Sulky seedling transplanter

Abstract

To provide a sulky seedling transplanter with a chemical spraying device, which sprays chemicals over seedlings, on a seedling placement table of a planting unit, where the sulky seedling transplanter with the chemical spraying device is reduced in the structural complexity, size, weight and cost in contrast to the prior art which has a complex structure and large size and machine weight because a chemical spraying device is mounted on a seedling placement table moving left and right reciprocally.SOLUTION: A sulky seedling transplanter has a traveling body 2 equipped with a planting unit 4 and a spare seedling placement device 6 for placing seedling trays N. The spare seedling placement device 6 is provided with a chemical spraying device 7 to spray chemicals over seedlings in the seedling trays N placed on the spare seedling placement device 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a riding seedling transplanter having a seedling planting unit attached to a traveling body. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a riding seedling transplanter that is equipped with a chemical spraying device that sprays chemicals on the seedlings on the seedling carrier of the seedling planting section (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-095053 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Because the pesticide spraying device was mounted on a seedling carrier that moved back and forth from side to side, the structure was complex, large, and the weight of the machine was heavy.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and has an object to provide a riding seedling transplanter equipped with a chemical spraying device that has a simple configuration and can be made smaller, lighter, and less expensive. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention described in claim 1 is a riding seedling transplanter equipped with a seedling planting section 4 and a spare seedling carrying device 6 for carrying seedling boxes N on a running body 2, in which the spare seedling carrying device 6 is provided with a pesticide spraying device 7 for spraying pesticide on the seedlings in the seedling boxes N carried on the spare seedling carrying device 6.

[0007] According to the invention described in claim 1, a chemical spraying device 7 that sprays chemicals on the seedlings in the seedling boxes N placed on the spare seedling loading device 6 is provided on the spare seedling loading device 6, resulting in a simple configuration, which makes it possible to reduce size, weight and cost.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is a riding seedling transplanter as described in claim 1, in which the spare seedling carrying device 6 is composed of a plurality of spare seedling carrying tables 6a, 6b, 6c, and can be freely switched between a stacked state in which the spare seedling carrying tables 6a, 6b, 6c are arranged in a vertical direction and a flat state in which they are arranged in a front-to-back direction, and the pesticide spraying device 7 sprays pesticide when the plurality of spare seedling carrying tables 6a, 6b, 6c are in the flat state.

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is a riding type seedling transplanter described in claim 1 or claim 2, which is provided with a chemical drive motor 7e that drives the chemical delivery section 7c when the seedling tray N passes under the chemical spraying device 7 on the auxiliary seedling carrying device 6.

[0010] The invention described in claim 4 is a riding seedling transplanter described in claim 3, in which a detection unit 74F that detects the pesticide spraying device 7 and the seedling box N is arranged in front of the spare seedling loading device 6, and the pesticide drive motor 7e is driven when the detection unit 74F detects the seedling box N. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a riding rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of a spare seedling loading device of the riding rice transplanter. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a side view of the drug dispersion device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the drug dispersion device. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a front view of the main parts of the riding rice transplanter. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a front view of the return rail of the spare seedling loading device. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a plan view of the return rail of the spare seedling loading device. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an enlarged front view of a main portion of a return rail showing another example. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a front view for explaining the operation of the return rail showing another example. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a side view for explaining the operation of a main part of the return rail, showing another example. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a rear view of a return rail showing another example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] <Overall composition> FIG. 1 is a side view of a riding-type rice transplanter equipped with a fertilizer applicator and a chemical sprayer, which is a typical example of the riding-type seedling transplanter of the present invention.

[0014] This riding rice transplanter 1 has a seedling planting unit 4 mounted on the rear of a running body 2 via a lifting link device 3 so that it can be raised and lowered, the main body of a fertilizer application device 5 is provided on the upper rear side of the running body 2, and left and right auxiliary seedling carrying devices 6, 6 are provided on both the left and right sides of the front of the running body 2, and the left auxiliary seedling carrying device 6 is equipped with a chemical spraying device 7 that sprays chemicals such as insecticides and fungicides on the seedlings.

[0015] In addition, the left and right directions in the forward direction of the riding seedling transplanter are referred to as left and right, respectively, and the forward and backward directions are referred to as front and rear, respectively.

