Transplanter

Abstract

To provide a transplanter which can easily support planting of vegetable seedling which requires a larger vertical transfer amount than a planting of a rice seedling with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A transplanter includes: a seedling vertical transfer mechanism for vertically moving the seedling mat placed on a seedling stand to a seedling outlet side; a rotational operation member; and a swing member for repeating the rotation in one direction and reverse direction along with the rotation of the seedling vertical transfer member and which drives the seedling vertical transfer mechanism. The seedling vertical transfer member includes a plurality of drive bodies aligned in a rotational direction. The swing member includes a plurality of following bodies that is aligned in one direction and that comes into successive contact with each of the plurality of drive bodies.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transplanter.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a transplanter that vertically feeds and moves a seedling mat toward the seedling extraction side. In the above transplanter, a link-type amplification mechanism is provided at a portion that rotates the vertical feed belt drive shaft in the feed direction, and by increasing the rotation angle of the vertical feed belt drive shaft, the vertical feed amount of the seedling vertical feed belt is increased.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, since the amplification mechanism of Patent Document 1 is link-type, in addition to the complicated structure, there are restrictions on the shaft arrangement and the link ratio. For this reason, it is difficult to cope with the planting of vegetable seedlings that require a larger vertical feed movement amount than the planting of rice seedlings, and there is room for improvement.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a transplanter that can easily cope with the planting of vegetable seedlings that require a larger vertical feed movement amount than the planting of rice seedlings with a simple configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The transplanter according to one aspect of the present invention includes a seedling vertical feeding mechanism that vertically feeds a seedling mat placed on a seedling mounting table to the seedling extraction side, a rotating vertical feeding operation member, and a swinging member that repeatedly rotates in one direction and the reverse direction in accordance with the rotation of the vertical feeding operation member to drive the seedling vertical feeding mechanism. The vertical feeding operation member has a plurality of driving bodies arranged side by side in the rotation direction, and the swinging member has a plurality of driven bodies arranged side by side in the one direction and sequentially contacting each of the plurality of driving bodies.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the above configuration, it is possible to realize a transplanter that can easily cope with the planting of vegetable seedlings that require a larger vertical feeding movement amount than the planting of rice seedlings with a simple configuration in which a plurality of driving bodies and driven bodies are provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For the convenience of the following description, the directions are defined as follows. First, the traveling direction of the traveling body 2 (the left direction in FIG. 1) is defined as the front (forward), and the opposite direction is defined as the rear (backward). Also, the left side toward the traveling direction of the traveling body 2 is referred to as the left (leftward), and the right side toward the traveling direction is referred to as the right (rightward). Further, the gravitational direction is defined as the vertical direction, the upstream side is defined as the upper (upward), and the downstream side is defined as the lower (downward). In the drawings, if necessary, the front is indicated by the symbol "F", the rear by "B", the left by "L", the right by "R", the upper by "U", and the lower by "D".

[0010] <1. Outline of the Transplanter> FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a transplanter 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the planting unit 3 of the transplanter 1 in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, the illustration of the left discharge plate 34L, the left skirt pressing roller 51L, and the left soil gathering disk 52L shown in FIG. 1 is omitted for convenience. The transplanter 1 in the present embodiment is a vegetable transplanter that transplants (plants) seedlings of vegetables such as cabbages into the soil. The transplanter 1 includes a traveling body 2 and a planting unit 3.

[0011] The traveling body 2 is supported by the left and right front wheels 1a and the left and right rear wheels 1b. An engine 1c as a power source is mounted on the traveling body 2. The power output from the engine 1c is transmitted to a driven part via a transmission part 1d. The driven part includes the front wheels 1a and the rear wheels 1b, as well as a planting part 3 described later. Therefore, the above-mentioned transmission part 1d includes a PTO (Power Take Off) shaft 1d1 (see FIG. 2) for driving the planting part 3.

[0012] The traveling body 2 includes a seat 2a for the operator to sit on, an operation part 2b operated by the operator, and a spare mounting part 2c for mounting a spare seedling mat. The operation part 2b includes a steering wheel for operating the traveling direction, a shift lever for operating the traveling speed, and a working lever for operating the planting part 3.

[0013] The planting part 3 is connected to the rear of the traveling body 2 via a lifting mechanism 4 so as to be liftable. The lifting mechanism 4 includes a top link 41, a lower link 42, and a lifting cylinder 43. The top link 41 and the lower link 42 connect the traveling body 2 and the planting part 3. The lifting cylinder 43 is connected to the lower link 42 via a connection part 44. For example, by operating the lifting cylinder 43 to expand and contract according to the operation of the operation part 2b (working lever), the lower link 42 is rotated via the connection part 44 and the top link 41 is rotated. Thereby, the planting part 3 can be lifted with respect to the traveling body 2.

[0014] The planting part 3 has a seedling mounting device 31 and a seedling planting mechanism 32 (see FIG. 2). The seedling planting mechanism 32 scrapes one seedling from the seedling mat MT (see FIG. 3) placed on the seedling mounting device 31, and plants the scraped seedling into the soil (ridge) from above the multi-sheet S described later.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the seedling mounting device 31 as seen from the rear. The seedling mounting device 31 conveys the seedling mat MT placed on the seedling mounting table 311 downward by driving the vertical feed belt 312 (see FIG. 2). The transplanter 1 of the present embodiment is configured by arranging six one-row seedling mounting tables 311 capable of mounting one row of the seedling mat MT side by side in the left-right direction, and can plant up to six rows of seedlings. Here, for simplicity of explanation, a configuration for planting one row of seedlings is shown as an example.

[0016] The vertical feed belt 312 is vertically fed and driven by a vertical feed mechanism 313 (see FIG. 2). The vertical feed mechanism 313 vertically feeds the vertical feed belt 312 by one plant (one row) at the timing when scraping of the seedlings for one row in the left-right direction from the seedling mat MT is completed. Thereby, the seedling planting mechanism 32 can scrape the seedlings in the next row from the seedling mat MT. Further, the seedling mounting table 311 is horizontally fed and driven by a horizontal feed mechanism 314 (see FIG. 2). The horizontal feed mechanism 314 horizontally feeds the seedling mounting table 311 in one of the left or right directions after the vertical feed belt 312 vertically feeds the seedling mat MT. In particular, the horizontal feed mechanism 314 reverses the horizontal feed direction of the seedling mounting table 311 every time the vertical feed belt 312 vertically feeds the seedling mat MT (every time scraping of the seedlings for one row from the seedling mat MT is completed). Thereby, the seedling planting mechanism 32 can continuously scrape the seedlings in the next row after scraping of the seedlings for one row from the seedling mat MT is completed.

[0017] The horizontal feed mechanism 314 has a drive shaft (horizontal feed shaft) for horizontally feeding the seedling mounting table 311. The horizontal feed shaft is driven by the power transmitted from the engine 1c via the PTO shaft 1d1. A drive cam 314a is attached to the horizontal feed shaft. The drive cam 314a rotates as the horizontal feed shaft rotates.

[0018] The vertical feed mechanism 313 has a drive shaft (vertical feed shaft) for driving the vertical feed belt 312 in the vertical direction and a rotation shaft for rotating the vertical feed shaft. A driven cam 313a is attached to the rotation shaft. The driven cam 313a contacts the drive cam 314a of the lateral feed mechanism 314 at a predetermined timing. Here, the above-mentioned predetermined timing is the timing when the scraping of the seedlings for one row from the seedling mat MT is completed.

[0019] When the drive cam 314a contacts the driven cam 313a at the above-mentioned predetermined timing due to the rotation of the lateral feed shaft, and the rotation shaft is rotated by a predetermined angle together with the driven cam 313a, the power generated by the rotation of the rotation shaft is transmitted to the vertical feed shaft via a power transmission mechanism (not shown). As a result, the vertical feed belt 312 is vertically fed and driven at the above-mentioned predetermined timing. When the contact between the drive cam 314a and the driven cam 313a is released, the driven cam 313a rotates in the reverse direction by the biasing force of a biasing member (not shown) and returns to its initial position before rotation. The above-mentioned power transmission mechanism is composed of, for example, gears, belts, chains, etc., but it may be provided as necessary. That is, it may be configured to directly transmit the power of the rotation shaft to which the driven cam 313a is attached to the vertical feed shaft (without providing a power transmission mechanism). Details of the configuration regarding the vertical feed of the vertical feed belt 312 and the power transmission mechanism will be described later.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a side view of the seedling planting mechanism 32. The seedling planting mechanism 32 has a rotary case 321 and a planting unit 322. The seedling planting mechanism 32 is driven by the power taken out from the PTO shaft 1d1.

[0021] The rotary case 321 is rotatably supported by the planting case 33a of the planting section 3. The planting case 33a is fixed to the planting frame 33 (particularly the rear surface of the post-planting frame 332 (see FIG. 7)). The rotation axis 321a of the rotary case 321 extends in the left-right direction.

[0022] The planting unit 322 has planting claws 322a. The planting unit 322 is supported by the rotary case 321 at two positions. The two planting units 322 are pivotally supported by the rotary case 321 at positions that are point-symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis 321a of the rotary case 321 in a side view. When the rotary case 321 rotates, the planting claws 322a of each planting unit 322 sequentially scrape seedlings one by one from the seedling mat MT (see Fig. 3) and plant the scraped seedlings in the ridges in sequence. Note that the number of planting units 322 supported by the rotary case 321 may be one.

