

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 is a side view of a vegetable transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereafter, the front and back and left and right will be used as reference points to the direction of travel of the vegetable transplanter.

[0023] In Figure 1, the front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3 are attached to the underside of the vehicle body 1. Also, 4 is the driver's seat, and spare seedling frames 5 for storing spare seedlings are provided in front of the driver's seat on both sides. The spare seedling frames 5 shown are three-tiered and can be extended forward and backward as needed. Figure 5 shows the extended state.

[0024] At the rear of the vehicle body 1, there is a planting section 6 for planting seedlings in the field, which can be raised and lowered by a lifting link 7.

[0025] This planting unit 6 includes a seedling tank 8 on which seedlings are placed and sent downward, and a seedling retrieval unit 10 that takes seedlings from the seedling tank 8 and supplies them to a hopper 9 below.

[0026] Furthermore, a first compaction wheel 11 is attached to the planting unit 6 to compact the soil around the seedlings planted from the hopper 9 into field A.

[0027] Furthermore, a second compaction wheel 13 is provided, which is cantilevered to the running frame 1a of the running vehicle body 1 via a compaction wheel frame 12, and compacts the ridges in front of the planting section 6. This makes it possible to make the ridge height uniform. The height of the compaction wheel remains constant without affecting the planting depth of the planting section 6.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, the compression wheel frame 12 has a bent support frame 12b that is rotatably supported on an axle 12a attached to the travel frame 1a, and a central shaft 12d supported at the rear end of the support frame 12b. The second compression wheel 13 is rotatably cantilevered and supported on the central shaft 12d.

[0029] Furthermore, the front end of the support frame 12b is connected to the travel frame 1a via a cylinder 12c. By moving the travel frame 1a up and down using this cylinder 12c, the height of the second compression wheel 13 can be adjusted.

[0030] This vegetable transplanter is a two-row planting type, and the planting section 6 and the first compaction wheel 11 are each provided in two sets corresponding to two rows. In addition, as shown in Figure 2, the second compaction wheel 13 is also provided in two sets (13L, 13R). Hopper 9L and 9R are also provided in two sets.

[0031] As can be seen in Figure 2, 7 is the lifting link, and the two second compaction wheels 13L and 13R are positioned separately on the left and right to avoid interfering with this lifting link 7. This is because the two second compaction wheels 13L and 13R are located below the lifting link 7 in a side view, as shown in Figure 1. Note that 14 is a sensing roller for adjusting the planting depth of the seedlings.

[0032] The outer diameter of this second compaction wheel 13 is larger than the outer diameter of the first compaction wheel 11, allowing for more effective leveling of the ridges. In other words, it is possible to increase the diameter of the compaction wheel while suppressing interference with the lifting link 7. By making the compaction wheel as large as possible, the load on the ridge surface can be stabilized and rolling resistance can be reduced.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the two second compression wheels 13L and 13R are connected to each other by a connecting frame 14. In this case as well, the connecting frame 14 has the following structure to prevent interference with the lifting link 7.

[0034] For example, as shown in Figure 3(A), the connecting frame 14 is a straight shaft that connects the opposing ends 12d1, 12d1 of the central axis 12d of the two second compression wheels 13L, 13R. In this case, a simple mechanism is effective when the lifting link 7 does not descend to the level of this connecting frame 14.

[0035] Alternatively, the connecting frame 14 may be a downwardly bent shaft that connects the opposing ends 12d1, 12d1 of the central axis 12d of the two second compression wheels 13L, 13R (see the dashed line in Figure 3(A)). In this case, interference with the lifting link 7 can be avoided. In this case, the central axis 12d itself does not rotate. This ensures that the lifting link 7 can descend quite far down without issue.

[0036] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 3(B), the connecting frame 14 may be a shaft that connects the outer ends 12d2, 12d2 of the central axis 12d of the two second compression wheels 13L, 13R that do not face each other, and is bent forward. In this case, the shaft passes in front of the second compression wheels 13, 13, but since the lifting link 7 does not descend too low on the front side (see Figure 1), interference can be avoided. In this case, the central axis 12d itself does not rotate. In this case, it is virtually the same as if the support frames 12b were connected to each other, so there is an advantage in that wobbling is suppressed and stability is improved overall.