[0016] <Running vehicle 2> The running body 2 is a four-wheel drive vehicle equipped with a pair of left and right front wheels 10,10 and a pair of left and right rear wheels 11,11 which are drive wheels, with a transmission case 12 arranged at the front of the body and front wheel final cases 13,13 provided on the left and right sides of the transmission case 12, and the left and right front wheels 10,10 are respectively attached to left and right front wheel axles which protrude outward from each front wheel support portion of the left and right front wheel final cases 13,13 which can change the steering direction.

[0017] In addition, the front end of the main frame 15 is fixed to the rear portion of the transmission case 12, and the rear wheel gear cases 18, 18 are supported so as to be able to roll freely, with a rear wheel rolling axis set horizontally in the center of the left and right rear end of the main frame 15 as a fulcrum, and the rear wheels 11, 11 are attached to the rear wheel axles that protrude outward from the rear wheel gear cases 18, 18.

[0018] The engine 20 is mounted on the main frame 15, and the rotational power of the engine 20 is transmitted to the transmission case 12 via the belt transmission and the HST 23. The rotational power transmitted to the transmission case 12 is changed in speed by the transmission in the case 12, and then separated into running power and externally taken out power and taken out. A part of the running power is transmitted to the front wheel final cases 13, 13 to drive the front wheels 10, 10, and the rest is transmitted to the rear wheel gear cases 18, 18 to drive the rear wheels 11, 11. The externally taken out power is transmitted to a planting clutch case provided at the rear of the traveling body 2, and then transmitted to the seedling planting section 4 by the planting transmission shaft 26, and is also transmitted to the fertilizer application device 5 by the fertilizer application transmission mechanism.

[0019] The upper part of the engine 20 is covered by an engine cover 30, and a seat 31 is installed above the engine cover 30.

[0020] In front of the seat 31 is a front cover 32 incorporating various operating mechanisms such as an HST lever 33 for operating the HST 23, and above that is provided a handle 34 for steering the front wheels 10,10.

[0021] Both the left and right sides of the lower ends of the engine cover 30 and the front cover 32 form horizontal floor steps 35. Part of the floor step 35 is latticed so that mud on the shoes of an operator walking on the step 35 falls into the field. The rear part above the floor step 35 forms a rear step 36 that also serves as a rear wheel fender.

[0022] The lifting link device 3 is a parallel link structure, and includes one upper link 40 and a pair of lower links 41, 41 on the left and right. The base side of each of these links 40, 41, 41 is rotatably attached to a link base frame 42, which is shaped like a portal when viewed from the rear and is erected at the rear end of the main frame 15, and a vertical link 43 is connected to the tip side of each of the links. A connecting shaft 44, which is rotatably supported on the seedling planting unit 4, is inserted and connected to the lower end of the vertical link 43, and the seedling planting unit 4 is connected to the connecting shaft 44 so that it can roll freely around the connecting shaft 44. A lifting hydraulic cylinder 46 is provided between the link base frame 42 and the vertical link 43, and by hydraulically extending and contracting the cylinder 46, the lifting link device 3 rotates up and down, and the seedling planting unit 4 rises and falls while maintaining a substantially constant posture.

[0023] <Seedling planting section 4> The seedling planting section 4 has a six-row planting configuration and is equipped with a transmission case 50 which also serves as a frame, a seedling carrier 51 which carries mat seedlings and moves back and forth from side to side, supplying seedlings one by one to the seedling outlet 51a of each row, and transports the seedlings downward by a seedling feed belt which supplies all of the seedlings in a horizontal row to the seedling outlet 51a, and a seedling planting device 52 which plants the seedlings supplied to the seedling outlet 51a in the field.

[0024] A center float 55 is provided in the center of the lower part of the seedling planting section 4, and side floats 56, 56 are provided on both the left and right sides of the center float 55. When the machine is advanced with these floats 55, 56, 56 in contact with the muddy surface of the farm field, the floats 55, 56, 56 slide along the muddy surface while leveling it, and the seedling planting device 52 plants seedlings in the leveled area.

[0025] Each float 55, 56, 56 is attached so that it can rotate freely so that its front end moves up and down in response to the unevenness of the field topsoil surface. During planting work, the up and down movement of the front of the center float 55 is detected by an angle-of-attack control sensor (not shown). In response to the detection result, the hydraulic valve that controls the lifting hydraulic cylinder 46 is switched to raise and lower the seedling planting section 4, thereby maintaining the seedling planting depth constant at all times.