[0023] Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of one planting unit 322. The planting unit 322 further has an extrusion member 322b and a holding member 322c. The extrusion member 322b is provided to extrude the seedlings scraped from the seedling mat MT by the planting claws 322a. The extrusion member 322b slides in the direction opposite to the extrusion direction at a predetermined timing before scraping. Thereby, it becomes possible to scrape the seedlings from the seedling mat MT by the planting claws 322a. The scraped seedlings are held by the planting claws 322a and the holding member 322c. Then, the extrusion member 322b slides in the extrusion direction at a predetermined timing before planting. Thereby, the seedlings held by the planting claws 322a and the holding member 322c are extruded and planted in the ridges.

[0024] The planting unit 322 further has a cutter 322d. The cutter 322d is located on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the rotary case 321 with respect to the planting claws 322a. That is, when the rotary case 321 rotates, the cutter 322d is in a position ahead of the planting claws 322a. When the rotary case 321 rotates, the cutter 322d makes a rectangular hole in a multi-sheet S (see FIGS. 1 and 2) fed out from a multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36 described later, in a plan view, immediately before the seedlings are planted by the planting claws 322a. Thereby, the seedlings held by the planting claws 322a and the holding member 322c can be planted in the ridge through the holes in the multi-sheet S. Note that the sheet piece that had closed the holes in the multi-sheet S is not completely separated from the multi-sheet S, but is connected to the surrounding sheet through a part of the outer shape of the holes (one side of the rectangle).

[0025] The cutter 322d has a main body portion 322d1 formed by bending a flat plate, and a protruding claw (key claw) 322d2. The protruding claw 322d2 is provided at the left and right corner portions on the tip side (the contact side with the multi-sheet S) of the main body portion 322d1, and protrudes on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the rotary case 321 with respect to the main body portion 322d1. That is, when the rotary case 321 rotates, the protruding claw 322d2 is in a position ahead of the main body portion 322d1. With such a configuration of the cutter 322d, a sharp claw such as the protruding claw 322d2 contacts the multi-sheet S at an angle (from a direction close to perpendicular to the multi-sheet S). For this reason, the cutter 322d is less likely to slide on the multi-sheet S. That is, the protruding claw 322d2 surely catches on the multi-sheet S and pierces the multi-sheet S. Thereby, a hole can be surely made in the multi-sheet S, and the hole can be made in the multi-sheet S with an accurate size and position. Further, by cutting the multi-sheet S with the two protruding claws 322d2 on both the left and right sides, a hole through which the seedlings can pass can be made in the multi-sheet S with a minimum size.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the planting frame 33 of the planting unit 3 supports a soil discharging plate 34, a planting depth adjusting mechanism 35, a multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36, a pressing mechanism 37, and an under-sheet working body 38. Details of the multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36, the pressing mechanism 37, and the under-sheet working body 38 will be described later.

[0027] The soil discharging plate 34 includes a right soil discharging plate 34R and a left soil discharging plate 34L (see FIG. 1). The right soil discharging plate 34R and the left soil discharging plate 34L form a ridge for planting seedlings by scraping the soil as the traveling body 2 travels. The mounting positions of the right soil discharging plate 34R and the left soil discharging plate 34L on the planting frame 33 in the left-right direction and the up-down direction can be adjusted according to the width and height of the ridge to be formed.

[0028] The planting depth adjusting mechanism 35 is a mechanism for adjusting the planting depth of the seedlings with respect to the surface of the soil (here, the upper surface of the ridge). For example, when the planting depth adjusting lever 351 is rotated upward, the position of the lifting sensor 352 that contacts the soil surface moves upward. In this case, the position of the seedling planting mechanism 32 with respect to the lifting sensor 352 relatively decreases. Therefore, the seedlings planted by the seedling planting mechanism 32 are planted deeper. Conversely, when the planting depth adjusting lever 351 is rotated downward, the position of the lifting sensor 352 moves downward. In this case, the position of the seedling planting mechanism 32 with respect to the lifting sensor 352 relatively increases. Therefore, the seedlings planted by the seedling planting mechanism 32 are planted shallower.

[0029] A trailing edge pressing roller 51, a soil gathering disk 52, and a soil covering wheel 53 are supported on the planting frame 33 via an auxiliary frame (not shown). The trailing edge pressing roller 51 includes a right trailing edge pressing roller 51R and a left trailing edge pressing roller 51L (see FIG. 1). The right trailing edge pressing roller 51R and the left trailing edge pressing roller 51L press both ends of the multi-sheet S that is fed out from the multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36 and covered on the ridge (the portions protruding outside the ridge).

[0030] The soil covering disk 52 includes a right soil covering disk 52R and a left soil covering disk 52L (see FIG. 1). The right soil covering disk 52R and the left soil covering disk 52L cover the soil on both ends of the multi-sheet S pressed by the right hem press roller 51R and the left hem press roller 51L to prevent the multi-sheet S from flying off. The soil covering ring 53 includes a right soil covering ring (not shown) and a left soil covering ring 53L. The right soil covering ring and the left soil covering ring 53L press the soil on the right side and the left side of the seedlings planted in the ridge by the seedling planting mechanism 32 through the multi-sheet S. As a result, the periphery of the planted seedlings is solidified with soil, and seedling lodging is suppressed.

[0031] <2. Details of the multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism> FIG. 6 is a side view showing a part of the planting unit 3. As shown in the figure, the multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36 has a roll holding part 361 and a sheet feeding guide part 362. The roll holding part 361 holds the roll body S0 around which the multi-sheet S is wound in a roll shape and feeds out the multi-sheet S on the outermost periphery of the roll body S0. The multi-sheet S is composed of, for example, a vinyl sheet. The sheet feeding guide part 362 guides the multi-sheet S fed out from the roll holding part 361 toward the surface H of the soil (ridge) in front of the seedling planting position by the seedling planting mechanism 32 and lays it on the surface H of the soil. That is, the transplanter 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36 that feeds out and lays the multi-sheet S on the surface H of the soil. The roll holding part 361 and the sheet feeding guide part 362 of the multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36 are supported by the planting frame 33. That is, the multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36 is provided in the planting unit 3.

[0032] Here, the details of the planting frame 33 will be described first. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the planting frame 33 as seen from obliquely behind. The planting frame 33 has a pre-planting frame 331, a post-planting frame 332, and side pipes 333. The pre-planting frame 331 extends in the left-right direction and is located on the front side of the planting frame 33. The post-planting frame 332 extends in the left-right direction and is located behind the pre-planting frame 331. The post-planting frame 332 is longer in the left-right direction than the pre-planting frame 331.

[0033] The side pipes 333 include a right pipe 333R and a left pipe 333L. The right pipe 333R extends in the front-rear direction and connects the right end portion of the pre-planting frame 331 and the post-planting frame 332. The left pipe 333L extends in the front-rear direction and connects the left end portion of the pre-planting frame 331 and the post-planting frame 332.

[0034] A right side frame 334R is erected at the right end portion of the post-planting frame 332. A left side frame 334L is erected at the left end portion of the post-planting frame 332. The right side frame 334R and the left side frame 334L have a shape that extends upward from the connecting side with the post-planting frame 332 and bends obliquely forward in the middle. The right side frame 334R and the left side frame 334L are connected by an upper frame 335 and a cross frame 336. The upper frame 335 extends in the left-right direction and connects the upper parts of the right side frame 334R and the left side frame 334L. The cross frame 336 is located behind the upper frame 335 and obliquely downward and extends in the left-right direction to connect the right side frame 334R and the left side frame 334L. The above-described seedling mounting device 31 (see FIG. 1 etc.) is driven to traverse horizontally while maintaining a forward-tilted posture along the upper frame 335 and the cross frame 336.

[0035] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the above-described roll holding portion 361 as viewed from below. As shown in the figure, the roll holding portion 361 has a shaft holding frame 361a. The shaft holding frame 361a extends in the left-right direction and holds both axial ends of the roll body S0. The shaft holding frame 361a is attached to the pre-planting frame 331 via a frame support stay 361b. The frame support stay 361b is connected, for example, by bolt fastening to approximately the center in the left-right direction on the rear surface of the pre-planting frame 331.

[0036] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the above-described sheet feeding guide portion 362 as viewed from the front. As shown in the figure, the sheet feeding guide portion 362 has a first guide roller 362a, a second guide roller 362b, and a roller holding frame 362c. The first guide roller 362a is positioned in front of the second guide roller 362b and guides the multi-sheet S fed out from the shaft holding frame 361a toward the second guide roller 362b. The second guide roller 362b presses the multi-sheet S guided by the first guide roller 362a downward and guides it so as to approach the surface H of the soil.

[0037] The roller holding frame 362c includes a right holding frame 362cR and a left holding frame 362cL. The right holding frame 362cR and the left holding frame 362cL extend from above downward and have a shape that bends obliquely rearward in the middle.

[0038] The right holding frame 362cR is respectively disposed on the right sides of the first guide roller 362a and the second guide roller 362b, and rotatably supports the right ends of the rotation axes of the first guide roller 362a and the second guide roller 362b. The left holding frame 362cL is respectively disposed on the left sides of the first guide roller 362a and the second guide roller 362b, and rotatably supports the left ends of the rotation axes of the first guide roller 362a and the second guide roller 362b. The first guide roller 362a is rotatably supported near the bent portions of the right holding frame 362cR and the left holding frame 362cL. The second guide roller 362b is rotatably supported at the lower ends (rear end portions) of the right holding frame 362cR and the left holding frame 362cL.

[0039] The right holding frame 362cR is attached to the post-planting frame 332 via the right support stay 363R at a position above the first guide roller 362a. The right support stay 363R is connected to the front surface of the post-planting frame 332 by, for example, bolt fastening. Similarly, the left holding frame 362cL is attached to the post-planting frame 332 via the left support stay 363L. The left support stay 363L is connected to the front surface of the post-planting frame 332 by, for example, bolt fastening.