[0037] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, a scraper 15 is attached to the compaction wheel frame 12 of the second compaction wheel 13. This scraper 15 has the role of removing soil from the front part of the second compaction wheel 13. By doing so, the soil adhering to the compaction wheel is removed to the front of the compaction wheel before leveling, thereby stabilizing the ridge surface after leveling.

[0038] Furthermore, it is desirable to sense the rolling resistance of the compaction wheels and control their height accordingly. This reduces the impact of the compaction wheels' rolling resistance on the vehicle's movement, thereby improving stability.

[0039] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the first compaction wheel 11 is located behind the planting section 6, and the chemical tank 16 is positioned above the first compaction wheel 11. By positioning the chemical tank 16 near the hopper 9, the length of the chemical hose is shortened, making chemical clogging less likely. Also, by positioning the chemical tank 16 above the hopper 9, the efficiency of chemical dispensing is improved. In addition, by positioning the chemical inlet of the chemical tank 16 on the rear side of the vehicle body 1, its lid can be used as a stand for chemical bags, and the chemical tank 16 is positioned in a way that makes chemical dispensing easier.

[0040] Furthermore, it is desirable to position the hose connection of the chemical tank 16 at a low position. This allows the chemical to be efficiently transferred to the seedling dispensing section and hopper 9.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the irrigation tank 17 is mounted on the vehicle body 1 with the tank positioned behind (below) the seedling tank 8 of the planting section 6. Placing the heavy irrigation tank 17 near the rear axle improves the vehicle's balance. Additionally, because it can be positioned behind the seedling tank 8, dead space can be effectively utilized.

[0042] The irrigation tank 17 is supported by the travel frame 1a. This prevents the planting unit 6 from being subjected to excessive stress during oscillation.

[0043] The nozzle of the irrigation tank 17 is positioned on the seedling removal claw. This provides an irrigation effect on the seedlings. By spraying water onto the seedlings, the speed at which the seedlings are released from the extraction claws can be increased, and the inside of the hopper 9 can be cleaned.

[0044] Furthermore, it is desirable to sense the moisture content of the seedlings in the seedling tank 8 and control the water discharge volume of the irrigation tank 17. By controlling the water discharge volume of the irrigation water while considering the water retention capacity of the seedlings, an appropriate amount of moisture can be ensured.

[0045] Next, another embodiment will be described. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, seedlings and vegetables are placed in cell trays and loaded onto a spare seedling frame 5 located at the front of the vehicle body 1. A cell tray relay mechanism 20 located behind the spare seedling frame 5 receives the cell trays and passes them to a cell tray supply mechanism 21 located below, which then supplies the received cell trays to the seedling tank 8.

[0046] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the cell tray relay mechanism 20 has a pair of rotating endless belts 20a arranged vertically opposite each other, with protrusions 20b arranged at predetermined intervals on the surface of the rotating endless belts 20a that can support the ends of the cell trays 22 from below. The pair of rotating endless belts 20a are configured to place the cell trays 22 sent from the spare seedling frame 5 on top of them, move them downward while rotating, and drop them into the cell tray supply mechanism 21.

[0047] In other words, to reiterate, the cell tray relay mechanism 20 has rotating endless belts 20a for the cell trays on both sides, places the cell trays 22 on the protrusions 20b of the belts 20a, and rotates the belts 20a to drop the cell trays 22.

[0048] Furthermore, by installing limit switches 23 on the top of the cell tray relay mechanism 20 and the top of the seedling tank 8, the loading status of the cell trays 22 in the cell tray relay mechanism 20 can be checked. This prevents the supply of cell trays 22 from being incomplete.

[0049] By doing so, more cell trays 22 can be held on the vehicle body 1, which reduces the number of times seedlings are supplied and increases the possibility of supplying seedlings without entering the field.

[0050] Next, we will describe another example.

[0051] As shown in Figure 8, a seedling supply belt 25, with a seedling clamping section 26 for holding seedlings, such as sweet potato seedlings 27, installed on top, rotates, and when it reaches the rear end, a claw-type seedling picking section (not shown) hooks the stem of the sweet potato seedling 27 with its claws and throws it into a hopper (not shown). 24 is a positioning guide.