[0026] The seedling planting section 4 is equipped with a soil leveling rotor 27, which is an example of a soil leveling device.

[0027] <Fertilizer 5> The fertilizer application device 5 delivers a fixed amount of granular fertilizer stored in a fertilizer hopper 60 using a delivery section 61, and guides the fertilizer via a fertilizer application hose 62 to fertilizer application guides 63 attached to both the left and right sides of the floats 55, 56, 56, and then drops the fertilizer into a fertilization area formed near the side of the seedling planting row by a furrow making body 64 provided in front of the fertilizer application guide 63.

[0028] Air generated by a blower driven by an electric blower motor is blown into the fertilizer application hose 62 via an air chamber 59 that is long in the left-right direction, and the fertilizer in the fertilizer application hose 62 is forcibly transported by the wind pressure.

[0029] <Auxiliary seedling loading device 6> Left and right spare seedling carrying devices 6, 6 are provided on both the left and right sides of the front of the traveling body 2 for carrying supplementary seedlings supported by a support frame 49.

[0030] The spare seedling carrying device 6 is composed of a first spare seedling carrying table 6a, a second spare seedling carrying table 6b and a third spare seedling carrying table 6c.

[0031] The first spare seedling tray 6a is supported by a first support frame 71a, the second spare seedling tray 6b is supported by a second support frame 71b, and the third spare seedling tray 6c is supported by a third support frame 71c.

[0032] The first support frame 71a of the first spare seedling carrier 6a is pivoted to the upper end of the movable link member 39, which is a parallel link mechanism whose upper and lower middle parts are supported on the support frame 49 so as to be freely rotatable by a pivot shaft 72 in the left-right direction of the body, the third support frame 71c of the third spare seedling carrier 6c is pivoted to the lower end of the movable link member 39, and the second support frame 71b of the second spare seedling carrier 6b is pivoted at a position slightly above the pivot shaft 72 of the movable link member 39.

[0033] Therefore, the spare seedling loading device 6 can be switched between a stacked state in which the second spare seedling loading platform 6b is in the middle, with the first spare seedling loading platform 6a and the third spare seedling loading platform 6c arranged above and below it, and a flat state in which the second spare seedling loading platform 6b is in the middle, with the first spare seedling loading platform 6a and the third spare seedling loading platform 6c arranged in front and behind it, respectively, by rotating the movable link member 39, so that the first, second and third spare seedling loading platforms 6a, 6b and 6c are arranged on the same plane as a whole.

[0034] Moreover, the first, second and third spare seedling carriers 6a, 6b and 6c, each consisting of three upper and lower stages, can be switched to a single flat stage in the front and rear directions while the seedling trays are still placed thereon.

[0035] When the first, second and third spare seedling carriers 6a, 6b and 6c are switched to a three-tiered stacked state or a flat state in which they are arranged on the same plane, the moving link member 39 is rotated by the electric motor M.

[0036] At this time, the operation switch of the electric motor M has two switching positions: a stacked state position and a flat state position. When the operation switch is operated to the stacked state position, the electric motor M operates to place the first, second and third spare seedling trays 6a, 6b and 6c in a stacked state arranged in three tiers above and below, and when the operation switch is operated to the flat state position, the electric motor M operates to place the first, second and third spare seedling trays 6a, 6b and 6c in a flat state arranged on the same plane.

[0037] Return rails 70a, 70b, 70c are provided on the outer sides of each of the first spare seedling carrying table 6a, the second spare seedling carrying table 6b, and the third spare seedling carrying table 6c, on which a seedling box N made of a rod is placed vertically and slid.

[0038] The return rails 70a, 70b, 70c are configured so that seedling boxes N can be placed upright and horizontally inclined toward the outside of the machine body. As shown in Figure 2, when the first spare seedling carrier 6a, the second spare seedling carrier 6b, and the third spare seedling carrier 6c are arranged in three layers, one above the other, one on each of the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c.

[0039] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, when the first spare seedling carrier 6a, the second spare seedling carrier 6b and the third spare seedling carrier 6c are lined up in the fore-aft direction and arranged on the same plane (rice planting work is carried out with them lined up in the fore-aft direction and arranged on the same plane), the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c are connected in the fore-aft direction, and an empty seedling box N can be stood upright and slid from the rear end to the front end of the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c.