[0040] <3. Details of the pressing mechanism> FIG. 10 is a perspective view when the above-described pressing mechanism 37 is viewed obliquely from the rear. The pressing mechanism 37 is provided to press the multi-sheet S guided by the sheet feeding guide portion 362 of the multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36 against the surface H of the soil. Such a pressing mechanism 37 includes a pressing roller 371 and a roller holding mechanism 372.

[0041] Two pressing rollers 371 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction (see FIG. 11). The rotation axes of the respective pressing rollers 371 extend in the left-right direction. Each pressing roller 371 is disposed above the groove processing portion 381b of the grooving tool 381 of the sheet-under working body 38 described later, and is disposed on both the left and right sides of the groove processing portion 381b in plan view.

[0042] The roller holding mechanism 372 rotatably holds two pressing rollers 371. Such a roller holding mechanism 372 is configured to include an arm portion 372a, an arm support 372b, and a biasing member 372c.

[0043] Two arm portions 372a are provided corresponding to each pressing roller 371. Each arm portion 372a rotatably supports the rotation shaft of the pressing roller 371. The arm support 372b rotatably supports the two arm portions 372a. The biasing member 372c is composed of, for example, a spring. Two biasing members 372c are provided corresponding to each arm portion 372a. One end portion of the biasing member 372c is fixed to the arm support 372b. The other end portion of the biasing member 372c is connected to the end portion on the side opposite to the support side of the pressing roller 371 with the rotation shaft of the arm portion 372a interposed therebetween. Such a roller holding mechanism 372 is fixed to the left side surface of the planting case 33a, for example, by bolt fastening.

[0044] When the arm portion 372a rotates due to the biasing force of the biasing member 372c, each pressing roller 371 is pressed downward. Then, the multi-sheet S is pressed against the surface H of the soil by each pressing roller 371. Thereby, tension is applied to the multi-sheet S. Therefore, when a hole is formed in the multi-sheet S by the cutter 322d (see FIG. 5 etc.) of the seedling planting mechanism 32, the cutter 322d easily pierces the multi-sheet S, and it becomes easy to form the hole with a predetermined size.

[0045] <4. Details of the Under-sheet Actuator> FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the under-sheet actuator 38 as viewed obliquely from the rear. The under-sheet actuator 38 forms a groove G (see FIG. 14) in which seedlings are planted in the soil below the multi-sheet S fed out by the multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36 in front of the traveling machine body 2 prior to the planting of the seedlings. Such an under-sheet actuator 38 includes a furrowing device 381 and a soil gathering mechanism 382.

[0046] The furrow opener 381 forms a furrow G in which seedlings are to be planted in the soil prior to the planting of the seedlings by shaving off a part of the soil (ridge) as the traveling body 2 of the traveling machine travels. The furrow opener 381 is attached to the pre-planting frame 331 via the working body support portion 300. The working body support portion 300 is connected, for example, by bolt fastening to the right side of the frame support stay 361b (see FIG. 8) at the rear surface of the pre-planting frame 331. Thus, the transplanter 1 of the present embodiment includes the working body support portion 300 that supports the under-seat working body 38 (particularly the furrow opener 381). Further, since the furrow opener 381 is attached to the pre-planting frame 331 via the working body support portion 300, it can be said that the under-seat working body 38 having the furrow opener 381 is provided in the planting unit 3.

[0047] The furrow opener 381 has a main body portion 381a and a groove processing portion 381b. The main body portion 381a extends obliquely downward as it goes rearward from the support side by the working body support portion 300, bends at the bending portion 381a1, and further extends rearward. When the seedlings are planted by the seedling planting mechanism 32, the rear side from the bending portion 381a1 in the furrow opener 381 is located below the surface H of the soil (ridge) (see FIG. 6).

[0048] The groove processing portion 381b is joined to the rear end of the main body portion 381a, for example, by welding. Therefore, when the seedlings are planted by the seedling planting mechanism 32, like a part of the main body portion 381a, the groove processing portion 381b is also located below the surface H of the soil (ridge) (see FIG. 6).

[0049] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an enlarged rear side of the furrow opener 381. The groove processing portion 381b of the furrow opener 381 has a V shape and is joined to the main body portion 381a at the root portion of the V shape. That is, the width of the groove processing portion 381b in the left-right direction widens as it goes rearward from the joining side with the main body portion 381a. The maximum width in the left-right direction of the groove processing portion 381b (corresponding to the width W in FIG. 14) is wider than the width of the main body portion 381a in the left-right direction. Thereby, the width of the soil shaving by the groove processing portion 381b becomes wider than the width of the soil shaving by the main body portion 381a, and a groove G having an appropriate width for planting seedlings can be formed in the soil.

[0050] The soil-accumulating mechanism 382 shown in Fig. 11 accumulates soil in the groove G as the traveling body 2 travels, from the side of the groove G formed in the soil by the grooving tool 381. Such a soil-accumulating mechanism 382 has a backfilling member 383. The backfilling member 383 is a member that accumulates and backfills soil from the soil into the groove G. The backfilling member 383 is attached to the main body portion 381a of the grooving tool 381 via a mounting bracket 382a.

[0051] Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the backfilling member 383 when viewed from the rear. The backfilling member 383 has a pair of rod-shaped portions 3831, a connecting portion 3832, and a pair of clamping portions 3833.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 11, the pair of rod-shaped portions 3831 are respectively located on the left and right sides with respect to the grooving tool 381. That is, the pair of rod-shaped portions 3831 are located on one side and the other side in the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the traveling body 2. And in the soil, the pair of rod-shaped portions 3831 extend in the front-rear direction of the traveling body 2.

[0053] The connecting portion 3832 is formed by bending a rod-shaped body into a U shape. Both ends of the connecting portion 3832 are respectively connected to the front end portions 3831a of the pair of rod-shaped portions 3831. Also, a part of the connecting portion 3832 is located above the soil (see Fig. 6).

[0054] The pair of clamping portions 3833 are respectively connected to the rear end portions 3831b of the pair of rod-shaped portions 3831, and the interval in the width direction narrows as it goes rearward. A flat plate 3833a is attached to the rear ends of the pair of clamping portions 3833 (the ends opposite to the connecting side with the pair of rod-shaped portions 3831) in order to improve the efficiency of soil accumulation (to scrape as much soil as possible).

[0055] Figure 14 is a plan view of the under-sheet working body 38. In Figure 14, the groove G formed in the soil by the grooving device 381 and the state in which soil is piled into the groove G by the soil piling mechanism 382 (backfilling member 383) are shown together. In Figure 14, for the sake of convenience, the illustration of the multi-sheet S covering the surface of the soil is omitted. Similarly, in the following drawings (especially plan views), the illustration of the multi-sheet S may be omitted.

[0056] When the traveling machine body 2 travels (moves forward) with a part of the grooving device 381 (especially the groove processing part 381b) and a part of the soil piling mechanism 382 (especially the pair of rod-shaped parts 3831 and the pair of clamping parts 3833) located in the soil, the groove processing part 381b of the grooving device 381 cuts the soil with a predetermined width W. As a result, a groove G with a width W is formed in the soil below the multi-sheet S. Thereafter, the seedling planting mechanism 32 (see Figure 4 etc.) plants the seedlings E in the groove G. It should be noted that when the seedling planting mechanism 32 plants the seedlings E, holes are made in the multi-sheet S prior to planting, and the seedlings E are planted from above the multi-sheet S through the above-mentioned holes, which is as described above.

[0057] In the transplanter 1 of the present embodiment, the under-sheet working body 38 (especially the grooving device 381) forms the groove G in the soil prior to the planting of the seedlings E. Therefore, even in a field where the soil is hard, the planting of the seedlings E into the soil (groove G) can be facilitated. In particular, when planting the vegetable seedlings E, from the viewpoint of heat preservation etc., a multi-sheet S made of a vinyl film is covered on the soil. Since the transplanter 1 of the present embodiment further includes a multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36, the laying of the multi-sheet S and the formation of the groove G in the soil by the under-sheet working body 38 can be carried out in parallel while planting the vegetable seedlings E. Therefore, a transplanter 1 suitable for planting vegetable seedlings E, where the soil for planting the seedlings E is hard and the laying of the multi-sheet S is required, can be realized.

[0058] The under-sheet working body 38 has a grooving device 381. As the grooving device 381 cuts a part of the soil as the traveling machine body 2 travels, the groove G for planting the seedlings E is surely formed in the soil.

[0059] The under-sheet working body 38 has a soil piling mechanism 382. In this configuration, after the seedlings E are planted in the furrows G made in the soil by the furrow maker 381, or almost simultaneously with the planting of the seedlings E, the soil piling mechanism 382 (particularly the pair of clamping parts 3833) backfills soil into the furrows G from the sides. Therefore, the roots of the seedlings E planted in the furrows G are covered with soil, and the seedlings E are stably maintained in a good transplanting position (planting position).

[0060] The soil piling mechanism 382 has a backfilling member 383. In this configuration, the seedlings E planted in the trench G are supported by the soil backfilled in the trench G by the backfilling member 383. Therefore, the seedlings E are held in a stable position in the soil.