[0052] Here, the seedling clamping section 26 uses a brush to clamp the sweet potato seedling 27. Therefore, the seedling clamping section 26 needs to be designed to firmly hold the seedling 27 while also being easy to remove with the claws.

[0053] Therefore, Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram of the seedling clamping part 26, where (A) is an overall perspective view and (B) to (G) are exploded perspective views of each part.

[0054] Here, we will explain the arrangement of the holes 30 in the plate 29 on which the brush 28 is implanted. Figure 10(A) shows the conventional arrangement of the holes 30, which are diamond-shaped and sparse in the vertical direction, making it easy for seedlings 27 to shift vertically and fall. Also, because they are dense in the front-to-back direction, there is a lot of resistance when the seedlings are pulled out by the transplanting claws. Note that the diagrams drawn in the upper right of each figure in Figure 10 are diagrams of the smallest unit of holes 30.

[0055] In contrast, in embodiment (B), the horizontally elongated diamond shape is used, making the vertical direction denser. This increases the seedling holding force. The front-to-back direction is made sparser. This reduces the resistance when the seedling is pulled out by the transplanting claws, thereby reducing errors in gripping the seedling.

[0056] Alternatively, as a modification, the arrangement of the holes 30 can be made into a horizontally elongated rectangular shape, as shown in (C). This increases the seedling holding force. The holes are also spaced out in the front-to-back direction. This reduces the resistance when the seedling is pulled out by the transplanting claws, thereby reducing errors in gripping the seedling.

[0057] Alternatively, as shown in (D), the arrangement of the holes 30 may be in a horizontally elongated parallelogram shape.

[0058] Alternatively, as shown in (E), the parallelogram-shaped arrangement can be made into a horizontally elongated parallelogram that points diagonally upward to the right. This allows the seedlings to be gripped with a brush arrangement perpendicular to the ideal seedling gripping posture.

[0059] As shown in Figures 9 and 11(A), it is desirable to separate the brush 28, sponge 31, and base 32, connect them with screws 34, and allow the distance between them to be adjusted. This improves the adaptability of the seedlings.

[0060] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11(B), a slide guide 35 is provided on the opposite side of the screw 34. Alternatively, only the brush 28 may slide. This simplifies the structure.

[0061] As shown in Figure 11(C), positioning the screw 34 in the center of the clamping portion increases its adaptability to seedlings.

[0062] As shown in Figures 11(D), (E), and (F), the brush 28 and sponge 31 may be mounted in a rotatable manner. This increases adaptability to seedlings. Note that 36 is a gear that automatically rotates when one is turned. The pivot point is located closer to the base of the seedling.

[0063] As shown in Figure 11(G), the rotation is configured to move in steps. This simplifies the adjustment method. A stopper for rotation is also provided. The rotation is connected left and right by a gear 36 (gear-like configuration).

[0064] Next, we will describe another example.

[0065] Figure 12 is a plan view of the transplanter of this embodiment, and Figure 13 is a side view of the same transplanter. In the ride-on type two-row vegetable transplanter, a seat switch 48 located below the driver's seat turns OFF when the operator stands up, and the cell tray automatic feeding device 50, which also functions as a visor, automatically moves upward around the pivot point P by links 47 located on both sides of the front and a cylinder 46 located in the center of the main body.

[0066] A motor 53, a belt 44, and sensors 40-43 are installed at the rear of the automatic tray feeding device 50 to slowly supply the cell trays 22 to the seedling tank 8. By using a belt configuration at the rear, it is possible to reliably insert the cell trays 22 into the seedling tank 8 while preventing them from slipping.

[0067] In other words, when the tray absence sensor 42 on the seedling tank side turns ON, a buzzer and lamp directed towards the control panel light up, and then, with the seedling tank side position sensor 40 or the tray automatic feeder side position sensor 41 ON, the main unit pauses and starts automatic feeding of the cell trays 22. This reduces the amount of labor required for operation. Note that 51 is the manual up / down switch for the tray automatic feeder, and 52 is the seedling tank tray presence / absence lamp and release switch.