[0040] <Chemical spraying device 7> As shown in Figures 2 to 6 and 7, the drug spraying device 7 is provided at the front end position of the first spare seedling carrying table 6a, which is the uppermost level when the spare seedling carrying devices 6 are stacked and the foremost position when in a flat state.

[0041] That is, the chemical spraying device 7 has a chemical spraying frame 7a fixed and supported at the front end of an inverted L-shaped chemical spraying support frame 73, the base of which is fixed to the support frame 71a of the first spare seedling platform 6a.

[0042] The lower end of the agent spraying device 7 is disposed at a distance that allows the seedling boxes N placed on the first spare seedling platform 6a to move in the front-rear direction.

[0043] The drug dispensing device 7 is composed of a drug dispensing roller 7c as a drug dispensing section arranged in the left-right direction of the body within a machine frame 7b fixed to a drug dispensing frame 7a, a drug tank 7d, a drug drive motor 7e, a drive gear 7f, etc.

[0044] The chemical feed roller 7c is supported rotatably on the machine frame 7b, has a length spanning the entire width of the seedling box N placed on the spare seedling loading device 6, and has feed holes or grooves around its entire circumference, feeding the chemical in the chemical tank 7d downward and spraying it over the entire width of the seedling box N.

[0045] The medicine tank 7d is long in the left-right direction of the body, facing above the medicine delivery roller 7c, and supplies medicine to the medicine delivery roller 7c from a discharge groove facing above the medicine delivery roller 7c at the lower end.

[0046] An openable and closable lid 7d' is provided on the upper portion of the medicine tank 7d, and is opened when refilling the medicine tank 7d with medicine.

[0047] The lid 7d' is configured so that the inside of the lid rotates upward about a forward / backward pivot axis provided on the outer side of the chemical tank 7d, and rises toward the outside of the body and opens fully, allowing an operator riding on the traveling vehicle body 2 to easily replenish chemicals into the chemical tank 7d from the rear side of the chemical spraying device 7 (seat 31 side), and also allowing an operator on a ridge or road to easily replenish chemicals into the chemical tank 7d from the front side of the chemical spraying device 7.

[0048] The medicine drive motor 7e drives and rotates the medicine delivery roller 7c via a drive gear 7f.

[0049] A front detection sensor 74F consisting of a microswitch that detects the seedling box N is provided at the center left and right position of the front of the first spare seedling carrier 6a, and the front detection sensor 74F turns ON when the seedling box N placed on the first spare seedling carrier 6a is pushed backward and the front end of the mat-shaped seedlings at the front end of the seedling box N in the traveling direction reaches a position below the drug delivery roller 7c.

[0050] A rear detection sensor 74R consisting of a microswitch that detects the seedling box N is provided in the central left-right position at the rear of the first spare seedling carrier 6a, and the rear detection sensor 74R turns ON when the seedling box N placed on the first spare seedling carrier 6a is pushed rearward and the rear end of the mat-like seedlings at the rear end of the seedling box N in the traveling direction reaches a position below the drug delivery roller 7c.

[0051] When the front sensor 74F is turned ON, the chemical agent drive motor 7e is driven to rotate the chemical agent delivery roller 7c via the drive gear 7f, thereby spraying the chemical agent over the entire width of the mat-like seedlings in the seedling box N.

[0052] When the rear detection sensor 74R is turned ON, the chemical agent drive motor 7e is stopped, the chemical agent delivery roller 7c is stopped, and the chemical agent spraying onto the mat-like seedlings in the seedling box N is stopped.

[0053] In addition, the drug drive motor 7e operates when the front detection sensor 74F is turned ON only when the operation switch of the electric motor M is operated to the flat state position (only when the first spare seedling tray 6a, the second spare seedling tray 6b and the third spare seedling tray 6c are in a flat state arranged on the same plane).

[0054] In other words, when the operation switch of the electric motor M is operated to the stacked state position (when the first spare seedling tray 6a, the second spare seedling tray 6b and the third spare seedling tray 6c are stacked in three layers, one above the other), the drug drive motor 7e will not operate even if the front detection sensor 74F is turned ON, preventing malfunction and improving safety.

[0055] In addition, a sensor may be provided in the spare seedling loading device 6 to detect when the first spare seedling loading platform 6a, the second spare seedling loading platform 6b and the third spare seedling loading platform 6c are arranged on the same plane and when the sensor detects that the platforms are in a flat state, operation of the drug driving motor 7e is permitted by the front detection sensor 74F.