[0061] The backfilling member 383 has a pair of rod-shaped parts 3831, a connecting part 3832, and a pair of clamping parts 3833. The pair of rod-shaped parts 3831 extend in the soil in the front-rear direction of the traveling body 2, and do not cross the width direction (left-right direction). Here, FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the backfilling member 383 in FIG. 13 cut along the line A-A'. As shown in the figure, in a configuration in which each rod-shaped part 3831 extends in the front-rear direction in the soil, the projected area in the front-rear direction of each rod-shaped part 3831 is equal to the cross-sectional area (area of ​​the hatched part) of each rod-shaped part 3831, and is certainly smaller than the arrangement in which each rod-shaped part 3831 crosses the width direction. As a result, as the traveling body 2 travels, a groove much wider than the groove G made by the furrow maker 381 is formed by the backfilling member 383, and the risk of the posture of the planted seedling E becoming unstable is reduced. Therefore, even if the seedlings E planted are short, the seedlings E can be grown to pass through the holes in the mulch sheet S, reducing the risk that the seedlings E will not pass through the holes and will remain hidden under the mulch sheet S. In other words, since the backfilling member 383 does not cross the width direction of the traveling body 2 underground and a wide groove is not formed in the soil, even when short seedlings E are planted, the planting posture of the seedlings E can be stabilized and good planting can be achieved.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 14, in the soil banking mechanism 382, the rear ends of the pair of clamping portions 3833 are located behind the planting position of the seedling E. In this configuration, after the seedling E is planted in the groove G, the pair of clamping portions 3833 reliably refill the soil in the groove G. Therefore, the planted seedling E is held in a stable posture.

[0063] The soil banking mechanism 382 performs soil banking on the groove G from below the multi-sheet S. In this configuration, even when the multi-sheet S is laid on the soil surface H and the seedling E is planted, the soil banking mechanism 382 performs soil banking from below the multi-sheet S, improving and stabilizing the planting posture of the seedling E.

[0064] In the present embodiment, as described above, the actuator support portion 300 supports the under-sheet actuator 38. As shown in FIG. 11, the actuator support portion 300 is supported by the planting frame 33 (particularly the pre-planting frame 331) of the planting portion 3. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the actuator support portion 300 extends downward from the support side with the planting frame 33 (pre-planting frame 331) toward the multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36. As a result, the actuator support portion 300 is disposed below the multi-sheet S fed from the multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36.

[0065] In this configuration, the actuator support portion 300 is supported by the planting frame 33 so as not to inhibit the feeding of the multi-sheet S by the multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36. Then, the under-sheet actuator 38 supported by the actuator support portion 300 penetrates into the soil below the multi-sheet S. Thereby, the groove G is reliably formed in the soil by the grooving device 381 of the under-sheet actuator 38. Also, the soil in the groove G is reliably refilled by the soil banking mechanism 382 of the under-sheet actuator 38.

[0066] In this embodiment, the multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36 and the under-sheet actuator 38 are provided in the planting unit 3. With this configuration, the lifting mechanism 4 can lift and lower the multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36 and the under-sheet actuator 38 simultaneously with the lifting and lowering of the planting unit 3 with respect to the traveling machine body 2. Therefore, there is no need to provide a dedicated lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36 and the under-sheet actuator 38 separately from the lifting mechanism 4, and separate lifting control for the planting unit 3 is not required. This leads to simplification of the configuration of the transplanter 1.

[0067] Also, since the under-sheet actuator 38 is provided in the planting unit 3, it can be said that the soil gathering mechanism 382 of the under-sheet actuator 38 is also provided in the planting unit 3. With this configuration, even when the height of the planting unit 3 is adjusted according to the height of the ridge of the soil by the lifting mechanism 4, the position (height) of the soil gathering mechanism 382 can be changed following the planting unit 3 to keep the position (especially the position in the height direction) of the soil gathering mechanism 382 with respect to the ridge surface constant. Thereby, even when the height of the planting unit 3 changes according to the height of the ridge, the soil gathering by the soil gathering mechanism 382 is appropriately performed at a constant position with respect to the ridge surface.

[0068] <5. Regarding the vertical feeding of the vertical feeding belt> Next, the details of the configuration regarding the vertical feeding of the vertical feeding belt 312 shown in FIG. 2 will be described. FIGS. 16 and 17 are side views schematically showing the configuration of the drive unit DP that drives the vertical feeding belt 312. In particular, FIG. 16 shows the state before the vertical feeding belt 312 is vertically fed, and FIG. 17 shows the state immediately before the end of the vertical feeding of the vertical feeding belt 312.

[0069] The transplanter 1 of this embodiment includes the above-described drive unit DP. The drive unit DP includes the vertical feeding mechanism 313, the vertical feeding operation member VM, and the swing member RM described above.

[0070] The vertical feed mechanism 313 is a seedling vertical feed mechanism that vertically feeds the seedling mat MT (see Fig. 3) placed on the seedling mounting table 311 in the seedling removal direction. Here, the seedling removal side refers to one end side in the moving direction of the seedling mat MT on the seedling mounting table 311, which is the side (the lower side in Figs. 16 and 17) where the seedlings are scraped by the seedling planting mechanism 32 (see Fig. 2). The seedling mat MT is placed on the seedling mounting table 311 at a position sandwiched between the left and right seedling mounting frames 311F.

[0071] The vertical feed mechanism 313 includes a vertical feed belt 312, a vertical feed drive shaft 315, and a vertical feed driven shaft 316. The vertical feed belt 312 is a seedling vertical feed belt that vertically feeds the seedling mat MT on the seedling mounting table 311 in the seedling removal direction. The vertical feed belt 312 is an endless belt stretched by a drive roller 315R and a driven roller 316R. The drive roller 315R is attached to the vertical feed drive shaft 315 (corresponding to the aforementioned vertical feed shaft) extending in the left-right direction. The driven roller 316R is attached to the vertical feed driven shaft 316 extending in the left-right direction. The vertical feed driven shaft 316 is biased to the side opposite to the seedling removal side by a tension spring TS.

[0072] When the drive roller 315R rotates by a predetermined angle at a predetermined timing (when the scraping of the seedlings for one row from the seedling mat MT is completed) together with the vertical feed drive shaft 315, the vertical feed belt 312 moves a predetermined distance (the distance for one row of seedlings) on an orbit that circulates outside the drive roller 315R and the driven roller 316R. As a result, the seedling mat MT on the seedling mounting table 311 is conveyed (vertically fed) a predetermined distance in the seedling removal direction. That is, by driving the vertical feed belt 312 by the vertical feed drive shaft 315 at a predetermined timing, the seedling mat MT is conveyed a predetermined distance in the seedling removal direction.

[0073] The vertical feed operation member VM includes the above-described drive cam 314a and a rotary shaft 314b extending in the left-right direction. The rotary shaft 314b is constituted by the lateral feed shaft of the above-described lateral feed mechanism 314 (see FIG. 2). The drive cam 314a is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft 314b. When the rotary shaft 314b (lateral feed shaft) rotates in the A1 direction in the figure, the drive cam 314a fixed to the rotary shaft 314b also rotates in the A1 direction about the rotary shaft 314b. Thus, the transplanter 1 includes a rotating vertical feed operation member VM.

[0074] The drive cam 314a has a shape extending in the radial direction of the rotary shaft 314b, but the shape is not particularly limited. For example, the drive cam 314a may have a shape linearly extending in the radial direction of the rotary shaft 314b, or may have a shape that bends (folds) or curves on the way from the inside to the outside in the radial direction of the rotary shaft 314b.

[0075] In the present embodiment, a plurality of drive cams 314a as driving bodies are fixed side by side in the circumferential direction with respect to the rotary shaft 314b. Here, two drive cams 314a, i.e., a first drive cam 314a1 and a second drive cam 314a2, are fixed to the rotary shaft 314b. Note that the number of drive cams 314a is not limited to the above two, and may be three or more. Further, the first drive cam 314a1 and the second drive cam 314a2 are connected in the circumferential direction on the side closer to the rotary shaft 314b in the radial direction of the rotary shaft 314b, but may be formed apart in the circumferential direction. That is, the first drive cam 314a1 and the second drive cam 314a2 may be completely separated in the circumferential direction. Thus, the vertical feed operation member VM has a plurality of drive cams 314a (first drive cam 314a1, second drive cam 314a2) arranged side by side in the rotation direction (A1 direction) as driving bodies.

[0076] Here, for convenience, the drive cam 314a located on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the vertical feed operation member VM is defined as the first drive cam 314a1, and the drive cam 314a located on the upstream side in the rotation direction is defined as the second drive cam 314a2. That is, when the vertical feed operation member VM rotates in the A1 direction, the first drive cam 314a1 is in a positional relationship ahead of the second drive cam 314a2. In this way, the vertical feed operation member VM has, as driving bodies, the first drive cam 314a1 disposed on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the vertical feed operation member VM and the second drive cam 314a2 disposed on the upstream side in the rotation direction.

[0077] The swing member RM has the above-described driven cam 313a as a follower. The driven cam 313a is also called a follower cam. The driven cam 313a is held by the holding portion 317 via a shaft portion 313b extending in the left-right direction. The holding portion 317 is provided so as to be rotatable relative to the vertical feed drive shaft 315 in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the driven cam 313a (swing member RM) is rotatable on one side or the other side in the circumferential direction of the vertical feed drive shaft 315 while being held by the holding portion 317. That is, the driven cam 313a is rotatable in the circumferential direction about the vertical feed drive shaft 315 as a rotation center (rotation axis) via the holding portion 317. Here, for convenience, the direction (one direction) in which the driven cam 313a rotates to one side in the circumferential direction of the vertical feed drive shaft 315 is defined as the B1 direction, and the direction (reverse direction) in which it rotates to the other side in the circumferential direction is defined as the B2 direction.

[0078] The swing member RM has two driven cams 313a, namely, the first driven cam 313a1 and the second driven cam 313a2, as a plurality of followers. Here, the driven cam 313a located on the downstream side in the B1 direction in which the swing member RM rotates is defined as the first driven cam 313a1, and the driven cam 313a located on the upstream side in the B1 direction is defined as the second driven cam 313a2. Therefore, when the swing member RM rotates in the B1 direction, the first driven cam 313a1 is in a positional relationship ahead of the second driven cam 313a2. In this way, the swing member RM has, as a plurality of followers, the first driven cam 313a1 and the second driven cam 313a2.