[0068] When the tray presence sensor 43 on the automatic tray feeder side, which is installed on the belt 44, turns OFF, the stopper 45 is released and the cell tray 22 moves from front to back. Then, when the tray presence sensor 43 turns ON, the stopper 45 operates. This ensures that the next tray 22 is moved only after confirming that the first tray 22 has been fed, thus preventing trays from overlapping and causing feeding problems.

[0069] Furthermore, the vegetables of this invention also include seeds. [Industrial applicability]

[0070] This invention provides a work vehicle that can reliably make the unevenness of the ridge surface uniform, and is ideal for seedling transplanting machines. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0071] 1. Running vehicle 2 Front wheels 3 Rear wheels 4. Driver's seat 5. Reserve seedling frame 6 Planting section 7. Lifting Link 8 seedling tanks 9 Hopper 10 Seedling picking section 11. First compression wheel 12 Compression Wheel Frame 12a axis 12b Support frame 12c cylinder 12d center axis 12d1 edge 12d2 edge 13. Second compression wheel 14 Connecting Frames 15 Scrapers 16 Chemical tanks 17 Irrigation tank 20 Cell Tray Relay Mechanism 20a Rotating endless belt 20b protrusion 21 Cell tray supply mechanism 22 cell trays 23, 24 switches 25 Seedling supply belt 26 Seedling holding part 27 Seedlings 28 brushes 29 board 30 holes 31 sponges 32 Base section 33, 34 screws 35 Guide 36 gears 40 Seedling tank side position sensor 41 Tray automatic feeder side position sensor 42 Seedling tank side without tray sensor 43. Tray presence / absence sensor on the automatic tray feeder side 44 belts 45 Stopper 46 cylinders 47 links 48 Seat switch 50 Tray automatic feeder 51. Manual switch for up and down movement of automatic tray feeder. 52 Seedling tank tray presence indicator lamp and release switch 53 Motor Field A P fulcrum

Claims

1. A vegetable transplanter comprising a traveling vehicle body and a planting unit attached to the traveling vehicle body via a lifting link for transplanting vegetables, A first compaction wheel, which is attached to the planting section and compacts the ridge, A vegetable transplanter characterized by comprising a second compaction wheel, which is attached to the running frame of the aforementioned traveling vehicle body via a compaction wheel frame, and which compacts the ridges in front of the planting section.

2. The aforementioned planting section is of the two-row planting type. The second compression wheel is provided in two separate parts, left and right, to avoid the lifting link. The vegetable transplanter according to claim 1, wherein each of the second compaction wheels has an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the first compaction wheel, and furthermore, its height can be adjusted relative to the travel frame.

3. The vegetable transplanter according to claim 2, wherein the second pressing wheels are connected to each other by a connecting frame, and the connecting frame is arranged so as not to interfere with the lifting link.

4. The vegetable transplanter according to claim 3, wherein the connecting frame is a straight or downwardly curved shaft that connects the opposing central axes of the two second pressing wheels.

5. The vegetable transplanter according to claim 3, wherein the connecting frame is a shaft with a shape that is bent forward, connecting the opposing outer central axes of the two second pressing wheels.

6. The vegetable transplanter according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a scraper is attached to the compaction wheel frame of the second compaction wheel and is provided for removing soil from the front portion of the second compaction wheel.

7. The first compaction wheel is located behind the planting section. The vegetable transplanter according to claim 6, wherein the chemical tank is located on the upper part of the first compaction wheel.

8. The vegetable transplanter according to claim 7, wherein the irrigation tank is mounted on the vehicle body with the irrigation tank positioned behind the seedling tank of the planting section.

9. The vegetables, in cell trays, are loaded onto a spare seedling frame located at the front of the vehicle body. The cell tray relay mechanism located behind the aforementioned reserve seedling frame receives the cell tray and passes it to the cell tray supply mechanism located below it. The cell tray supply mechanism supplies the received cell trays to the seedling tank. The cell tray relay mechanism has a pair of rotating endless belts arranged vertically opposite each other, and protrusions are provided at predetermined intervals on the surface of the rotating endless belts that can support the ends of the cell trays from below. The vegetable transplanter according to claim 8, wherein the pair of rotating endless belts are configured to place the cell trays sent from the spare seedling frame onto them from above, move them downward, and drop them into the cell tray supply mechanism.

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