[0056] In addition, since the front detection sensor 74F and the rear detection sensor 74R are provided at the left-right central position of the first spare seedling carrier 6a, the seedling boxes N can be detected properly, and the operation of the chemical spraying device 7 can be stabilized to perform appropriate chemical spraying work.

[0057] In addition, a drive detection sensor 75 is provided to detect the rotation of the drive gear 7f. When the operation switch of the electric motor M is operated to the flat state position (the first spare seedling tray 6a, the second spare seedling tray 6b and the third spare seedling tray 6c are in a flat state arranged on the same plane) and the front detection sensor 74F detects the seedling box N and is turned ON, but the drive detection sensor 75 does not detect the rotation of the drive gear 7f, it recognizes this as a malfunction and notifies the user of the abnormality by using an audio alarm such as a buzzer or a monitor, etc.

[0058] Furthermore, when the rear detection sensor 74R detects the seedling tray N and is turned ON, but the drive detection sensor 75 detects the rotation of the drive gear 7f, it recognizes this as a malfunction and notifies the user of the abnormality by using an audio alarm such as a buzzer or a monitor, etc.

[0059] In addition, the rear detection sensor 74R may be eliminated and only the front detection sensor 74F may be used, and the drug drive motor 7e may be driven only while the front detection sensor 74F is ON in the seedling box N, to drive and rotate the drug delivery roller 7c via the drive gear 7f, thereby spraying the drug over the entire width of the mat-like seedlings in the seedling box N.

[0060] In addition, instead of the above-mentioned front detection sensor 74F and rear detection sensor 74R, a rotation sensor may be provided which detects the rotation of the left and right guide rollers 76 which rotate while receiving the bottom surface of the seedling box N attached to the front end of the first spare seedling carrier 6a, and when the seedling box N is placed on the front end of the first spare seedling carrier 6a and pushed rearward, the drug drive motor 7e may be driven only while the rotation sensor is detecting the rotation of the guide rollers 76, to drive and rotate the drug delivery roller 7c via the drive gear 7f, thereby spraying the drug over the entire width of the mat-like seedlings in the seedling box N.

[0061] Since the front-to-rear positions of the left and right guide rollers 76 match the position of the chemical feed roller 7c, when the seedling box N is placed on the front end of the first spare seedling carrier 6a and pushed rearward, the chemical drive motor 7e is driven only while the guide roller 76 is rotating to drive and rotate the chemical feed roller 7c via the drive gear 7f, thereby spraying the chemical over the entire width of the mat-like seedlings in the seedling box N, thereby allowing the chemical to be properly sprayed over the entire mat-like seedlings.

[0062] In summary, by providing the pesticide spraying device 7 on the spare seedling carrying device 6, the configuration is simpler than in the conventional case where a pesticide spraying device is provided on the seedling carrying platform 51 that moves back and forth between the left and right of the seedling planting section 4, resulting in a smaller, lighter and more cost-effective system.

[0063] Furthermore, if the pesticide spraying device 7 were installed on the second spare seedling carrying platform 6b or the third spare seedling carrying platform 6c, which are not on the topmost level, a vertical gap equivalent to the vertical height of the pesticide spraying device 7 would be required, which would result in the spare seedling carrying device 6 becoming larger.However, since the pesticide spraying device 7 is installed on the first spare seedling carrying platform 6a, which is the topmost level when the spare seedling carrying devices 6 are stacked, the spare seedling carrying device 6 can be made smaller even when the pesticide spraying device 7 is installed.

[0064] In addition, the pesticide spraying device 7 is provided at the front end position of the first spare seedling carrying platform 6a, which is the forward-most position when the spare seedling carrying device 6 is in a flat state. Therefore, when a seedling box N is placed on the spare seedling carrying device 6 from the front and sent to the rear, the pesticide is inevitably properly sprayed on the mat-like seedlings in the seedling box N, preventing any seedlings from being left unsprayed.

[0065] <Chemical spraying work> The operation switch of the electric motor M is operated to the flat state position, and the left and right spare seedling carrier devices 6 are switched to a state in which the first, second and third spare seedling carriers 6a, 6b and 6c are arranged on the same plane. At that time, the return rails 70a, 70b and 70c are connected in the front-rear direction, and the seedling box N can be slid from the rear end to the front end of the return rails 70a, 70b and 70c in a horizontally upright position.