[0079] The driven cam 313a (the first driven cam 313a1 and the second driven cam 313a2) has a shape extending in the radial direction of the shaft portion 313b. At this time, the driven cam 313a may have a shape extending linearly in the radial direction of the shaft portion 313b, or may have a shape that bends (folds) or curves on the way from the inner side to the outer side in the radial direction. In the present embodiment, the first driven cam 313a1 and the second driven cam 313a2 have different shapes from each other. Specifically, the first driven cam 313a1 is longer in the radial direction than the second driven cam 313a2. Further, the first driven cam 313a1 has a shape in which the vicinity of the tip (the portion away from the shaft portion 313b) is bent downstream. On the other hand, the second driven cam 313a2 has a shape extending linearly in the radial direction.

[0080] The number of driven cams 313a as driven bodies is not limited to the above two, and may be three or more, but it is desirable that the number is the same as the number of drive cams 314a. Further, the first driven cam 313a1 and the second driven cam 313a2 are connected in the circumferential direction on the side closer to the shaft portion 313b in the radial direction of the shaft portion 313b, but may be formed apart in the circumferential direction. That is, the first driven cam 313a1 and the second driven cam 313a2 may be completely separated in the circumferential direction.

[0081] The holding portion 317 is biased in the B2 direction by a biasing member (not shown) such as a coil spring. A positioning portion 318a is provided on the holding portion 317. The movement of the positioning portion 318a in the B2 direction is restricted by a stopper 318b. That is, when the positioning portion 318a abuts against the stopper 318b, the movement of the holding portion 317 and the driven cam 313a in the B2 direction is restricted.

[0082] In the present embodiment, when the longitudinal feed operation member VM rotates in the A1 direction, the shapes, sizes, and circumferential intervals (circumferential positions) of the first driven cam 313a1 and the second driven cam 313a2 are set so that the first driven cam 313a1 contacts only the first drive cam 314a1, and then the second driven cam 313a2 contacts only the second drive cam 314a2.

[0083] The above-described vertical feed mechanism 313 further includes a drive mechanism 319. The drive mechanism 319 is configured as a ratchet-type one-way drive mechanism. The ratchet-type one-way drive mechanism rotates the vertical feed drive shaft 315 by a predetermined angle only when the swing member RM rotates in one direction (here, the B1 direction). Such a drive mechanism 319 includes a ratchet gear 319a and a ratchet pawl 319b.

[0084] The ratchet gear 319a is fixed coaxially with the vertical feed drive shaft 315. The ratchet gear 319a is provided with a protruding portion 319a1. The protruding portions 319a1 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the vertical feed drive shaft 315. In the present embodiment, five protruding portions 319a1 are provided in the circumferential direction of the vertical feed drive shaft 315, but the number of the protruding portions 319a1 is not particularly limited. Each protruding portion 319a1 has a shape protruding radially outward from the vertical feed drive shaft 315. Thereby, any one of the protruding portions 319a1 can mesh with the ratchet pawl 319b.

[0085] The ratchet pawl 319b is fixed to the shaft portion 313b of the swing member RM. Therefore, when the swing member RM (the driven cam 313a) and the holding portion 317 rotate in the B1 direction or the B2 direction about the vertical feed drive shaft 315, the ratchet pawl 319b also rotates in the B1 direction or the B2 direction about the vertical feed drive shaft 315. In this way, the ratchet pawl 319b rotates as the swing member RM rotates.

[0086] Here, the ratchet pawl 319b is formed in a shape that meshes with the protruding portion 319a1 of the ratchet gear 319a only when rotating in the B1 direction. Therefore, when the ratchet pawl 319b rotates in the B2 direction, it overrides the protruding portion 319a1 of the ratchet gear 319a in the B2 direction. The ratchet pawl 319b is always biased by a spring so that the tip (the claw portion) contacts the ratchet gear 319a.

[0087] Next, the operation of the drive unit DP will be described. FIGS. 18A to 18D schematically show the rotation positions of the driven cam 313a at each rotation position of the drive cam 314a. Note that 315a in the figure is a lid portion that covers the end of the vertical feed drive shaft 315, and 315b is a plate-like member located between the lid portion 315a and the ratchet gear 319a. Since the lid portion 315a and the plate-like member 315b are not members that directly affect the operation of the drive unit DP, these illustrations are omitted for convenience in FIGS. 16 and 17.

[0088] When the rotation shaft 314b of the vertical feed operation member VM rotates in the A1 direction, the first drive cam 314a1 rotates in the A1 direction ahead of the second drive cam 314a2. Then, as shown in FIG. 18A, the first drive cam 314a1 contacts the first driven cam 313a1 of the swing member RM, and pushes up the first driven cam 313a1 in the B1 direction against the biasing force in the B2 direction of a biasing member (not shown). As a result, the swing member RM starts to rotate in the B1 direction about the vertical feed drive shaft 315 together with the holding portion 317 (see FIG. 16).

[0089] Here, as shown in FIG. 18A, the first driven cam 313a1 has a shape that is longer in the radial direction than the second driven cam 313a2. For this reason, the first drive cam 314a1 can enter between the first driven cam 313a1 and the second driven cam 313a2 in the rotation direction of the swing member RM, and then contact the first driven cam 313a1. That is, the first drive cam 314a1 can contact only the first driven cam 313a1 without contacting the second driven cam 313a2.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 18B, when the vertical feed operation member VM further rotates in the A1 direction, the first driven cam 313a1 is further pushed up in the B1 direction by the first drive cam 314a1. As a result, the swing member RM further rotates in the B1 direction. At this time, the second driven cam 313a2 cannot overtake the first drive cam 314a1 in the B1 direction, and as it rotates in the B1 direction, it enters between the first drive cam 314a1 and the second drive cam 314a2.

[0091] When the vertical feed operation member VM further rotates in the A1 direction, before the pushing up of the first driven cam 313a1 by the first driving cam 314a1 in the B1 direction ends, the second driving cam 314a2 of the vertical feed operation member VM starts to contact the second driven cam 313a2 of the swing member RM. Then, when the vertical feed operation member VM further rotates in the A1 direction, as shown in FIG. 18C, the second driven cam 313a2 is pushed up in the B1 direction by the second driving cam 314a2. At this time, the contact between the first driven cam 313a1 and the first driving cam 314a1 is released, and the first driven cam 313a1 rotates in the B1 direction.

[0092] When the vertical feed operation member VM further rotates in the A1 direction, as shown in FIG. 18D, the second driven cam 313a2 is further pushed up in the B1 direction by the second driving cam 314a2. Then, when the vertical feed operation member VM further rotates in the A1 direction and the contact between the second driving cam 314a2 and the second driven cam 313a2 is released (when passing the state of FIG. 17), due to the biasing force of the biasing member in the B2 direction, the swing member RM rotates in the B2 direction, and the positioning portion 318a abuts against the stopper 318b and stops. After that, the same behavior as above is repeated by the rotation of the vertical feed operation member VM in the A1 direction.

[0093] As described above, when the first driving cam 314a1 and the second driving cam 314a2 sequentially contact the first driven cam 313a1 and the second driven cam 313a2 and rotate the swing member RM together with the holding portion 317 in the B1 direction, the ratchet pawl 319b also rotates in the B1 direction around the vertical feed drive shaft 315 at the same time. Due to this rotation, when the ratchet pawl 319b contacts the protruding portion 319a1 of the ratchet gear 319a, the ratchet pawl 319b moves the protruding portion 319a1 in the B1 direction. As a result, the ratchet gear 319a rotates in the B1 direction, and the vertical feed drive shaft 315 to which the ratchet gear 319a is fixed rotates in the B1 direction. The rotation of the vertical feed drive shaft 315 in the B1 direction drives the drive roller 315R, causing the vertical feed belt 312 to move, and the seedling mat MT on the seedling mounting table 311 moves toward the seedling extraction side.

[0094] On one hand, when the contact between the second driving cam 314a2 and the second driven cam 313a2 is released due to the rotation of the vertical feed operation member VM in the A1 direction and the swing member RM rotates in the B2 direction, the ratchet pawl 319b gets over the protruding portion 319a1 of the ratchet gear 319a in the B2 direction. For this reason, the rotation of the ratchet gear 319a in the B1 direction is stopped. That is, the rotation of the vertical feed drive shaft 315 in the B1 direction is stopped, and the drive of the drive roller 315R is stopped. As a result, the movement of the vertical feed belt 312, that is, the vertical feed of the seedling mat MT is stopped.

[0095] By repeating the above operations, the vertical feed belt 312 and the seedling mat MT are intermittently vertically fed by a predetermined amount (for each row of seedlings).

[0096] As described above, the transplanter 1 of the present embodiment includes a swing member RM. The swing member RM repeats rotation in one direction (B1 direction) and the reverse direction (B2 direction) along with the rotation of the vertical feed operation member VM (in the A1 direction) to drive the vertical feed mechanism 313. The swing member RM has a plurality of driven members (the first driven cam 313a1, the second driven cam 313a2). The plurality of driven members are arranged side by side in one direction (B1 direction) and sequentially contact with each of the plurality of driving members (the first driving cam 314a1, the second driving cam 314a2).

[0097] When the distance between the rotation center (rotation shaft 314b) of the vertical feed operation member VM and the rotation center (vertical feed drive shaft 315) of the swing member RM is constant (hereinafter also referred to as "axial distance"), as in the present embodiment, as the vertical feed operation member VM rotates, each drive body and each driven body come into contact sequentially. Thus, for example, compared with a configuration in which one drive body and one driven body are provided, the rotation angle (feed angle) of the swing member RM in one direction in one rotation of the vertical feed operation member VM can be easily increased. Thereby, the vertical feed mechanism 313 driven by the swing member RM can easily increase the movement amount when vertically feeding the seedling mat MT. In other words, with a simple configuration in which a plurality of drive bodies and driven bodies are provided, the vertical feed movement amount of the seedling mat MT can be easily increased without making design changes such as changing the axial distance, forming the drive bodies and driven bodies larger, etc. Therefore, it is possible to realize the transplanter 1 that can easily cope with the planting of vegetable seedlings that require a larger vertical feed movement amount than rice seedlings.

[0098] In order to surely increase the feed angle of the swing member RM in one rotation of the vertical feed operation member VM, after the first drive cam 314a1 pushes up and rotates the first driven cam 313a1 in one direction (B1 direction), before the first driven cam 313a1 tries to return to its original position (the position before rotation), it is desirable to continuously push up and rotate the second driven cam 313a2 in one direction by the second drive cam 314a2. In this regard, as in the present embodiment, when the vertical feed operation member VM rotates, the first drive cam 314a1 constituting the drive body contacts the first driven cam 313a1 constituting the driven body, and then after the second drive cam 314a2 contacts the second driven cam 313a2, it is desirable that the contact with the first driven cam 313a1 is released (see Fig. 18C).

[0099] When the first driven cam 313a1 and the second driven cam 313a2 have different shapes as in this embodiment, it is desirable that the first drive cam 314a1 and the second drive cam 314a2 have shapes corresponding to the respective shapes of the first driven cam 313a1 and the second driven cam 313a2. For example, as shown in FIG. 18A and the like, when the first driven cam 313a1 is longer in the radial direction than the second driven cam 313a2 and has a bent shape, and the second driven cam 313a2 has a linear shape in the radial direction, the first drive cam 314a1 preferably has a bent shape that is in line contact or surface contact with the first driven cam 313a1, and the second drive cam 314a2 preferably has a shape that extends linearly in an oblique direction with respect to the radial direction.

[0100] In this case, when the longitudinal feed operation member VM rotates, while avoiding interference between the first drive cam 314a1 and the second driven cam 313a2, the first drive cam 314a1 is surely brought into contact with the first driven cam 313a1, and the first driven cam 313a1 is surely pushed up in one direction (direction B1). Then, the second drive cam 314a2 is brought into contact with the second driven cam 313a2, and the swing member RM can be rotated in one direction (direction B1). Further, after the second drive cam 314a2 is brought into contact with the second driven cam 313a2, the first drive cam 314a1 can be disengaged from between the first driven cam 313a1 and the second driven cam 313a2.

[0101] Also, by appropriately setting the shapes of the first drive cam 314a1 and the second drive cam 314a2, it is possible to make different the feed speed of the swing member RM (also referred to as the first feed speed) due to the contact between the first drive cam 314a1 and the first driven cam 313a1 and the feed speed of the swing member RM (also referred to as the second feed speed) due to the contact between the second drive cam 314a2 and the second driven cam 313a2. For example, it is possible to reduce the second feed speed compared to the first feed speed. In this case, it is possible to avoid the swing member RM rotating so that the second driven cam 313a2 overtakes the first drive cam 314a1. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a so-called overrunning in which the swing member RM rotates too much and the seedling feed amount increases beyond a specified amount.

[0102] In this embodiment, when the swing member RM rotates in one direction (B1 direction) by the ratchet-type drive mechanism 319, the longitudinal feed drive shaft 315 rotates by a predetermined angle each time. Thereby, it is surely possible to intermittently longitudinally feed the longitudinal feed belt 312 by a predetermined amount. For example, when a one-way clutch is used as the drive mechanism, there is a possibility that the rotation angle of the longitudinal feed drive shaft 315 varies structurally. In the ratchet-type drive mechanism 319, since the longitudinal feed drive shaft 315 can be rotated by a predetermined angle each time (since the variation in the rotation angle can be reduced), the transplanter 1 suitable for planting vegetable seedlings can be surely realized.

[0103] More specifically, in a configuration using a one-way clutch as the drive mechanism of the longitudinal feed belt 312, when the rotation angle of the longitudinal feed drive shaft 315 for one rotation of the longitudinal feed operation member VM is larger than the predetermined angle, for each rotation of the longitudinal feed operation member VM, the error (the difference from the predetermined angle) of the rotation angle of the longitudinal feed drive shaft 315 is accumulated. In the planting of rice seedlings, even if the above error is accumulated, it does not affect the scraping and planting of the seedlings. However, in the planting of vegetable seedlings, if the above error is accumulated, the position of the vegetable seedlings in the seedling mat MT deviates from the scraping position of the seedlings by the seedling planting mechanism 32, so there is a possibility that the vegetable seedlings cannot be properly scraped. Therefore, the ratchet-type drive mechanism 319 is very effective in preventing the accumulation of the above error and enabling the appropriate scraping of vegetable seedlings from the seedling mat MT.

[0104] The ratchet pawl 319b of the drive mechanism 319 meshes with the protrusion 319a1 and rotates the ratchet gear 319a (in the above one direction) when the swing member RM rotates in one direction (B1 direction), while the protrusion 319a1 is overcome (in the above reverse direction) when the swing member RM rotates in the reverse direction (B2 direction). In this configuration, it is surely possible to realize a configuration in which the longitudinal feed drive shaft 315 rotates by a predetermined angle in one direction only when the swing member RM rotates in one direction.

[0105] For example, in the configuration where the ratchet gear 319a of the drive mechanism 319 has five protrusions 319a1 in the circumferential direction as in the present embodiment, when the swing member RM rotates in the B1 direction, the longitudinal feed drive shaft 315 rotates 360° / 5 = 72° in the B1 direction. On the other hand, when the swing member RM rotates in the B2 direction, since the ratchet pawl 319b gets over the protrusion 319a1, the ratchet gear 319a does not rotate in either the B1 direction or the B2 direction and remains in a stationary state. Therefore, by repeatedly rotating the swing member RM in the B1 direction and the B2 direction, the ratchet gear 319a can always be rotated by a predetermined angle (72° in the above example) only in the B1 direction.

[0106] FIG. 19 is a side view showing an enlarged state of the drive mechanism 319 before the swing member RM rotates in the B1 direction. In the present embodiment, in the state before the swing member RM rotates in the B1 direction, the ratchet pawl 319b is arranged with a predetermined gap SP in the circumferential direction of the ratchet gear 319a between the ratchet pawl 319b and the protrusion 319a1 with which the ratchet pawl 319b first engages when the swing member RM rotates in the B1 direction. The reason is as follows.

[0107] When the rocking member RM rotates in the B1 direction due to the rotation of the vertical feed operation member VM in the A1 direction, let the rotation angle be A (°). And let the rotation angle of the ratchet gear 319a accompanying the rotation of the rocking member RM be B (°). Also, let the number of protrusions 319a1 of the ratchet gear 319a be n (pieces). By providing the above-mentioned gap SP, even if the rotation angle A of the rocking member RM is set to an angle larger than one rotation angle B (= 360 / n) of the ratchet gear 319a, the ratchet gear 319a can always be rotated by a fixed angle B with respect to the rotation of the rocking member RM at the angle A, and the vertical feed drive shaft 315 can be rotated by a predetermined angle each time. For example, when n = 5 as in the present embodiment, since B = 360° / 5 = 72°, even if the design is such that the rocking member RM rotates at an angle larger than 72° (for example, 90°) in the B1 direction per one rotation of the vertical feed operation member VM in the A1 direction, the ratchet gear 319a can always be rotated by 72° each time, and the vertical feed drive shaft 315 can always be rotated by 72° each time. That is, the difference between the rotation angle A of the rocking member RM and the rotation angle B of the ratchet gear 319a is absorbed by the above-mentioned gap SP.

[0108] Therefore, a design of the rocking member RM (for example, the shape and arrangement of the first driven cam 313a1 and the second driven cam 313a2) is possible such that the rocking member RM rotates at an angle larger than 72° per one rotation of the vertical feed operation member VM in the A1 direction, and the design freedom of the rocking member RM increases. Also, since the ratchet gear 319a and the vertical feed drive shaft 315 do not rotate at an angle larger than 72° by one rotation of the vertical feed operation member VM in the A1 direction, it is also possible to prevent the overrun of the vertical feed belt 312 due to the unnecessary rotation of the vertical feed drive shaft 315.

[0109] Even if for some reason the vertical feed drive shaft 315 rotates at an angle greater than a predetermined angle (e.g., 72°), in the next process, only the gap SP will become larger, and it is possible to vertically feed the vertical feed belt 312 to a predetermined position. For example, even if the vertical feed drive shaft 315 rotates at an angle greater than a predetermined angle (e.g., 72°) from the reference rotation position, in the next process, by meshing the ratchet pawl 319b with the ratchet gear 319a (protrusion 319a1) and rotating it, the vertical feed drive shaft 315 can be rotated from the reference rotation position to a rotation position of 144°. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the vertical feed belt 312 from overrunning in the next process.

[0110] <6. About the braking mechanism for vertical feeding> For example, when the seedling mat MT vertically fed by the vertical feed belt 312 contains moisture, the weight of the seedling mat MT increases compared to when it does not contain moisture. In this case, even if the swing member RM returns to the initial position (the position in FIG. 16) and stops after the vertical feed of the vertical feed belt 312, the vertical feed belt 312 may overrun due to the weight of the seedling mat MT, and the position of the seedlings may deviate from the regular scraping position. In addition, in order to avoid this phenomenon, if a constant resistance (load) is always applied to the vertical feed belt 312 by a brake shoe or the like, it becomes difficult to manually rotate the vertical feed belt 312 to adjust the position of the seedling mat MT, etc. Therefore, it is not preferable to always apply a resistance to the vertical feed belt 312.