[0066] An operator sitting in the seat 31 of the riding rice transplanter 1 operates the machine to place the front of the riding rice transplanter 1 on a ridge or a road.

[0067] An operator on a ridge or road places a seedling box N containing raised seedlings placed on the ridge or road on the first spare seedling carrier 6a at the front arranged on the same plane, pushes it toward the rear of the machine body, and slides it to the third spare seedling carrier 6c at the rear.

[0068] The worker aboard the machine picks up the seedling box N that has been slid to the third spare seedling carrier 6c, removes the seedlings with the mat-like soil from the seedling box N, and supplies them to the seedling carrier 51 of the seedling planting section 4. Then, the empty seedling box N is placed on the rear end of the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c that are connected in the front-rear direction, and slides forward.

[0069] An operator standing on the ridge or road slides the empty seedling box N placed on the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c, which are connected in the front-to-rear direction, forward, pulls it out from the front end and places it on the ridge or road, and places the seedling box N filled with seedlings placed on the ridge or road on the first spare seedling carrier 6a located at the front and arranged on the same plane, pushes it toward the rear of the machine body, and slides it to the third spare seedling carrier 6c located at the rear.

[0070] In this way, seedling boxes N containing raised seedlings placed on the ridges or roads can be efficiently, easily and with good workability supplied to the seedling carrier 51 of the seedling planting section 4 using the first, second and third spare seedling carriers 6a, 6b, 6c arranged on the same plane and the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c which are connected in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0071] At this time, when the grown seedling box N is placed on the first spare seedling loading platform 6a located at the front and arranged on the same plane and pushed toward the rear of the machine, when the front detection sensor 74F turns ON, the chemical drive motor 7e is driven to rotate the chemical delivery roller 7c via the drive gear 7f, spraying chemicals over the entire width of the mat-like seedlings in the seedling box N, and when the rear detection sensor 74R turns ON, the chemical drive motor 7e is stopped, the chemical delivery roller 7c is stopped, and the spraying of chemicals over the mat-like seedlings in the seedling box N is stopped.

[0072] Therefore, when seedling trays N are loaded from the front onto the auxiliary seedling loading device 6 and sent to the rear during seedling supply work, the pesticide is simultaneously appropriately sprayed onto the mat-like seedlings in the seedling trays N, improving work efficiency.

[0073] <Other embodiments>

[0074] (1) Figures 8 to 10 show other embodiments of the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c of the spare seedling loading device 6. Note that the chemical spraying device 7 is omitted in the drawings.

[0075] The support frame 49 of the spare seedling loading device 6 has its base supported on the machine body by a vertical pivot shaft 80 so as to be rotatable and fixable.

[0076] Therefore, the spare seedling loading device 6 can be freely switched between a working state in which it is fixed and protrudes outward from the machine body outside the floor step 35, and a stored state in which it is stored and fixed above the floor step 35, by rotating the support frame 49 around the pivot shaft 80.

[0077] However, to improve operability, the operating levers such as the HST lever 33 are arranged to protrude outward from the front cover 32, and when the spare seedling loading device 6 is stored above the floor step 35 and fixed in a stored state, there is a problem that the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c of the spare seedling loading device 6 interfere with the operating levers such as the HST lever 33.

[0078] Therefore, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the bases of the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c are supported so as to be freely rotatable by a pivot pin 81 at the ends of the first, second and third support frames 71a, 71b, 71c of the first, second and third spare seedling carriers 6a, 6b and 6c, and rotation is regulated by a pivot control pin 82.

[0079] That is, a rotation pin 81 provided at the base of the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c is fitted from above into a rotation support groove 83 provided at the ends of the first, second, and third support frames 71a, 71b, and 71c, a rotation restriction pin 82 is inserted from the front into a rotation restriction hole 84, and an R pin 85 is fitted into a through hole 82a provided at the tip of the rotation restriction pin 82 to prevent it from coming out, thereby restricting the rotation of the return rails 70a, 70b, and 70c around the rotation pin 81.

[0080] When the spare seedling carrier 6 is switched from a working state in which it is fixed and protruding outward from the machine body outside the floor step 35 by rotating the support frame 49 around the pivot axis 80 to a stored state in which it is fixed above the floor step 35, the R pin 85 is removed, the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c are slid forward and the rotation control pin 82 is removed from the rotation control hole 84, and the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c rotate downward in the direction of arrow (A) around the pivot pin 81 and are stored below the ends of the first, second and third spare seedling carriers 6a, 6b, 6c, so that they do not interfere with the operating levers such as the HST lever 33.