[0111] Therefore, the transplanter 1 of the present embodiment adopts a structure in which a brake is applied to the vertical feed drive shaft 315 at the end stage of the vertical feed of the vertical feed belt 312. That is, the transplanter 1 is provided with a brake mechanism 500 shown in FIG. 20 and the like. Hereinafter, the details of the brake mechanism 500 will be described.

[0112] FIG. 20 is a side view of the brake mechanism 500 in a standby state. FIGS. 21 and 22 are perspective views of the brake mechanism 500 in the standby state as viewed from different directions. On the other hand, FIG. 23 is a side view of the brake mechanism 500 in an operating state. FIGS. 24 and 25 are perspective views of the brake mechanism 500 in the operating state as viewed from different directions. Here, the standby state refers to the state before the brake mechanism 500 enters the operating state. The operating state refers to the state from when the brake mechanism 500 starts the operation of applying a brake to the vertical feed drive shaft 315 until the brake application is completed and released.

[0113] The brake mechanism 500 includes a holder 501. The holder 501 is formed by bending a flat metal plate. More specifically, the holder 501 has a right wall portion 501R, a left wall portion 501L, and a rear wall portion 501B. The right wall portion 501R and the left wall portion 501L are positioned to face each other in the left-right direction. The rear wall portion 501B connects the rear portions of the right wall portion 501R and the left wall portion 501L in the left-right direction. The rear wall portion 501B is bolted to the seedling mounting table 311 (see FIG. 16) or the frame that supports the seedling mounting table 311.

[0114] The right wall portion 501R and the left wall portion 501L rotatably support a mounting shaft 501a extending in the left-right direction. A first brake stay 502 and a second brake stay 503 are mounted side by side in the left-right direction on the mounting shaft 501a. Therefore, the first brake stay 502 and the second brake stay 503 can rotate with respect to the holder 501 around the mounting shaft 501a as the rotation center.

[0115] A first bearing support shaft 502a is provided to penetrate the first brake stay 502 in the left-right direction. The first bearing support shaft 502a is positioned above the mounting shaft 501a in the standby state of the brake mechanism 500. A first bearing 504 (especially the inner ring) can be attached to the right end side of the first bearing support shaft 502a. The outer peripheral portion (outer ring) of the first bearing 504 can contact the above-described driven cam 313a (especially the first driven cam 313a1).

[0116] On the upper part of the right wall portion 501R of the above-described holder 501, a recess 501Ra is formed. The right end portion of the first bearing support shaft 502a can come into contact with the recess 501Ra. The recess 501Ra has a function of restricting the downward movement of the first bearing support shaft 502a. In other words, the recess 501Ra has a function of restricting the rotation of the first brake stay 502 in which the first bearing support shaft 502a moves downward.

[0117] The second brake stay 503 is located on the left side of the first brake stay 502. A spring support shaft 505 is provided to penetrate the second brake stay 503 in the left-right direction. The spring support shaft 505 is located in front of the mounting shaft 501a in the standby state of the brake mechanism 500. One end portion of a biasing spring 506 is locked to the spring support shaft 505. The other end portion of the biasing spring 506 is locked to the first bearing support shaft 502a at a position to the left of the first brake stay 502. In the present embodiment, two biasing springs 506 are provided side by side in the left-right direction, but the number of the biasing springs 506 may be one or three or more.

[0118] A return spring support portion 503a is provided on the second brake stay 503. The return spring support portion 503a is located behind the mounting shaft 501a in the standby state of the brake mechanism 500. One end portion of a return spring 507 is locked to the return spring support portion 503a. The other end portion of the return spring 507 is locked to one end portion of an elongated support member 508. The other end portion in the longitudinal direction of the support member 508 is attached to the left wall portion 501L of the holder 501.

[0119] The second brake stay 503 is provided with a second bearing support shaft 503b extending in the left - right direction. The second bearing support shaft 503b is located below the mounting shaft 501a and between the spring support shaft 505 and the return spring support portion 503a in the standby state of the brake mechanism 500. At the second bearing support shaft 503b, a second bearing 509 (especially the inner ring) can be attached on the right side of the second brake stay 503. The outer peripheral portion (outer ring) of the second bearing 509 can be brought into contact with the outer peripheral portion of the aforementioned ratchet gear 319a by the rotation of the second brake stay 503.

[0120] A regulating member 501Ls is provided on the left wall portion 501L of the above - described holder 501. The regulating member 501Ls is a stopper for regulating the upward movement of the spring support shaft 505 by abutting against the left end portion of the spring support shaft 505. In other words, the regulating member 501Ls has a function of regulating the rotation of the second brake stay 503 in which the spring support shaft 505 moves upward. Note that the regulating member 501Ls is provided such that the position in the direction of separation from and contact with the spring support shaft 505 can be adjusted.

[0121] In the configuration of the above - described brake mechanism 500, as shown in FIGS. 20 to 22, in the standby state, due to the weak tensile load of the return spring 507, the second brake stay 503 is biased in the rotation direction of pushing down the spring support shaft 505 with the mounting shaft 501a as the rotation center. As a result, the first bearing support shaft 502a is biased downward via the biasing spring 506 locked to the spring support shaft 505. As a result, the right end portion of the first bearing support shaft 502a fits into the recess 501Ra of the right wall portion 501R and is in contact with the recess 501Ra. Further, when the second brake stay 503 is biased in the above - described rotation direction, the second bearing 509 supported by the second brake stay 503 via the second bearing support shaft 503b is arranged separated from the ratchet gear 319a.

[0122] When the vertical feed operation member VM rotates in the A1 direction and the drive cam 314a (especially the second drive cam 314a2) pushes up the driven cam 313a (especially the second driven cam 313a2) in the B1 direction by a certain amount or more, the brake mechanism 500 shifts from the standby state to the operating state. In the operating state, as shown in FIGS. 23 to 25, the first driven cam 313a1 pushes up the first bearing 504, causing the first bearing support shaft 502a to escape from the recess 501Ra. Due to the movement of the first bearing support shaft 502a, the first brake stay 502 rotates about the mounting shaft 501a and pulls the spring support shaft 505 upward via the biasing spring 506. As a result, the second brake stay 503 to which the spring support shaft 505 is attached rotates in the same direction as the first brake stay 502 about the mounting shaft 501a. Therefore, the second bearing 509 supported by the second brake stay 503 via the second bearing support shaft 503b is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the ratchet gear 319a. As a result, a brake is applied to the rotation of the ratchet gear 319a, in other words, the rotation of the vertical feed drive shaft 315.

[0123] The rotation of the second brake stay 503 in which the spring support shaft 505 moves upward is restricted by the above-described restricting member 501Ls. For this reason, no matter how much the first driven cam 313a1 pushes up the first bearing 504, in other words, no matter how much the first brake stay 502 rotates, after the spring support shaft 505 abuts against the restricting member 501Ls, the second brake stay 503 does not rotate. For this reason, after the spring support shaft 505 abuts against the restricting member 501Ls, the pressing force of the second bearing 509 against the ratchet gear 319a is maintained constant. That is, excessive braking of the ratchet gear 319a (vertical feed drive shaft 315) is suppressed.

[0124] As described above, in the standby state, since no resistance is applied to the vertical feed drive shaft 315, the drive torque of the vertical feed drive shaft 315 can also be kept low, making it easier to turn by hand. Also, in the operating state, the second bearing 509 is pressed against the ratchet gear 319a from the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the ratchet gear 319a. Thereby, the rotation of the ratchet gear 319a and the vertical feed drive shaft 315 can be surely stopped, and the overrunning of the vertical feed belt 312 can be surely prevented.

[0125] Also, by adjusting the position of the regulating member 501Ls, the pressing force (braking force) of the second bearing 509 against the ratchet gear 319a can be easily adjusted. Thereby, even when the seedling mat MT contains moisture and is heavy, it becomes easier to cope with preventing overrunning. Also, when the regulating member 501Ls abuts against the spring support shaft 505, the rotation of the second brake stay 503 stops, but the biasing spring 506 extends until the driven cam 313a rotates to the stroke end (maximum rotation position). For this reason, a load can be stored in the second brake stay 503, and the second bearing 509 can be pressed against the ratchet gear 319a so as not to be bounced, and the stopped state of the ratchet gear 319a can be maintained. Also, the biasing spring 506 serves as a safety device, and the breakage of the entire brake mechanism 500 can also be prevented.

[0126] <7. Details of the power transmission mechanism> In FIG. 16 and the like, the case where the rotation axis of the swing member RM is coaxial with the vertical feed drive shaft 315 has been described, but the rotation axis of the swing member RM may be an axis different from the vertical feed drive shaft 315. In this case, by using a power transmission mechanism, the power of the rotation axis of the swing member RM can be transmitted to the vertical feed drive shaft 315 to drive the vertical feed drive shaft 315. Hereinafter, the details of the power transmission mechanism will be described.

[0127] FIG. 26 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of the drive unit DP including the power transmission mechanism 600. FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the drive unit DP shown in FIG. 26. The power transmission mechanism 600 transmits power between the rotation axis of the swing member RM and the vertical feed drive shaft 315. More specifically, the power transmission mechanism 600 transmits the power generated by the rotation of the swing member RM to the vertical feed drive shaft 315.

[0128] The power transmission mechanism 600 is configured to have, for example, a gear train 610 in which a plurality of gears are meshed. FIGS. 26 and 27 show, as an example, a case where the gear train 610 is composed of three gears, i.e., a first gear 611, a second gear 612, and a third gear 613. The first gear 611 is attached to the rotation axis 313c of the swing member RM. The rotation axis 313c is an axis that serves as the rotation center of the driven cam 313a and extends in the left-right direction. The third gear 613 is attached to the vertical feed drive shaft 315. The second gear 612 is disposed between the first gear 611 and the third gear 613. The first gear 611 and the second gear 612 are meshed with each other, and the second gear 612 and the third gear 613 are meshed with each other. In FIGS. 26 and 27, for the sake of convenience, only the gear shape of the first gear 611 is illustrated.

[0129] As shown in FIG. 27, the third gear 613 is connected to a holder 614. The holder 614 holds the ratchet pawl 319b and is provided so as to be rotatable about the vertical feed drive shaft 315. The vertical feed drive shaft 315 is rotatably supported by a shaft support portion 615 (see FIG. 27). The shaft support portion 615 is bolted to the seedling table 311 (see FIG. 16) or the frame supporting the seedling table 311 via a support bracket 616.

[0130] When the vertical feed operation member VM rotates in the A1 direction, the drive cam 314a of the vertical feed operation member VM rotates the driven cam 313a of the swing member RM in the B1 direction. As a result, the rotation shaft 313c of the swing member RM rotates in the positive direction (B1 direction) together with the first gear 611. Then, the second gear 612 meshing with the first gear 611 rotates in the direction opposite to that of the first gear 611, and the third gear 613 meshing with the second gear 612 rotates in the positive direction together with the holder 614. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, the ratchet claw 319b attached to the holder 614 meshes with the ratchet gear 319a to rotate the ratchet gear 319a. By the rotation of the ratchet gear 319a, the vertical feed drive shaft 315 rotates, and the vertical feed belt 312 is vertically fed.

[0131] Due to changes in the specifications of the transplanter 1, the layout, the planting locus of the seedlings by the seedling planting mechanism 32, etc., the distance (center distance) between the rotation shaft 314b of the vertical feed operation member VM and the vertical feed drive shaft 315 may become longer. Even in this case, by providing the power transmission mechanism 600, the power of the swing member RM that rotates in one direction (B1 direction) due to the rotation of the vertical feed operation member VM can be transmitted to the vertical feed drive shaft 315 via the power transmission mechanism 600 and the ratchet type drive mechanism 319, and the vertical feed belt 312 can be vertically fed.

[0132] In particular, since the power transmission mechanism 600 has the gear train 610, it is possible to cope with specifications with a longer center distance with a simple configuration using the gear train 610. In addition, it becomes easier to expand the transplanter 1 to different specifications. For example, even when it is desired to change the vertical feed stroke (the vertical feed movement amount of the seedling mat MT) according to the specifications, it can be easily coped with by changing the gear ratio.

[0133] Incidentally, when the power transmission mechanism 600 is composed only of a gear train, the number of gears used is odd in order to match the rotation direction of the swing member RM and the rotation direction of the vertical feed drive shaft 315. However, by using a belt, a chain, a cam, etc. in addition to the gears, it is also possible to configure the number of gears to be even and transmit power. Further, the power transmission mechanism 600 is not limited to a configuration having gears, and may be configured by combining at least any one of a belt, a chain, and a cam.

[0134] Incidentally, the vertical feed mechanism 313 described in the present embodiment can also be applied to a transplanter that does not include the multi-sheet feeding and laying mechanism 36.

[0135] <8. Supplementary Note> The transplanter described in the present embodiment can also be expressed as the transplanter shown in the following supplementary note.

[0136] The transplanter of Supplementary Note (1) is a seedling vertical feed mechanism for vertically feeding the seedling mat placed on the seedling mounting table in the seedling extraction direction, a rotating vertical feed operation member, a swing member that repeatedly rotates in one direction and the reverse direction as the vertical feed operation member rotates to drive the seedling vertical feed mechanism, the vertical feed operation member has a plurality of driving bodies arranged side by side in the rotation direction, the swing member has a plurality of driven bodies arranged side by side in the one direction and sequentially contacting each of the plurality of driving bodies.

[0137] The transplanter of Supplementary Note (2) is the transplanter according to Supplementary Note (1), the plurality of driving bodies include a first driving cam arranged on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the vertical feed operation member and a second driving cam arranged on the upstream side in the rotation direction, the plurality of driven bodies include a first driven cam arranged on the downstream side in the one direction in which the swing member rotates and a second driven cam arranged on the upstream side in the one direction, When the vertical feed operation member rotates, after the first drive cam contacts the first driven cam, after the second drive cam contacts the second driven cam, the contact with the first driven cam is released.

[0138] The transplanter of supplementary note (3) is the transplanter described in supplementary note (2), The first driven cam and the second driven cam have different shapes, The first drive cam and the second drive cam each have a shape corresponding to the shape of the first driven cam and the second driven cam.

[0139] The transplanter of supplementary note (4) is the transplanter described in any one of supplementary notes (1) to (3), The seedling vertical feed mechanism is A seedling vertical feed belt for vertically feeding the seedling mat, A vertical feed drive shaft for driving the seedling vertical feed belt, A ratchet-type one-way drive mechanism that rotates the vertical feed drive shaft by a predetermined angle only when the swing member rotates in the one direction.

[0140] The transplanter of supplementary note (5) is the transplanter described in supplementary note (4), The ratchet-type one-way drive mechanism is A ratchet gear that is fixed coaxially with the vertical feed drive shaft and is provided with protrusions at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, A ratchet pawl that rotates as the swing member rotates, When the swing member rotates in the one direction, the ratchet pawl meshes with the protrusion to rotate the ratchet gear, while when the swing member rotates in the reverse direction, the ratchet pawl overrides the protrusion.

[0141] The transplanter of supplementary note (6) is the transplanter described in supplementary note (5), In the state before the swing member rotates in the one direction, the ratchet pawl is arranged with a gap in the circumferential direction of the ratchet gear between the ratchet pawl and the protrusion with which the ratchet pawl first meshes when the swing member rotates in the one direction.

[0142] The transplanter of Supplementary Note (7) is the transplanter described in any one of Supplementary Notes (4) to (6), further includes a power transmission mechanism that transmits power between the rotation axis of the swing member and the vertical feed drive shaft.

[0143] The transplanter of Supplementary Note (8) is the transplanter described in Supplementary Note (7), the power transmission mechanism has a gear train in which a plurality of gears are meshed.

[0144] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and it can be implemented with expansion or modification without departing from the gist of the invention.

Industrial Applicability

[0145] The transplanter of the present invention can be used, for example, as a transplanter for planting vegetable seedlings in soil (ridges).

Explanation of Signs

[0146] 1 Transplanter 311 Seedling stage 312 Vertical feed belt (seedling vertical feed belt) 313 Vertical feed mechanism (seedling vertical feed mechanism) 313a Driven cam (driven body) 313a1 First driven cam (driven body) 313a2 Second driven cam (driven body) 313c Rotation axis 314a Driving cam (driving body) 314a1 First driving cam (driving body) 314a2 Second driving cam (driving body) 315 Vertical feed drive shaft 319 Driving mechanism (ratchet type one-way driving mechanism) 319a Ratchet gear 319a1 Protrusion 319b Ratchet pawl 600 Power transmission mechanism 610 Gear train 611 First gear 612 Second gear 613 Third gear MT Seedling mat RM Swing member SP Gap VM Vertical feed operating member

Claims

1. A seedling vertical feeding mechanism for vertically feeding a seedling mat placed on a seedling mounting table toward the seedling extraction side, a rotating vertical feeding operation member, and a swinging member that repeatedly rotates in one direction and the reverse direction in accordance with the rotation of the vertical feeding operation member to drive the seedling vertical feeding mechanism. The vertical feeding operation member has a plurality of driving bodies arranged side by side in the rotation direction. The swinging member has a plurality of driven bodies arranged side by side in the one direction and sequentially contacting each of the plurality of driving bodies. The transplanter.

2. The plurality of driving bodies include a first driving cam arranged on the downstream side of the vertical feeding operation member in the rotation direction and a second driving cam arranged on the upstream side of the rotation direction. The plurality of driven bodies include a first driven cam arranged on the downstream side of the one direction in which the swinging member rotates and a second driven cam arranged on the upstream side of the one direction. When the vertical feeding operation member rotates, after the first driving cam contacts the first driven cam, after the second driving cam contacts the second driven cam, the contact with the first driven cam is released. The transplanter according to claim 1.

3. The first driven cam and the second driven cam have different shapes. The first driving cam and the second driving cam each have a shape corresponding to the shape of the first driven cam and the second driven cam. The transplanter according to claim 2.

4. The seedling vertical feeding mechanism includes: a seedling vertical feeding belt for vertically feeding the seedling mat, a vertical feeding drive shaft for driving the seedling vertical feeding belt, and a ratchet type one-way drive mechanism that rotates the vertical feeding drive shaft by a predetermined angle only when the swinging member rotates in the one direction. The transplanter according to claim 1.

5. The ratchet type one-way drive mechanism includes: a ratchet gear fixed coaxially with the vertical feeding drive shaft and provided with protrusions at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and a ratchet pawl that rotates as the swinging member rotates. The ratchet pawl meshes with the protrusion to rotate the ratchet gear when the swinging member rotates in the one direction, while the ratchet pawl overrides the protrusion when the swinging member rotates in the reverse direction. The transplanter according to claim 4.

6. In a state before the swing member rotates in the one direction, the ratchet pawl is disposed with a gap in the circumferential direction of the ratchet gear between the ratchet pawl and the protrusion with which the ratchet pawl first engages when the swing member rotates in the one direction. The transplanter according to claim 5.

7. The transplanter according to any one of claims 4 to 6, further comprising a power transmission mechanism that transmits power between the rotation axis of the swing member and the vertical feed drive shaft.

8. The transplanter according to claim 7, wherein the power transmission mechanism has a gear train in which a plurality of gears are engaged with each other.

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