[0081] (2) In the embodiment of (1) above, if each of the rotation control pins 82 of the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c is provided so as to be freely movable back and forth by an actuator such as an electric motor, an electromagnetic solenoid or an air switching device, and an operation switch for operating each of the actuators is provided on an operation panel provided on the upper part of the front cover 32, and each actuator is activated by operating the operation switch, and each rotation control pin 82 moves forward and is removed from the rotation control hole 84, and the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c rotate downward around the rotation pin 81 in the direction of arrow (A) and are stored below the ends of the first, second and third spare seedling carriers 6a, 6b and 6c, then each of the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c can be stored with a single operation of the operation switch, improving operability.

[0082] (3) FIGS. 11 and 12 show an example in which the rotation restricting hole 84 in the embodiment of the above item (1) is changed to an elongated hole.

[0083] That is, the rotation restricting hole 84 is an oblong hole that is long enough to allow the rotation pin 81 to pass through the rotation supporting groove 83 upward and faces obliquely upward.

[0084] Therefore, when an operator grasps the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c and lifts them upward so that the rotation control pin 82 moves diagonally upward along the rotation control hole 84, the rotation pin 81 moves upward out of the rotation support groove 83, and the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c rotate downward around the rotation control pin 82 in the direction of arrow (A) and are stored below the ends of the first, second and third spare seedling carriers 6a, 6b and 6c.

[0085] (4) FIGS. 13 and 14 show an example in which the rotation restricting pin 82 is biased by a spring 87 in a direction in which the rotation restricting pin 82 is inserted into the rotation restricting hole 84 in the embodiment of the above item (1).

[0086] That is, the rotation restriction pin 82 is inserted into a pin support plate 88 whose base is fixed to a member on the return rail 70a, 70b, 70c side, and a spring 87 is provided between a washer 82a' fixed to the tip side of the rotation restriction pin 82 and the pin support plate 88, and the rotation restriction pin 82 is urged by the spring 87 in the direction of inserting it into the rotation restriction hole 84.

[0087] Therefore, when the gripping portion 82b of the pivot control pin 82 is gripped and pulled against the biasing force of the spring 87, the tip of the pivot control pin 82 comes out of the pivot control hole 84, and the return rails 70a, 70b, 70c rotate downward in the direction of arrow (A) around the pivot pin 81 and are stored below the ends of the first, second, and third spare seedling carriers 6a, 6b, 6c. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 2 Running vehicle 4 Seedling planting department 6. Spare seedling loading device 6a Spare seedling tray (First spare seedling tray) 6b Spare seedling tray (Second spare seedling tray) 6c Spare seedling stand (third spare seedling stand) 7. Chemical spraying device 7c Drug delivery section (drug delivery roller) 7e Drug drive motor 74F Detection unit (front detection sensor) N seedling box

Claims

1. This riding seedling transplanter is equipped with a seedling planting section (4) and a spare seedling carrying device (6) for carrying seedling boxes (N) on a traveling body (2), and is characterized in that the spare seedling carrying device (6) is provided with a chemical spraying device (7) for spraying chemicals on the seedlings in the seedling boxes (N) carried on the spare seedling carrying device (6).

2. The riding seedling transplanter of claim 1, characterized in that the spare seedling carrying device (6) is composed of a plurality of spare seedling carrying tables (6a, 6b, 6c), the plurality of spare seedling carrying tables (6a, 6b, 6c) can be freely switched between a stacked state in which they are arranged in the vertical direction and a flat state in which they are arranged in the front-to-back direction, and the pesticide spraying device (7) sprays pesticide when the plurality of spare seedling carrying tables (6a, 6b, 6c) are in the flat state.

3. A riding seedling transplanter as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that a drug drive motor 7 (e) is provided to drive the drug delivery section (7c) when the seedling box (N) passes under the drug spraying device (7) on the auxiliary seedling loading device (6).

4. A riding seedling transplanter as described in claim 3, characterized in that a detection unit (74F) that detects the pesticide spraying device (7) and the seedling box (N) is arranged in front of the spare seedling loading device (6), and the pesticide drive motor 7 (e) is driven when the detection unit (74F) detects the seedling box (N).

Images